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Old March 28th 07, 08:44 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated
AF6AY AF6AY is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Mar 2007
Posts: 229
Default Upgrade to Extra using 2001 License Manual?

On Mar 28, 9:16�am, wrote:
On Mar 28, 9:56 am, Michael Coslo wrote:


* * * * I believe that the questions that might have been different between
than and now ..........


If you understand the material, the specifics of the question pool are
immaterial.


Having taken all three written elements just a month ago, I have
to disagree slightly. The amateur extra element (prepared by
the ARRL VEC) had a number of "distracting" questions and
correct answers that required some careful study, both before
and during the test. I have nothing against that, having seen
that thing in many different similar-format written tests before
but the theory material by itself may not be enough.

I never saved any QPC pools in the past so I can't compare
old versus new. While questions on radio theory were (few)
straightforward, I had to review a number of detailed areas
concerning space operations and data/packet modes and
practices to feel fully confident before taking the tests.

Regulations have changed slightly since a decade ago (from
my 1995 five-volume Title 47 set concerning Part 97) but
those must, in my opinion, be memorized beforehand. In
actual practice there are many versions of bandplans in the
form of charts (I like Icom's nicely-colored ones) to use
when operating. Actual numbers as used in the tests need
memorization to pass them correctly.

73, Len AF6AY