"Robert Casey" wrote in message
...

There actually was a time when you could not have a novice *and* a tech
license
at the same time. Tech required 5wpm then, and general written. And
presumidly
novice written. So Tech would have been a superset of novice, but if
you upgraded
from novice to tech then, you gave up your old HF privs to get on above
50MHz.
This was more likely a brearucratic screw up than actual desired policy.
Like today's
lifetime credit for passing a 5 wpm test but none for 13 or 20.

This is true. When I had my novice, in 1962, it was a 1 year non-renewable
license. I failed the 13 wpm test twice and it wasn't until 1964 that I
obtained my general. I didn't want the tech as I figured I'd be stuck at 5
along with the tech license for eternity. In 1966 I obtained my extra
(along with commercial telegraph license).

The lifetime credit for a 5 word per minute test makes some sense as anyone
who could never copy more than perhaps 10 words per minute would, over the
years, likely forget it. I was last active on cw in 1969 and let my
licenses expire. I never practiced nor studied until I showed up for a test
in 1993. Yes, I could still pass 20 words per minute (and just checked off
some answers in the theory exam as I didn't want to waste time extracting
square roots by hand as I didn't bring a calculator - you don't need 100% to
pass). Anyone who passed 13 wpm or greater doesn't need a free pass; they
can simply take the 5 word per minute exam and pass. You can bet the folks
that need that free pass would be hard pressed to actually take the test and
pass - or they wouldn't be so preoccupied with finding proof that they had a
license once upon a time.

73 from Rochester, NY
Jim AA2QA





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