Amateur Extra

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AC9KH

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I passed the exam for my Amateur Extra license today. Took the tests for Elements 2, 3 & 4 in one session, and although they would not tell me what specific questions I got wrong, they did tell me my score was 100% on Elements 2 & 3 and got 48 out of 50 on Element 4. The VE said my license grant should appear in the FCC database by next Thursday. Was wondering if anybody knows if I can change my login username to my call sign when I get it?

Thanks!
 

n5ims

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I passed the exam for my Amateur Extra license today. Took the tests for Elements 2, 3 & 4 in one session, and although they would not tell me what specific questions I got wrong, they did tell me my score was 100% on Elements 2 & 3 and got 48 out of 50 on Element 4. The VE said my license grant should appear in the FCC database by next Thursday. Was wondering if anybody knows if I can change my login username to my call sign when I get it?

Thanks!

First off, congratulations!

Changing your username is generally not allowed on this site, but there are two exceptions, one of which is related to your ham call sign so you're in luck!

Changing Your Username

A member's username can only be changed by the administration staff, and only under the following special circumstances:
1. Amateur radio callsign change
2. To protect a user's privacy

Details, including how to request the change --> Account Help - The RadioReference Wiki
 

kc5qih

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I passed the exam for my Amateur Extra license today. Took the tests for Elements 2, 3 & 4 in one session, and although they would not tell me what specific questions I got wrong, they did tell me my score was 100% on Elements 2 & 3 and got 48 out of 50 on Element 4. The VE said my license grant should appear in the FCC database by next Thursday. Was wondering if anybody knows if I can change my login username to my call sign when I get it?

Thanks!

Congrats on getting your ticket and welcome to the bands. I also got my extra yesterday after sitting on my general since 1996. Like you they wouldn't tell me what I missed but I'm pretty sure I only missed a couple.

73

Chris Charanza
KC5QIH/AE
 

wbswetnam

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Congratulations on going from zero to Extra in one fell swoop! I got my General about a year ago and I'm thinking of upgrading soon to Extra too.
You will find that most hams are welcoming but be aware that occasionally you will encounter some hams who are still sore about the FCC dropping the CW requirement some years back. Some folks think that because they had to jump through hoops X Y and Z then that means everybody else should, too. If anyone gives you flak, just wish them a nice day and spin the dial. I hope you get an HF rig soon... when you do, try everything! You will find this to be a really fun hobby! Congrats and 73s! I hope to work you on my fav band which is 60m. I'm often loitering out there in early evenings. KF5YOF
 

AC9KH

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Thanks for the welcome to the ham bands! And thanks for the info on how to switch my username. I had somehow missed that when looking at the profile page there.

As to the CW requirement, I happen to agree that it should've never been dropped. When I bought my radios awhile back and got a couple antennas up for the HF rig, the CW portions of the bands was the first place I went to. I learned code 38 years ago, intending to get my license back then. But then I went to college, met a girl and got married and raised kids and life got in the way and it never happened. But I never forgot code after weeks of listening to cassette tapes that I had back then. It came back to me within a couple hours of monitoring the CW portions of the HF bands and I found out there's a lot of REALLY bad operators out there. I have to give them credit for at least using CW. But I can copy W1AW's fast code transmissions with no problem. The human generated code I can also copy because you kind of know what the word is thru all the mistakes. But some of these guys are pretty bad (I hate to say).

I actually asked the administering VE at the testing session if I could get extra points for copying and transmitting code at 20 wpm. Of course he said "no" but it turns out he was the only one of the VE's there (six of them from the club) that even knew code. He said the international community wanted to drop the requirement, since it is no longer even required for operators on ships at sea. So the FCC followed suit in light of digital modes and satellite now being commonly used on ships.

So not necessarily a "dumbing down" of the requirements for an amateur license, but more a change pushed by the international community in light of newer technology. But my feeling is that even with the newer technology, CW remains one of the most reliable weak signal, low power, low bandwidth forms of communication that exists. So I'll be found on the CW portions of the bands (actually, CW is the only mode that can be used on any freq, regardless of band plans). Simply because I like it, I spent a LOT of time learning it almost 40 years ago, and I sort of agree with the "old way". But, unfortunately, amateur radio, despite the requirement being dropped, is about the only place (other than some navigational beacons in aviation and marine) that still uses it to any extent.

