03-06-18 11:04 Daryl Stout wrote to ED VANCE about ARRL Requests Expanded HF
Howdy! Daryl,

 DS> {at}MSGID: 
 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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