[OT] I got a JOB!!!

That page is very strange -- you gonna apply for a job?

That would be unacceptable to me; I have (a few) cookies that I use to make my life easier on a few frequently visited websites.

Expecting me, without any explanation, to make my life more difficult for their convenience makes me wonder if they will have that self-centered (sociopathic?) attitude to employees.

If they said /which/ cookies should be deleted, then it would be less unacceptable.

I was thinking the same thing. Unacceptable but I'm not applying for a job anyway. But if I were and in the Portland area, it might be a place to look at. Instead of applying online, probably going there in person would be better. Then I would also have a better idea on commute time.

boB

The Volunteer Examiners are permitted (but not required) to charge a test fee to reimburse the VEs for their costs in carrying out the exam (mileage to drive to the test site, room rental if necessary, and so forth).

The FCC doesn't set the fee... the VE group does. The ARRL's VE coordinating group charge $15 "for one attempt at all three license elements" - if you pass the test for Technician you take the General test the same day at no extra charge, and if you pass General you can test for Amateur Extra. Other VE groups seem to have similar prices and "take all three for the same fee" policies.

Nothing forbids a VE from offering tests for free. I believe that they do, sometimes... e.g. in schools.

For most hams, $0.00. The 10-year license is free, as are renewals.

You do pay a fee if you apply for, and are granted a "vanity" call of your choice, and you pay the vanity fee again each time you renew.

For some of the questions (e.g. frequency ranges, mode authorizations by frequency or amateur-radio license class), memorization of the information is the only way you can go, because the rules are historical and rather arbitrary. For the electronics part, true knowledge and logic are the way to go.

A fair number of hams do get their first Technician license following a "ham cram" - they spend a full day going over the current question pool, drilling on and memorizing the answers, and then take the test and try to score the required 85%.

I do not personally recommend this approach. A lot of people who pass the test this way, never seem to actually get "on the air", since they don't really understand what's going on... I think this leads to a serious lack of confidence.

I think it's better to take a couple of weeks, read through a study guide (such as the ARRL's Ham Radio License Manual, replacement for the old "Now You're Talking" book), and learn more of the "why" about each of the questions in the pool (which are included at the back of the book).

Seems to me that about half of the questions in the Tech pool are, fundamentally, about "Here's how you can use your radio without being a nuisance, causing problems, and getting yourself in trouble." That's pretty important in amateur radio, since (almost by definition) _you_ as the ham, rather than the equipment manufacturer, have the primary responsibility for seeing that it's operating correctly and is being used legally.

There are at least three different groups offering regular (as in "frequent") testing here -- i.e., at least three different times (and places), each month, to take the test. Some charge a nominal fee; others are free. Some require pre-registration; others will accept walk-ins. I'd considered it (see below) when the Code requirement was dropped...

I inherited a 2m rig for my BoB and thought of getting licensed. But, as I have *zero* interest in "casual use" -- or in any "club activities" (wanting the license only to be "legal" in the event of a natural disaster) -- I figured it was a skillset that would see little/no use. Instead, rely on the rig as an information *source* (if ever needed) and ignore the overhead of being able to key the transmitter!

Yes, but much of that is also pretty intuitive -- if you *think* about it.