There was actually much ceremony among code operators when its use was ended all over the world. Code was used as an international standard for maritime distress (my wife and I are also avid sailors) until 1999, when it was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress Safety System. When the French Navy ended code use the final message transmitted was "Calling all. This is our last cry before our eternal silence." In the US the final commercial code transmission was on July 12, 1999, signing off with Samuel Morse's original 1844 message, "what hath god wrought. SK"

Just a little trivia for the amateur operators that still love code. Other than commercial radiotelephone operators, which are still required to pass a code test, the amateur radio community will probably end up being the last holdout that keeps it alive.
 
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kc5qih

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Thanks for the welcome to the ham bands! And thanks for the info on how to switch my username. I had somehow missed that when looking at the profile page there.

As to the CW requirement, I happen to agree that it should've never been dropped. When I bought my radios awhile back and got a couple antennas up for the HF rig, the CW portions of the bands was the first place I went to. I learned code 38 years ago, intending to get my license back then. But then I went to college, met a girl and got married and raised kids and life got in the way and it never happened. But I never forgot code after weeks of listening to cassette tapes that I had back then. It came back to me within a couple hours of monitoring the CW portions of the HF bands and I found out there's a lot of REALLY bad operators out there. I have to give them credit for at least using CW. But I can copy W1AW's fast code transmissions with no problem. The human generated code I can also copy because you kind of know what the word is thru all the mistakes. But some of these guys are pretty bad (I hate to say).

I actually asked the administering VE at the testing session if I could get extra points for copying and transmitting code at 20 wpm. Of course he said "no" but it turns out he was the only one of the VE's there (six of them from the club) that even knew code. He said the international community wanted to drop the requirement, since it is no longer even required for operators on ships at sea. So the FCC followed suit in light of digital modes and satellite now being commonly used on ships.

So not necessarily a "dumbing down" of the requirements for an amateur license, but more a change pushed by the international community in light of newer technology. But my feeling is that even with the newer technology, CW remains one of the most reliable weak signal, low power, low bandwidth forms of communication that exists. So I'll be found on the CW portions of the bands (actually, CW is the only mode that can be used on any freq, regardless of band plans). Simply because I like it, I spent a LOT of time learning it almost 40 years ago, and I sort of agree with the "old way". But, unfortunately, amateur radio, despite the requirement being dropped, is about the only place (other than some navigational beacons in aviation and marine) that still uses it to any extent.

There was actually much ceremony among code operators when its use was ended all over the world. Code was used as an international standard for maritime distress (my wife and I are also avid sailors) until 1999, when it was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress Safety System. When the French Navy ended code use the final message transmitted was "Calling all. This is our last cry before our eternal silence." In the US the final commercial code transmission was on July 12, 1999, signing off with Samuel Morse's original 1844 message, "what hath god wrought. SK"

Just a little trivia for the amateur operators that still love code. Other than commercial radiotelephone operators, which are still required to pass a code test, the amateur radio community will probably end up being the last holdout that keeps it alive.

Well said ! I, myself, love the code. In fact when I went for my General in 1996 I took the 20 wpm code test instead of the 13 wpm code test. My elmer is why I got into code really. He's one of those guys who can send and receive at about 45 wpm which is still way to fast for my blood. I'm comfortable sending and receiving at about 30 wpm. I hover in the CW portion of the band most of the time because my humble 100 watt transmitter and vertical antenna (and inverted L) play well there. If you ever hear KC5QIH/AE (at the moment) calling CQ call me...CW is fun.
 

AC9KH

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If you ever hear KC5QIH/AE (at the moment) calling CQ call me...CW is fun.

Thanks! I will! I got a ICOM IC-7200 for a starter radio and I ordered a paddle right with it. The radio has a built-in internal keyer but I hooked it up to a dummy load and checked it all out to make sure the dot-dash ratio is really what the defaults in the radio says it is. I got it tuned up and ready to go. Just waiting for that license grant to appear in the FCC database..........

It's interesting that in these new radios, CW is not really CW. It's merely a sidetone injected into one of the sidebands and done totally in the DSP circuit. I see guys on the bands having a QSO on CW and they don't even bother (or know) how to zero beat anymore. As long as the signal is in the receiver's passband they figure she's good.
 

kc5qih

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just wanted to see if your license had been granted yet. Mine upgrade hasn't been processed yet so I'm still operating /AE. 20 meters is good at the moment. Just got through working 3B9FR (Rodriguez Island) a cool 11,000 miles from my QTH.
 

AC9KH

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Nothing in the database yet. I got my CSCE on Saturday from the ARRL VEC. They're supposed to be pretty fast in getting things submitted and the VE said by Thursday evening it should be there. We'll see.....
 

kc5qih

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Yeah I've got that CSCE on my desk as well. Hopefully it'll process overnight...it's strange sending
kc5qih/ae. I mean I have to send it below .25 but not above it and not on the warc bands ...so as soon as the new class posts I can drop that /AE
 

AC9KH

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Well, it has to go thru the government bureaucracy. Sometimes that can take awhile. In the old days it used to take 8 weeks or more. I'm not too concerned about it yet.

