Foundation Licence

Post by **Tyranus** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:55 am

For the record...so far so good, though I discovered when you make a joke however funny it may be might just land up with a little quiz question in response on the HF...easy one though.

Zeb only 1 didn't turn up, there's 12 of us or there abouts.

Post by **meg** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:51 pm

Got through the practical tests today, would have taken the theory too but I didn't have my photos with me. About 6 of us going back next weekend to do theory.

It's been a great course, really interesting and the instructors have been excellent. I'd seriously recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest.

Post by **Tyranus** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:00 am

meg wrote:Got through the practical tests today, would have taken the theory too but I didn't have my photos with me. About 6 of us going back next weekend to do theory.

It's been a great course, really interesting and the instructors have been excellent. I'd seriously recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest.

Agreed. I'm in the same boat, passed the prac just need to get my passport photo's organised for next weekend. Good tip for others interested they may run the exam early, get your photo's taken before the course. If I'd done that my paper work would have been sent tomorrow(today really).

Post by **Zebedee** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:20 am

Glad to know you both enjoyed yourself - it must have been a heck of a busy day with 12 participants!

As for the photos - I think I mentioned before that the amount of paperwork required once you've passed everything is truly staggering... You can tell that it's destined for a government department ultimately

Post by **Tyranus** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:53 pm

Zebedee wrote:Glad to know you both enjoyed yourself - it must have been a heck of a busy day with 12 participants!

As for the photos - I think I mentioned before that the amount of paperwork required once you've passed everything is truly staggering... You can tell that it's destined for a government department ultimately

Multiple copies of everything for when they lose a copy?

Post by **Zebedee** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:33 pm

Haha probably...

What annoys me with it all is that the form designs aren't even consistent.

For example, one form might have the surname field first then the given name. And another form will have it given name first and then surname.

Ordinarily it probably isn't that big an issue, other than when you're filling out multiple forms all at once and they keep moving bits

Post by **robbage** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:23 pm

Handy tip #42: Don't forget to wait until you're licenced before going live

Post by **meg** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:30 pm

robbage wrote:Handy tip #42: Don't forget to wait until you're licenced before going live

An excellent tip, but geez i'm hoping it's not because someone didn't???

Post by **Zebedee** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:32 pm

meg wrote:
robbage wrote:Handy tip #42: Don't forget to wait until you're licenced before going live
An excellent tip, but geez i'm hoping it's not because someone didn't???

Oh it wouldn't surprise me if someone somewhere has been a bit over-enthusiastic before. Hopefully nobody from WA though

But at least now that we have an online ACMA database, it cuts a few days off the wait since you can TX as soon as your details show up

Written exam this Saturday ... good luck and don't forget your two passport sized photos, and photographic ID such as a drivers' licence to satisfy all the regulations and paperwork.

Post by **VK6ZMS** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:42 pm

Zebedee wrote:
Oh it wouldn't surprise me if someone somewhere has been a bit over-enthusiastic before. Hopefully nobody from WA though

Tonight on VK6RAP someone jumped the gun.

Post by **Zebedee** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:48 pm

Well, ten out of ten for enthusiasm I suppose, but a little revision on the regs might be wise

Post by **robbage** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:16 am

VK6ZMS wrote:
Zebedee wrote:
Oh it wouldn't surprise me if someone somewhere has been a bit over-enthusiastic before. Hopefully nobody from WA though

Tonight on VK6RAP someone jumped the gun.

That's the one...

Post by **meg** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:17 am

VK6ZMS wrote:Tonight on VK6RAP someone jumped the gun.

Ah... I'm just thinking about the course, and I don't think it was emphasised during the course that you had to wait for the license to be issued before you could transmit - I'm assuming though that they did mention this to the people who sat the exam?

Post by **VK6ZMS** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:18 am

You don't know what your call sign is until ACMA publishes it.
The one you ask for may not necessarily be the one that gets issued.

Post by **Zebedee** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:59 am

meg wrote:
VK6ZMS wrote:Tonight on VK6RAP someone jumped the gun.
Ah... I'm just thinking about the course, and I don't think it was emphasised during the course that you had to wait for the license to be issued before you could transmit - I'm assuming though that they did mention this to the people who sat the exam?

I know it was mentioned when I did my foundation course - as well as the handy hint about watching for it to appear online rather than waiting for the paperwork to arrive in the mail...

But it's definitely a point that needs to be made, to make sure everyone understands that passing the exam doesn't mean you can jump on air on your way home

VK6ZMS wrote:You don't know what your call sign is until ACMA publishes it.
The one you ask for may not necessarily be the one that gets issued.

That's one of the bonuses of being in WA I guess ... we don't have quite the same volume of people going for licences like the other states do, meaning your first choice for callsign stands a better chance of being allocated to you

But yes - there's always the chance that your first choice ends up being given to someone else a week before your paperwork hits the ACMA office...