What use is an F-call?

Having a Foundation License, the basic amateur licence in a three tiered system that is in use in Australia, means that you have access to low power only. 10 Watts PEP is the limit today, though that might change as reviews get underway.

I've said in the past that if you operate an advanced call as a QRP station, that is, SSB 5 Watts or less, and you make a contact, you're showered with accolade. This illustrates that there is a disconnect between an F-call who legally needs to use QRP and an advanced call who chooses to. At the time I suggested that as an F-call, you look at the QRP community who will be sharing your experience of low power, because they want to, even if you're required to.

There are other activities that you can participate in as an F-call, using your low power station. SOTA, or Summits On The Air is an Amateur Radio activity where some stations are activated on the top of summits, that is, an energetic individual climbs up a mountain with radio gear, erects their antenna, switches on their station and starts making contacts.

You as an F-call can be the climber, or you can be a home-station, making contacts with such activated summits. There is a whole community around this activity and it's not limited to summits either. You'll find groups who are activating national parks with the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks award, islands on the air, Rapidly Deployed Amateur Radio, and many others. You can be the ham in the middle, making contacts, or you can be the ham at home chasing contacts.

Since many of these activities are limited by the amount of gear you can carry, they're often QRP stations, making contacts and having fun.

So, look around you, there are QRP stations everywhere. They don't make much noise it's the thrill of the hunt that makes the catch all the more rewarding.

Get on air, QRP or not.

I'm Onno VK6FLAB