I've been keeping myself pretty busy building a 6m AM repeater from scratch. A bunch of guys around here want to get off the 2m repeaters so I volunteered to build one - and I happen to have a 90 foot free-standing tower to put the Tx antenna on. The Rx antenna is going to be at a different location about 6 miles away. A couple guys got their old Heathkit Sixer's out and dusted 'em off when I volunteered to build a repeater. But the project has turned into sort of a community project now. The trouble is when we get together, we end up doing more rag chewing and drinking coffee than we do building. And with the holidays coming up the repeater project will probably get put on hold for a week.
 

wbswetnam

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In very late September 2013, I passed the test for my technician license. Unfortunately, a few days later the government shutdown happened, and the FCC stopped approving new license applications during the shutdown. By the time the shutdown ended and I finally received my paper license, it was a month later and I had already upgraded to general.
 

K7MEM

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How the FCC and the VEs process licenses, changes over the years.

I kept my Novice license for a long time because that was all I needed. But in 1999 I decided to upgrade. So in January of 1999, I went and took my Technician and General written tests, plus the 13 WPM Morse test. When the test results were submitted, I first received a Technician license. That kind of worried me a bit, but then about 2 weeks later, I received my General license. In June of 1999 I went back and took the Advanced and Extra written, plus the 20 WPM Morse test. Just like before, I first received my Advanced license followed by the Extra license, 2 weeks later.

I have been told that they don't do it that any more. If you take say the General and Extra in a single session, you only see your Extra license. I guess they are all trying to reduce the time and effort to generate licenses. But I like having the whole sequence of licenses. I can post them on the wall with my original Novice license (1965) and my German license (DA2EU - Expired).
 
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AC9KH

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It's done via electronic filing now with the FCC's ULS. The administering VE from my test session actually emailed me this morning and said he had called the ARRL VEC when my license grant didn't appear in the database last night. He said that with the upcoming holidays they have some people gone on vacation and are short-staffed at the present. They expected to have it done by Dec 23. Which is fine with me - a very nice Christmas Present!

While you can still get all your licenses and display them on your shack wall in sequence, if you decide to take Elements 2 thru 4 in one setting you are not granted Tech/General/Extra status. You are merely considered an Extra class operator so that's the license you get. The FCC does this pretty much the same way as the FAA. I'm a commerical pilot as well, and while you can elect to get there in a gradual way, if you have the experience, skills and knowledge to take your check ride in a IFR-equipped multi-engine aircraft you just get a Commercial ticket with multi-engine and instrument ratings - you don't get the whole shebang from the word "go".

It's really up to the individual as to how they want to go about it.
 

kc5qih

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I was just checking for my upgrade and noticed that it hadn't appeared yet. I guess your issuance and my modification will probably show up at the same time. On a side note I noticed you said you were a commercial pilot. Do you fly for the airlines or something else. I was training to get my PPL but the FAA grounded me because my medical hit a snafu. Basically my Dr had prescribed me Adderall and now to get that out of the way I've got to go shell out a couple grand to have a psychological evaluation done to prove I don't have ADD. I think we all have a little ADD but I'm quite sure I'm not ADD to the extent where it would prevent that and I'm pretty sure I'd pass all of the exams no problem...just a real PITA
 

AC9KH

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I was just checking for my upgrade and noticed that it hadn't appeared yet. I guess your issuance and my modification will probably show up at the same time. On a side note I noticed you said you were a commercial pilot. Do you fly for the airlines or something else.

My license grant appeared in the FCC database late this afternoon. My call sign is AC9KH.

Yes, I used to fly for a regional airline. I am now semi-retired, although I do fly some occasional Part 135 charters and I'm a CFII and do some advanced instrument training and BFR's.

Although you will have to jump thru the hoops after being on Adderall, for a private (other than the cost of medical evaluations) it should not be a big deal to either get a clear medical or a waiver. Yes, it's a hassle, but basically it's to insure yours and other's safety. The process has worked well for over 50 years so if you really want your private ticket you'll have to meet the requirements to get it. Nothing in aviation is cheap and in the long run a couple grand to pass one stage of the requirements will be peanuts if you intend to do any real amount of flying, long term.
 

kc5qih

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Oh I plan on jumping through whatever hoops they want me to jump through..is what it is I suppose. Congrats on the new call sign.
 
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