03-06-18 11:04 Daryl Stout wrote to ED VANCE about ARRL Requests Expanded HF   
   Howdy! Daryl,   
      
    DS> @MSGID: <5A9F0BFC.1779.amtradio@capitolcityonline.net>   
    DS> Ed,   
      
    EV>Is the General and Technician Written Test the same?   
      
    DS>   Not any more. However, before March 21, 1987, the Technician and   
    DS> General written exam WERE IDENTICAL -- the only difference was a 5 wpm   
    DS> CW exam for the Technician (which you already had, if you had a Novice   
    DS> License beforehand), and a 13 wpm CW exam for the General.   
      
   That is strange.   
   I can't remember but back in 1959 when I took and passed the Technician   
   Exam to keep my Call Sign active, I'm thinking I took a Morse Code Test   
   before I took the written portion of the Exam.   
   I can't remember ever taking a test for a Amateur Radio Operators License   
   without writing some code down first.   
   But I may be wrong, I have - many many many times B4 been wrong.   
   And 60+/- years is a long period so I could be mistaken about the CW test.   
      
    DS>   I've had these experiences at exam sessions (I've been a VE going on   
    DS> 11 years now):   
      
    DS> 1) If an examinee walks in to the session with a Technician ham radio   
    DS> license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before, all they have to   
    DS> do is show ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, and they get a CSCE   
    DS> for a General Class license WITHOUT having to take an exam first;   
    DS> basically, it's "grandfathered". This is the ONLY exam that you can get   
    DS> an upgrade for, without testing.   
      
    DS>   The caveat is that the license has to be CURRENT -- if it has lapsed   
    DS> (it's expired more than 2 years (item 2 below), they go to category 2B   
    DS> below.   
      
    DS> 2) If an examinee walks in to the session with a lapsed (expired more   
    DS> than 2 years) license, the term of the license class determines what   
    DS> "prior credit" they have.   
      
    DS> A) If it was a Novice or Technician Class license, they have NOTHING --   
    DS> as if they had never taken an exam (no license or callsign -- which is   
    DS> the case for anyone whose license has lapsed). They show their ID, pay   
    DS> the fee, fill out the paperwork, and have to take and pass the   
    DS> Technician Exam to be back into the hobby. They are issued a CSCE for a   
    DS> Technician Class license.   
      
    DS> B) If it was a General Class license, or a lapsed Technician Class   
    DS> license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before...they have credit   
    DS> for Element 3, the General Exam (proof of such is required). However,   
    DS> without the lower level (Element 2 Technician), they have NOTHING. So,   
    DS> they have to show their ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, then   
    DS> take and pass the Technician exam. They are then issued a CSCE for a   
    DS> General Class license.   
      
    DS> C) If it was an Advanced Class license, the credit is the same as item   
    DS> 2B above (proof of such is required). However, since the Advanced Class   
    DS> license was discontinued in April, 2000 (as was the Novice Class   
    DS> license), they are DOWNGRADED to General, and are basically the same as   
    DS> item 2B above.   
      
    DS> D) If it was an Amateur Extra Class license, they have credit for   
    DS> Element 3, the General exam...and Element 4, the Amateur Extra exam   
    DS> (proof of such is required). However, without Element 2, the Technician   
    DS> exam, they have NOTHING. So, they have to show their ID, pay the fee,   
    DS> fill out the paperwork, then take and pass the Techician exam. They   
    DS> are then issued a CSCE for an Amateur Extra Class license.   
      
    DS>   With items 2A through 2D above, they will get a new license and   
    DS> callsign about 2 weeks after the exam. If they don't see their license   
    DS> in the FCC ULS after 2 weeks, then they need to call the VEC, or the VE   
    DS> Team Leader, and find out what the delay is.   
      
    DS>   If their former callsign is still available under the vanity callsign   
    DS> system, they can apply for it, but they have to wait at least 21 days   
    DS> before it's granted.   
      
   For someone with a Expired Amateur Extra ticket that Element 2 sounds   
   STUPID (to Me).   
      
   I've taken the Amateur Extra Exam once.   
   It was supervised by an F.C.C. Employee.   
      
   I Passed the CW portion, Flunked the Written portion, walked out with a   
   Temporary Advance Class License until the F.C.C. sent the License to me   
   in the Mail.   
      
   There were lots of things in the Amateur Extra exam I took that I had   
   no idea about.   
   One I remember was something about (iirc) Grid Modulation of a UHF Power   
   Amplifier.   
   And I believe another was about some kind of operating through a satellite.   
      
   I never took another Ham Exam.   
   When I left the Room I almost had the same license priviledges I had in   
   1959 when I got the General Class License in the Mail.   
      
   One of the reasons I can't consider reJoining the League.   
   To Me That Organization is NOT of, for, by the amateurs like I think   
   their motto used to say a long long long time ago.   
      
   73 de Ed W9ODR   
   And YES I believe I can still pass the CW and Written Test for MY License   
   if needed to.   
   .     .   
      
      
   ... God a blur? Focus on Jesus.   
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