Dear Neighbor: I too took all of the tests, including commercial, at
FCC Detroit. I too remember one fellow who failed the sending test. I
also remember at least one question on transistors where none of the
provided "answers" were correct! One just had to get into the mind of
the person who wrote the exam and guess what that person was thinking.

I sure remember the pass requirement being 20 times 5 characters (100)
correct in a row (with punctuation and numbers counting as two
characters). The paper you wrote down the code on was collected
immediately after the code stopped.

Perhaps others have a different recollection.
73 Mac N8TT

--
J. Mc Laughlin - Michigan USA
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"Roger Halstead" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 22:25:04 -0400, "J. McLaughlin"
wrote:

Dear Neighbor Roger:
It has been one minute of perfect copy (out of five) since at
least
the early 50s. That was the only receiving standard. One also had
to
demonstrate that one could send CW - you were allowed to bring your
own
key.

Well, my memory ain't what it used to be and that was a long time
back, but I'll swear it was a total of 2 minutes when I took the
Novice, General, and Extra...but I do remember being able to bring
your own key down to Detroit.

Sending may sound simple, but trying to do so when really nervous was
a true challenge. LOL I remember one guy at out session who failed
on the transmitt...although it "seems like" they let him redo the
sending test. which wasn't typical. It seems like I remember a couple
of dropped keys too.

I do remember that "for me" the Advanced was the easiest and took
about 10 minutes. The Extra took about 15 to 20 minutes. BUT I worked
in the field and knew the stuff forward and backwards by then. I
hasten to add that it didn't cover a lot of the stuff now covered. It
had about two questions on any phase of Amateur Radio...Now I'd think
it would be impossible to get one question on every phase.

73

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)