Cecil Moore wrote in news:_9goh.25784$QU1.5684
@newssvr22.news.prodigy.net:
wrote:
Nobody really knows how "hard" the old exams really were, because
they're not available for comparison.
But the ARRL License Manuals are still around, e.g.
The unit of resistance is the ______.
A. Volt
B. Amp
C. Watt
D. Ohm
I have in front of me a Coleco Radio Amateur Question and Answer
License guide from 1956, the "golden Age of Amateur Radio"
The booklet is a 6 by 8.5 inch paperback of 32 pages. It notes on
the cover that it contains:
FCC-type Multiple Choice Questions
Typical FCC-Type Practice Exams
Questions Grouped by Subjects
Novice, Technician and General CLasses
Let us take a look at some of the questions.....
1. The Instrument used to measure resistance is:
a. wattmeter
b. ammeter
c. voltmeter
d. ohmmeter
2 The unit of power is:
a. the ampere
b. the coulomb
c. the watt
d. the joule
3. The third harmonic of 350 c.p.s. is:
a. 117 c.p.s.
b. 250 c.p.s.
c. 700 c.p.s.
d. 1050 c.p.s.
4. The instrument used to measure current is:
a. wattmeter
b. ammeter
c. voltmeter
d. ohmmeter
5. The frequency of a sine wave is:
a. the time in seconds for one cycle
b. the amplitude of the wave
c. the number of cycles per second
d. the angle of rotation
gawsh-awful simple stuff there.
Some are a little less elementary, but still not too bad...
17.The Q of a resonant circuit is the:
a. inductive reactance divided by the resistance
b. inductance divided by the resistance
c. circulating current divided by the capacitance
d. circulating current divided by the inductance
18. If a 6 henry choke is connected in series with a 12 henry choke,
(with no mutual inductance between them) the total inductance is
a. 4 henries
b. 3 henries
c. 36 henries
d. 18 henries
Here is a formula...
20. The formula for the reactance of an inductor is: (in the form that
can be handled by newsgroup text)
a. 2pi/fL
b. 1/2Pi*fL
c. 1/2*fL
d. 2Pi*fL/2
a couple more formulae, then back to some "cyphering"
22. What is the total resistance of one 10 ohm resistor and two 20 ohm
resistors all connected in series
a. 50 ohms
b. 5 ohms
c. 30 ohms
d. 45 ohms
Okay, we move on to Vacuum tube questions. I'll not go too much into
these, as I suspect most of us would agree that vacuum tubes aren't
terribly relevant to getting a license these days...
28, The maximum safe heat radiation capability of the plate of a tube is
indicated by the following rating:
a. transconductance expressed in mhos
b. maximum plate dissapation expressed in watts
c. plate resistance expressed in ohms
d. grid bias expressed in volts
okay - now we get to one of the dreaded "schematics"
30. Draw a schematic diagram of a pentode audio power amplifier stage
with an output coupling transformer and load resistor, showing suitable
instruments connected in the secondary for measurement of the audio
frequency voltage and current; and name each component part.
analysis he
Most of the components are named for us. The output transformer with a
load resistor and a voltmeter and ammeter are no-brainers. Various
things like the screen, grid, and cathode resistors are known even to
a tube neophyte as myself. In truth, I didn't think of the bypass caps.
I suppose I would have gotten this one wrong. But I suspect if I was
taking the test in those days, I would have had more exposure to hollow
state technology. Certainly I would get that one now if I were to take
it a second time.
I don't feel like typing much more. Hopefully I've made my point.
And if anyone missed it, my point is that the tests given in the so
called "golden age" of Amateur radio were definitely NOT harder than the
tests administered today. Of course those rascals from Coleco could have
just been pulling our legs, making a booklet that was not relevent to
the tests as they really were at that time. Kinda doubt that though.
So what really happened? My guess is that they only *seemed* harder
to those who took them - at the time they took them. A lot of people are
not very experienced when they are starting out - otherwise they
wouldn't be starting out. Those tests might just seem plenty difficult
to a real newbie.
So the newbie passes the test. Newbie learns a lot over the years,
and eventually becomes an old timer. As an old timer, the ex newbie
forgets that so much of their learning took place between those first
tests, and what he/she eventually ended up with as a knowledge base. So
the old time starts to think that all hams should be tested according to
the old timer's knowledge level.
Or than again, maybe they just want to bitch.
(Sorry all, for the reasoned response - I realize that it doesn't belong
in this group - heheh.
- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -