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PID: Synchronet 3.19c-Win32 master/2d3b97333 Feb 15 2022 MSC 1929
TID: SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 master/2d3b97333 Feb 15 2022 MSC 1929
BBSID: TBOLT
CHRS: ASCII 1
Dave,

 DD> My house-mate is a Hambone. His "shack" is in a corner of the living
 DD> room. I used to was - but haven't picked up a mike nor tapped a key in
 DD> dogs years. My call was K9DDQ .... may still be. I dunno if good old
 DD> Uncle Charlie re-assigns or not. Seeing the newer calls I'm going to
 DD> assume - not.

  Once your license is expired more than 2 years, your call goes back into
the "unused pool". Then, it can be snagged by someone wanting a vanity
call. I looked it up, and your former call shows as "not being in the FCC 
database". So, you lost your callsign and privileges when your license was
expired more than 2 years.

  If you ever decide to get back into amateur radio, you only have to take 
and pass the Technician Class exam (Element 2)...no matter what license class 
you formerly held...and no Morse Code exam (Element 1) is required. If you 
formerly held a General or Advanced Class license, you also get credit for
Element 3 (General), and if you formerly held an Amateur Extra Class license,
you get credit for Element 4 (Amateur Extra). Regardless, you still have to
take and pass the Technician Class exam to get back in the hobby. You'll get
a new callsign, but then can apply for your former callsign as a vanity
callsign, if you wish. 

  Currently, you pay a fee to the examiner team (if it's ARRL/VEC or 
W5YI/VEC...some VEC's/VE Teams don't charge a fee at all). Sometime this 
year, the FCC will also charge a $35 fee for a new, renewed, or upgraded
amateur radio license or callsign change (sequential or vanity). I have
not seen any notice on the ARRL website as of March 2, 2022...and it would
not take effect until 30 days after it appears in the Federal Register.

  I've noted many hams swearing they'll quit the hobby before they pay the
$35 fee. Yet, many of these same hams will lay down a $100 bill (or more)
at a big hamfest (Hamcation in Orlando, Florida...Hamvention in Xenia, 
Ohio...or the Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama) for a "brick" of 250 prize
tickets. Of course, if you win a high dollar radio, you more than got
your money back, especially if you can sell it to someone else. So, that
logic makes no sense to me at all. While you have to pay the $35 fee up
front, it averages to $3.50 a year...you can't even get a gallon of gas
for $3.50 now...unless it's at Taco Bell. 

  As for study material, I highly recommend the HamTestOnline course 
(hamradiolicenseexam.com). I used it back in mid-2007...studying 2 hours
a day for 2 weeks. I went from Technician to General in 14 days, and 
General to Amateur Extra 13 days later. It was the best money I ever 
spent in amateur radio.

  They offer 6 month subscriptions (the price is dependent on what class
of license you go for). The cover the questions in the specific license
class Question Pool (which change every 4 years...the current Technician
Pool changes on July 1, 2022), but they also cover the concepts. So, you
are actually learning something, and NOT just memorizing answers. When
you get to 80% study, start taking practice tests...and when you start
scoring 85% or better consistently, you are ready to take the exam, and
will likely pass. This applies to any of the exams (Technician, General,
or Amateur Extra). You can miss as many as 9 questions on the 35 question
exam for Technician or General...and as many as 13 questions on the 50
question Amateur Extra...and it still counts as if you aced the test
(made a perfect score).

  The kicker, though...is that if after adequate study and practice
tests, you still fail the exam...send them proof of the failure, and
they will cancel your subscription, and refund your money. So, you
either get your amateur radio license, or your money back...you can't
lose!! Normally, when you buy a book or study guide, it's yours...no
refunds. And, as noted, the books become worthless after 4 years. With
HamTestOnline, they update the website when the specific question pools
change.

 DD> Nancy was a neat lady - who used to come to Cooking Echo picnics -
 DD> which were once an annual "thing". She also played a mean game of
 DD> Scrabble.

  She did that on my BBS. Sean Dennis, KS4TD (he's also an amateur radio
operator) dedicated the game of Scrabble on his BBS to her memory.

 DD> When she passed, Richard let me know "you've lost a Scrabble partner".

  The one thing I remember most was her sense of humor. In one QWK Mail
tagline, I noted "I took an IQ test, and the results were negative". Her
reply was "That explains a lot. ". She said she hoped I wasn't
offended by that, and I told her "I got a good laugh out of that". She
is sorely missed.

Daryl, WX4QZ

... Southern DOS: Y'all reckon? (Yep/Nope)
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