What avenues does a US operator have short of leaving and re-entering the county once the 3 month CEPT period is exceeded?
Does anything preclude a non resident foreigner sitting the UK license exams?
Alternatively, does the UK have any mechanism to grant a license based on being a US Extra license holder?
Paul
Paul,
Check this page:
http://rsgb.org/main/operating/licensing-novs-visitors/operating-for-visitors/
Looks like a reciprocal licence should be possible.
Good luck,
Peter VK3PF
Hi Paul,
The no-application CEPT (61-01) arrangement is suplemented by CEPT 61-02 - which specifically handles the need to have a temporary reciprocal licence for longer than 3 months:
From the Ofcom (UK regulator) page at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radiocommunication-licences/amateur-radio/amateur-radio-info (under Frequently asked questions / I hold an Overseas Amateur Radio Licence. Can I operate in the UK?)
CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-02
This recommendation puts in place arrangements to allow qualifying licensed amateurs from other participating states to establish and use amateur radio apparatus in the UK for periods in excess of three months, subject to being issued with an individual licence and call sign by us.
Please make sure you allow enough time for processing however as this is similar to the old reciprocal licencing option that existed prior to the UK (and US) signing up to the CEPT 61-01 agreement and hence some work is involved by Ofcom - I would apply 6 months before the required start date if possible.
73 Ed.
You need to apply for a reciprocal licence and what you get is dependant on the overseas licence docs you present. It will also cost ÂŁ20 for the initial paper application.
There are some limits to having a reciprocal compared to a normal one. Off the top of my head you can’t hold a licence on behalf of a club, or run a repeater. Maybe some of the special NoV (variations to a licence to add extra bands etc.) might not be available.
Or you sit the normal licence exams and get a UK licence. Reciprocal probably is easier.
One of the limitations is that you can’t legally use a UK-issued Reciprocal Licence to apply for yet another reciprocal licence in a third country which has reciprocal arrangements with the UK. This restriction has, in the past, been “forgotten” by certain UK Reciprocal license-holders when applying for a licence in - for example - the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
There was someone in the UK I knew who did a US exam for a codeless Tech licence and managed to persuade the old RA accept that US licence to get a full UK licence. This was in the mid-90s so he got a G7 or M1 licence, i.e. VHF only. The old RA did clamp down on this later but never revoked the several licences they issued this way.
Up until about 2 months ago, the ACMA (The Australian regulator) was issuing full VK licences to US Novice licence holders. This has been stopped however as far as I know those living in Australia who got such a full licence get to keep it as it was an ACMA stuff-up.
By the way Paul said in his first post that he is a US Extra class license holder, so I would expect a UK Full licence to be issued (once the application is processed and the fee is paid) - however I agree he probably won’t be able to run a repeater, a club station, a special event station or any operation that would need an NoV.
Ed.