[Dxbase] Memory Lane

[dan hinz]

My buddies mom drove us to Baltimore in March of 1974 (Just 16 & parents didn't want us driving by ourselves)  I remember hearing the 20wpm test before they plugged in the headphones, "...I'm nearly solid at 18wpm, that has to be at least 200..."  Fortuantely 13 sounded like 10.  We both passed our tests.  I remember the woman "drill sergeant" being unimpressed that we both only missed a few questions each.  She offered up the advanced test, so we tried.  Neither passed, but we were on cloud nine.  
 
A year later, my parents let me drive the 100 miles back on my own to take the Advanced test in earnest.  I asked my mom to write an excuse for the principal.  "Dan wasn't at school because he had butterflies in his stomach"  I asked for a more "solid" excuse, but mom refused to lie.
  
The vice principal asked why I had butterflies and I said I was in Baltimore taking a radio licensing exam.  He asked if I passed and I said "yes sir".  "Great" was the reply and he gave me an excused absence instead of a detention... 
 
I took the Extra exam three times before finally passing just before the 20WPM code went away.  I missed a total of two test questions on the three attempts, too bad I couldn't have traded some of those correct answers for some more solid CW copy...
 
73, Dan W6LSN
 
 
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 05:21:38 -0600
From: "FireBrick" <w9ol at billnjudy.com>
Subject: Re: [Dxbase] RE: memory lane
To: <Dxbase at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID: <025801c6297d$2de6d070$6501a8c0 at HS2>

vaguely I remember something about a Colpitts Oscillator????
I'm going to have to research as I can't even remember what that is??? lol

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George Harlem W1EBI" <w1ebi at lightband.com>
To: <Dxbase at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 10:56 PM
Subject: [Dxbase] RE: memory lane

> OK, train to Philadelphia in '56 with my mom.  I had no trouble with 13
> WPM at age 13, but I think I had to draw a schematic...
> 
> George W1EBI
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dxbase-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:dxbase-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jim Dawson
> Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 10:49 PM
> To: Dxbase at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Dxbase] (no subject)
> 
> Wow, the memories this thread brings back. I remember riding the bus
> to downtown St. Louis, them watching the guy try to find 65 correct
> letters
> in a row in my chicken scratching, fortunately he did find them.
> 
> Jim - K9DD
>