Re: Hate the word HAM

[w6jd]

I took my Novice exam in late 1952 and General in early '53 in NYC. The descriptions of the venue are certainly accurate! The exams I remember did either require drawing circuits or "fixing" pre-drawn ones. Fortunately the code was never a problem for me and I was even congratulated, although grudgingly, for perfect 5 min copy by "He Who Was the FCC God". I took my Extra, 2nd telegraph and first 'phone in St. Louis on one of the visits from the KC office. CW still my favorite mode and if they ever should decide to "shut it down" they'll have to pry my key from my cold dead hands, to paraphrase some other zealot.

Doug
W6JD

-------------- Original message --------------
From: Vic K2VCO <[hidden email]>

> Doug Smith wrote:
>
> > The first time I took the 2nd Telegraph my steely eyed examiner was a
> > very nice woman (Seattle office). I showed up to take the exam with an
> > electronic keyer and she laughed at me and said I could set that aside
> > and use their hand key if I wanted to take the exam.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
> --
> 73,
> Vic, K2VCO
> Fresno CA
> http://www.qsl.net/k2vco 
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[k6dgw]

Ken Kopp wrote:
> And they wouldn't accept my 20 WPM Radiotelegraph ticket
> for my 20 WPM extra!  But by then it was a snap.

They did accept mine in Los Angeles in 1956 ... well sort of.  I was
sort of rattled going for my Extra and got to the FCC several hours
before the exam.  The examiner [nice but likely expecting a little more
maturity than the 16 yr old possessed] said, "I'm giving the 2d
Telegraph.  Fill out the app and take the code.  If you pass, I'll give
you credit for the 20 for the Extra this afternoon."  I did, I passed,
and he did.  He also told me I had nothing to lose by taking the 2d
written.  I passed -- exactly.  I didn't get credit for that in the
afternoon, but I passed the Extra written by a slightly larger margin.

Apparently the FCC was enamored with the Colpitts oscillator in those
days ... I too had to draw the circuit, and then answer a couple of
questions about its characteristics.
>
> Here's a tip, BTW ... many can write faster when copying CW
> by using longhand.

I'm a genetic southpaw who was required to learn to write right-handed
in public school.  As a result, I couldn't write legibly with either
hand and still can't.  The nice examiner looked at my paper, said, "Why
don't you print this out below each line for me," I did, and he passed
me.  I think it all depends on who the examiner was and maybe what kind
of day he was having.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2007 CQP Oct 6-7
- www.cqp.org
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[AJSOENKE]

Anyone remember the token typewriter the FCC always had on hand for code  
copy?  I looked at that relic Remington and was thankful I could write  faster
than I could type. : -)
 
Al WA6VNN
 



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[Dan Barker]

I don't remember the format of the written, but MC doesn't sound wrong. I
know the code test was fill-in-the-blank, which I found quite odd. I do
remember one question, tho.

His occupation was _____________________.

My copy had ??????mber?????.

I was torn between plumber and lumber salesman. Occam saved the day!

Dan / WG4S  (ca. 1981 or 2) / K2 #2456

<snip>
The reference in the original post may be to the fact that for several years
after the FCC dropped the "one minute perfect copy out of five minutes sent"
standard, they used multiple choice exams for the *Morse* test after the
sending was over.  That didn't last long.
</snip>

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