From: Al Klein on Wed, Aug 9 2006 9:24 pm
Groups: rec.radio.amateur.antenna, rec.radio.amateur.policy,
rec.radio.scanner, rec.radio.swap


On 9 Aug 2006 19:14:54 -0700, wrote:

You couldn't be more wrong. If there were practical exams for SSB, FM,
AM, FSTV, SSTV, RTTY (which is pretty darned old), packet, PSK, etc,
then it would be CRYSTAL clear that a Morse Code exam is valid.
However, there are no such practical exams for the other modes. So
there need be no exam for Morse Code, either.

That's my point - there's no test any longer. For anything more than
the ability to memorize answers.

1. The FCC does NOT generate the questions on any amateur
radio license test. The VEC Question Pool Committee does.
By LAW the VEC QPC is composed of radio amateurs.

2. The FCC does NOT mandate the maximum number of questions
on any amateur radio license exam written test. The FCC
specifies only the MINIMUM number of questions. The VEC
QPC can generate as many questions as it cares to.

3. At some point a LARGE number of questions could defeat
even the most eidetic of humans, thereby destroying your
rant of "it isn't a real test because all can memorize
the questions-answers."


So all ham radio is is Morse Code on HF? Or is it more than that?

It's a lot more. The question isn't what ham radio is, it's whether
one should be required to pass a realistic test to get a license.

"Realistic test" = Collitch-level BS to make one a 1930's
radio expert? :-)

Define "realistic test" remembering that ALL the VEs are
also VOLUNTEER radio amateurs.


I don't remember after almost 50 years - but I could still draw them
today, and it's not a test of remembering what's on the test, it's a
test of knowing what's in a radio.

Then advocate passing the current exam at every license renewal.

What current exam? Memorizing answers and writing them down isn't a
test.

Oh, my, are you taking on the ENTIRE Academic Community now?

Last college-level course test I had required MEMORIZING
and WRITING THEM DOWN! Damn, all that work leading up to
it and it wasn't a "real" test!


You'd probably be weeded out pretty quickly.

I doubt it - if I couldn't pass an Extra theory exam - a real one, not
the nonsense that passes for one these days - I'd lose my job in a
second.

[getting Donald Trump wig] "You're fired!" :-)

So, Al, what did you get for a license? A BS-HAM?

Define "real test," show your work.

What if you addressed what I said when you answer me? Your dishonest
tactics are transparent.

WHAT "dishonest tactics," olde-tymer?

You've gotten rather self-righteous about "real" without giving
any real answers as to what defines "real."

You got stomped on, par for the newsgroup course. If you don't
like disagreements over your disagreeability, try another venue.


Quit putting words in my mouth. I wasn't complaining to anyone, and
we weren't discussing remembering 50 year old tests.

You WERE COMPLAINING...all about "today's tests are not 'real'".

Self-righteousness is readily transparent...


But if a practical exam is necessary for Morse Code, why isn't it
necessary for other modes?

Maybe we should have one - show the ability to put a clean PSK signal
on the air. Show the ability to interpret a waterfall display. Show
the ability to tell the difference between various digital modes. The
bands would be pretty QRM-free.

You did NOT answer Brian's question.

Does self-righteousness negate having to answer questions?


So you're in favor of exams that test knowledge of theory? "Draw the
schematic of ..."? "Explain why long path 2400 bps is impossible on
14 MHz"? That kind of relevance?

Or the "pick the answer with the resistor like we showed you in the
example" kind of relevance?

Now you are putting words in Brian's mouth. Tsk, tsk.

Explain how the VEs will love and embrace your collitch-level
AMATEUR radio license exam, needing hours per test applicant.

In case you hadn't been up to speed, the FCC does NOT normally
do any testing of either Commercial or amateur radio licenses.
That's been privatized.

If you wish to change AWAY from privatized testing, you have
ready access to the Proposal method with the FCC. They explain
the whole process.


All you
have to do now is memorize a few answers.

That's all you had to do then.

How do you draw a schematic and explain the functions of parts by
memorizing answers? You can't explain phase shift by memorizing "10k"
or "coil".

