FEEL THE POWER!

FEEL THE POWER!

Ham Radio Power Limits

Radio amateurs are given a considerable degree of freedom to experiment, use equipment, and build their own equipment. Because of this, radio amateurs need to have a licence to show that they have sufficient knowledge about radio and electronics so that they do not cause interference to others.

In the UK, there are three types of amateur radio licence:

The different ham radio licences reflect the experience of the operators, the Foundation Licence offering entry level privileges while the Full licence offers the highest power levels and the greatest number of bands:

  • Foundation licence - Maximum power of 10 watts on most allocated bands. Band allocations limited.
  • Intermediate licence - Maximum of power 50 watts.
  • Full licence - Maximum power of 400 watts. All UK amateur radio band allocations available.

Feel the power!

A transmitter’s power capacity is a critical factor that affects your radio’s range. While commercial radio stations typically broadcast between 50,000 to 100,000 watts, Amateur ham radios tend to have between 25 to 100 watts

The greater the transmitter’s power and the higher the signal strength of the ham radio, the longer range it has. A high wattage ensures a stronger signal strength, which helps to withstand weakening when travelling through obstacles.