I once spent 15+ years racing bicycles, officiating and promoting races.
During the same period lots of bikers tried their hand at building bike
frames. This required design, fabricating brazing jigs, and the actual
torch work. A few became known builders while most just gave it up as
too
The barrier to entry certainly isn’t what it used to be, but that’s probably a
good thing. If someone gets on the air and has fun (even FT8 hihi), I really
don’t care if they can recite Ohm’s law or not. When they are interested, it’s
as easy as picking up a copy of the ARRL Handbook. Doesn’t
We all have similar stories, sad part is, there are extra class licensees
that dont know any more about oscillators than ohms law or caculating the
length of a half wave dipole.
The ones to "tell the tell" ain't gonna be around forever, few of us left,
ain't no more coming over.
73
Dean K2WW
On
On 4/30/2020 1:32 PM, Bill Steffey NY9H wrote:
> and when they wanted my P1 ticket to give me GROL I took a pass, as I
> was NOT going to give that up.
So you wound up with nothing when your P1 expired versus keeping the
same privileges with a GROL which soon became a lifetime license. PS -
you
On 4/30/2020 12:58 PM, John Simmons wrote:
> All the broadcast inspections are now contracted out to private companies.
Not exactly. The FCC started the Alternate Broadcast Inspection
Program (ABIT) about the time that I retired from the FCC. in the mid
1990s when there was a push to
30, 2020 1:18 PM
To: j...@audiosystemsgroup.com
Cc: elecraft@mailman qth. net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery
I took my Novice exam from another ham in 1972, but my general and advanced
at the FCC in 1977 or 1978.
73 Eric WD6DBM
On Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 9:27 PM Jim Brown wrote
or another
FCC engineer Burson at the broadcast station inspections.
73 KI7Y
- Original Message -
From: "Phil Kane"
To: "Elecraft"
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 7:32:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery
On 4/29/2020 5:52 PM, Macy monkeys wrote:
29, 2020 7:32:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery
On 4/29/2020 5:52 PM, Macy monkeys wrote:
I took my General at the FCC office downtown Portland in the late
60s. The examiner was a tough and gruff staffer named Francis McCann.
IMHO, he was extra tough on 14 year olds, hi. You know
On 4/30/2020 1:35 PM, elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net wrote:
"In the 1950s and 1960s, Novice, Technician and Conditional exams were
given by licensees acting as volunteer examiners."
I took my novice test when I was 11 years old from W1ZWG at his home.
This was the summer of 1958 and I
at the
broadcast station inspections.
73 KI7Y
- Original Message -
From: "Phil Kane"
To: "Elecraft"
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 7:32:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery
On 4/29/2020 5:52 PM, Macy monkeys wrote:
> I took my General at
I took my Novice exam from another ham in 1972, but my general and advanced
at the FCC in 1977 or 1978.
73 Eric WD6DBM
On Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 9:27 PM Jim Brown wrote:
> On 4/28/2020 4:16 PM, EricJ wrote:
> > but some time in the mid-50s it was given over to volunteer hams.
>
> My memory is that
Probably not Bill since it has drifted way off original topic and
continues to do so. I posed the original question. My guess is that
the Colpitts oscillator was probably the easiest to get stable [or
nearly so] of the extant designs then because it uses capacitive
feedback. It would be the
On 4/29/2020 10:31 PM, Edward R Cole wrote:
> Missed two questions on the written exam (because I knew more than the
> test designers and many of the answers were incorrect).
But it was a product of the private sector :)
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402
>From a Clearing
On 4/29/2020 10:31 PM, Edward R Cole wrote:
> CW test had been downgraded to a multiple question exam about plain
> language text message vs the five mixed character groups back in Detroit.
The ham CW test was always plain language text. 5-character groups were
only for the Radiotelegraph CW
I guess a lot of us took the Commercial Radiotelephone License.
I got my Novice and Technician License by my mentor. That was the
General Class written exam back then. Tried several times to pass my
General CW test at the Detroit FCC office (we lived 70-miles away so
not qualified for a
I took my Tech and Advanced tests in Portland. I think I took the 13WPM
twice before I passed. I also failed my 2nd Class Radiotelephone license
(it was free and I didn't study enough and I failed by two questions). I
remember the main guy was George Wager, and there was a woman named
Sheryl who
Will this “Mystery” ever be solved?
Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill
> On Apr 29, 2020, at 10:25 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
>
> On 4/29/2020 4:46 PM, Jim H via Elecraft wrote:
>
>> I did not like it when it was converted to General Radio Telephone and life
>> time
>
> You weren't alone. I was
On 4/29/2020 5:52 PM, Macy monkeys wrote:
> I took my General at the FCC office downtown Portland in the late
> 60s. The examiner was a tough and gruff staffer named Francis McCann.
