Licensing Conditions

Amateur radio is a hobby where people communicate with each other using radio equipment. It is governed by a licence issued by Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator.

The Foundation Licence is designed for self-training in radio techniques. It is non-commercial — you cannot use amateur radio for:

• Business purposes
• Advertising
• Any form of commercial gain

There are three types of amateur radio licence:

Call Signs

Every amateur radio station is identified by a call sign allocated by Ofcom. Your call sign is your identity on air.

Regional Secondary Locators (RSLs)

A letter inserted after the call sign prefix to indicate your region of the UK:

Call Sign Suffixes

Station Locations

• Main Station Address: Your primary operating location registered with Ofcom
• Alternative Address: A secondary fixed location (use /A suffix)
• Temporary Location: Operating away from home, not at a fixed address (use /P suffix)
• Mobile: Operating from a vehicle (use /M suffix)

• Foundation licensees can now build their own equipment
• You must notify Ofcom of any changes to your name or address
• You must confirm your details with Ofcom every 5 years
• The licence can be revoked if you breach the conditions

You must identify your station by transmitting your call sign:

• At the start and end of every transmission
• When you change frequency
• When you change mode (e.g., from FM to SSB)
• When there is a change of supervisor
• When you change your Regional Secondary Locator
• At least every 15 minutes during a long transmission

1B1: Who Can Use Your Station?

Only the following people can use your amateur radio station:

• You (the licensee)
• A person under your direct supervision
• If supervised, the supervisor's call sign must be used
• Full licence holders can supervise training candidates
• User Services (e.g., emergency services) may use equipment in certain circumstances

1C1: What Can You Send?

• Only to other amateur stations on UK amateur frequencies
• A Net/Network is defined as 3 or more amateur stations in communication
• CQ calls (general calls) are allowed for establishing contact with any station
• No advertising or commercial content
• Passive reception is not considered a use of the licence — you can listen on any frequencies

1C2: What is Prohibited?

• No encryption — all communications must be in the clear (unless Ofcom grants permission)
• No broadcasting — amateur radio is for two-way communication, not one-way broadcasts
• No music — incidental music (e.g., in the background) is acceptable, but you cannot deliberately transmit music
• No secret codes — all communications must be decipherable by any amateur
• No distress messages unless genuine — false distress calls are illegal and dangerous

1D1: Station Requirements

• Your station must not cause undue interference to other radio services
• Ofcom has the right to inspect your station
• Ofcom can require you to modify equipment, close down your station, or restrict your operation

1D2: Log Keeping and Equipment Tests

• Log keeping is mandatory when instructed by Ofcom
• Equipment may need to undergo tests from time to time
• Keep your station in good working order

1E1: Unattended and Remote Control Operation

Your station may be operated unattended (automatically) or via remote control over the internet or other networks.

• Remote control links must be secure
• Only permitted on frequencies above 30 MHz that are allocated to amateur radio
• No encryption is allowed on the amateur radio link itself
• Your licence number must be displayed at the station being controlled
• You must be able to shut down the station immediately if required

1G1: EMF Requirements

You must ensure your station complies with electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure limits to protect the general public.

• You must do an EMF assessment for your station
• The general public is defined as persons outside your family or household
• You must keep a record of your EMF compliance assessment

1H1: Licence Information and Frequency Allocations

Your licence contains a Schedule 1 which identifies the frequencies you are authorised to use, along with the maximum permitted power.

• Primary allocations — frequencies where amateur radio is the primary user
• Secondary allocations — frequencies where amateur radio must not cause interference to primary users
• Foundation Licence maximum power: 25W PEP
• Notice of coordination — you must notify Ofcom when changing antenna installations that may affect coordination agreements with other radio users