Training & Courses

I passed my Foundation licence in May 2021 thanks to Essex Ham and was M7DHI
In November 2021 I joined my local radio club, Sheffield Amateur Radio Club with a view to doing the Intermediate exam. As a retired teacher I was more relaxed in a traditional exam room situation rather than being in front of a computer and cameras and being reliant on the Internet, - well that was my reasoning.
As it happened the club was still recovering from covid lockdown and had not done any exams for a couple of years and was now having difficulty retaining members.
I took my Intermediate exam  online again in July 2022 and became 2E0UOH.
More people came to the club wanting to do the Foundation exam, but all we could do at the time was guide them to the excellent online Essex Ham course. This was good, it got them their licence, - but we didn't retain them as club members.
So in January this year as an ex- teacher I volunteered myself to be the Foundation trainer for the club, and enrolled with Essex Ham as a club trainer so I could access and use their resources.
I started teaching the course at the end of January teaching 1 lesson one night a week (Wednesday) at the club shack for 2 students, The whole course including 2 mock exams taking 10 weeks. Each lesson had the video prepared by Pete and Kelly followed by the matching PowerPoint which we could go through and discuss and ask questions about as we went through it. Finally there was another section  which I had prepared myself with 10 questions on the topic using mainly questions from the RSGB site and their "Exam Secrets" book. In later lessons the number of summary questions was increased to include revision of the earlier topics. Each week I could see the 2 candidates improving and asking questions at a deeper level of understanding. Also, being a club, we could show the candidates things, get them doing small practical tasks, with one candidate making his own dipole antenna ready for when he passes and gets his licence. With the help of some of the full licenced members of the club the candidates were even able to go on air under supervision and make a basic QSO and learn operating procedures.
The candidates did their exams at the club shack last week, - traditional paper exams. The first exams run by the club since 2019 for obvious reasons.
Both of the candidates passed their exams and at least one of them now has his M7 callsign. As a club here in Sheffield we have 2 very keen new members.
Many thanks again to Essex Ham for not only running the excellent online course where I started this journey but also for providing and allowing the use of their resources by other clubs to help even more people get their licences.