> IMHO, he was extra tough on 14 year olds, hi. You know my heart was
> racing when that series of V's came through
On 4/29/2020 4:46 PM, Jim H via Elecraft wrote:
> I did not like it when it was converted to General Radio Telephone and life
> time
You weren't alone. I was one of the field supervisors whose opinion was
being considered by the committee that dealt on how to do the
transition, but the
I took my General at the FCC office downtown Portland in the late 60s. The
examiner was a tough and gruff staffer named Francis McCann. IMHO, he was extra
tough on 14 year olds, hi. You know my heart was racing when that series of V's
came through those headphones!
John K7FD
> On Apr 29,
A google search brought up a number of websites with a history of ham
licensing. They all say exactly what I said. From Wikipedia:
"In the 1950s and 1960s, Novice, Technician and Conditional exams were
given by licensees acting as volunteer examiners."
Hi all,This brings back old memories. In 1962, I was in Vocational School in St
Paul, MN studying Electronics. My instructors told me to get a 1st Phone w
radar endorsement as it would make it easier to get a job. So I did at the FCC
office in St Paul, and since then every job I had, required a
I took my Extra at the FCC in St Paul somewhere 1985-1987. It was about
6 months before the FCC testing ended. I wanted to get it out of the way
before the VE program started. Fear of the unknown, I guess. I worked as
a VE early on in the program. I've seen some abuses, but overall I think
it
I'm pretty sure it was in the early 80's.
73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County
On 4/28/2020 9:27 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
On 4/28/2020 4:16 PM, EricJ wrote:
but some time in the mid-50s it was given over to volunteer hams.
My memory is that it was a LOT later than that. I'd
I took the commercial tests in '69. I seem to recall having to learn
the various oscillator circuits.
I was an ATN2 on night check in VA-125 in Lemoore, CA.
The night check AT shop Chief wanted to get his 2nd class
Radiotelephone so he could work
on aircraft electronics when he retired, so he had
I was stationed with the Coast Guard in Kodiak, Alaska between Summer
1976 and Summer 1978. I flew up to Anchorage to take my Extra exam before
an examiner. Probably sometime in 1977.
73, Roger
On 4/29/2020 10:47 AM, Ted Roycraft wrote:
I took the test for Extra administered by an FCC
Yep, that was the textbook for the Communications class I had in
electronics school in 1983. One of the requirements to pass the class was
to pass the General Radiotelephone exam. The FCC Examiner came over from
the St Paul field office to the technical school to administer the exam to
the class.
Poor choice of words on my part, Jim. "Volunteer hams" were NOT VE's .
They weren't recognized by or known to the FCC other than as ham
licensees. A prospective ham would find a local ham to volunteer to
administer the exam and sign some forms. I don't think it could be a
relative, but other
I took the test for Extra administered by an FCC examiner, David Popkin,
in NYC in 1964. So there were still FCC examiners then. Funny that I
still remember David Popkin's name but I can't remember what I had for
dinner last night.
73, Ted, W2ZK
On 4/29/2020 12:27 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
On
The text book of choice for the commercial license test was: Electronic
Communications by Shrader. I have a copy, 2nd addition. I used it for passing
my 2nd and 1st class commercial test...Now the General Radio Telecommunication
License.
Gerry, W0GV
Yes, that's right. I took the Novice exam in May 1954 and the General
exam in May and June, 1955. both at the FCC in Detroit - flunked the
code first time around. Does anyone remember K8DX, long-time head of
the Detroit office of the FCC and a truly formidable figure (especially
if you're
On 4/28/2020 4:16 PM, EricJ wrote:
but some time in the mid-50s it was given over to volunteer hams.
My memory is that it was a LOT later than that. I'd guess late '70s to
early '80s.
73, Jim K9YC
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Home:
On 4/28/2020 7:17 AM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:
> I recall many much older folks seemingly to be struggling to take the
> tests. Some commented "what's this kid doing in here?" Seems some had
> taken it several times without success.
U took my Second Phone exam in 1952 when I was 16 (senior
On 4/28/2020 11:35 AM, Mike Short wrote:
> I got my Novice in 1972 in Boise Idaho. I don’t remember if there was an
> FCC office there. Would they have gone to other cities to administer exams,
> or did they have VE’s by then? My dad and I both tested together.
In that era there were traveling
Any General Class ham could administer the Novice test. The FCC field
offices initially administered the testing, but some time in the mid-50s
it was given over to volunteer hams. It could be anyone you could dig up
to sign the paperwork. There were no designated VEs at the time.
I don't
I took my First Phone exam at the Seattle FCC office in the early 70's.
You had to pass the elements for the 2nd before they would administer the
first class elements. I distinctly remember a schematic of a mobile power
supply with various questions on the test I had.
The thread reminded me that
I remember in 1976 getting my novice ticket and the test was administered by
the local club officers (same 3 guys who taught the class), but in 1977-ish I
had to go to the FCC field office in San Diego (the closest one to me at the
time) to take the General tests. I guess they could give
On 4/28/2020 7:17 AM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:
That was 60 years ago.