Gosh, olde-tymer, did the ham exams of a half century ago get
into vectors and phases? I had none of that in my First 'Phone
exam. I missed a collitch-final kind of exam? :-)


I used radios in the military. I never used a CW key in the military.
I never jammed another operator, although Brandywine asked me to reduce
power once.

But you had to learn how to use the radios.

I did?

They just gave you a radio and said "use it"?

Soldiers and Airmen weren't "given" radios. They were ISSUED them.
A half century ago you had damn well take CARE of them or you HAD
to pay for them! By the way, the FCC does NOT regulate federal
government radio use...the NTIA does that, for both federal folks
and military personnel use.

I can give you a brief summation of the "instruction" in using
an AN/PRC-6 HT: About 10 minutes, word of mouth and hands-on
"training." A VHF radio transceiver, it wasn't designed for
AMATEUR radio activities. It couldn't be...didn't have any
place to plug in a code key. :-)

I can easily remember the "training" on lots of other real radios
in the military plus a few more as a civilian working on DoD
contract projects. The AN/PRC-119 took a lot longer, especially
for the Hopset entry. [I had to learn it from its big TM] You
familiar with the PRC-119? A quarter-million of them have been
built. All the military branches have them.


When I was licensed you had to show an understanding of theory, by
answering questions that were more than just multiple choice from a
published answer pool.

Sunnuvagun! In 1956 one of the four parts I successfully
completed was MULTIPLE-CHOICE! How about that? :-)

But that was at an FCC Field Office. 80 miles away in Chicago.
No "conditionals" for Commercials then, senior. "Privatized
testing" would be a laughable subject in '56. :-)



I've listened to emergency responders on a scanner before. They don't
use Morse Code, they don't use CW. They use FM/Voice. Somehow they
are effective at it, not having taken a Morse Code test. How can this
be?

They were trained.

Not in Morse Code.

You must be sitting on oil. Can't you stick to a topic long enough to
be coherent? You were discussing how someone can be efficient at
voice commo, not in Morse.

I have no problem with understanding Brian...and I HAVE been
around radio communication for a rather long time. Try asking
me about "efficiency" or "throughput" on any mode, any radio
service.

Can you explain where all the other radio services got their
"training" in radio use? If any at all, that is. You can't
find any other radio service users who get NO "training"
whatsoever nor need anything but an equipment license to use
it? [I'm not talking about CB]


If you must retain a Morse Code Exam, then you must
also administer practical exams for SSB, FM, AM, FSTV, SSTV, RTTY
(which is pretty darned old), packet, PSK, etc.

I have no problem with that.

I daresay a whole bunch of VEs would argue with you after
spending HOURS separately with each test applicant for
one of those "realistic test" ideas of yours.


I'm advocating real testing for whatever mode. Right now the only
test is "do you have the fee, can you get to the testing place, and
have you memorized enough answers to pass". Let's have a test that
shows whether the testee knows anything. CW, APRS, AX25, PSK - all of
it. Or separate the licenses. You want to operate FM, you take a
test on FM and, if you pass, you get an FM license. Want to operate
SSB, you take a different test.

Not "want to get on the air? memorize some answers and pay your fee".

Tsk, tsk. Plan out a "real test" and then get an estimation
of the TIME it would take for each VE and each license
applicant. Remember that US amateur radio licensing is now
an ALL-VOLUNTEER process. Just WHO are you expecting to PAY
for all the equipment necessary to do your "real testing" on
ALL modes now allocated to US radio amateurs? Government?
VEs? Who will be responsible for their maintenance?

[this group has ALREADY beaten that subject to death in here]

You will have to Petition the FCC for a drastic change in
the number of "endorsements" to the various parts and classes.
You will have to get in touch with the VEC QPC to change the
number of written test questions.

I don't think you will do anything, just sit in here and blow
off steam like the usual self-righteous Olde-Tymer. Geez.

US amateur radio is "working DX on HF with CW." Know CW and
you don't need any theory or other BS. Ipso facto. [or
something fancy in Latin to show 'book-larnen'...:-) ]