08-09-2018, 02:36 PM
In the Southgate ARC news (always a good read) it is reported that AR in Sweden is now "license exempt" and all that is required to get on the air is a certificate of proficiency and a call sign that are issued by the Swedish Amateur Radio Society.
I know I am poking the bear, but if it can be done in Sweden, why can't the same thing be done in VK?
I have been actively promoting ham radio among a group of retirees that I belong to but the most common issue for them is the cost of obtaining the license and the annual fee thereafter. You might say that compared with a lot of recreational things, these costs are not high, but almost all of them are only on the aged or service pension and don't need the impost of another annual fee.
Would the wheels really fall off the ham radio cart and the ionosphere fall down, if individual licenses were not required in VK?
I have noticed that there maybe a possible downside to the Swedish decision though. Another press release says that output power has been reduced to 200 watts for license-exempt stations but I don't know how high it was before.
73
Wayne VK4WDM
I know I am poking the bear, but if it can be done in Sweden, why can't the same thing be done in VK?
I have been actively promoting ham radio among a group of retirees that I belong to but the most common issue for them is the cost of obtaining the license and the annual fee thereafter. You might say that compared with a lot of recreational things, these costs are not high, but almost all of them are only on the aged or service pension and don't need the impost of another annual fee.
Would the wheels really fall off the ham radio cart and the ionosphere fall down, if individual licenses were not required in VK?
I have noticed that there maybe a possible downside to the Swedish decision though. Another press release says that output power has been reduced to 200 watts for license-exempt stations but I don't know how high it was before.
73
Wayne VK4WDM