Subj : ARRL Requests Expanded HF To : Daryl Stout From : Ed Vance Date : Tue Mar 06 2018 11:33 pm 03-06-18 11:04 Daryl Stout wrote to ED VANCE about ARRL Requests Expanded HF Howdy! Daryl, DS> @MSGID: <5A9F0BFC.1779.amtradio@capitolcityonline.net> DS> Ed, EV>Is the General and Technician Written Test the same? DS> Not any more. However, before March 21, 1987, the Technician and DS> General written exam WERE IDENTICAL -- the only difference was a 5 wpm DS> CW exam for the Technician (which you already had, if you had a Novice DS> License beforehand), and a 13 wpm CW exam for the General. That is strange. I can't remember but back in 1959 when I took and passed the Technician Exam to keep my Call Sign active, I'm thinking I took a Morse Code Test before I took the written portion of the Exam. I can't remember ever taking a test for a Amateur Radio Operators License without writing some code down first. But I may be wrong, I have - many many many times B4 been wrong. And 60+/- years is a long period so I could be mistaken about the CW test. DS> I've had these experiences at exam sessions (I've been a VE going on DS> 11 years now): DS> 1) If an examinee walks in to the session with a Technician ham radio DS> license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before, all they have to DS> do is show ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, and they get a CSCE DS> for a General Class license WITHOUT having to take an exam first; DS> basically, it's "grandfathered". This is the ONLY exam that you can get DS> an upgrade for, without testing. DS> The caveat is that the license has to be CURRENT -- if it has lapsed DS> (it's expired more than 2 years (item 2 below), they go to category 2B DS> below. DS> 2) If an examinee walks in to the session with a lapsed (expired more DS> than 2 years) license, the term of the license class determines what DS> "prior credit" they have. DS> A) If it was a Novice or Technician Class license, they have NOTHING -- DS> as if they had never taken an exam (no license or callsign -- which is DS> the case for anyone whose license has lapsed). They show their ID, pay DS> the fee, fill out the paperwork, and have to take and pass the DS> Technician Exam to be back into the hobby. They are issued a CSCE for a DS> Technician Class license. DS> B) If it was a General Class license, or a lapsed Technician Class DS> license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before...they have credit DS> for Element 3, the General Exam (proof of such is required). However, DS> without the lower level (Element 2 Technician), they have NOTHING. So, DS> they have to show their ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, then DS> take and pass the Technician exam. They are then issued a CSCE for a DS> General Class license. DS> C) If it was an Advanced Class license, the credit is the same as item DS> 2B above (proof of such is required). However, since the Advanced Class DS> license was discontinued in April, 2000 (as was the Novice Class DS> license), they are DOWNGRADED to General, and are basically the same as DS> item 2B above. DS> D) If it was an Amateur Extra Class license, they have credit for DS> Element 3, the General exam...and Element 4, the Amateur Extra exam DS> (proof of such is required). However, without Element 2, the Technician DS> exam, they have NOTHING. So, they have to show their ID, pay the fee, DS> fill out the paperwork, then take and pass the Techician exam. They DS> are then issued a CSCE for an Amateur Extra Class license. DS> With items 2A through 2D above, they will get a new license and DS> callsign about 2 weeks after the exam. If they don't see their license DS> in the FCC ULS after 2 weeks, then they need to call the VEC, or the VE DS> Team Leader, and find out what the delay is. DS> If their former callsign is still available under the vanity callsign DS> system, they can apply for it, but they have to wait at least 21 days DS> before it's granted. For someone with a Expired Amateur Extra ticket that Element 2 sounds STUPID (to Me). I've taken the Amateur Extra Exam once. It was supervised by an F.C.C. Employee. I Passed the CW portion, Flunked the Written portion, walked out with a Temporary Advance Class License until the F.C.C. sent the License to me in the Mail. There were lots of things in the Amateur Extra exam I took that I had no idea about. One I remember was something about (iirc) Grid Modulation of a UHF Power Amplifier. And I believe another was about some kind of operating through a satellite. I never took another Ham Exam. When I left the Room I almost had the same license priviledges I had in 1959 when I got the General Class License in the Mail. One of the reasons I can't consider reJoining the League. To Me That Organization is NOT of, for, by the amateurs like I think their motto used to say a long long long time ago. 73 de Ed W9ODR And YES I believe I can still pass the CW and Written Test for MY License if needed to. .. . .... God a blur? Focus on Jesus. --- MultiMail/MS-DOS v0.49 * Origin: CCO BBS - capitolcityonline.net:26 (1:2320/105) .