Having an amateur radio licence allows you to operate two-way radio from your home, car or yacht. You can communicate by voice or computers (email) with other amateur radio stations all over the world. You can send emails via HF and VHF amateur radio, through the global amateur radio network, visit www.winlink.org for details. You can also send your position and have it displayed on the Internet so that anyone with access to the Internet can see where you are, click here to see position reports.

Using amateur radio you are not permitted to transmit any business type information. In the UK amateurs are allowed to transmit third party greeting messages.

It has never been easier to obtain an amateur radio licence, here in the U.K. there are 3 classes of licence, fundamental license, Intermediate licence and full licence.

A Fundamental licence is the allows you to operate on most amateurs frequencies, but with restrictions. Unfortunately with a fundamental licence you are not permitted to operate from a vessel at sea. To obtain and fundamental license you need to pass a short fundamental license paper. Many amateur radio clubs run foundation license courses and exams over a weekend.

Intermediate licence allows you to operate of all amateur bands.

The full licence offer all privileges, you can operate on all ham bands, even from your yacht. To obtain a full licence you need to pass the City and Guilds Amateur Exam which is held twice a year .
Click here for more information on obtaining a UK amateur radio license.

Since 26 July 2003 radio amateurs in the UK no longer have to do a morse test.

For more information on amateur radio visit the Radio Society of Great Britain web site at httm://www.rsgb.org or the American Radio Realy L at http://www.arrl.org

UK maritime mobile net
There are many amateur radio nets on the HF amateur bands. Here in the UK we have the UK maritime mobile net on 14303 kHz at 0800 and 1800 GMT. On this net you can receive weather information, exchange messages and give you passage plan details to someone ashore. It is a very good service and operates throughout the summer months.

European maritime mobile net
The European maritime mobile net on 14297.5 kHz at 1900 GMT most days. Many radio amateur yachtsmen in the Mediterranean are on this frequency passing weather information, passage report and general information. Language is Italian and English.

Pacific Seafarer's net
A daily net for sailors in the Pacific on 14313 kHz at 0325 UTC

Amateur Radio Bands and Frequencies

Band	Morse	Data	Phone	SSTV
160	1810 - 1838	1838 - 1842 kHz	1842 -2000 LSB
80	3500 - 3580	3580 - 3600 kHz	3620 - 3800 LSB	3730 - 3740
40	7000 - 7035	7035 - 7045 kHz	7045 - 7200 LSB
30	10100 - 10140	10140 - 10150
20	14000 - 14070	14070 - 14112	14112 - 14350 USB	14225 - 14235
17	18068 - 18100	18100 - 18109	18111 - 18168 USB
15	21000 - 21080	21080 - 21120	21151 - 21450 USB	21335 - 21345
12	24890 - 24920	24920 - 24929	24931 - 24990 USB
10	28000 - 28199	28050 - 28150	28200 - 29200 USB	28675 - 28685

Morse = Morse Code
Data = emial and other data modes
Phone = SSB radio telephone
SSTV = Slow Scan Television Pictures

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