EV>Howdy! Daryl,

Hi, Ed...

EV>I can't remember but back in 1959 when I took and passed the Technician
EV>Exam to keep my Call Sign active, I'm thinking I took a Morse Code Test
EV>before I took the written portion of the Exam.

  Correct. When the FCC was administering the exams, you HAD to PASS the
CW test FIRST -- or you were dismissed from the session, WITHOUT being
allowed to do the written exam.

EV>I can't remember ever taking a test for a Amateur Radio Operators License
EV>without writing some code down first.

  In the U.S. and its territories, the 13 and 20 wpm CW exams...plus the
issuing of new Novice and Advanced Class licenses, were STOPPED on April
15, 2000. Holders of the Novice and Advanced Class licenses could renew
them at the appropriate time. The 5 wpm CW exam (the last one), was
eliminated on Feb. 23, 2007. Now, people are learning CW because they
*WANT* to...and NOT because they *HAVE* to.

EV>But I may be wrong, I have - many many many times B4 been wrong.
EV>And 60+/- years is a long period so I could be mistaken about the CW test.

  Or like a T-shirt I saw once..."I may not always be right...but, I'm
never wrong" (hi hi).

EV>For someone with a Expired Amateur Extra ticket that Element 2 sounds
EV>STUPID (to Me).

  Well, there was concern that with a lapsed license, having to get back
on without taking a test, was "stupid". The FCC determined that passing
the Technician exam was sufficient enough that they had the basic
knowledge of items needed. They now require answering "the basic
character qualification question" on the NCVEC Form 605...answering Yes
or No, on whether they have been convicted of a felony, in state or
federal court. A YES answer is NOT an automatic disqualification...it
depends on the circumstances. Yet, the examinee has to send to the FCC,
all required documentation, etc. to the FCC within 14 days of the exam
session, or the license grant is dismissed...as if they had never taken
an exam.

EV>I Passed the CW portion, Flunked the Written portion, walked out with a
EV>Temporary Advance Class License until the F.C.C. sent the License to me
EV>in the Mail.

  When I first got my license in 1991, there was no FCC ULS. I took the
test on Field Day Weekend, and it was the second week of August before
my ticket and callsign arrived in the mail. Now, with the FCC ULS, you
can get it in as little as 1 to 2 weeks...although I saw one fast
turnaround...the ham passed Elements 2, 3, and 4 (Technician, General,
and Amateur Extra) in one session. The exam session was on a
Saturday...his callsign was in the database the following Wednesday!!

EV>There were lots of things in the Amateur Extra exam I took that I had
EV>no idea about.

  I learned how to tell where the voltage was leading or lagging the
current, and that's all I remember.

EV>I never took another Ham Exam.

  Every year when I do my rent recertification, they ask me if I'm a
student. I reply "the only exams I do now are giving ham radio license
exams...and undergoing medical exams and procedures". Along that line,
I'm getting a "two-fer"...an EGD (upper GI) and a colonoscopy (lower GI)
on Friday the 13th of April. It'll be "lucky" for me, in that:

1) I'm long overdue for both -- it has been over 3 years.

2) Since it's part of the "wellness check", Medicare is picking up 100%
of the colonoscopy cost.

3) Since I'm having the EGD done at the same time, I'm getting it for
50% off...and Medicate will pay 80% of that. Plus, I only have to pay
one anesthesia fee.

  I'll miss the nets on April 12 for the bowel prep, and April 13 (I
likely will be asleep, spending that night at my Mom's place). Then,
I'll take the weekend off to recover. If "everything comes out all
right" (pardon the pun), I won't have to do them again for 3 to 5 years.

EV>To Me That Organization is NOT of, for, by the amateurs like I think
EV>their motto used to say a long long long time ago.

  As noted, I suspect that their new proposal is twofold -- to get new
members, and for gear manufacturers to get more customers. So much for
pecuniary interest. 

EV>And YES I believe I can still pass the CW and Written Test for MY License
EV>if needed to.

  There's no way I could now...too many medical issues have developed
since I took the exams.

Daryl, WX1DER

===
 ■ OLX 1.53 ■ According to the Weather Channel, Hell just froze over.
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Win32
 * Origin: FIDONet: The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org (1:19/33)