Tag Archives: scrs

Foundation License Here I Come

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After sending numerous e-mails to Amateur Radio Clubs I have finally had 2 come back offering courses. After confirming my details to both, I have finally got a start date and amazingly it’s tomorrow.

The Whitton Amateur Radio Group is a fair distance away, but I think will be worth it as my local Radio club (The Sutton And Cheam Radio Society) cannot offer the course.

I have been swotting up by reading my Foundation Licence – Now (See Bottom of Page), and shall take to work to swot up some more.

Amateur Radio Books

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Today my Granddad visited and brought with him some books he said he would get for me.

The books are for the Amateur Radio courses, but I have had little luck so far in finding somewhere near me that does the courses. I will be attending the SCRS next week, and hope that they will know somewhere locally.

The Books, “Foundation Licence Now!” (Alan Betts (G0HIQ)) and “Intermediate Licence – Building on the Foundation” (Steve Hartley (G0FUW)), are available from RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain). Amateur Radio Training can be obtained Directly From Here

First Impressions of Icom IC-E90

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Well I have had my Icom IC-E90 for a few days now and battery life is pretty good so far. The Charger that comes with the Radio requires 15hrs to charge, so I may have to purchase the 2-1/2 hour desktop version very soon. As I am writing this it’s having it first charge since Christmas day, but has been charging since 2am and is now 7pm and is not complete (But that may be because the cable when I picked it up at 10am fell out so may not have been home snugly. We’ll have to wait and see.).

I have managed to program in all the CB (UK & EU) and PMR (446Mhz) channels into the memory, as well as some normal radio stations like Capital FM (95.8fm), Kiss (100fm) and Radio 1 (98.8fm). This radio has a feature that when listening to Public radio stations and TV channels (yes can get them as well) switches to a WFM mode.

My uncle will be making a cable to connect to a PC for me and then once I have the Icom software I can arrange all the channels via the computer. (Hopefully that will be easier than programming on the handset.)

On Boxing day I also caught about 5-10 minutes of a broadcast (I think they call a net) by the Sutton & Cheam Radio Society. I heard them using their Amateur Radio call signs, but either because I am not used to listening or they were said to fast I missed them.

Icom IC-E90

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Icom IC-E90I got in touch with my uncle last weekend, and during our video chat using iVist, he mentioned that he may be giving me an amateur radio/scanner.

It would be the Icom IC-E90 as pictured left.

From the ICOM website:- Icom announces the debut of the IC-E90 multi-band handheld transceiver. This transceiver covers 50MHz, 144MHz and 430MHz bands and is equipped with a wide band receiver, which covers 0.495-999.990MHz in AM/FM/WFM modes. If that isn’t enough, the IC-E90 comes as standard with a 1300mAH Li-Ion battery ideal for long operating periods and provides 5W output on all bands! All these great features are built into an ultra compact body, measuring only 58x87x29mm!

I have so far only seen images on the net about this Radio. But I love how small it is. It apparently can also be used as a Radio Scanner.

How Amateur (Ham) Radios Work!

How Radio Scanners Work!

In doing some research, I have found a local club called The Sutton And Cheam Radio Society. The society has been running for 50 years and are an affiliated member of the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain).