drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| When Were You First Licensed?
I know there's a bunch of OT's here, so I thought I'd go first.
Started as a Novice in 1964, made General the same year, and then let my license lapse in 1970. Too many other things going on, like College, girls, and cars, to have enough hours in the log to renew. Back then, if you didn't have a minimum number of hours in your log, you had to take the test again to keep your ticket.
Always had a good shortwave during those years, and finally got licensed again in 1995 as a Tech Plus, did General the next month, and Advanced the month after that. Waited a while to get my Extra, and here I am.
73, Jim KQ6EA
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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jcallari
The future is unwritten.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-05-19
Cedar Grove, NJ
 ·Vonage
 ·Site5.com
 ·Optimum Online
| Started studying for Novice back in 1983, at age 12.
Baseball and wrestling soon monopolized my time, and I lost interest in radio...
25 years later, I took my Technician's class license exam, and a week ago, I upgraded to General. Working on improving my CW skills, I'm quite rusty from my youth, and with a little bit of work, I've snuck back up to 3 (WOW!) wpm. 
Can't wait to get on HF.  |
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n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY
·Optimum Online
| reply to drjim
I received my Technician license dated August 8, 1989 on August 12, 1989; the day I passed the General. I had taken the Technician test a month earlier. Not having a call sign at the time I took the General added some complexity to the process.
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I support the right to keep and arm bears. |
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KA3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium
join:2006-01-17
West Chester, PA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to drjim
Jim, you ask a good question, and I'm fuzzy on the exact dates.
Novice test was September/October 1987, actually got the ticket mailed back to me on a Friday within 2 weeks(a record in those days).
There was a VEC session the next day and I went there and passed the Tech/General theory.
Still trying to think if it was December 87' or January 88' when I went back and passed the 20wpm code and the Advanced theory(Element 4A).
Bombed the Extra theory(Element 4B)(I had never even studied for it anyway).
Never went back for the Extra, but have been exploring the possibilities lately(bought the new ARRL Element 4 book but it has been collecting dust).
73, George KA3SGM
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"Lithium is no longer available on credit" |
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tenbase
join:2000-07-19
Alexandria, VA
| reply to drjim
Novice on March 22, 1985
Tech on July 24, 1990
General on July 15, 2003
yeah I'm taking my time 
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I would kill everyone on this forum for a drop of sweet beer.. |
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TODDRICK
join:2001-08-27
Milwaukee, WI
| reply to drjim
Found Hallicrafters 5R10A in box in basement, began short wave listening, 1962 (3rd grade). Made several attempts to get Novice license thru mid 70's but kept getting refusals to test from the Hams I had asked (later figured out that some of them just didn't have the cahones to tell me that they had Tecnnician tickets and couldn't give Novice tests).
1972 Sat for and obtained 3rd Class Radiotelephone ticket with Broadcast endorsement.
1982 Decided WTF, I'll get a Technician license. Made appointment in December with FCC here in Milwaukee and passed. Ticket arrived late January 1983, N9DRY.
Had been working on upgrade and summer of 1985 passed the 13wpm CW, the VEs suggested trying the advanced written as it wouldn't cost anything and passed it also.
Extra took awhile, kept passing the written (have 4 or 5 CSCEs for that) but kept blowing the 20wpm CW. Finally passed that at a local Hamfest in July 1994.
In 1995 the FCC released the new question pool for the GROL. They took most of the technical questions verbatim from the Advanced and Extra pools, I passed that in November 1995.
Maybe I'll shoot the 2nd class Radiotelegraph test for kicks seeing as I get credit for the 20wpm CW test from my Extra instead of doing the more difficult Commercial CW test.
That is the Cliff's Notes version of the saga.
73, Todd N9DRY |
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jadinolf
I love you Fred
Premium
join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA | reply to drjim
Got my novice in January 1968.
Before most of you were born?
