So 1 of the other questions required knowledge of a few different points
of knowledge to get right. "You have a linear which uses B+ of 800V.
For use with SSB, what is the max current your ampmeter on the finals will


show?"



You had to know
1) The FCC dictated input "plate" power for power limits for hams,



And that the amateur rules of the time dictated that hams measure
plate/collector power input, not transmitter output.



2) What the power limit was for SSB,



And the band in use



3) and how to factor in PEP averaging.





And





4) how to calculate plate power.



Yup - all in *one* little multiple choice question!

Maybe it could be rewritten and made part of the question pool. Updating
it as needed.

And what did you think of the written tests then?

With the multi-point knowledge some of them required, actually quite good.
And this was pre-Bash.....

In article , "Jim Hampton"
writes:

"N2EY" wrote in message
...

Those of us who took exams by mail were looking for the "thin envelope"
(all that was inside was the license) and dreading the "thick envelope"
(it had a letter telling you that you failed, plus retest instructions and a
Form 610).

73 de Jim, N2EY

Jim,

Back when I obtained my licenses, I had an interesting experience. I had
gone to Buffalo (FCC field office) for my 2nd phone during college in
1965-66. Then I obtained my extra and 2nd telegraph plus radar endorsement
(same office, different day). I then went for my 1st phone in the summer of
1966 (after the other trips).

DANG!

A few days later, I received a letter from
the Buffalo office! Man, was I worried. I opened it up and it began "Dear
Jim, it seems you left your red sweater. Shall we send it or will you call
for it?". The sweater had no identification. I had been in and out of that
office so many times that they knew me LOL.

HAW!! They knew you by first name!

I worked for WROC-TV that
summer under the 2nd and then the 1st class license and returned to WWHG in
Hornell, NY for a stint as chief engineer until I joined the Navy in early
1967. That little envelope gave me a fit until I opened it up LOL.

I can understand why! Back then *anything* from FCC got the pulse racing and
the BP up. Remember how the envelope had a warning about being for "official
use only"?

Still gives me a bit of goosebumps when my renewed license comes in the mail.

HEY - get THIS!

Just before writing this post, I opened up an innocent-looking letter - from
FCC! Took a second to realize it was from "First Choice Corporation", offering
me yet another mortgage refi deal......

73 es tnx for a great story de Jim, N2EY

In article , Robert Casey
writes:

So 1 of the other questions required knowledge of a few different points
of knowledge to get right. "You have a linear which uses B+ of 800V.
For use with SSB, what is the max current your ampmeter on the finals will
show?"

You had to know
1) The FCC dictated input "plate" power for power limits for hams,

And that the amateur rules of the time dictated that hams measure
plate/collector power input, not transmitter output.

2) What the power limit was for SSB,

And the band in use

3) and how to factor in PEP averaging.

And

4) how to calculate plate power.

Yup - all in *one* little multiple choice question!

Maybe it could be rewritten and made part of the question pool. Updating
it as needed.

Anyone can submit questions to the QPC. Might be worth a go.

And what did you think of the written tests then?

With the multi-point knowledge some of them required, actually quite good.
And this was pre-Bash.....

I agree. But we're not going back to secret tests, so we need the next-best
thing.

73 de Jim, N2EY