Yes the exam process was sure an adventure.
In 1974 I had my Technician ticket. About 3 months after I had my Tech, I
decided that I wanted to work CW. So I decided to go for my General. I was
a member of the Hall of Science in Queens Co, NY. I studied the theory with
others at the club and studied for cw through many hours of listening to
W1AW code practice. I also listened to an old cw practice machine that had a
tape on it. This was a piece of equipment from my fathers days in the Army.
When I could copy 15 wpm my friend and I took the Flushing IRT subway to
Variag St. The old FCC building was still there. Well anyway we approached
the recepionist and signed in. There were about 20 nervous applicants in
the room and nobody was sitting still. Everyone was very nervous and
anxious to get it over with. Well, first was the code test and we all
marched into the test room like we were going to an funeral. We were givin
the instrucitions and at first there was some practice cw. Then the test
began and at the end you had to answer questions. If you coppied
everything, you could answer the questions. Then after I passed that I went
for the theory test and passed. My friend also passed. We were very
excited and talked about the experience. We celebrated and had a couple of
hot dogs at a street vendor. We took the subway back home and put the test
behind us.
Well it wasn't much longer that I repeated the journey to take the
Advanced theory test.
The next challenge was the Extra test. The theory part would be no
problem but the code test would require work. Well anyway, again W1AW
listening and on the air qso's did the trick. When I could copy 25 wpm and
took the journey again into Manhatten for the 20 wpm test at the FCC. After
another nervous shot at it, I passed.
These are memories that are very common with our fellow hams. I enjoy
talking about it with others and listening to others.
73,
Mark
K2AU..... ex WA2YMX
From: "Ron Notarius W3WN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <dx-chat@njdxa.org>
Subject: [DX-CHAT] Exam Memories
Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2006 12:08:52 -0500
Story I heard from many of the Pittsburgh-area hams, after I moved here:
The FCC used to give their exams in the Federal Courthouse/Main Post Office
building on Grant Street downtown. (They later moved them to the now-gone
Holiday House building in Monroeville).
The exam room in use was located right above a bus recovery parking
location. And at the time, either the building had no AC, or it wasn't
working right.
So, one hot summer day, they had the windows open during one of the code
tests. Between the usually street noises, heavy traffic, and noisy diesel
buses waiting to start their next run, no one could actually hear the code
test.
The test candidates pleaded to have the windows closed and the test resent,
but allegedly, the examiner smiled and simply said "QRM!" And then he
walked out of the room.
-----------------------
The first time I went for my 13 WPM, I was living in State College. It was
term break coming up when we planned this, so the idea was that two of us
from the Penn State ARC would leave in the middle of the night, stop by one
other club member's home in Harrisburg to pick him up, stop and have
breakfast in Langhorne PA, and then walk in, bright eyed & bushy tailed,
for
the 8 AM exam. So of course, myself and the other driver left a little
late
with insufficient sleep, and the kid we were picking up overslept too --
his
parents did not appreciate us ringing the doorbell around 4:30 or 5 AM!
Because we were running late, no breakfast, but we did make the FCC office
in Langhorne on time -- just (good thing there were no speed traps on the
way!) We were all groggy... I washed out of my 13 WPM exam pretty quickly,
the other two were going for theory upgrades to Advanced, and they didn't
do
any better...
I made one other trip to the FCC Langhorne office a few years later. I had
a day off, so I rode down with Dave KA3NQA (now KF4JGL) to keep him
company.
Dave was testing for his Commercial Phone ticket, and he was scheduled a
little later in the morning. (And yes, he passed!) While he was in taking
his test, I sat in his truck working some 10 Meter DX. I remember working
EL7X on 25 watts, easily, and after making the QSO, I stepped out to
stretch. Someone was looking over the truck with a jaundiced eye... asked
me if I was a CB'er. When I told him I was a ham, he suddenly smiled and
we
chatted for a few minutes. Yup, I don't remember now who it was, but it
was
an FCC staffer (and a ham -- I don't think he gave me his call, though),
and
had I been a CB'er, I'd have been busted big time!
(And I finally did get the card from EL7X a few years ago... right after I
worked him, there was some civil unrest in Liberia, so my original QSL
request never made it to him, but I finally tracked him down!)
73, ron w3wn
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