Ron wrote: > In the 1950's the U.S. 2nd class commercial Radiotelegraph license exam > required 20 wpm sending and receiving. Receiving was 5 character random > groups that included all punctuation and most of the special characters you > see above the numbers on a keyboard. After 6 months of sea duty as an > assistant radio officer, one could apply for a First Class license that > required the same but at 25 wpm. I don't recall how long we had to copy, > just the elation LS experienced at passing, Hi!
Ron, this is what I recall from the FCC commercial radiotelegraph Morse exams: Third Class and Second Class: 20 wpm plain language receive for five minutes, perfect copy required for 100 consecutive characters (one minute). 20 wpm plain language send (straight key use mandatory) for up to five minutes, perfect sending required for 100 consecutive characters (one minute). 16 wpm random character groups receive for five minutes, perfect copy required for 80 consecutive characters (one minute). 16 wpm random character groups send (straight key use mandatory) required for up to five minutes, perfect sending required for 80 consecutive characters (one minute). The test for First Class was as described above at 25 wpm plain language and 20 wpm code groups. Written exam elements 1, 2, and 5 were required for Third Class. Written exam elements 1, 2, 5, and 6 were required for Second Class and First Class. Element 6 required some short answer and schematic drawing. Everyone generally took the exam for element 8 Ship Radar as well. I passed the Second Class exam almost 40 years ago, but my old study books for the exam indicate that the tests listed above were in place even before WWII. AFAIK, the only change occurred in the early 1990s when the FCC began giving credit for all of the above if the candidate held an Amateur Extra license. That, of course, wasn't even remotely equivalent...I guess the FCC just got lazy. I took several ham Morse exams at the FCC in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Contrary to some claims otherwise, I do not ever remember the 13 wpm test being random code groups on a ham exam. That is far more difficult than plain language to a ham new to Morse. A good practical capability to function at 25 wpm was sufficient for starting a merchant marine radio officer career. Until it all disappeared on 12 July 1999, the MF Maritime Morse band (410 to 535 kHz) was the most magical spot in the entire radio spectrum...especially at night! I got solicited by the Radio Officer's Union in 1991...there weren't enough radio officers to man the US-flag merchant vessels that got re-activated after Desert Storm. What I really regret is that during my US Navy days there was nothing so small and capable as the Elecraft K1. I could have had a fine time *ashore* with a K1. Mike / KK5F ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
