Study of the Radio communications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination (LCD) or Regulations is essential for the Foundation, Standard and Advanced licence grades. The LCD comes in two parts: Those applicable to each licence grade, and to all licensees. At the Foundation Assessment the LCD, Theory and Practical knowledge are handled together.

While a separate 30 minute paper is sat for the Standard or Advance licence. Only one successful sitting of this Regulations paper is needed.

Here are some types of questions that you might get.

Emergency procedures

1. Distress signal, distress call, distress message
2. Urgency signal, urgency call, urgency message
3. Situations where distress and urgent traffic may be encountered
4. Priorities of distress and urgency traffic
5. Obligations and responses required of an amateur station to distress and urgent traffic

Frequency allocations

1. Allocated frequency bands for all three grades of licence
2. Restrictions on use of band segments – namely 50-52 MHz
3. Status of a secondary service
4. Definitions of MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF
5. Permitted bandwidths – namely in relation to FM

Power limitations

1. Power limits by licence class

Emissions

1. Signal bandwidth. Knowing the bandwidth of a signal rather than its 5 to 7 character emission designator. Recall for example – 6M25 means 6.25 MHz
2. Awareness of the meanings of CW, AM, SSB, FM, ATV, Data and RTTY
3. Status of a secondary service
4. Definitions of MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF
5. Permitted modes for each class of licence and each frequency band

Interference

1. Definition of interference
2. Responsibility to keep all signals within the amateur bands
3. Responsibility to avoid interference to other services and other amateurs
4. Operating procedures to avoid interference
5. The rights and responsibilities of amateurs in shared bands
6. Operational restrictions imposed to avoid interference
7. Standard procedures for resolution of interference problems
8. ACMA role in dispute settlement

Callsigns
Identification of a callsign

1. Prefix
2. Number following prefix as an indication of location
3. Suffix as an indication of licence class
4. Special event prefixes AX and VI and their application

Procedure for use of callsigns when at an alternative location or when mobile.
Telegraphy and telephony procedures for:

1. a general call
2. a specific station: and;
3. responding to a call

Procedure for re-transmitting another station’s signal

Licensing

1. Requirements for gaining an amateur licence by grade of licence
2. Definition of third party traffic
3. Restrictions on use of an soliciting of third party traffic
4. Requirement to notify change of address to ACMA
5. Overseas station operation in Australia – reciprocal licensing
6. Display of station licence

Control of station

1. Requirement for station to be under control of licensee
2. Types of traffic not permitted on amateur bands
3. Identification of station transmissions
4. Procedure for identification of station
5. Period of mobile/portable operation permitted without special permission
6. Special requirements for operation of club stations
7. Requirements for connection of amateur stations to telephone network
8. Requirements for operation of unattended stations
9. Need for repeater stations to be identified

Phonetics

1. The international phonetic alphabet
2. The reasons for using phonetics
3. Application of the phonetic alphabet

Operating signals

1. International usage of the Q code
2. Application of a range of common Q codes

Testing
Testing procedures and identification of test transmissions

Examination techniques

Candidates attempting written assessments are advised to adopt certain techniques which can mean the difference between being found competent or not yet competent. The result depends on the ability and knowledge of the candidate. Candidates who have studied the appropriate syllabus topics in preparation for the exam can make themselves not yet competent through wrong assessment techniques.

There are four (4) steps in attempting written multi-choice style assessment papers.

1. It may seem simple to say “read and understand the question”. But there are those who for whatever reason don’t do this. Read the question carefully. What is the assessor asking to determine your knowledge? Some questions include the words “not” or “only” in them. Candidates who rush and carelessly read questions can miss these key words or otherwise fail to comprehend the question
2. Careful read each and every of the four alternative answers
3. Choose your answer. You should not dwell on a question which takes more than a minute to answer. Skip the questions you find difficult, and move on to the next. After answering all of the questions you find relatively easy, there should then be sufficient time (10 minutes) left to have a fresh look at any unanswered questions. Before the assessment time expires, make sure you answer all questions, even if some are a guess
4. Having chosen an answer, don’t change it unless you are absolutely sure a mistake has been made. Candidates have made themselves not yet competent by re-checking their answers, losing confidence, and hurriedly picking another but wrong answer