[CW] FCC degrades Radio Officers

[David J. Ring, Jr.]

Here is an interesting story.  I believe this man qualified for his T1
license on a ship with no functioning commercial radio equipment.  If not,
it is highly unlikely that he was employed for 365 days as a
radiotelegrapher at a shore or ship station licensed for radiotelegraphy.

Look at the dates of his licenses.

I wonder if people who didn't get paid for a first class license can now sue
the FCC for discrimination?

This is very insulting to those of us who actually did work and earn this
license.

T3 License:
http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=2433253

T2 License:
http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=2465010

T1 License:
http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=2566933

The following information is verbatum from the April 2003 and January 2004
issue of "The Oscillator" which is published by The Associated Radio
Amateurs of Long Beach, Inc. - which is the club that runs the W6RO station
from the former British ship "Queen Mary"/GBTT.  He wouldn't need USA time,
but he certainly would have to be employed for 365 days at a commercial
station using radiotelegraphy.

I wonder who signed his license for this period of service?

First Class Radio Telegraph License Thomas Woolley, K6BYK/T200000027

Here is a story of passion and suspense. In following his dreams, one radio
operator is engaged in a race against time. Thomas Woolley, K6BYK, is hoping
to obtain a First Class Radiotelegraph license this year. There has been
only one First Class Radiotelegraph license issued since 1994. He has just a
few requirements left to complete, but it has become nearly impossible to
fulfill these, and the FCC may soon cease issuing the license. The story
began many years ago, and its conclusion hangs in the balance. He is
studying for the final FCC Commercial Radio Exams: the GMDSS-DM, the
GMDSS-DO, and the Radio Telegraph First Class Commercial, also known as the
T1. He holds a T2 Certificate and is licensed as a Second Class Commercial
Radio Telegraph Operator. Additionally, he is licensed as a NARTE First
Class RadioTelephone Operator. Let's start at the beginning of this tale.
Thomas became a ham operator in 1969, at age 13, when he was a high school
student in Whittier. He earned a Novice license with the call sign WN6BYK
and upgraded to General in 1971, changing his call to WB6BYK. He progressed
to Advanced in 1973, and finally his Extra in the 1980's. At that time, the
CW exam was a mandatory 20 WPM with one minute solid copy, and no
multiple-choice questions. For many years his main interest was in QRP work.
His first rig was a QRP station that he built from parts. One of his
crowning achievements was exchanging a QSO with an operator in Japan on the
40M band with just one watt. The QSO was in CW using an inverted V antenna
on his HeathKit HW7, a triband QRP transceiver Thomas harbored an interest
in commercial radio even back in high school, but this interest lay dormant
for many years, as adult responsibilities imposed their requirements,
squeezing out time for radio activities. So for many years, amateur radio
and commercial radio were way down on the agenda of Thomas Woolley. Thomas's
career took him to AT&T where he became a Senior Products and Projects
Manager for OEM projects and wireless. During those five years he traveled
extensively. Eventually he tired of the travel and glamour, and he decided
that he would rather settle down in one location. Seattle, Washington, was
that location; he lived in the shadow of the Space Needle for several years
until events conspired to change his life in directions that he had never
imagined. In April, 2002, Thomas' father died, and Thomas returned to
Whittier to help with the family affairs and particularly to help out his
mother. He moved into the family home of the previous half century, the same
home where he had grown up, and he looked for some employment close by. When
a position was offered at Pryme, just a few minutes from his house, he
accepted the job and settled into a new routine. Being at Pryme, he worked
with amateur radio equipment and radio amateurs. He met Tom Gibbons, W9EYB,
who invited him down to the Queen Mary to see the Wireless Room. "My mouth
hit the floor when I saw W6RO," says Thomas. When Thomas began operating on
the Queen Mary, all the dormant interests rushed to the forefront of his
consciousness. He saw how all the technical studies and all the historical
aspects of radio communications fit together. He saw an activity in which he
could comb ine history, radio communications, theater, and education. Thomas
' Goal Thomas' goal is to be fully licensed and legally qualified to take
full command of all the communications on a ship at sea, to wear three
stripes, to report directly to the Captain of the ship. "I want to know in
