Jimmy,   
      
   JA>Yeah - but my HT won't do HF. :-) There are several active 'old timers'   
   JA>in the local club, and one of them already mentioned passing down   
   JA>some old equipment to me to help get me started. Another guy in a club   
   JA>down the road said, "don't go and pay a lot for a new antenna - I have   
   JA>several old pieces where I've upgraded - we'll work something out."   
      
     First, HT's weren't designed for HF. Second, it's good to hear of 'old   
   timers' willing to help you get started, gear wise. I bought my first HT   
   from a ham in the area.   
      
   JA> DS> But, you can become a Volunteer Examiner (VE),   
      
   JA>Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting into that to help 'give back' to the   
   JA>hobby. The local club we joined has SEVERAL VE's already, and they   
   JA>are known for giving exams at local fests, so I don't think they   
   JA>"need" more right now, but they will eventually. :-)   
      
     I would rather have more than enough VE's for several reasons:   
      
   1) You have to have a minimum of 3 in the room to conduct and grade the   
   exams. If one has to step out for a minute or two, you can still keep   
   things going.   
      
   2) If you have to provide "special accommodations" to a disabled user,   
   that doesn't affect grading if you have several VE's on hand.   
      
   3) If some VE's have to cancel out at the last minute, having additional   
   VE's as a backup makes it less likely you'll have to cancel the exam   
   session. However, if you don't have at least 3 examiners, the session   
   can NOT be conducted.   
      
   4) If at a hamfest, you can set it up like an assembly line for signing   
   the Certificate Of Successful Completion Of Examination (CSCE)   
   documents, and the bottom of the NCVEC Form 605 documents. As the VE   
   Team leader, I sign them in and check their ID, and have the other VE's   
   get them the paperwork, pens, pencils, scratch paper, calculators, etc.   
   Then, while I grade the exam, I can let other VE's initial their   
   approval on it.   
      
   5) If you get a large number of examinees, the more VE's you have will   
   make the exam process go smoother. One year, at the hamfest in Little   
   Rock, they were begging and pleading for VE's -- that's what encouraged   
   me to upgrade to Amateur Extra, and becoming a VE. Another time at the   
   hamfest in Little Rock, we had 18 examinees...and one year at the   
   Austin, Texas Summerfest, we had 36 examinees!! In both cases, we had 7   
   VE's, but we could've used more.   
      
     If a properly accredited VE doesn't grade any exams or sign any   
   paperwork, they still get credit for the session...the same for all of   
   the VE's if no examinees show up.   
      
   Daryl Stout, WX1DER   
   UALR Ham Radio Club VE Team Liaison   
      
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