Advanced Distance Learning Course

The Bath-based distance learning team have opened enrollment for their January to June Advanced amateur radio course

For most people, distance learning is not as good as face-to-face training but these courses are ideal for anyone who cannot make it to traditional classroom events.

Weekly work packages are sent out to students who complete the studying at home and submit answers to revision questions and exercises via the internet.

Some video tutorials and demonstrations are included in the course material and links to other useful resources are also provided.

The courses have been running for four years now with a pass rate for those that finish the course of 90 percent. Revision support is provided for those that don’t make it through first time.

Enrollment for the next course closes mid-January, ready for a start on January 25.

Contact Steve Hartley, G0FUW, via e-mail  g0fuw@tiscali.co.uk

Steve Unger named acting Ofcom Chief Executive

The Board of Ofcom today announced that Steve Unger will step up as acting Chief Executive at the end of the year.

Steve Unger named acting Ofcom Chief Executive

Steve is currently Director of the Strategy, International, Technology and Economist Group at Ofcom. He will step up as interim Chief Executive when Ed Richards stands down at the end of December.

The process to appoint a permanent Chief Executive is under way and the Board of Ofcom will announce an appointment in the New Year.

Steve will take on the full responsibilities of Chief Executive and become Ofcom’s Accountable Officer while the process for appointing a permanent successor to Ed Richards is under way.

Small Scale DAB Trial Consultation

Ofcom has today published a public consultation seeking views on the approach to issuing new short-term licences to support small-scale digital radio trials being run by Ofcom next year

This consultation focuses on the conditions and award processes for trial Wireless Telegraphy Act licences needed to test small-scale DAB multiplexes in three locations. If successful, this new technology could allow smaller radio stations to go digital at a lower cost.

This technology was first trialled in the UK by an Ofcom engineer in Brighton between September 2012 and January 2013. This experimental DAB multiplex showed it could be feasible to deliver infrastructure capable of supporting digital radio transmission at a lower cost than the current systems used.

These trials will help inform a wider program of work Ofcom is undertaking on the possibilities for enabling smaller radio services to broadcast on digital radio.

During the consultation period, Ofcom will be holding a small number of events based around their consultation proposals. The first of these will be a technical demonstration event held at our facility at Baldock, Hertfordshire, on November 13. 2014. For more information, or to register interest in attending, please email smallscaleDAB@ofcom.org.uk by Wednesday, November 5.

We intend to hold another event during the consultation period at our London office, which will address our work on small scale DAB more widely. Details will be announced soon.

The consultation - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/small-scale-dab/