Licenses and VE

Amateur Radio Licenses and Volunteer Examiner (VE)

US - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Licenses

Novice KA9JLC

I was Field Service Engineer for Chicago Aerial Industries (CAI), an aerial reconnaissance camera manufacturer based in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.  I provided on-site support and training for the company's recon cameras and systems for friendly foreign nations’ military units along the Pacific Rim and South America.  I happened to be in-plant for a period of time in 1980 when an opportunity appeared one day when a few of us wanted to get our ham radio licenses.  Orlie, WD9ALK (SK), a ham there at work, started teaching 3 or 4 of us for about 20-30 minutes during lunch each day for a number of weeks that Spring to learn the theory and code to be able get our Novice license.  Orlie gave us our CW and written Novice exams when ready to test (as testing for Novice was different before the Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) started).  We all received our Novice licenses in the mail from the FCC 4-5 weeks later.  John E. “Jack” Cook, my mentor and boss, was also one of us in the class getting his license, KA9BXQ (SK DEC80).  

• ~Mid-1980 Took Novice written test and 5 WPM code test at work.  Received Novice license in the mail from the FCC about 4-5 weeks later.

Technician N5HPF

After finally completing my bachelors degree in Texas in 1983, I took a position with a defense contractor in the Dallas, TX area designing Special Test Equipment (STE) for airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) systems.  I studied and then tested at one of the then new VE test sessions in Dallas with a few of the people that I worked with resulting in getting my Technician license.

• 08DEC84 Awarded Technician license to use KA9JLC/KT with issueance of Certificate of Sucessful Completion of Examination (CSCE) through one of the first Dallas Amateur Radio Club’s (DARC) VE test sessions [information from CSCE}.

• 18JAN85 FCC issued N5HPF Technician license.

Advanced N5HPF

• 09NOV85 Issued N5HPF/AA Advanced license with CSCE by taking the Advanced written test and 13WPM code test in the DARC’s VE test session. (information from log book entry and from CSCE).

• 31DEC85 FCC issued N5HPF Advanced license.

• Continued with N5HPF call until going for Extra (electing to not update call with Advanced call when taking Advanced test when filling out the FCC form 610).

Extra WR5E

I saw and projected from serveral consecutive QSTs during the Spring and Summer of 1986 that the W5 call area's 2x1 Extra call signs would probably runout before the end of the year.  When that happened, new Extras would then receive call signs from the Advanced group with 2x2 callsigns.  Getting an Extra 2x1 callsign was “the driver” for getting my Extra.

• 01SEP86 Tested for Extra with the Garland Amatuer Radio Club VE Test Session.  Obtained Extra after taking the Extra written test and the 20 WPM code test.  Would have been awarded with N5HPF/AE since passing with a CSCE.  Cannot locate the test seesion’s CSCE.

• 23SEP86 FCC issued WR5E Extra license.

• 01OCT86 Received WR5E license from FCC (as noted in Log Book).  I was probably not living at 3314 Briaroaks Drive, Garland, TX anymore and temporarily iving with some friends in Rowlett, TX (in between houses as selling the one in Garland and waiting to close on new house in Rowlett in JAN87).  The updated Extra license received is with an effective date of 02/24/97 for the address at 8317 Liberty Lane, Rowlett, TX which was about 5-6 weeks after closing on the Rowlett house.

Australia - Commonwealth of Australia Department of Transportation and Communications (CoA DoTC), (later becoming the Australian Communictaion and Media Authority (ACMA))

Unrestricted Amatuer Radio Licence VK8JJ

• 03MAY90 Received Amatuer Radio, Unrestricted, license from Commomwealth of Australia Department of Transportation and Communications on 08MAY90.  Date of initial license expiration (pending renewal) was 09APR91.  Renewed it each year.

• ~SEP05 Licence address updated by very dear friend, John Goda, VK8HF (became an SK in MAY19), to his address in the Darwin NT area since no longer living in the Alice Springs area (having returned to the US living and working in the Denver, CO area since JAN05). 

• SEP16 Let the VK8JJ licence lapse – just was not “seeing” an opportunity in returning back to work and live there again.  John was most gracious in renewing my license and using his address each year until I decided to not continue the yearly renewal.

Volunteer Examiner (VE)

• W5YI VEC Issued 06OCT86 Never did anything with W5YI.

• ARRL VEC Issued 01APR91 I was one of the VEs for the overseas VE group that we had in Alice Springs, NT, Australia from ’91 to ‘99.  I became the liaison and lead for the VE group from '99 until departing Australia in late '04.  I found out in ~’00 that we were conducting the only VE test sessions in Oceania (when finding out from Bart Jahnke, KB9NM, the ARRL VEC Manager then, that a person from American Samoa was looking for a VE Test Session verifying "when" we were having our next one).  I remain current as an ARRL VE.

• Laurel VEC Initial issue MAY12, reissued/updated 11FEB20 VE with Dayton Hamverntion's Exams Team in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2022-2024.  Due to work, family matters, and another relocation, I was not able to contribute to the Dayton VE test session group in 2014 (temp living and work in CA) and then for 2016 - 2019 (again due to work coupled with relocating back to CO from northern VA).  I reactivated with the Dayton Hamvention Exam group for the 2020 Dayton Hamvention, then being notified in late FEB20 the 2020 Dayton Hamverntion was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and to look forward to augmenting the VE Exam group for the 2021 Dayton Hamvention.  Of course, the 2021 Dayton Hamvention was also cancelled due to Covid-19.  Scheduled, rostered, and served back with the Exams team when restarting for the 2022 Dayton Hamvention.  Served at the 2023 and 2024 Dayton Hamventions.