my heart that when I step aboard the Queen Mary, that I have the credentials
and am prepared, just as if it were ready to set sail. It is a feeling of
personal pride that goes very deep and parallels my love for Senior Radio
Officer John Philips and Junior Officer Harold Bride who were the radio
operators aboard the Titanic. I feel akin to these two officers." In order
to qualify to be a Senior or First Radio Officer aboard a passenger ship, he
must attain a First Class Radiotelegraph license and a GMDSS-DO and DM
endorsed with radar. As is probably understood by any radio amateur, each of
these licenses is the culmination of a progression of lesser licenses. This
process cannot be rushed. The List of Licenses Radiotelegraph licenses begin
with Third Class and progress through Second to First Class. The Third Class
Radiotelegraph license allows one to operate a commercial radio station
while on a ship at sea. The holder cannot repair equipment at sea. The
applicant fo r the Third Class Radiotelegraph license must pass a 16 WPM CW
exam. The applicant for this license must learn about 100 Q signals. The
Second Class Radiotelegraph license allows the holder to repair HF equipment
while at sea. It includes a 20 WPM CW requirement. On a ship, the holder of
this license reports to the First Class Radiotelegraph officer. The First
Class Radiotelegraph license is held by the Communications Officer and
reports directly to the Captain. These days we need more than just HF
equipment and CW while at sea. A major navigation advancement of recent
years is the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, or GMDSS. The GMDSS
operates four satellites that monitor the Earth. All ships at sea must have
GMDSS computerized transceivers on board, and all ships can be tracked this
way. The U. S. Coast Guard monitors the ships at sea. Both the FCC and the
U. S. Coast Guard have specific licensing and training requirements for
GMDSS operation. GMDSS-DO is an operator's license. With this license the
operator can receive telex. The license test pool includes over 900
questions. GMDSS-DM is a license endorsed with radar. There also is a
GMDSS-DB, a rarer license, which combines the DO and DM licenses. One can
attain this only by passing the exams for both licenses in one day. Beyond
the GMDSS there are six-month service endorsements for First Class if the
holder has been working out at sea for six months. Thomas' License
Progression Thomas held a Second Class Radiotelephone license (P21133907) in
the 1980's. This license has since become a General Radio Operators License
(GROL), which allows one to repair equipment that comes off a ship and to
sign off on it. The GROL is a lifetime license, and his Second Class
Radiotelephone license became GROL PG1133652. Thomas had received his radar
endorsement when he obtained his Second Class Radiotelegraph license. After
seeing the Wireless Room on the Queen Mary, Thomas set his course. He
obtained his Third Class Radiotelegraph license in July 2002. He was able to
waive the 16 WPM CW exam because his Amateur Extra license was dated during
the years when there was a 20 WPM requirement. The First Class
Radiotelegraph license presents several challenges. For this license he must
work on a ship or at a coast station (a radio station on land) for one year.
 The ship seems like an impossibility, and unfortunately, there are only two
qualified coast stations left in existence. One is in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana; the other is at Half Moon Bay, 30 miles south of San Francisco.
Thomas is hoping that the SS Lane Victory will be accepted as a ship by the
FCC. One other possibility is even closer to home. If the FCC would accept
the Queen Mary as a ship, he would be able to complete his one year of
service in the Wireless Room. Timing is another problem. He cannot submit
his First Class Radiotelegraph license application until he has held his
Third Class license at least one year, which will be July 2003. By then the
FCC may discontinue the First Class Radiotelegraph license! Will he get his
license? Will the FCC allow the Queen Mary to qualify as a ship for this
purpose? Will Thomas Woolley hold the last First Class Radiotelegraph
license? Hard work and willpower may make this dream come true.

Update on Thomas Woolley, K6BYK / T100000003 Thomas Woolley, K6BYK, has
attained his First Class Radiotelegraph license. He now can wear three
stripes on his coat sleeve. (See the April 2003 issue of The Oscillator for
background information.) This long sought license means that Mr. Woolley can
report directly to the captain of any U. S. passenger ship without having to
report to any officer in between. He can sit at the Captain's table at
dinner aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney, or Royal Carribean cruises.
"Pretty cool, I should say!" says Thomas.

73

David Ring, N1EA