On Thu, 05 Nov 2015 08:55:42 +0000, Stephen wrote:

> On 11/5/2015 1:08 AM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:12:17 +0000, Stephen wrote:
>>
>>
> 
>>>> Well, I do have a radio license. ;)
>>>>
>>>>
>>> So do I. Albeit the lowest level (RT). I could use a marine radio on a
>>> fishing vessel or stand in for the RO on an Oil Rig.
>>
>> I thought you did - so I was a little surprised. :)
> 
> There is a big difference between being able to use a radio and design
> and maintenance.

Well, true - I don't know what the UK tests are like - in the US, there's 
a lot of radio theory even in the lowest level exams.

The Extra class license is (or at least "used to be" - I took my exams 20
+ years ago now, and that was only the technician level exam) more 
difficult than some of the commercial license exams.  At least, that's 
what I was told by someone who had both a commercial license and an extra 
class license. :)

>>> It is quite a fearsome exam. With Morse code and regulations.
>>
>> Code isn't required in the US any more - they dropped it out of (as I
>> understand it) fear that not enough people would join the hobby to
>> justify the spectrum use.
>>
>>
> It's not? I thought it was an international requirement for a Ham
> licence. Even at foundation level (5 wpm).

Nope, no requirement at all now.  The ITU ratified a decision to allow 
each country to decide on its own if CW was required or not back in 
2003.  The FCC dropped the requirement from all license classes in 2006 
(effective in 2007).

I got a "technician" class license in the early 90's, just after the 
requirement was dropped for that class (but the class was limited to 2m, 
70cm, and 6m - nothing in the ranges the ITU required it for - generally 
below 30 MHz IIRC).  Same exam as the then-new "Technician Plus" (which 
was the old "technician" class, confusingly), and my license was 
grandfathered back to full Technician when the requierment was dropped 
from all classes in 2007.

>>>> Even with well-filtered equipment, though, if I put the transmission
>>>> source for my radio right next to a computer monitor or CRT display,
>>>> I can cause some interference.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Don't forget the cable. Bad connections can cause reflections. ;-)
>>
>> Oh yes, absolutely.  I also tend to pick up RF from my PCs on my
>> headphones (the ones plugged into the PC), even with a proper ground.
>>
>>
> See, black magic. :-)

LOL



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

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