abeals@Autodesk.COM (Only 334 more shopping days until Christmas) (01/26/91)
[I have set the followup-to header to rec.ham-radio]
[Um, if you're not in the Bay Area, you should check with your local hams
and or electronics stores to find out information on testing]
Summary:
Yes, as of 14 February 1991, you can now get an amateur [ham] radio
license without having to learn Morse code!
Take your test[s] now, avoid the rush. Easier than the SAT.
Cost for the test is $5.25 Cost for study materials ranges from $0.00
[if you get the "ham stacks" off of apple.com and have a mac] to
somewhere in the neighborhood of $16.00
Details:
The ARRL [Amateur Radio Relay League] petitioned the FCC [Federal
Communications Commission] in 1989 for a new class [a modified
Technician] of license ham license, to be dubbed the "Communicator".
The FCC decided to remove the 5WPM Morse code from the current
Technician license and restrict Novice HF ["high frequency" - to you
and I, shortwave] privileges to only those people who have passed a
5WPM exam. [The FCC calls it "Element 1A".]
So, what do you get?
Full privileges on all the VHF, UHF and microwave ham bands above 30MHz.
What does this mean?
International communication on the 6m band when conditions are right.
Local communications on the popular 2m and 440MHz bands.
More local communications on the other UHF bands.
Satellite communications. Satellite "voice mail" is apparently
coming soon - leave your message when it's over you and your
friend on the other side of the planet can pick it up when
it's over her. Use an amateur satellite as a "repeater".
Talk to the hams on the Mir space station! [There appears to be
at least one ham on Mir all the time these days.]
Talk to the hams when they fly on the space shuttle.
Bounce your signals off of the moon for long-range conversations.
Use a large temperature inversion to your advantage.
Packet radio [TCP/IP] at various speeds [mostly slow right now,
but it will get faster]
Use "repeaters" to extand your working range. If you're in the
Bay Area and are patient enough, you can set up links from
Baja California to British Columbia.
What do you have to do?
Pass two exams - Elements 2 and 3a. The Novice written exam [Element
2] is 30 multiple-choice questions taken from a pool of about 350
questions. The Technician written exam [Element 3a] consists of 25
questions out of a pool of about 250 questions. You need to get a
score of 73% or better in order to pass. The Novice exam costs
nothing to take and if you want to take any more exams, it costs $5.25
per testing session [take as many tests as you like, so long as you do
them in order and keep passing].
How do you learn the material?
Buy a book -- the ARRL publishes license manuals that run about $8
each. Or, if you can't find the license manuals [Ham Radio Outlet in
Oakland or Burlingame, almost any electronics parts shop, maybe even
Cody's or Stacy's] in a regular store, you can go to any Radio Shack
and buy their license manuals, which are maybe even better [for your
purpose] than the ARRL manuals. Make sure that you get a book that is
still valid - it should say something like "Material good until <some
date>" on the cover.
Study the tests. The book may say "Don't start here", but why not?
Your objective at the moment is to learn the material that will be
presented on the exam and the correct answers. There are some trick
questions - you want to learn those. Some questions will have obvious
answers - this is good as it means you don't have to stuff those
answers into your memory. Play with the ham stacks if you have a
macintosh [if you have a PC clone, you can get practice test software
from SIMTEL]. Practice practice practice until you have it down pat.
Find a testing center. Phone (408) 255-9000 for the Sunnyvale VEC
which gives you locations and contact phone numbers for when and where
you can take your exams. Phone (408) 984-8353 for the ARRL VEC.
When can you take your test? Well, definitely on 14 February you can
get everything done in one day by going to the Sunnyvale VEC's special
exam date. The ARRL VEC, in Cupertino, will let you take your tests
now [well, first Saturday of February] and hold your "Form 610" [your
license application to the FCC] until the 14th and then send it in.
If you find a VEC that won't send in your form 610 right now, take
elements 2 and 3a anyway - they'll give you a CSCE form that says that
you passed those two elements and it's good for a year. Then, you can
take your CSCE to someone on or after the 14th and they will have you
fill out a form 610 which will be sent to the FCC.
Then what?
Wait 4-6 weeks for the FCC to process your form and STUDY THE BOOKS!
You want to know what the proper procedures are - this is not CB radio
where anything goes. As you'll find out on your exam, there are
strict rules and good practices to be followed, sort of like when you
join a mailing list.
If you need more information, please don't hesitate to call me. I may
not be an expert, I may not even be licensed yet [passed my two exams
this past Saturday], but I have what I hope is good information.
GOOD LUCK!
Andy Beals
415 289 4850
--
Andrew Scott Beals
abeals@autodesk.com