[DX-CHAT] 73s
Hello Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very Happy and Healthy New Year Anil VU2TRI
[DX-CHAT] exam Radio Row
When I took my first exam in NYC (1948) there was no novice exam. Thirteen words or bust. I was 16 at the time. I was almost ready to take the exam when I was 13 but I discovered girls in a big way during the summer and ham radio went on the back burner for almost three years. High schoolers with a ham ticket were rare. In the high school I attended there were about 600 students and only two of us had a license. When I got my license most hams did not know that W2 calls were being reissued. Almost every contact on 40 meter cw would start off by saying something like, hi old timer. When I went to my first ham convention (I hitch hiked about 70 miles) people asked if W2DEC was my father's call :-) There were no multiple choice questions and you had to draw diagrams. I remember the examiner giving me credit for a diagram but patiently pointing out a small mistake. Back then there was only Class A, Class B, and Conditional. Class B was somewhat like the general license, there were no phone privileges below 10 meters. when you held a Class B for a year you could take the Class A exam which had phone privileges on 20 and 75. There was no phone on 40 meters. When I passed the Class A, one year to the day later, I purchased a microphone in the famous NYC Radio Row and didn't have any place to plug it in :-) The creation of the novice class was a brilliant idea. Had there been a novice class when I was a kid I probably would have had a license three years earlier. Does anyone else remember Radio Row? Merry Christmas. Urb, W2DEC Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
[DX-CHAT] Merry Christmas
On behalf of my XYL (who's making a wonderful turkey dinner as I type this), I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and best of the holiday season. It's been a heck of a good year for DXers -- Peter the First, VU4, VU7, 5A and two all-time New Ones created amongst other highlights. Here's wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year for 2007! Cheers, Peter, W2IRT Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
[DX-CHAT] Fra - gee - lee... It Must Be Italian!
As we all enjoy, in one form or another, the day (and Merry Christmas to all, BTW), let us take a moment to remember a ham who's words led to a book which led to the movie that is once again running a 24 hour holiday marathon -- if not the best holiday picture of the season, certainly the funniest. Of course, I'm talking about Jean Shepard K2ORS(SK). Most people only know of him from the movie A Christmas Story (most don't even realize that he is the narrator, and has a brief cameo near the end with his wife/producer Leigh Brown -- for those who don't know, he's the man who tells Ralphie where the start end of the line to see Santa is). But his influence is everywhere. For example, when we moved into the new QTH last summer, every time someone -- anyone -- would pick up one of the boxes (such as kitchenware) marked Fragile, they'd quote Fra-gee-lee... it must be Italian! I was lucky. I got to grow up listening to him every weeknight (with the transistor radio under the covers) on WOR. I saw his PBS specials and mini-series, I once owned his album (my brother swiped lost it, though I now have a tape copy of it), I have many of his books, even got to meet him at a book signing once (my brother kept those books too...). So maybe I appreciate that movie a touch more. But for so long as it remains a holiday staple, his stories will live on. Excelsior, Shep! 73, ron w3wn you know your little girl is growing up when she starts giving you practical gifts for Christmas... like socks... Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
[DX-CHAT] XT2C Dxp. 2006
Members of the multi-national team heading to Burkina Faso in January 2007 have received their callsign. The authorities have authorized the group the callsign XT2C for the period of January 6 to 20. The team members also has a WEB Site in French and English: * XT2C Web site up and running at: http://xt2c.free.fr/ and http://xt2c.free.fr/home_uk.html. Also a GuestBook on the Web Site PLEASE pass this DX info on to ALL your Club members and friends! 73 XT2C team Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
[DX-CHAT] Exams
You all have brought back some fond memories. The examiner in Houston was Lyle Bebee. Actually a pretty nice fellow unless you got a pink slip from him. I never shook so hard in my life as when I went for my Extra exam (Jan 3, 1963). In those days the FCC issued a special blue certificate for Extra Class Licensees. Fortunately from where I lived it was only about an hour drive. Also, the exam wasn't a wussy exam like it is today. ie: Draw a schematic diagram of a push-pull power amplifier using triode tubes. Show the neutralization and biasing networks and the plate modulation system. (These were the days of AM and before SSB) Draw a schematic of a full wave power supply using a center tapped power transformer and mercury vapor tubes. Include the appropriate bleeder resistor and pi filtering network. Yeah, they really have it tough these days. 73, Merry Christmas Mike, W5UC age treachery will overcome youth skill http://www.suddenlink.net/pages/w5uc/ Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
RE: [DX-CHAT] Exam Memories
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 Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems
[DX-CHAT] QSL to VU7
Hello dx-chat, Question regarding sending VU7LD cards to W3HNK, should I include all contacts with various VU7 ops at 1 QSL, or should I send 1 QSL for each op? -- 73...Art RX9TX http://rx9tx.qrz.ru If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. [Albert Einstein] Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, dx-chat@njdxa.org This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
