Key Points

• Intermediate success - stunning exam result
• Foundation progressing well
• Over the air delivery working fantastically well, engaging into the wider community
• Practical sessions over the air & in person very well received and will continue
• Background Noise, from Oct 20, offering new skills and learning for all members,including RSGB ‘Beyond Exams’
• Full, intermediate and foundation courses start Nov 20, Jan & Feb 21.

DVRS Training Philosophy

Our club philosophy is that we teach all aspects of amateur radio, theoretical and practical.All DVRS members continuously develop their knowledge and skills, and teach fellow members. Hence we have:

• no specified deadline for courses​, members will book exams when ready;
• no charge for training​, it is a key benefit available to all members;
• Background Noise​, including Beyond Exams for all members.

Intermediate success, and on-air delivery

Responding positively to the lock-down conditions, the training team elected to deliver training on-air. After approximately 5 months of on-air training, including theoretical and practical sessions (thanks Phil and Chris), our intermediate candidates have experienced in excess of 100 hours of on-air operating experience. We have 1 intermediate candidate in training, John M7CAL, and already one success, an exam result comfortably in the top 10% of possible marks. Well done Kieran, now a 2E0, and our first living proof that on-air training is incredibly effective!

Foundation Course

We have three foundationers in training, Stephen, Ben and Tibor. Not yet licensed, their course has been delivered via a mixture of online theory sessions using JITSI, and a series of practical sessions at Crockenhill Village Hall Green and as POTA activations. These practicals have provided a heady mix of VHF and HF operating, station setup, antenna deployment and tuning, radio operational practice, and even joining club nets using via VHF/UHF talk-through (thanks M0IMA and 2E0FVB for practicals), all supervised by full licensees,and all respecting the full Covid-19 guidance. Thanks to Rob, Max and Kieran for core course delivery.

Future Plans: Background Noise, Moodle and Outdoor Events

Our full, intermediate and foundation courses are planned for Nov. 20, Jan 21 and Feb 21,with two full and 4 intermediate candidates so far. Background Noise will start in October,with a range of courses both practical and theoretical, including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Workshop Practice, Station Power, Acoustical Engineering, Amateur Radio history film, WSPR on a PI, Propagation prediction/ analysis with WSPR, Field Day planning, RAF Signals/ RTTY, HF Fishing Rod aerial. Members will be encouraged to build something.

Our courses are being migrated to a Moodle learning platform from Google. This will be available to all members, and will include all material from the foundation, intermediate and full exams, as well as the ‘background noise’ presentations, so members can always go back and enjoy them all again.

POTA will continue, all members will be invited to socially distanced events, at multi-locations when necessary.