BROADCASTS.com

b"What use is an F-call?\\n\\nWhen you get introduced to Amateur Radio, your likely first step is to get a Foundation License. That's not always been the case. The Foundation License has only been in existence since October 2005. I say only, because Amateur Radio has been around for over a hundred years. For example, the Wireless Institute of Australia, the WIA celebrated its centenary in 2010.\\n\\nThere are currently more than 2300 Foundation Licenses active, said in another way over 14% of Amateur Licences are Foundation Licenses.\\n\\nMy question is this.\\n\\nIf there are more Foundation Licenses as there are Standard Licenses, why don't we hear more of them on-air?\\n\\nRecently I participated in a contest as a QRP station. That means I halved my allowable power from 10 Watts down to 5 Watts to participate to see what the impact might be - given that I'm aiming to contact 100 countries using my F-call and 5 Watts. During the 16 hours I participated in the contest I made contacts with 45 different stations. 80% of those were Advanced Calls, only 9% of those call signs heard were Foundation Calls.\\n\\nSure, you might argue that because an Foundation Licensee is only allowed 10 Watts, they cannot be heard, but I made 185 actual contacts across 4 states - hardly the mark of someone who could not be heard. Perhaps my set-up was better than those of other Foundation Licensees, but I don't think that this is what makes the difference. I think they're just not on air.\\n\\nPerhaps you're an F-call and you're not on-air. What's stopping you from using your call and making your contribution to the airwaves? Perhaps you hold another license - perhaps you might ask F-calls you meet if they're on-air or not.\\n\\nI'm Onno VK6FLAB"