[AMRadio] Extra Class License

[Barrie Smith]

Jim:

This an almost carbon copy of my situation!

When I first took the Extra in the early 1950s, it was all essay questions 
and freehand schematic drawings.  And, of course, the CW.  (I thought it was 
21 words per minute?)

I lost my ticket due to work and family, but started crawling back up the 
ladder in the 1980s.  I took the Extra about ten years ago and thought most 
of the questions were strange, to say the least.

I made arrangements with the local club to take the Extra test on a certain 
date and told myself that I'd study intensly for two weeks before the test.

Two weeks before the test my mother died.  I was taking care of things 200 
miles away from home for most of the two week period.  I'd made the 
arrangements to take the test, so I did.

I took the test and passed, without studying!  Granted, I didn't get the 
score I would have liked, but 85% was passing.

73, Barrie, W7ALW


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Tonne" <tonne at comcast.net>
To: "Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service" 
<amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2009 1:20 PM
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Extra Class License


> Regarding the Extra exam, I found it more of an
> IQ test than a meaningful ham radio test.  Some
> of the questions were of dubious value in my
> opinion in determining how well versed you were
> about amateur radio.
>
> I got my first Extra in 1953 when the questions
> seems to be meaningful and I had to copy 20 WPM
> of code groups.  Then I did an incredibly stupid
> thing:  I let it run out.  The second time around was
> perhaps 10 years or so ago and it was at that time
> that the test seemed so weird to me.
>
> - Jim   W4ENE
>
>
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