Status update

[ke0me]

After weeks of nail biting, fretting and memorization it was time to take the test.

Took the Extra exam this morning, and passed.

And if any of you are VE's, thanks for your time, as the volunteers make it all possible.

Going out to dinner with wife to celebrate.

[NN5I]

Super! Welcome to the bottom 25 KHz.

[ke0me]

Thanks, looks like now I'll have to work on code speed, I'm woefully slow right now, but it should come back reasonably quick.

[accumack]

Congrats!

[NN5I]

Best way to work on it is simply by getting on the air and making QSOs.

After I failed the 20wpm test (at the Dallas FCC office) three or four times in 1980-1981, I put a TS-430S in my pickup and worked 15m CW going to work in the morning, and back home in the afternoon. My first mobile CW contact was Canary Islands. I stayed in the 15m Novice band and went slow, about 5wpm, I guess. I did that for six months, by which time my "5wpm" was about 20wpm. Then I took the test again, and passed. Barely.

Being mobile, I always had an excuse. "Please repeat name & QTH, I just got passed by a noisy truck". But really I just failed to copy.

Now I'm probably back to about 5 wpm again. Sigh.

[wa8yxm]

Welcome to the Extra Class.. I passed mine 10 years ago this fall. But hey, it's fun

You see, in the spring (10 years ago) I did the paper upgrade from Tech Plus to General, bought a nice new Transciver (TS-2000) and quickly found it had the ability to transmit on frequencies I was not licensed for. (Not saying I ever did that but you see, i'm a strange kind of Guy, I READ THE MANUAL and it said the radio could do that) So I had to fix that.

So I fixed it, with a #2 lead pencial (or 2) A dollar store calculator, and change back from 15 bucks. Radio now only transmits on frequencies I'm licensed for . (And not all of those).

[electricflyer]

Congratulations on the upgrade. Being a VE, you're welcome. We always encourage license upgrades. Now you don't have to think about where the General band edge is.
Marv
KT4W