TZUTC: -0600   
   MSGID: 106.fidonet-classicc@1:2320/33 26852cfb   
   REPLY: 1:18/200@fidonet 61f72596   
   PID: Synchronet 3.19c-Win32 master/2d3b97333 Feb 15 2022 MSC 1929   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 master/2d3b97333 Feb 15 2022 MSC 1929   
   BBSID: TBOLT   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   Dave,   
      
    DD> My house-mate is a Hambone. His "shack" is in a corner of the living   
    DD> room. I used to was - but haven't picked up a mike nor tapped a key in   
    DD> dogs years. My call was K9DDQ .... may still be. I dunno if good old   
    DD> Uncle Charlie re-assigns or not. Seeing the newer calls I'm going to   
    DD> assume - not.   
      
     Once your license is expired more than 2 years, your call goes back into   
   the "unused pool". Then, it can be snagged by someone wanting a vanity   
   call. I looked it up, and your former call shows as "not being in the FCC    
   database". So, you lost your callsign and privileges when your license was   
   expired more than 2 years.   
      
     If you ever decide to get back into amateur radio, you only have to take    
   and pass the Technician Class exam (Element 2)...no matter what license class    
   you formerly held...and no Morse Code exam (Element 1) is required. If you    
   formerly held a General or Advanced Class license, you also get credit for   
   Element 3 (General), and if you formerly held an Amateur Extra Class license,   
   you get credit for Element 4 (Amateur Extra). Regardless, you still have to   
   take and pass the Technician Class exam to get back in the hobby. You'll get   
   a new callsign, but then can apply for your former callsign as a vanity   
   callsign, if you wish.    
      
     Currently, you pay a fee to the examiner team (if it's ARRL/VEC or    
   W5YI/VEC...some VEC's/VE Teams don't charge a fee at all). Sometime this    
   year, the FCC will also charge a $35 fee for a new, renewed, or upgraded   
   amateur radio license or callsign change (sequential or vanity). I have   
   not seen any notice on the ARRL website as of March 2, 2022...and it would   
   not take effect until 30 days after it appears in the Federal Register.   
      
     I've noted many hams swearing they'll quit the hobby before they pay the   
   $35 fee. Yet, many of these same hams will lay down a $100 bill (or more)   
   at a big hamfest (Hamcation in Orlando, Florida...Hamvention in Xenia,    
   Ohio...or the Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama) for a "brick" of 250 prize   
   tickets. Of course, if you win a high dollar radio, you more than got   
   your money back, especially if you can sell it to someone else. So, that   
   logic makes no sense to me at all. While you have to pay the $35 fee up   
   front, it averages to $3.50 a year...you can't even get a gallon of gas   
   for $3.50 now...unless it's at Taco Bell.    
      
     As for study material, I highly recommend the HamTestOnline course    
   (hamradiolicenseexam.com). I used it back in mid-2007...studying 2 hours   
   a day for 2 weeks. I went from Technician to General in 14 days, and    
   General to Amateur Extra 13 days later. It was the best money I ever    
   spent in amateur radio.   
      
     They offer 6 month subscriptions (the price is dependent on what class   
   of license you go for). The cover the questions in the specific license   
   class Question Pool (which change every 4 years...the current Technician   
   Pool changes on July 1, 2022), but they also cover the concepts. So, you   
   are actually learning something, and NOT just memorizing answers. When   
   you get to 80% study, start taking practice tests...and when you start   
   scoring 85% or better consistently, you are ready to take the exam, and   
   will likely pass. This applies to any of the exams (Technician, General,   
   or Amateur Extra). You can miss as many as 9 questions on the 35 question   
   exam for Technician or General...and as many as 13 questions on the 50   
   question Amateur Extra...and it still counts as if you aced the test   
   (made a perfect score).   
      
     The kicker, though...is that if after adequate study and practice   
   tests, you still fail the exam...send them proof of the failure, and   
   they will cancel your subscription, and refund your money. So, you   
   either get your amateur radio license, or your money back...you can't   
   lose!! Normally, when you buy a book or study guide, it's yours...no   
   refunds. And, as noted, the books become worthless after 4 years. With   
   HamTestOnline, they update the website when the specific question pools   
   change.   
      
    DD> Nancy was a neat lady - who used to come to Cooking Echo picnics -   
    DD> which were once an annual "thing". She also played a mean game of   
    DD> Scrabble.   
      
     She did that on my BBS. Sean Dennis, KS4TD (he's also an amateur radio   
   operator) dedicated the game of Scrabble on his BBS to her memory.   
      
    DD> When she passed, Richard let me know "you've lost a Scrabble partner".   
      
     The one thing I remember most was her sense of humor. In one QWK Mail   
   tagline, I noted "I took an IQ test, and the results were negative". Her   
   reply was "That explains a lot. ". She said she hoped I wasn't   
   offended by that, and I told her "I got a good laugh out of that". She   
   is sorely missed.   
      
   Daryl, WX4QZ   
      
   ... Southern DOS: Y'all reckon? (Yep/Nope)   
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