Please use the link This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest -

Please note all courses are open to all, both members and non-members.

You may find that attending SARS meetings will allow you to form a grounding in the hobby and assist towards

 the examination. a fee will be charged for each training course to cover room hire etc. and a RSGB fee will be applied for the examinations.

SARS is a registered examination centre for all three sections of the Amateur Radio Licence qualification.

Please click on the Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced headings below for more information.

• Foundation.
  

  A course of 5 evenings at the end of which a multi choice examination is taken locally; if the candidate is successful a licence will be issued in a few days. Once you have passed the Foundation course you are free to operate on the most frequently used amateur bands, without supervision, using a transmitting power of 10 watts. This does not sound like very much power, but once you have acquired experience operating your radio you will find it is enough to communicate almost anywhere in the world. 

• Intermediate.

  A course of 8 evenings at the end of which a multi choice examination is taken locally; if the candidate is successful an updated licence will be issued.  Following a pass in the Intermediate section your transmission power will be raised up to 50 watts.                                                                                                   

• Advanced.

  For this level the candidate studies at home, with mentoring locally by the SARS instructors.  At the end of the study period the examination is conducted locally.  A lot of privileges and responsibilities come with a Full Licence, not least from the fact that you will be able to transmit at up to 400 watts of power. You will also receive with your Full Licence the ability to legally transmit from almost every country in the world.

If you are new to Amateur Radio please view this video...Introduction to Amateur Radio.

RSGB registered training and examination centre.

SARS hold registrations for three venues to be used as Examination venues, they are used depending upon the number sitting the examination.

All exams are now held at SARS HQ, unless you are told otherwise.

For your information the following may be of interest...some call sign timeline history.

Current UK amateur radio licences

Within the UK, there are three types of amateur radio licence that can be obtained, namely the Foundation Licence, Intermediate Licence and the Full Licence. Each of these ham radio licences offers different privileges in a form of incentive amateur radio licence scheme through which all new UK radio hams must progress to achieve the full licence.

The different ham radio licences reflect the experience of the operators, the Foundation Licence offering entry level privileges while the Full licence offers the highest power levels and the greatest number of bands.

These overviews are by their nature limited in definition. For full details it is necessary to refer to the appropriate ham radio licence.

UK amateur radio call signs

Over the years a variety of different ham radio call sign series have been used in the UK. By looking at the prefix and the number of letters after the prefix it is possible to tell the approximate years in which the licence was issued, and also the original form of licence. There have been a variety of different licences that have been available, and a particular call sign format was used for each different type of licence.

Foundation Licence

Intermediate Licence

Full Licence