13 wpm (was 20 wpm)

[DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL]

Yes, I remember "Mr. Cigar" out of NYC very well.

In late 1966 (or Jan 1967?) I approached the NYC Federal Bldg with my
mom (I was 14).  There was a female guard/receptionist just inside the
entrance.  She looked at me, my mom, and said, "Here for your FCC
test?" and told us the floor - which I forget now.

It was a long elevator ride up and the sissors-gated pathway finally
opened up.  The place was old and filthy with long hallways (at least
that's how I remember it).

Walking in, there he was (others had warned me).  There was a row of
desks along the wall opposite from the windows (which had 100 years of
filth on them).  I was seated at the first desk with a straight key.
I copied what was sent and after some waiting, got the nod.  Then it
was my turn to send.

I touched the heavily patina-ed key, but it didn't send anything.  I
mentioned this and was moved down a few desks.

I touched that key and whomever was there before me, had it set to one
molecule spacing.  Just breathing on it caused it to key.  I mentioned
this (again) but now was told, "This is the standard key.  Either send
on it or you fail."  I grabbed the knurled, brass set screws and, with
all of my might, tried to loosen it up.  Nothing.  I tried again.
Nothing.  Mr. F was getting annoyed.  I gave it one last try.  POP!
the thing loosed up a mile wide.  He said, "SEND."  So I starting
sending the text.  The gap must have been 1/4 inch..I was REALLY
pounding the brass and it sound like I was hammering a nail.

I clearly recall EVERYBODY in the room stopping what they were doing
and looking at me.  Gawd!  But I kept sending.  Mr. F was not happy
with my L's and told me so.  "It was the spacing," I said.  He said,
"Let me hear 5 L's."  UGH!  I managed to get them out and he said OK.
I'm sure I was sweating to death.  Looking around, everybody was still
starring at me but they soon went back to their exams when they saw
that I was finally done bothering them.

A day I shall never forget.  Of course, after passing (on my first
try), my mom swung by Harrison Radio.  Wow....

de Doug KR2Q
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[Phil Kane-2]

On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 14:40:22 -0400, DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote:

>Yes, I remember "Mr. Cigar" out of NYC very well.

  Charlie Finkleman, a fixture of the FCC office.  Although as
  teenagers we regarded him as The God, he was a great guy and
  one of the last code-qualified examiners.   He had a very
  good-looking daughter who was about our/my age, and practically
  every Jewish teenage ham applicant tried to get her phone
  number, without success.  She later married a doctor with no
  connection to ham radio! <g>

  The popular appellation of "Uncle Charlie" for the FCC referred
  to him although he never had any enforcement function in his
  long career with the FCC.

>In late 1966 (or Jan 1967?) I approached the NYC Federal Bldg
>with my mom (I was 14).  There was a female guard/receptionist
>just inside the entrance.  She looked at me, my mom, and said,
>"Here for your FCC test?" and told us the floor - which I forget
>now.

  My last excursion to 641 Washington Street was a week before
  Thanksgiving 1967 to pick up my travel orders to report to
  duty at the San Francisco office, and I didn't remember a guard.
  I had been in that building many times between 1952 and 1967,
  not always to go to the FCC - a close family friend and my mentor to
  join the Federal service was a claims examiner at the
  Department of Labor and I would occasionally drop by to let her
  take me to lunch and bend my ear about the benefits of the
  Federal civil service!  Ten years after I graduated as an EE I
  took her advice!

>It was a long elevator ride up and the sissors-gated pathway
>finally opened up.  The place was old and filthy with long
>hallways (at least that's how I remember it).

  In the 70s the rats finally conquered the building, and all
  the Federal offices moved out.  The building was gutted and
  fumigated, sold on the private market, and AFAIK expensive
  condo lofts were built inside the old shell.

>I clearly recall EVERYBODY in the room stopping what they were
>doing and looking at me.  Gawd!  But I kept sending.  Mr. F was
>not happy with my L's and told me so.  "It was the spacing," I
>said.  He said, "Let me hear 5 L's."  UGH!  I managed to get them
>out and he said OK. I'm sure I was sweating to death.  Looking
>around, everybody was still starring at me but they soon went
>back to their exams when they saw that I was finally done
>bothering them.

  Very classic Charlie....he would also take his phones off,
  stroll to the window, and listen to the sending by copying the
  key clicks by ear!

>A day I shall never forget.  Of course, after passing (on my first
>try), my mom swung by Harrison Radio.  Wow....

  Didn't we all !!   We used to remark that the double entrance
  doors of that store - necessary to keep out winter weather -
  were of course arranged in push-pull (what else).  I got my
  first receiver there - a well-used National HRO Jr.  Although
  it was the top of the line in ham gear for its pre-WW-II time,
  it couldn't hold a candle to any of today's Elecrafts.

On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:20:17 -0700, Vic K2VCO wrote:

>I've told this story before, but it's worth repeating. I took my
>extra in New York, with the famous examiner (his name was
>'Finkelstein' or similar) who had a cigar permanently attached to
>his mouth.

  Charlie Finkleman - see my remarks above.

>I took the 20 wpm cw test in a big room, filled mostly with
>applicants for commercial tickets. I brought my elaborate
>homebrew keyer (multiple 6SN7's). He let me use it, but after he
>had heard enough he sneaked around behind me and pulled the plug.
>Luckily I was too young to have a heart attack.

  More classical Charlie!  May he rest in peace.

--
   73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
   Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402



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