Commercial radio tech exam

[masterkeymaster]

Does anyone know the exam required to take in order to program, and do maintenance work on commercial radios ect? And how hard it is? Where to take the exam? How much are the exam fees? What is the exam like? What is the exam called? Time for a carrier change!

 

[gewecke]

ARE you sure you're even ready for the answers? :roll:


n9zas

 

[n5ims]

FCC: Wireless Telecommunications Bureau: Types of Licenses: General Radiotelephone
Commercial Radio Operator License Program: Who Needs a License: Examinations

What you're looking for is the "General Radiotelephone Operator License" and the links above will tell you what you'll need to know. You'll need to pass at least elements 1 and 3 to get it. Download them and look them over to see just how tough it might be for you.

 

[vinzep491]

ARE you sure you're even ready for the answers? :roll:


n9zas

lol. ( plus these extra characters because RR didnt think my post was long enough )

 

[RRSINC]

You do NOT need a commercial radio operator license to operate, repair, or maintain any of the following types of stations:

* Two-way land mobile radio equipment, such as that used by police and fire departments, taxicabs and truckers, businesses and industries, ambulances and rescue squads, and local, state, and federal government agencies.
* Personal radio equipment used in the Citizens Band (CB), Radio Control (R/C), and General Mobile Radio Services (GMRS).
* Auxiliary broadcast stations, such as remote pickup stations.
* Domestic public fixed and mobile radio systems, such as mobile telephone systems, cellular systems, rural radio systems, point-to-point microwave systems, multipoint distribution systems, etc.
* Stations that operate in the Cable Television Relay Service.
* Satellite stations, both uplink and downlink of all types.


Commercial Radio Operator License Program: Who Needs a License

 

[dd364]

It's funny how you need a licence to do all that if your an amateur but you don't need to know what your doing if you work on public safety equipment.

 

[davidgcet]

you used to have to have one to work on most of those listed above, but not for the last decade or so. you do still have to have one to perform maintenance on a lot of government agencies' equipment(USCG/FBI/etc..) and many corporations require it as well, but this due to their rules/regulations and not the FCC's.

as far as a good test program, buy Gordon West's GROL +RADAR study guide, even if you don't take element 8 the book is priceless. i had a perfect score on element 1 and only missed 2 questions on element 3, both dealing with plotting polar/rectangular coordinates. next join up with eta-i.org and you can be proxied at your local library if no testers are near you.

the license and a few dollars will buy you a cup of coffee at starbucks, so don't stop there. take some electronics classes and get some credits. if you join up at eta you can take your CET-a and then use the GROL as an upgrade to a WCM which will bump you to a journeyman Certified Electronics Technician. at least these will show a potential employer you are serious about the career choice. even just getting the CET-a is enough to get you in the door at many shops.

or you can do like i and many other techs did, hire on as an installer and work your way up over many years. you will still need the classes, but you also learn OTJ.

 

[joen7xxx]

There are examiner teams around the country. I'm a member of one here in Nevada. Check the W5YI site. They may point you to a team.

 

[Daniel_Boone]

I asked my Uncle the same question about two weeks ago and he made the same reply.
Back around 1970 - when he graduated from Tech School - he had the radio telephone operators license.
The FCC was real strict back then, would fine someone just for operating off band.
If a light was to burn out on the tower, you had 4 hours to contact the FCC and make a report and to contact the FAA.
Today you can call them and tell them that your tower fell down and they would just shrug their shoulders and that would be the end of it.
But make them mad - and they will fine you for having ice in your parking lot.

I'm not even sure that you have to have a license anymore to be a Master Control Technician to run the console at a television station.

 

[zz0468]

If a light was to burn out on the tower, you had 4 hours to contact the FCC and make a report and to contact the FAA.

The FAA still cares. They require notification when a tower light is out.

 

[davidgcet]

yeah, you have 30 minutes from the time of failure to call it in. this is why more and more towers have automatic monitoring systems on the lights now, the FAA don't play!

 

[SCPD]

Certified

It is very true that, as far as the government is concerned, you do not need a FCC license to work on any radios but marine or avation.

Now try to get a shop to hire you without either a FCC license, and/or NABER certification and/or CET with communications endorsement.

 

[silverbk]

It is very true that, as far as the government is concerned, you do not need a FCC license to work on any radios but marine or avation.

Now try to get a shop to hire you without either a FCC license, and/or NABER certification and/or CET with communications endorsement.

I am taking my GMDSS now. If you want to work on ships, then get your element 3 and you can inspect GMDSS stations, that's where the money is.

Actually the money is in being mate or captain, (with GMDSS) but that requires much more training, and you have to ship out.

 

[masterkeymaster]

What if I want to work on recreation boats and what about unicom do I need a GMDSS? What if I want to work on them without compensation do I still need a GMDSS?

 

[n5ims]

What if I want to work on recreation boats and what about unicom do I need a GMDSS? What if I want to work on them without compensation do I still need a GMDSS?

Commercial Radio Operator License Program: Who Needs a License

Radio Maintenance and Repair
You need a commercial operator license to repair and maintain the following:

All ship radio and radar stations.
All coast stations.
All hand-carried units used to communicate with ships and coast stations on marine frequencies.
All aircraft stations and aeronautical ground stations (including hand-carried portable units) used to communicate with aircraft.
International fixed public radiotelephone and radiotelegraph stations.

There's no restriction on compensation, so the same rules apply if you do it as your job or do it for fun.