[Elecraft] New Mystery: Copying groups vs plain language text (Rather OT)

[donovanf at starpower.net]

When I was 16 years old I was offered an engineering job at our local 
TV station -- the NBC outlet in Providence RI -- after I graduated from 
high school. But they said I had to have a First Class Radiotelephone to 
qualify for the job. 


No worries I said and I went to work studying. But since I'd have to 
make the long trip to Boston I decided to take all of these tests in one sitting: 
- third class radiotelephone 
- second class radiotelephone 
- first class radiotelephone 
- third class radiotelegraph 
- second class radiotelegraph 
- radar endorsement 
- Amateur Extra 


Several months later I was ready and off I went to Boston. The FCC office 
had a receptionist "gatekeeper" so I requested the seven license 
examinations I wanted to take (there were no fees in those days). She 
smiled at me like I was some smart alec kid trying to prank her. She 
demanded that I be serious, so I repeated my list,.. She excused herself and 
brought out the FCC Engineer-in-Charge to challenge me. I recited my 
requests to him. He -- reluctantly -- agreed and he said "well lets start with 
the Amateur Extra code test." I smiled and off I went to be tested at 
20 WPM, with many of the Boston FCC office workers including the 
receptionist and the Engineer-in-Charge watching over my shoulder. 


To make a long story short, three hours later I left the office having qualified 
for all seven licenses. The FCC Engineer-in-Charge shook my hand as I left 
with a big smile on his face. 


I started at WJAR-TV immediately after high school graduation and worked 
there full time during the summers and part time during the rest of the year 
for nearly four years while studying for my EE at W1KMV (err... the 
University of Rhode Island). 


73 
Frank 
W3LPL 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Phil Kane" <k2asp at kanafi.org> 
To: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Friday, May 1, 2020 10:23:23 PM 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] New Mystery: Copying groups vs plain language text (Rather OT) 

On 5/1/2020 11:14 AM, Dave Sublette wrote: 

> February 1, 1963 I sat for my Extra with the District Engineer himself 
> in the Federal Building, downtown San Francisco. I never did know his 
> name and I cannot read his signature on the certificate on the wall 
> behind me. 

That was Ney R. Landry, W6UDU, later K6RI. Ney was my first boss at the 
agency, and was a real Louisiana Gentleman who went out of his way to 
help people unless they tried to cross him. The one thing that he did 
not tolerate was dishonesty. He started with the FCC after pre-WW-II 
Navy service as a radioman. He served in the FCC's Radio Intelligence 
Division in San Francisco during WW-II, and then was assigned as the 
Resident Engineer in San Diego until 1956 when he was reassigned to San 
Francisco as the Assistant Engineer in Charge. He became Engineer in 
Charge in 1964 and was promoted as the first Regional Director in 1976. 
He retired in 1980 after 40+ years with the FCC and passed away in 2012 
at the age of 95, still living with Mary in that little cottage in San 
Leandro. His outside passion was golf and he never missed a Saturday 
except for the one when his son got married. He taught me an awful lot, 
for which I will always be grateful. 

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane 
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