Events

100% Pass Rate for Scholars in Radio License Exam

14 June 2019

Attending the National Radio Centre Connect Day at Bletchley Park was an unforgettable experience and I would recommend it to anyone — particularly if you have an interest in computing and technology.

Arriving at Bletchley Park, we had the chance to meet the other Arkwright Engineering Scholars and those from The Smallpeice Trust and National Radio Centre who were running the event. We were introduced to the plan for the day.

Our goals were to complete the practical side to the RSGB (Radio Society Great Britain) Assessment in the morning and the theoretical exam in the afternoon. Passing the test allows you to operate your own amateur radio station.

The practical side to the assessment really brought the examination pre-reading to life. We were able to experiment with decoding and encoding into Morse code, practise transmitting and receiving messages with the radio, adjust the antenna length so that it was best suited to the frequencies used, and tune into various radio frequencies so that we could listen out for other radio users.

My favourite part of the day was using the radio to transmit and receive voice signals to and from Cyprus! The day was made even more pleasurable by the enthusiasm of the staff, who were always willing to explain the science behind how the radio devices worked — I found this particularly intriguing.


In the afternoon we had our exam for the Radio Foundation Licence. With all the support provided and the hard work we put in, we all passed!


Since attending this event, I am now considering applying for an Electrical Engineering course at university. I am also arranging to take the Intermediate Radio License later in the year, so that I can widen my understanding of radio communication. I've developed a new hobby and passion which is something I can l take with me wherever I go.