I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.

Phil - N4GWV

Phil wrote in
:
That should have read:

I am NOT bringing this up as a troll.

(good thing I don't get paid for typing...


I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.

Phil - N4GWV

"Phil" wrote in message
...
I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.

The NCVEC (National Councel of Volunteer Exam Coordinators) sets the fee and
I believe it has to be approved by the FCC although I'm not 100% sure on the
latter. While a VE team may charge less, it cannot charge more.

Our area here around Detroit, MI also charges $12 fee.

If you feel it is too much, contact one of the VECs and find out how they
determined the $12 figure. You may find that it basically just covers
average expenses of all the paperwork and processing.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Phil wrote:
Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

It's $12 here, too...I just passed my General the other night, and
that's the going rate. I look at it this way: $12 isn't a heck of a lot
of money in this hobby (or anywhere else, these days), and a
license/upgrade test session is pretty cheap by comparison to what the
equipment can cost for even a modest station. Why put up a fuss about
it? Nobody's ever going to get rich from testing hams...

David - KC0EKV

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004, Phil wrote:
I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

ALL ARRL groups are (or should be) charging $12.00.

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

Groups under other VECs charge what their VEC tells them to. Their amount need
not be the same as the ARRL's.

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.

Phil - N4GWV

You're bringing this up because you're absolutely clueless. You have now been
educated, so go crawl back under your bridge.

it's $12 bux here in Tejas too...DFW area...Dave/WZ1S
I'm a VE and trust me...I/we don't see the spinola personally...it does
cover costs for supplies and that's it (barely).


"Phil" wrote in message
...
I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.

Phil - N4GWV

I agree that the fee just barely covers all the costs. Also keep in mind
that the FCC sets an upper limit on that fee to prevent abuse. The limit is
periodically reviewed and adjusted.


"Dave" wrote in message
...
it's $12 bux here in Tejas too...DFW area...Dave/WZ1S
I'm a VE and trust me...I/we don't see the spinola personally...it does
cover costs for supplies and that's it (barely).


"Phil" wrote in message
...
I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.

Phil - N4GWV

"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
...
I agree that the fee just barely covers all the costs. Also keep in mind
that the FCC sets an upper limit on that fee to prevent abuse. The limit
is
periodically reviewed and adjusted.



If one were to consider what "labor" costs are, even at minimum wage, it
isn't worth the thought when it comes to VE testing. A handful of examinees
couldn't possibly produce enough income for someone to be suspicious about -
someone "making" anything. As has been stated, you're not permitted to
charge over what the FCC has allowed. Given the VEC gets most of the fee,
there is little left. Out of that, is copying fees which range from 5 cents
per page to 25 cents per page if you're not able to get it done free. Add to
that the postage, and we're not even counting "man hours" for the team or
the VE Coordinator who does a final check to make sure all is ok before
submission. There is very little chance for "money" or let's call it a
"profit" as some seem to suggest - to be made. IF we did have any funds left
over, it went towards any supplies needed. Pens, pencils - since many forget
to bring them and usually walk off with them, paperclips, coffee for the
test sessions (to help calm the jitters) - whatever. And most of the time,
most of that was donated by one of us as well. This misconception that
someone is making a buck, cracks me up. That is a statement made by Wayne
Green years ago and that is exactly what got me to never read his magazine
again. If you're not involved, then you have no clue. As down in the numbers
as testing is today, you're lucky to clear enough to cover the copies and
postage. IF anything, it barely supports itself. The VEC who gets most of
the fees, are the ones "making" anything if you really want to see where the
cash is going. The FCC doesn't get any of it either, at least they're not
"supposed" to be according to the systems set up.

The ONLY testing where you're allowed to "make" money as a profit - is
Commercial testing. And I highly doubt there is much of that going on since
they've taken the bite out of the license anyway. Unless you plan to work
onboard a ship or aircraft, you don't really need one. I don't know many who
want to pay $35 or more for a license which means hardly anything. I'd love
to see the stats on recent licensing both amateur and commercial. I bet the
numbers are way down...... Even at the cost of doing commercial exams, you
have to do a room full to make a tickling of money in your hand. One or two,
or even a half dozen, just doesn't cut it.

Make a profit on exams? GET REAL. It's more a labor of love. There's no
"pay" there. I am/was the VE team leader for a few years. Had exams every
month. Walk-ins were accepted. When VE testing first started, we were
packed - then it died. We've stopped. Same for Commercial. It just isn't
worth it.
Yeah, I'm getting real rich off of this... NOT. As I said, it was a labor of
love. You couldn't pay me for all the hours I put into taking care of the
advertising, paper checking, printing exams (as the VEC only gives you one
copy of each), answer sheets (they give you a sample), signs, etc. ALL was
either donated or done out of pocket. Testing couldn't begin to reimburse
for those expenses. Then you got to print or buy more CSCEs. ALL of this
costs MONEY.
It isn't given to us. And the VEs who traveled no less than 5 miles one way
to come help with the exams - with the cost of gas now days - get paid
enough of out that money? OK, let's divide left over money after copies,
postage and such. 3 guys minimum.... gas at 37 cents a mile, an hour of
labor. What does that come to? $11.10 for gas. It just doesn't work. It
boils down to someone wants something for nothing - or pure jealousy. Afraid
someone else is making out. But I bet, those who bitch about the $12 would
be the last to want to take an hour of their time - FOR FREE to help others.
Nothing worth having is ever without a cost. Free lunches are a thing of the
past. I'm a born volunteer. I volunteer about 100 or more hours a month. Am
I bitching? NO. But it kicks me in the ass when others do - about those who
do, for which the whiners are getting help from. If you're not willing to do
the same, quit your bitching.
Be glad some one found it within them to offer you a service.

Lou

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004, Dee D. Flint wrote:
I agree that the fee just barely covers all the costs. Also keep in mind
that the FCC sets an upper limit on that fee to prevent abuse. The limit is
periodically reviewed and adjusted.

No, the FCC doesn't. The limit on the testing fee was REMOVED from the rules
back in 2000.

"Dave" wrote in message
...
it's $12 bux here in Tejas too...DFW area...Dave/WZ1S
I'm a VE and trust me...I/we don't see the spinola personally...it does
cover costs for supplies and that's it (barely).

"Phil" wrote in message
...
I hesitated to post to this group seeing how much bs there is in
here, but what the heck, they're only electrons...

Guys in our club are charging a VE testing of $12. This seems
like blatant opportunism to me. The FCC says VE's can charge
a fee to recover costs of examination and apparently later
removed any limit to the fees (unless I misread something.)

Is everyone charging comparible fees or is our group just a
bunch of grubbers?

I am bringing this up as a troll. I am considering disassociating
myself from the club if the practice is not altered and I am
truly concerned that this is not the right thing for us hams
to be doing.

Your opinion is appreciated.