You're bringing back some memories. One of the questions in the pool of my 10 schematic drawing or other short answer questions was:
Draw a schematic diagram of a maritime battery charging system containing a six pole double throw switch such that each of a pair of batteries is either connected to a load or a charger (and is swapped when the switch is thrown.) I don't recall the exact phrasing of the question but I do recall that the toupee was spinning on top of my sixteen year old head as I tried to work through this question. I eventually drew the correct diagram. I think the 2nd telegraph's written examination was the most difficult of all the written tests I took, including the 1st phone written. I don't want to start a debate here, that was just my impression. On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:38 PM, Mike Morrow <[email protected]> wrote: > I like **some** iambic keyers. > > The important thing in any discussion of iambic keyers is WHAT MODE(S) > does it use. When an iambic dit-dash sequence is being sent, mode B > keyers send a dit if the paddles are released during a dash, or a dash > if the paddles are released during a dit. In contrast, mode A keyers > never send a dit or dash unless the dit or dash paddle is closed. If > one is accustomed to one mode, using a keyer in the other mode will be > hell. It is very important that mode selection be available in any > iambic keyer. > > There is no paddle manipulation or any other identifiable advantage to > mode B, but paddle release timing is much more critical than for mode A. > The incompetent and careless design of MOST commercial ham rigs provides > Mode B ONLY. When I asked the ICOM folks at their Dayton booth about the > reasons for that, the staff was dismissive as if this was an unimportant > question and they didn't care to waste their time on answering it. No > Icom garbage for me, ever! > > This is another area where Elecraft really comes through, with full mode > A or B support on all their transceivers. > > And straight key use? I think it is appropriate to learn first on the > straight key, if only for the tradition of it. Back in the days when > when Morse exams were given by the FCC, there once was a sending test > that required straight key use. Also back in those days, the military > sometimes used Morse and straight keys were all that were provided > on many radio sets...a young person just might have served in the military > back then. But...today it's only tradition, just like the use of Morse > itself. > > Rick wrote: > > > I took my 2nd Class Telegraph examination in Oklahoma City in 1978. > > I took my Second Class Telegraph exam at the Kansas City FCC office, > about that same time. > > > He fired up the CW test then left the room. The test finished, I > > put my pencil down and waited. No examiner. > > The Morse exam for the Second Class had four parts, each requiring perfect > performance for one minute out of five: > 1. 20-wpm plain language copy. > 2. 16-wpm five-character code groups copy, including numbers and > punctuation. > 3. 20-wpm plain language, sent with FCC-provided straight key. > 4. 16-wpm five-character code groups, sent with FCC-provided straight key. > > The only part I had trouble with was item 2. Five or six errors made in > five minutes spread just right could kill any one-minute of otherwise good > copy. (And by "trouble", I mean that I didn't pass my on first attempt.) > > More than 20 years ago, the FCC got really lazy and decided to issue Morse > credit for the commercial license based on the applicant holding the > Amateur > Extra license. What a joke! > > > He took the exam with him when I finished it and promptly lost it. > > That technical written exam, Element 6, had 90 multiple-choice questions > and 10 schematic drawing or other short answer questions. My examiner > told me that I had a passing score based on the other 90 and did not > grade those 10 questions. I never took a written FCC exam anywhere that > wasn't graded before I left the office or field location. > > > "...the examiner lost my test." > > That sort of shabby outcome was too often the case with government > administered exams. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's exam results for > the Senior Reactor Operator license was delayed for several people at > a plant I worked 30 years ago. When results finally showed up, the > office admitted that the completed exams for these people had slipped > behind someone's desk! Government...gotta love it. > > Mike / KK5F > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > -- Rick McClelland, AA5S Fort Collins, CO ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
