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July 8th 04, 02:43 PM

"No Spam " No wrote in message news:ifgU75G3LLdo-pn2-9xjQwCynTYJD@localhost...
On Wed, 7 Jul 2004 20:35:05 UTC, (Michael
Black) wrote:

When did Incentive Licensing take effect?

1967: Advanced reopened, 2 year Novice
Nov. 22, 1968: First reduction in bandspace (CW/data and 'phone) for
Generals and Advanceds
Nov. 22, 1969: Second reduction in bandspace (phone only)for Generals
and Advanceds.

Note that in those days the 30, 17 and 12 meter ham bands did not
exist, and that the 'phone parts of 80, 40, 20 and 15 were narrower
than today. Originally the Extra-only CW/data subbands were supposed
to be 50 kHz in the second reduction but this was eliminated by FCC
shortly before it was supposed to have taken effect.

I thought I took the
advanced about 1965 but maybe not. Maybe it was later.

1967 wasn't that much later.

I "thought" Wayne Green in the early 60's predictied the collapse
of the U.S. electronics industry, which was invincible at that time.
Given the outcome, and not to take anything away from Ten Tec and
Elecraft, Drake if they're still in business, but the U.S.
Electronics industry, at least in the HF RF side, has died off.

Consumer stuff anyway.

I was in high school in the early 1960's. While the Japanese made
a few small in-roads in consumer electronics, the U.S. owned Ham
Radio. The U.S. stuff was QUALITY.

I still remember the excitement of the HRO-500, the SBE-33, and
seeing the pictures of the FPM-200 in the magazines.

Yep - but in reality they were not as good as expected. The FPM-200
never made it to market, IIRC.

The proprietor of the local radio shop said that the S-Lines and
KWM-2s were going to Vietnam so a lot of guys were going for Drake,
"the DX-er's like Drake."

Recently, I've heard two stories from that era, one is that at the
end of the war, they stacked up KWM-2's and R-390As, and ran tanks
over them.

The other story is that there are cache's in Vietnam with
KWM-2s wrapped in plastic and buried.

I don't know if either story is true.

I don't either but I know the following story *is* true: Pallets of
used R-390As were stacked ~10 feet high and left out in the weather at
a supply location. I saw the picture and it was claimed to be genuine.
These were units that needed work but were mostly complete. The stack
was at least 25 x 25 feet, and the picture didn't include the whole
pile. Even as parts units, their value to hams is staggering.

Dunno if there were any Helena Rubenstein '390As in there....

I got my novice license at 15 and passed the general at 16. Two
other guys and I took the bus down the the FCC because none of us
had a driver's license. We all passed. I still remember the
snippits of the code, it was a ship talking to the harbor. One
minute solid out of five, 13 consecutive words. That was the rule.
I don't get this new style exam.

I got the Novice at 13 (1967), Tech and Advanced at 14 (1968), Extra
at 16 (1970). That was back when you had to wait two years as a
General or above for the Extra.

Someone help me remember. Didn't the FCC give out Techs as a
consolation prize if you only got five words in sequence?

Yes.

After 1954 the Tech was a by-mail license, like the Novice. But if you
showed up at the FCC office and missed 13 per, but they could find
five legible words, you could do the Tech/General written and get a
Technician. Then you'd only have to come back for the 13 wpm code.
Saved a little FCC time and paperwork, I think. Also made it easier
for the ham because you could focus entirely on the code test.

I know 'cause that's what happened to me first time. Examiner couldn't
read my writing well enough to find 65 consecutive legible characters
but he did find 25. I got a Tech, went home and taught myself to block
print rather than the stupid "Palmer method" longhand script, and
passed it after the 30 day retest wait was up.

After I did, the examiner said "Kid, why not try the Advanced while
you're here?" Though I had not studied for it, a 14 year old kid did
not say no to The Man, so I tried and passed.

Or was it, if you failed the 13, they gave you a shot at a 5 WPM
tape and then let you take the general written. Or did people show
up and ask to take the Tech?

Normally Tech was by-mail.

Good times.

73 de Jim, N2EY

July 9th 04, 05:46 AM

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 12:43:22 UTC, (N2EY) wrote:

Good times.

These times too. This is not a boat anchor story but my old clock
radio was getting hard to set. I did fix it once but I recall I
paid $10-$15 for it, a while ago, 20 years maybe.

Big spender that I am, I was in "Big Lots" and saw a GE AM/FM/CD
clock radio, model 7-4901. $29.95. This is a great clock radio.

It comes with the time preset and backed up by 2 AA cells. One
slide switch sets the time zone, a button toggles day light savings
time on and off. Two of the biggest headaches of digital clocks
solved. If you have to set the clock, there is a forward and
BACKWARDS time set button. You don't have to go all the way around.

Two side firing speakers. I'm not an audio nutcase. I know that
monster wire is a scam and toob audio loonies are nuts. The sound
is GOOD.

Half my boat anchors are solid state, SB-303, Signal/One CX7A, and
half are tubes, 75S-1, SB-102. Give me better than 1 uV sensitivity
and 2.1 kHz filter and 1 kHz read out and I'm happy.

de ah6gi/4

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