[Elecraft] OT: The Colpitts mystery

[Edward R Cole]

I guess a lot of us took the Commercial Radiotelephone License.

I got my Novice and Technician License by my mentor.  That was the 
General Class written exam back then.  Tried several times to pass my 
General CW test at the Detroit FCC office (we lived 70-miles away so 
not qualified for a Conditional).  By 1962 I was an EE student in 
college with no time for upgrading (or any ham radio).

In 1971 I was laid off from Hughes Aircraft along with thousands of 
other engineers so my job prospects were bleak.  I decided to take my 
2nd Class license to qualify for work for radio or TV broadcast.  The 
theory exam was twice as tough as the Extra in my opinion.

In 1982, I found a job working in marine electronics so pricked up 
the Radar Endorsement.  I also passed my Advanced in 1982 at the 
Anchorage FCC.  CW test had been downgraded to a multiple question 
exam about plain language text message vs the five mixed character 
groups back in Detroit.  Yeah those Detroit FCC guys could have 
passed as FBI guys.

In 1983 my 2nd class finally netted me a job as engineer for KYUK-TV 
in Bethel, AK (I flew out to into the bush to repair the TV 
translator network).

Wasn't until 2000 did I pass the Extra (downgraded to 13wpm).  Missed 
two questions on the written exam (because I knew more than the test 
designers and many of the answers were incorrect).

73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
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