Michael L. Shepp
2528 E 149th Avenue
Lutz, Florida 33559, USA
Hillsborough County
Ten Ten No. 60872
Latitude: 28.086679 (28° 5' 12" N)
Longitude: -82.426981 (82° 25' 37" W)
Grid: EL88sc
I have held my Amateur Radio License, WB4DPC since 03-20-73.
Link to My callsign WB4DPC
Look up WB4DPC on the FCC website
WB4DPC - FCC Database Formatted
WB4DPC - FCC Database Unformatted
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Solar X-rays: Geomagnetic Field: |
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From n3kl.org |
FCC Drops Morse Code
New Licensing Structure
More than a year after it first proposed reducing the number of amateur license classes and asked
hams for input on code speed requirements, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
handed down its restructuring decision on the final business day of 1999. Here is a summary of
changes, which are effective as of April 15, 2000: New Amateur Exam Question Pools New Licensing Practice Ham Exams
Java World Clock v. 3.2 - shows the date and time in all 24 time zones.
My Other HAM Pages
as of February 23, 2007.
as of April 15, 2000.
Only three license classes: Technician, General,
and Amateur Extra
Only one code exam at 5 wpm for HF privileges
(General and Extra)
NCVEC advances revised Morse testing standards
The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators has voted to set up revised standards for the administration
of Morse code examinations in the US.
Under the revised standards, examinees would have to show 25 character-count solid copy on test sheets or successfully
answer seven out of ten questions of a fill-in-the-blank quiz on the sent text. The plan would bar multiple choice tests
for Morse code testing.
Morse examinations would specify use of a Farnsworth "character speed" in the range of 13 to 15 WPM. Morse code audio
pitch would have to be between 700 and 1000 Hz. Standard 5 WPM tests with 5 WPM character speed could be administered
only as a special accommodation.
The new Morse testing standards are to be in effect by next July 1, but VECs may implement them sooner.
The NCVEC vote came July 21, 2000 during a meeting of VECs in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
ARRL Amateur Exam Question Pools
The following sites will allow you to take a practice exam for the Technician, General or Extra Class License. These are using the questions from the new April 15, 2000 question pools.
eHam.net Practice Ham Exams
Sometimes there is confusion between GMT, UTC and ZTIME. As utilized, these time designators all mean the same thing. It is based
on the time at Greenwich, England (hence GMT - Greenwich Mean Time). You may see references such as 1200 GMT, 1200 UTC or 12Z. These
are all the same time.
My Ham Links, My PSK31 Page, My SSTV Page, My Icom Page, My Kenwood Page and My Yaesu Page can be accessed using the Menu on the top.
Amateur radio is a technical as well as social and public service hobby that spans the entire world. Amateur radio (also known as HAM Radio) attracts people from all walks of life (from Kings, Senators, famous musicians, to the
person next door) who are interested in all facets of radio communications. Amateur radio allows people the advancement of one's knowledge of radio theory, electronics, and emergency management.
The hobby can be as simple as talking on local-area repeaters with those in the same town, to building your own radio or experimenting with new forms of telecommunications. The HAM hobbyist can talk to those on the other side of the earth with nothing more than a simple High Frequency transceiver and an equally simple wire antenna.
Amateur radio is used in search-and-rescue, contests, disaster aid (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, accidents, fires), and much more. Amateur radio operators talk with other HAM radio hobbyists using all sorts of communication modes. From Morse Code and voice to Slow Scan Television and computer networking through the radio waves,
These hobbyists reach out with goodwill from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios and antennas. Dedicated hobbyists have pioneered in new technology, contributing to advances in technology that has impacted the world of communications in all areas of our lives. Even ham-astronauts take radios with them on space shuttle missions, and make calls to earth-bound Amateurs.
Getting started in Amateur Radio has never been easier. If you are in the United States, one way to start is to locate a radio club in your area. Some radio clubs offer ham radio licensing classes, or they can find a club volunteer to answer your questions. You may even be invited to attend a local radio club meeting. You will also want to check out the ARRL website.
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Hits since May 1, 2000
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