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The Amateur Radio Station                   G4FXP        and the Electronics Servicing course             (ERA) for the Radio Amateur.

Introduction

In the 1990's, many radio clubs became concerned with the falling numbers of young people entering the world of amateur radio. In previous years, young people became interested when they picked up a local  'radio amateur' on a commercial  broadcast  receiver  and upon making a visit to the station were encouraged to become a Radio Amateur.  I entered the field of Amateur Radio in this way, and my thanks go to the late Granville Marshall G3JT at Blackpool and Jim Woodhouse G4HH at Fleetwood.

 

Granville - Callsign G3JT

 

QSL card from 1930's G3JT at Oldham.            QSL card from G4HH who lived at Fleetwood.

Both these Radio Amateurs are now what we call in the Amateur Radio fraternity, "Silent Keys", and were     very much respected for the work they did in the field of Radio.

Home Built Equipment

 

When I became  licensed in 1958, transmitting equipment was either home built, or modified war surplus. The experience gained through building   equipment   enabled   many   young   people  find  gainful employment in the field of Telecommunications and Electronics.

 

©Photo taken and processed by G3NGD.  Retuning the Command Receiver using Signal Generator

 

Many employers preferred to employ Radio Amateurs because they continued to use their skills after a normal days work at  home with their hobby. (This leads to more knowledge and possible dedication). Unfortunately,  due  to the proliferation  of `black boxes'  in  recent years,  many  Radio Amateurs haven't a clue when it comes to  fault finding to component level.

 

©Photo taken and processed by G3NGD. Home built Transmitter in the sixties by G3NGD

Novice Licence

 

The  Novice Licence was originally introduced at the time when Trade and   Industry  became  concerned  about  the  declining  number   of school leavers  entering engineering, especially Electronics. This  class of  licence  was  aimed at  students in  secondary  schools, and  it was hoped  that involvement with  construction would create interest, and lead to possible employment in the field of Electronics. This  practical element is essential for  Radio Amateurs and is  the  weak  link in  the Radio  Amateurs'  Examination  (RAE).  So I  planned to improve the situation.

 

Students using the G3NGD Educational Software   (Can be 'DOWNLOADED'  free of charge from this Website)

        Radio Amateurs'  Course

 

Having   taught  the  CGLI  Radio Amateurs' Examination (RAE)  at a Technical College in Stretford, Manchester for eighteen years,  I decided  (September 1994) to  introduce an Electronics Servicing Course especially for Radio Amateurs. This course  was designed to enable Radio Amateurs to build and  repair amateur radio and electronic equipment in a safe and competent manner.

I  thought  it  paramount that  the course should  lead  to a  professional qualification  thus enabling  unemployed  people the  chance of  possible employment in  the  field of modern  electronics.  Bearing  this  in  mind, the  course  was  structured  on  the City  &  Guilds of  London Institute,  Electronics Servicing Course 224.

                Course content

 

The  course was run on a one half day per  week basis for a duration of thirty six weeks. Before  the  students were allowed  to  build  their own equipment   (E.G.  Chatterbox  Transmitter,  Receiver,  Pow-pass filter, frequency  Meter etc.),   they had to  complete  a  number  of  practical assignments which were externally assessed.

 

Student using an Oscilloscope

       Plugsooo

 

Assignment 1 was based on wiring plugs and sockets to a recognized standard.  Coaxial Plugs must  be connected  and soldered correctly otherwise  Television  Interference (EMC)  could  result.  Din   Plugs are  difficult  to  solder,  usually  the  insulation   gets  overheated. IEC  plugs  can  be dangerous if  care  is  not taken, especially those with screwed terminals.

       Printed Circuits

 

Assignment 2 was that of  constructing  a  printed  circuit  board. Students must  be able to identify component values and observe polarity. They must be able drill the circuit board and make good soldered joints.

