RSGB NRC volunteer gains Intermediate licence

Before I passed my Foundation licence, I thought amateur radio was all about making contacts on air, rather than understanding and experimenting with wireless communications or getting computers to talk to computers over a radio link.

I’m Phil. I was M7ANW, am now 2E0IFI and I’m just getting started in amateur radio. My QTH is about 60 miles south of London.

I was introduced to amateur radio by a friend in late 2019 but I wish I discovered this hobby 30 years ago! I knew immediately I had to get licensed and I passed my Foundation licence in March 2020. I wanted to dive right in, so I joined my local amateur radio club, the RSGB and RAYNET-UK.

It was the internet-connected modes that inspired me, and I went straight into the digital world of DMR and got a MMDVM hat for a Raspberry Pie 4B. I installed Pi-Star and away I went, talking to people all over the world!

Then everything changed when I saw in RadCom that the RSGB was looking for volunteers for the RSGB National Radio Centre (NRC) at Bletchley Park. I’m not the most confident person socially, on the radio, or dealing with the public. But with the promise of full training, the temptation of all the lovely equipment and the opportunity to learn, I knew I had to give it go. So, I had a chat with NRC Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB who reassured me that I didn’t need to be an expert in radio, just an enthusiast.

I was a little apprehensive, being very new to the hobby and having failed my Intermediate exam; I wondered how I could talk about radio if I didn’t understand it properly myself. Before I passed my Foundation licence, I thought amateur radio was all about making contacts on air, rather than understanding and experimenting with wireless communications or getting computers to talk to computers over a radio link.

I have found that at the NRC, I am not there to be tested on how radio works but to introduce people to all the different aspects of the hobby and show my enthusiasm for radio. Being able to talk to passionate, experienced fellow volunteers, who are into different aspects of the hobby, has really helped my understanding and opened my eyes to all the possibilities amateur radio has to offer. Although I still have a lot to learn, I am never going to be bored again!

I’ve been volunteering at the NRC for 18 months now. My fellow volunteers have been most helpful in explaining the technical aspects that I’ve been struggling with. With my newly-gained confidence and knowledge, I sat the Intermediate exam again and passed! I don’t think I could have done it without the support of my fellow volunteers at the National Radio Centre.

Now I can think about building a station to work geostationary satellite Oscar 100… oh, and I have just received a copy of the Full licence manual!

Since telling us his story, Phil gained his Full licence in early January 2023 and his call sign is now M0LIP – congratulations!

Category: RSGB Notices