Radio Operator's Licence

26 May 2025:
This morning I sit a Radio Operator's exam with Above Beyond Boating. They have a delegation from the Australian Communications Authority (ACMA)'to conduct exams. 
They also have as many as you want to do sample written exams as part of their online training module. After the written component there is a practical element where the student demonstrates how to make various types of calls eg: contact a coastal station, transmit Mayday Call.  
It should go OK but I haven't had an exam in years and I'm flashing back to crap experiences I had at uni - I passed OK but the competitive atmosphere was crippling. I know Neil is a much more supportive lecturer, but I can't seem to will away the strain I feel. I know they say a little tension is good.  
There will be many benefits of having a radio licence. I can register Clancy & her various electronic items with an MMSI. 
Its funny because six months ago DSC & MMSI & even the current radio network were double dutch to me. So much so that I would avoid buying a radio with DSC because of the added expense & "unnecessary" complication. With the benefit of education I now understand its benefits, for solo sailors in particular. You can hit the DSC button and keep baling, patching a hole or dowsing a galley fire while the radio transmits your ID, location & distressed state to the world. Well the VHF world anyway. I just realised, it probably prevents radio theft too. 

Another funny thing is that I  already have a radio licence.  Dating back 40 years it was reluctantly issued (I had no training) in an era before MMSIs and DSCs existed. Even GPS devices were thin on the water then. I guess with the new era, new knowledge is there to be had. 
Wish me luck! 
Good luck Terry. 
Thank you me. 

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