Great story, Bob. I grew up in Huntington, WV, and took the exams on the
4 times a year visits to Charleston by the examiner. It was a long
narrow room in the basement of a federal building there, with 40 desks
and a
I got my Novice in 1972 in Boise Idaho. I don’t remember if there was an
FCC office there. Would they have gone to other cities to administer exams,
or did they have VE’s by then? My dad and I both tested together.
Mike
AI4NS
On Tue, Apr 28, 2020 at 12:49 Jim Campbell wrote:
> The time of which
The time of which I speak was in the mid-1950s. As I vaguely remember
there was study material that prepared you to be a knowledgeable ham.
There was also a big book that prepared you technically to be a radio
station engineer. At a later time there was a one-day cram course to
prepare you for
Originally question pool was not published. The people who taught quickie
courses and published exam guides did not have licenses they would take exam,
fail it and report new questions.
Ray
W8LYJ
Sent from my iPhone
> On Apr 28, 2020, at 10:50, EricJ wrote:
>
> The FCC question pool was
The FCC question pool was always published by the Government Printing
Office. There were no answers though. All the study guides of the day
were based on that pool including the ARRL License Manual.
Except for the Novice exam, I took General (Boston), Advanced and Extra
(Long Beach) at FCC
) To: Cc:
elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery
Anybody remember the Bash books?-de John NI0KJim Campbell wrote on 4/28/2020
9:55 AM:> While in college, I co-oped with the FCC in Atlanta, GA. I had to
take > and pass my Radiotelephone First and Gener
I didn’t know about Dick Bash’s “The Final Exam” series at the time, but they
are in The Internet Archive. If you have a question about what was on the exam
in 1981, these probably have the answer.
https://archive.org/search.php?query=final%20exam%20bash
There are other license manuals there,
Yes, and they changed the questions often to try to put him out of
business. Now they just publish them themselves.
On Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 10:32 John Simmons wrote:
> Anybody remember the Bash books?
>
> -de John NI0K
>
> Jim Campbell wrote on 4/28/2020 9:55 AM:
> > While in college, I co-oped
Anybody remember the Bash books?
-de John NI0K
Jim Campbell wrote on 4/28/2020 9:55 AM:
While in college, I co-oped with the FCC in Atlanta, GA. I had to take
and pass my Radiotelephone First and General class licenses before I
was allowed to administer those exams. If you did not pass a test
While in college, I co-oped with the FCC in Atlanta, GA. I had to take
and pass my Radiotelephone First and General class licenses before I was
allowed to administer those exams. If you did not pass a test you had to
wait 30 days before you could take it again. Some applicants tried to
game
As a 17 year old, I rode the train {pulled by a coal fired locomotive}
from Fulton, KY to Memphis, TN. I had to walk about 8 blocks to the
Post Office building where the FCC administered the tests. I took the 4
elements and passed all 4 of them earning me a First Class Radio
Telephone
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On 2020-04-27 11:06 p.m., Phil Kane wrote:
On 4/27/2020 11:03 AM, Fred Jensen wrote:
What was it with the FCC and the Colpitts oscillator schematic on the
exams in the 50's/early 60's? It was on my General ['54] and Extra
['56] exams, and practically everyone else I've asked says it was on
I would imagine that a lot of people still know what transconductance
is. That's how FETs work ... voltage control of current.
Dave AB7E
On 4/27/2020 8:06 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
The Second Telegraph exam that I took about 8 years ago had the same
questions as the one that you took "back
On 4/27/2020 11:03 AM, Fred Jensen wrote:
> What was it with the FCC and the Colpitts oscillator schematic on the
> exams in the 50's/early 60's? It was on my General ['54] and Extra
> ['56] exams, and practically everyone else I've asked says it was on
> theirs too. There are other oscillator
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2020 2:03 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery
What was it with the FCC and the Colpitts oscillator schematic on the
exams in the 50's/early 60's? It was on my General ['54] and Extra
['56] exams, and practically everyone else I've
Mine was the push-pull triode RF amplifier (not "linear"!), making sure
to show the neutralization circuit. They didn't want any high-powered
self-excited oscillators on the bands!
73,
Victor, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
CWops no. 5
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
On 27/04/2020 21:03, Fred
The Colpitts oscillator was regarded as being the most stable
oscillator, which is why it probably was always there, and it was indeed
on my test in the mid-60's. But the Hartley oscillator was also on my
test if I remember correctly, as was the tuned-plate tuned grid
oscillator. If I
What was it with the FCC and the Colpitts oscillator schematic on the
exams in the 50's/early 60's? It was on my General ['54] and Extra
['56] exams, and practically everyone else I've asked says it was on
theirs too. There are other oscillator circuits of the day. Colpitts
uses capacitive
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