        Working with Veroboard

 

In  Assignment 3,  the student gained  experience  in designing  and constructing  an oscillator circuit on stripboard.  This experience  is essential when building circuits in the absence of a layout diagram.

 

Students building and aligning a Transceiver constructed from a kit.

        Measuring Instruments

 

One major skill to develop is that of using Instruments. This section is  often  overlooked  when  teaching  the  RAE  mainly  due to time constraint.  There  is  little  time  for  the  student to  gain `hands on experience'  when the examination is conducted early in May. Assignment 4   allowed the  student  to compare  and  appreciate  the effects of 'meter loading' using both Digital and Analogue meters. This was followed  by assignment  5  where  an  oscilloscope  was used.  The student  was  required  to draw  waveforms  and  calculate  frequency, time-constant, and measure output voltages of integrating  and differentiating networks.

       Audio Bandwidth

 

Radio  Amateurs  need  to  measure bandwidth,  especially  in  the  audio section of the modulator. Assignment 6  required the student to  measure and calculate the gain and bandwidth of an audio amplifier using a signal generator and an oscilloscope.

Home constructed: Chatterbox Receiver (left)  Chatterbox Transmitter  (centre) ;  Speech Processor (right) - built by G3NGD in 1993/4. The object on the far right is an Eagle Type DD7 uni-directional dynamic microphone. All are still in good working order and in current use by G3NGD (September 2006). Initially, John built the above equipment at home as a prototype, so that his Amateur Radio students  would be able to build a Transmitter and Receiver themselves at the college, and later use at home.

Power Supplies
 

Assignment 7 was a task-based exercise involving Half-wave and Full-wave rectification. The student measured the amplitude and frequency of ripple waveform, and then observed the effect of  smoothing using a cathode ray oscilloscope.

 

Assignment  8  was  to  test overall  student  competence  in  the  use of  a multimeter and an  oscilloscope. Measurements were taken of voltage and current at various parts of a complex circuit, and waveforms observed on an oscilloscope were sketched and interpreted.

 

Finally, Assignment 9 was an introduction to logic circuits, and the student had to produce truth tables from observations.

Employment
 

On completion of the course, a successful student was awarded a City & Guilds Certificate  of  achievement.  Students could if  they wished,  attend college the  following  year to complete  the  Part I Certificate by  taking   a  Multiple   Choice   Examination  and    an   Electronics Examination Board External Trade Test. In this test, the student  had  to complete soldering and measurement tests  under the  watchful eye of  an  external  examiner  in  a  set  time. Anyone achieving  this was certainly employable.

The future
 

The  CGLI  Electronics  Servicing  Part I  Certificate  was at that time  the  basic  requirement  for gaining employment in  the  electronics  industry.  On completion, the student could proceed to Part II.

The Part II syllabus comprised Digital  and Analogue core subjects   together with options "Control Systems Technology" or "Radio &   Television",  with of course an EEB Trade Test.

 

G3NGD demonstrating Alignment of a Television I.F. Amplifier using a Sweep Generator

 

Students, servicing television receivers in the college workshop.

 
 
 

Photographs to remember from the Radio Amateurs' Examination Classes that ran from year 1977 to year 2000 and the Amateur Radio Station G4FXP

 

Telex Hy-gain  TH2  Triband Beam

000

 

The Radio Shack at G4FXP built in June 1983

Students from the 1981/82 RAE Class celebrating at the Woodheys Club in Sale, Cheshire, upon being successful in the Radio Amateurs' Examination.  Thirty-two students were successful in both papers, with a large percentage of distinctions and credits being obtained.

 

Some of the Students from the Wednesday RAE Class - June 1992.

 

Glynn (G0VMA) operating the Station located in the 'New Shack' -  June 1994.         Glynn also completed the Electronics Servicing Television Course CGLI 224.

 

Ex-student John Holland [known as Dutch] G7KMG.       Unfortunately, John is now a 'Silent Key', and  is greatly missed by all his Radio friends.

 

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Updated: November 2006.