OT RE: ham radio licenses - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

14 Jun 2011

So, me too.  :-)  I was first licensed back in 1972 and let it lapse about ten years
later, but all this talk got me motivated, too.  Unlike Dave, I missed the Extra exam (by
only a point, they told me), but I did earn a General class ticket.  I'm waiting for
crystals to bring up my HT-220, a true "nostalgia toy" as I used to work on them
back in the late '70s, and in the meantime I've been working some SSB on 40 and
20, and playing with a 2M handheld.  I was going to restore a Drake B-line I picked up a
few years ago - again, out of nostalgia for these outstanding radios - but in one of my
few eBay transactions where I was snookered, I ended up with a radio that looks like it
sat in someone's carport for a few years.  After working on it for a bit, I decided
it's "a bridge too far" for my available time and patience, and I picked up
a Kenwood TS-430S through Craigslist.  

It's never too late to have a happy childhood!  -- Ian (K7PDP)

...
  -----Original Message-----
 From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-
 bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Dave McGuire
 Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 5:26 PM
 To: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
 Subject: OT: ham radio licenses

    I had a ham license (coded Tech class, KA2UZK) from 1984 to 1994, and was
 quite active on VHF FM and HF CW during that time.  I've missed it quite a
 bit over the years and have always intended to relicense, but the piles of
 rules changes gave me pause, as rote memorization isn't really my strong
 suit.

    Well, the recent discussion of ham radio licensing motivated me to finally
 get off my butt and do it.  I studied off-and-on for a few days to assimilate
 the new rules & regs, and registered for the VE test given at the hamfest in
 Hagerstown, MD on April 31st.  I sat for all three exams...Element 2
 (Technician class), Element 3 (General class) and Element 4 (Extra class).

    I am very proud to report that I passed them all the first time through!
 And, I don't mind saying, the Extra exam made my head hurt.
 The FCC processed my paperwork very quickly, and on May 5th I was granted
 an Extra-class license and assigned call sign AK4HZ.

    Of I'm still in West Virginia handling family business, while all of my ham
 gear is in Florida, but my mother (who is house-sitting for me in
 Florida) was able to ship two of my HTs up here so I'd have something at
 least.  When I have access to my HF gear (Yaesu FT-ONE and FT-920, Heath
 HW-7, HW-8, and HW-9 QRP rigs, and Heath SB-101) I hope to try out some of
 the neat new(ish) stuff like PSK31 that came up while I was away.
 High-tech stuff aside, I'm sure to do some plain old SSB and CW on the HF
 bands.

    Anyway, enough of my blather, I'm just proud to have accomplished that
 and wanted to tell everyone.  I'm hoping to catch some of you on the air!

                -Dave
                 73's DE AK4HZ

 --
 Dave McGuire
 Port Charlotte, FL 