[TenTec] Re: [CW] One Day to Extra Class

[Steve M]

Bravo Ed. Good stuff.  The "Good Ol'e Boys Club" needs to wake up and learn
to accept change if they want to still have a club 30 years from now.

73
Steve  wd0ct

> Hi, Jim...
>
> Sure it's possible.  Of course all they taught was how to pass the
> test... not the theory behind each of the questions.  Our local club has
run
> similar "crash course" classes but not for Extra (yet).
>
> GOD HELP AMATEUR RADIO if we ever require new amateurs
> to learn enough theory and advanced math to inherently know how
> to answer all those questions!!!  You can forget getting teenagers into
> the hobby.  You think our ranks are shrinking now... "you ain't seen
> nothin' yet."
>
> I don't think those amateurs went from "zero" to Extra in one day.  They
> upgraded, and nobody said how long they may have been licensed.
> And after all... most hams who argue against "no code" simply want new
hams
> to demonstrate a significant desire and willingness to work to obtain
their
> ticket.  I'd say they did that and I say, "More power to 'em," or to
answer
> your question directly, I vote "Great and Wonderful."
>
> Sure, your Extra ticket still means something... that you cared enough and
> put forth the effort to achieve the top-rated license class.
>
> I happen to support the 5wpm change and I think I would support removing
the
> REQUIREMENT for CW altogether.  Note I did NOT say outlawing CW, only
> removing it as a requirement.  I happen to like CW and I and others can
> continue to use it as long as we like.  But I can easily understand why
> lowering the bar drives some hams ballistic. Someone opened the door to
the
> "Good Ol' Boys' Club," and simplified the initiation us ol' timers were
> kind'a proud of.  But I happen to believe it was important to the survival
> of
> The Club.
>
> 73... Ed, W5EJ
> Extra Class (yes, 20WPM test)
> Licensed 51 years ago - when you had to draw diagrams... and not just
answer
> multiple choice questions.
> Volunteer Examiner - ARRL & W5YI
> First Class Commercial license holder
> Member ARRL "No-Code" Committee (1988 or whenever)
> FISTS #8643
> Life member, ARRL and QCWA
> Member OOTC
> Etc...
> Etc...
> Etc...
> And probably would never have been licensed at age 14 if I had been
required
> to KNOW AND UNDERSTAND the theory or the math.  I'm not an engineer and
not
> ashamed to admit that I memorized the questions and answers for the
Novice,
> Tech, Class B, Class A, and Extra exams.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Reid" <jimr.reid@verizon.net>
> To: <ah6j@arrl.org>; <cw@mailman.qth.net>; <dx-list@yahoogroups.com>; "ken
> cubilo electric" <kce@chartermi.net>; <fists@mailman.qth.net>; "George,
> W5YR" <w5yr@att.net>; <jmax@attglobal.net>; <kh6wm@arrl.net>;
> <kh7t@arrl.net>; <logic@mailman.qth.net>; "Maxwell, Jim (Dir, Pacific)"
> <jmaxwell@arrl.org>; "Carl Moreschi" <cjm@qvssoftware.com>;
> <rholling@fcc.gov>; <tentec@contesting.com>; <w8ji@contesting.com>;
> <walt@hawaii.rr.com>
> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 4:47 PM
> Subject: [CW] One Day to Extra Class
>
>
> > I am shocked at the following report from the ARRL!
> > I  am sending this to a fairly wide distribution with this
> > question:  is this where Amateur Radio really wants
> > to be going?  Or do you think the following is just
> > great and wonderful??
> >
> > >From today's ARRL Letter:
> >
> > "New York's Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club--LIMARC
> > --reports its first "one-day Extra" licensing upgrade class was
> > such a success that it's scheduled additional sessions for later
> > this spring. LIMARC recently attracted two dozen students to its
> > first Extra class license study short course, and nearly all who
> > attended walked away with their Extra tickets.
> >
> > "....the session involves seven hours of
> > intensive study. Five instructors taught the nine Extra examination
> > subelements, which include FCC rules, operating procedures, radio
> > propagation, Amateur Radio practices, electrical principles, circuit
> > components, practical circuits and antennas and feedlines.
> >
> > When the session ended, 20 of the 24 applicants had passed
> > Element 4. "
> >
> > All in  a "one-day"  short course.
> >
> > Wow,  I am impressed.  Took me an entire semester in engineering
> > school to learn how to solve all those impedance,  complex
> > plane,  R+/- jX problems.  And 20 of these guys learned how
> > to do those,  along with all that other stuff,  and STILL the same
> > day took and passed the Extra license exam????
> >
> > Maybe what  those five instructors "taught" was the answers
> > to the questions on the test to be given that day???  At least
> > one enquiring mind would like to know!  I believe what is
> > being reported is not possible and still be legitimate,  unless
> > those 20 guys had way above genius IQ's.  Or maybe,  they
> > all have "perfect recall" memories.
> >
> > Guess I was a real slow learning;  I was years getting the education,
> > experience and UNDERSTANDING under my belt before I went
> > for the Extra.  Oh yes,  also had to pass the 20 wpm CW test
> > that same day,  but that isn't needed anymore.  Maybe it was
> > getting to 20 wpm CW that took me all that time,  no,  don't
> > think so.  Just took me awhile to learn/understand what the
> > meaning of the stuff on the Extra Class license was all about.
> >
> > Yes,  what does the Extra Class license mean anymore??
> >
> > Just a bit disappointed,
> >
> > 73,  Jim KH7M
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CW mailing list
> > CW@mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cw
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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