When I was 16 years old I was offered an engineering job at our local TV station -- the NBC outlet in Providence RI -- after I graduated from high school. But they said I had to have a First Class Radiotelephone to qualify for the job.
No worries I said and I went to work studying. But since I'd have to make the long trip to Boston I decided to take all of these tests in one sitting: - third class radiotelephone - second class radiotelephone - first class radiotelephone - third class radiotelegraph - second class radiotelegraph - radar endorsement - Amateur Extra Several months later I was ready and off I went to Boston. The FCC office had a receptionist "gatekeeper" so I requested the seven license examinations I wanted to take (there were no fees in those days). She smiled at me like I was some smart alec kid trying to prank her. She demanded that I be serious, so I repeated my list,.. She excused herself and brought out the FCC Engineer-in-Charge to challenge me. I recited my requests to him. He -- reluctantly -- agreed and he said "well lets start with the Amateur Extra code test." I smiled and off I went to be tested at 20 WPM, with many of the Boston FCC office workers including the receptionist and the Engineer-in-Charge watching over my shoulder. To make a long story short, three hours later I left the office having qualified for all seven licenses. The FCC Engineer-in-Charge shook my hand as I left with a big smile on his face. I started at WJAR-TV immediately after high school graduation and worked there full time during the summers and part time during the rest of the year for nearly four years while studying for my EE at W1KMV (err... the University of Rhode Island). 73 Frank W3LPL ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Kane" <k2...@kanafi.org> To: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Sent: Friday, May 1, 2020 10:23:23 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] New Mystery: Copying groups vs plain language text (Rather OT) On 5/1/2020 11:14 AM, Dave Sublette wrote: > February 1, 1963 I sat for my Extra with the District Engineer himself > in the Federal Building, downtown San Francisco. I never did know his > name and I cannot read his signature on the certificate on the wall > behind me. That was Ney R. Landry, W6UDU, later K6RI. Ney was my first boss at the agency, and was a real Louisiana Gentleman who went out of his way to help people unless they tried to cross him. The one thing that he did not tolerate was dishonesty. He started with the FCC after pre-WW-II Navy service as a radioman. He served in the FCC's Radio Intelligence Division in San Francisco during WW-II, and then was assigned as the Resident Engineer in San Diego until 1956 when he was reassigned to San Francisco as the Assistant Engineer in Charge. He became Engineer in Charge in 1964 and was promoted as the first Regional Director in 1976. He retired in 1980 after 40+ years with the FCC and passed away in 2012 at the age of 95, still living with Mary in that little cottage in San Leandro. His outside passion was golf and he never missed a Saturday except for the one when his son got married. He taught me an awful lot, for which I will always be grateful. 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane ______________________________________________________________ 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 donov...@starpower.net ______________________________________________________________ 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