W6OHI
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Gbcue
Shiny
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Sacramento, CA
clubs: | I just passed on Saturday! Still waiting for my callsign to show up on the ULS. |
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Hank
Its all relative
Premium
join:2002-05-21
Burlington, WV
| reply to jadinolf
said by jadinolf  :Got my novice in January 1968. Before most of you were born? W6OHI Ok, whipper snapper! Got my Novice sometime in 1957 or there abouts. |
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jadinolf
I love you Fred
Premium
join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA
 ·DSL EXTREME
| said by Hank :said by jadinolf :Got my novice in January 1968. Before most of you were born? W6OHI Ok, whipper snapper! Got my Novice sometime in 1957 or there abouts. But I was 34 when I got mine.
How's your math?
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jadinolf
I love you Fred
Premium
join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to Gbcue
said by Gbcue :I just passed on Saturday! Still waiting for my callsign to show up on the ULS. Congrats!
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jadinolf
I love you Fred
Premium
join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to drjim
drjim
Didn't notice but I lived in Torrance when I got my first license (Arvada St). Worked a lot of DX from there.
Now I've been stuck in Ojai for the last 30 years.
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
edit:
March 11th, @02:07AM
| You probably wouldn't recognize Torrance, then!
I'm actually a transplant from 9-Land. Started as WN9THB, went to WA9THB, then (after a long pause...) to KE6ZDO, and on to KQ6EA. I've had people ask me why I didn't get an "Extra Class" call to show-off when I upgraded. Well, they aren't issuing any calls like mine anymore, I'm used to it, everybody knows me by that call, and I still have a box of 500 QSL's to go.....
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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epstns
join:2001-03-06
Chicago, IL | First licensed as a novice in 1962. Upgraded to general in 1963, and haven't left the CW bands since (except for time in green clothes, and time to raise a family, that is). |
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W7PSK
Just Me
join:2000-12-04
Everett, WA
edit:
March 11th, @02:20PM
| reply to drjim
Novice in April 1977 while stationed at Moffett in California as WD6DJB.
Took General in June at the SFO FCC Office, wasn't going to because I didn't think I was doing 13wpm, but a friend of mine heard me in QSO on the high end of the novice band and said, no your not, your doing about 22 right now. Had to stick around while My friends took the Advanced, they tried to get me to take it but I didn't, figured I did enough. They failed , and went back in August and took the Advanced, all passed. Made extra finally in 2002 , never really missed the windows the extra offered
Callsigns Ive held
US
WD6DJB
KB1AQ
KF7QZ
N7HJ
and now W7PSK
DX
Been /VE lots of times
VQ9RS (1980)
KG4RS (1979)
WD6DJB/EA7 (1980-1981)
Also Guest operated at A9XIJ, SV0AE, and the Guam Ham Radio club KG6 somthing (too long ago) |
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Tommyastro
join:2004-01-18
Poughkeepsie, NY | reply to drjim
November of 1994 for me.
Tom-KB2SMS |
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mr weather
Premium
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON
| reply to drjim
We do things a little different up here in VE land.
April 1999 got my Basic and callsign VA3WXM. I was the last to take the test from a radio inspector at the local Industry Canada field office; it closed shortly thereafter. Now all exams are done by volunteer examiners.
May 2002 got my 5 wpm which gave me full HF privileges.
March 2004 got my Advanced which allows me to run a bit of power and a repeater.
And that's all the classes we have in Canada.
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"It's all coming down!!" - Mike Holmes |
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jlramirez
Premium
join:2004-10-01
Montgomery, IL
clubs: | reply to drjim
I received my Technician in April of 1997. Finally looking to upgrade to General... Reviewing the GC License Manual... |
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Axilla
Finger, Finger
Premium,Mod
join:2001-03-26
Schofield, WI
clubs: | reply to drjim
2003 and upgraded to general in 2007. Yes I am a newbie and looking to continue learning.
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INFLOW-WI |
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CyberRage
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-21
Jasper, AL
| reply to drjim
1974
Either March or May, I remember the month began with an M. Probably I took the test in March and the paper arrived in the mailbox in May. HI HI
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Prop your feet up at Southeast Chat |
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