ww0dn
03-23-2002, 06:38 PM
Just little note on the ?Spirit? of Amateur Radio. I recently upgraded to Extra Class and as I studied I monitored all forms of information regarding an upcoming test session.
I need to explain that finding a VE session in our neck of the woods (extreme NW Minnesota) takes considerable planning since my QTH is located in a rather remote area. It?s not remote in the sense of most services, but finding an organized group of hams does require some travel.
Although, my studying had not reached the point where I was completely comfortable with the results. But while searching the Internet one evening, I found that the Red River Valley Club, located in Fargo, ND, was going to set up a test session for a class they had been conducting for new hams coming into the hobby. I fired off an e-mail asking if I could also come in on that date and take the Extra exam. The reply was favorable.
My wife and I made the 150-mile trip on the night prior to the test. We secured a motel room and enjoyed a nice dinner at one of the city?s better restaurants. The following day we arrived about an hour early at the test site.
We were accepted with a degree of enthusiasm. All of the club?s members who were at the site that day were coming up and greeting us, wishing me well in my attempt and just generally made us feel very welcome. As the VE explained to the class, and to myself and another ham who had come with a goal similar to mine, he paused for a couple of seconds, then directed his attention to the two of us who had come for the Extra exam.
He was sorry, he said, but they were only able to muster two Extra class VE?s and we might not be able to write the exam if they could not find another (since three Extras are required to perform the examination for that class license). Needless to say, we were disappointed at the news, but neither of us were what I would call ?upset? over the dilemma. After all, the session had been scheduled for their students, all of who were taking the entry level Technician test. The session had not been publicized as a general test session for all classes.
The club members were all over us. They apologetic and you could feel they were genuinely concerned that we had made the trip at some cost, and may not be able to test. I was impressed with their genuine concern and tried to reassure them that I understood their situation. As it turned out, they did find a third Extra class VE and we both got through the exam with the desired results.
The point of all this is I was impressed with their concerns for the two of us who were taking the Extra exam. We had imposed on them, and when the glitch popped up that might have thwarted our goals, they responded by going out of their way to accommodate us. It is just this ?spirit? of hams working to accommodate other hams that makes this a great hobby. To the members of the RRV Amateur Radio Club, my deepest thanks. They are the kind of hams (and I do not think that they are unique among our ranks) that shed only a positive light on the people who make up this hobby.
I need to explain that finding a VE session in our neck of the woods (extreme NW Minnesota) takes considerable planning since my QTH is located in a rather remote area. It?s not remote in the sense of most services, but finding an organized group of hams does require some travel.
Although, my studying had not reached the point where I was completely comfortable with the results. But while searching the Internet one evening, I found that the Red River Valley Club, located in Fargo, ND, was going to set up a test session for a class they had been conducting for new hams coming into the hobby. I fired off an e-mail asking if I could also come in on that date and take the Extra exam. The reply was favorable.
My wife and I made the 150-mile trip on the night prior to the test. We secured a motel room and enjoyed a nice dinner at one of the city?s better restaurants. The following day we arrived about an hour early at the test site.
We were accepted with a degree of enthusiasm. All of the club?s members who were at the site that day were coming up and greeting us, wishing me well in my attempt and just generally made us feel very welcome. As the VE explained to the class, and to myself and another ham who had come with a goal similar to mine, he paused for a couple of seconds, then directed his attention to the two of us who had come for the Extra exam.
He was sorry, he said, but they were only able to muster two Extra class VE?s and we might not be able to write the exam if they could not find another (since three Extras are required to perform the examination for that class license). Needless to say, we were disappointed at the news, but neither of us were what I would call ?upset? over the dilemma. After all, the session had been scheduled for their students, all of who were taking the entry level Technician test. The session had not been publicized as a general test session for all classes.
The club members were all over us. They apologetic and you could feel they were genuinely concerned that we had made the trip at some cost, and may not be able to test. I was impressed with their genuine concern and tried to reassure them that I understood their situation. As it turned out, they did find a third Extra class VE and we both got through the exam with the desired results.
The point of all this is I was impressed with their concerns for the two of us who were taking the Extra exam. We had imposed on them, and when the glitch popped up that might have thwarted our goals, they responded by going out of their way to accommodate us. It is just this ?spirit? of hams working to accommodate other hams that makes this a great hobby. To the members of the RRV Amateur Radio Club, my deepest thanks. They are the kind of hams (and I do not think that they are unique among our ranks) that shed only a positive light on the people who make up this hobby.