Has anyone any specific knowledge on CEPT Novice licenses as detailed in the link below? Apparently this info has been known about for at least two years.
As I understand it, it would mean that the CEPT Novice license is the equivalent of UK Intermediate license and many European nations have already signed up to it allowing their licence holders to operate Amateur Radio when visiting signatory countries.
What is allowed in which country for a CEPT Novice Licence holder?
At this time there is no website on the internet that has all the information collected at one point. Also the ERO documents are not completely up to date and some information is even wrong, however, I believe that these countries allow this licence to visitors.
All other countries will follow one by one apparently.
This could mean that many UK SOTA activators holding the Intermediate License prior to gaining their Advanced License could activate overseas summits on such a license while holidaying in a signatory country.
I would appreciate others comments on the this issue.
In reply to M3EDX:
I think you will find the wording is the key Ian:-
It recommends
that CEPT member administrations recognise the principle of a CEPT Novice Radio Amateur Licence issued under the conditions specified in Appendices I and II.
There is nothing in the UK Intermediate Licence to say that the recommendation has been implemented here. Without the appropriate wording in the UK Intermediate licence I suspect it is irrelevant what other countries might have done.
Just my opinion Ian, best of luck if you try the Ofcom minefield in an attempt to find differently. Keep us informed.
Only the full licence is recognised internationally.
You could write to both of them but I doubt it will do anything for you. RSGB has no more clout with OFCOM than you do as an individual. And to be honest, whilst OFCOM is legally required to listen to you, anything that involves them breaking into a sweat will not be well received by OFCOM unless they’re going to make a buck or two from it. Sadly this is the world we live in now. Right now OFCOM is trying to figure out how to sell the UHF analogue TV space for serious moulah which is unlikely in the current economic climate.
What will happen is one day the ERO will decide the requirements for harmonised licences across Europe and then all the local OFCOMs will have to change the local licences to fit in.
Until then the easiest solution to the problem of operating overseas with a Foundation or Intermediate licence is to upgrade it to full. I know that is easier said than done with the difficulty of finding courses etc. never mind finding the time to do them when you have family and other committments. I’m sorry if this sounds negative but we have to accept that in the grand scheme of things amateur radio issues are right down at the bottom of the pile.
I’m not sure I agree with you about RSGB having no more clout than an individual. Certainly the OP’s first port of call should be our national society, of which, one hopes, he is a member. The RSGB will certainly be able to advise the current status. G3PSM, RSGB President, has been extensively involved in OfCom and CEPT matters over many years and may be able to add further intelligence.
Unfortunately I doubt much progress will be forthcoming - CEPT has only ever recognised the UK’s full (what we now call Advanced) licence, which is approximately equivalent to the General licence in many other administrations.
Unfortunately your second point, about action being dependent on revenue is spot on. Those people who clamoured for a free amateur radio licence should have been a bit more careful in what they wished for.
Yes John, a degree of rephrasing would make what I intended to say more clear. Contacting the RSGB should get you the information on the current situation. There has been a significant change in the relationship between the regulator (as OFCOM) and the regulator (as the old RA) with the RSGB. No longer do you have to submit proposals for changes/improvements to the licence through the RSGB for the subsequent forwarding to the regulator as it was with the RA, with the possibilty of the RSGB failing to do so if they didn’t agree with your ideas. We can all approach the regulator on an equal footing.
For Germany:
CEPT-Novice-Licence-holders, as long as their country has implemented the ECC-Rec.(05)06 - may operate on the same terms and conditions as the German national class E (DO-calls) without any further permit.
But make sure to have the certain CEPT-Novice-level-remark in your licence. .
For Switzerland and Liechtenstein:
CEPT is fine for Novice-license-holders with the following QRGs:
1810-2000 khz (100W PEP out)
3500-3800 khz (100W)
21000-21450 khz (100W)
28000-29700 khz (100W)
144-146 Mhz (50W)
435-440 Mhz (50W)
Thankyou for your reply on this issue, I’m sure all Intermediate Licence holders involved in SOTA will welcome your information posted if intending to activate German summits while visiting your country.
It seems then that either an e-mail or letter should be sent to both the RSGB & Ofcom asking the necessary question, firstly has Ofcom implemented ECC-Rec.(05)06 and secondly that any Intermediate Licence issued contains the wording CEPT-Novice-level or words to that effect.
On my latest license dated 27 March 2007 it states:
CEPT equivalent License Class
Entsprechende CEPT-Klasse
Hi Mike. Many thanks for your imput. I agree that both the wording and of course what is contained within the individuals license is key.
Please see my reply to Fritz.
I will be in correspondence with both the RSGB & Ofcom in the near future on this issue of which I feel may benefit many SOTA activators who have not yet aquired the Advanced Licence, therefore not able to apply for a reciprocol licence at this time.
Hi Andy.
Many thanks for your reply. Certainly not wishing to by-pass the Advance License to enable operating in CEPT allowed countries, but for the reasons you state while achieving such licence, it may be beneficial to those Intermediate licence holders who wish to operate/activate SOTA summits in CEPT Novice allowed countries to do so.
I’m sure that Ofcom will be able to clarify the situation, informing whether they have adopted the CEPT Novice scheme and if so perhaps would endorse the licenses of Intermediate holders on request. Will not hurt to ask the appropriate question.
Thanks for your valuable imput. I will take your advice and contact G3PSM. Hopefully he should be able to give me a definnitive answer, if not, in a better position to converse, discuss the merits with and gain a possible solution with a positive outcome from Ofcom.
If you look at your licence it will tell you the CEPT equivalent class if it has one. It’s on the first page in Section (where it’s written in English, French and German) in the second box down.
informing whether they have adopted the CEPT Novice scheme
You can ask but I can tell you now the answer is no.
Andy
MM0FMF
EDIT… reading all the posts now I see you’ve found the box. What is the class indicated in there? Full licences have a 1 in that box for CEPT class 1.
For your information,the countries you mentioned in your first post are those we are allowed to send from with our foundation licence. You can even add Greenland to that list.
In Belgium we have only 2 types of licenses: Foundation and advanced (called Harec).
I thought it would be Mike. I think that if the rules had been changed to allow UK licences other than the Full to operate under CEPT there would have been a lot of publicity in the amateur radio press about the change. It’s not the kind of thing to just slip by.
Right now, the sun is shining, there’s no wind, the ice is melting so I’m off to pack the SOTA bag and get up into The Borders Hills!