Anybody obtain their Radiotelegraph Operator License Lately?

Dave, not sure I am looking at the right thing, but...

To qualify, you must:

• be a legal resident of (or otherwise eligible for employment in) the United States; and
• be able to receive and transmit spoken messages in English; and
• pass a written and/or telegraphy examination(s) as required by the Rules.
• be at least 21 years old; and
• have one year of experience in sending and receiving public correspondence by radiotelegraph at a public coast station, a ship station, or both.

I am afraid the last bullet would be a show stopper... Am I way out in left field?
John
K4AGO

 

When I took the test a long time ago, 20 WPM plain text, 16 WPM 5 letter/number code groups, one minute solid copy receive and send test on a bug.
Written exam included technical questions all the way back to spark transmitters and cat's whisker emergency reserve receivers.
Also required to draw schematics of several kinds of circuits.

Back then, all us teenagers in the radio club that were into CW sat and passed the exams. The club Elmer encouraged us to excel in all our radio skills.

 

Hi John, yeah you're in left field alright. That last bullet is for the old 1st class (T-1) and that doesn't exist anymore. You don't need any experience to get a T-license, just pass the elements. The only thing experience will get you is a "six-month endorsement" which will be hard to come by, but you can do it if you work as a Radio Officer on a ship. 73 Jeremy N1ZZZ

 

ETA offers all the required elements. You just have coordinate with them. Took me a couple months of politicking to work out the logistics.

 

Getting my GROL + Radar was pretty easy. I just called up and paid when I got to my college testing center, and then took the test. Believe it or not but those licenses are part of my degree in electronics. So they might have set all that stuff up ahead of time in anticipation of the students.

 

My union school is training people to be electronics techs on ships. Those people need to get their GROL, GMDSS-b (operator/maintainer) and radar endorsements. So they already offered elements 1, 3, 7, 8, & 9. Getting them to offer me what I needed for T took me a couple months emailing back and forth and the union people working with ETA to offer the rest of the elements. ETA can do it if you are persistent, but not sure about your school. As an aside, if you can, take element 9 and get your GMDSS-m license. The radio techs who repair ship radios/radars and do the annual tests might be a good career option for you, without having to go to sea. 73 Jeremy

 

Both MRHS at Pt Reyes California KPH/KFS/KSM/K6KPH and the SS American Victory KKUI/W4AVM are active VE's for commercial radiotelegraph tests. These are the two actively doing the testing now days. W8IM, CHOP KKUI

 

The M.I.T. Radio Society W1MX offers monthly testing for amateur and all commercial

licenses including Radiotelegraph and GMDSS combinations one Wednesday evening per month. Busy ,

well-organized, but appointment necessary for Radiotelegraph and Radar endorsement. Check out

their website. On main campus Massachusetts Ave. right over the bridge in Cambridge, MA.


For clarification, Radiotelegraph T-1, T-2, T-3 no longer exist, as previous posted messages

correctly identify. Similar to earlier FCC cost-cutting move with Radiotelephone, all licenses

folded-in to one group license roughly equivalent to 2nd-Class ; simply "Radiotelegraph Operator".



Old 3rd-Class RTG was worthless for employment just about anywhere. 16 WPM code test.

2nd- Class RTG required 20WPM plain-language and 16WPM 5-character coded groups.
Fulfilled all international treaty requirements for Coast Station R/O, shipboard under
licensed R/O until 6-months continuous service at-sea acquired.

1st-Class required one year aggregate continuous employment as professional radiotelegraph
operator at a station in the Maritime Mobile Radio Service or its military counterpart. 25WPM
plain-language, 20WPM coded groups. Text was not 5 minutes in duration, need to copy one minute
during approx 3-1/2 minute run. 1st-Class only required for Chief Radio Officer aboard U S flag
passenger ship.

Good gig in 1970's and 1980's--$100,000 for 6-month work year on US- flagged ship-- $600,00 today?

Great lifestyle if you're accustomed to state prisons.

QUS? " Have you sighted survivors or wreckage? If so, what position?"

FB

 

I can proctor those....though I haven't done it in ages.
At one time I had EVERY fcc license there was EXCEPT for the first radiotelegraph....couldn't get the sea time. But I've had a 2nd for 40 years. Even had the aircraft radiotelegraph endorsement.

 

The salary isn't even close. There are currently 3 ratings in the radio department on the few merchant ships that still carry them. RO is paid the least, REO a bit more, and ETO the most. Wages vary with contract, but probably average around $120,000 for 6 months work, plus benefits. The kicker is that you aren't going to be doing a lot of "radio" work these days. Mostly computer and control electronics upkeep and repair, especially if you're an ETO. They aren't even looking for USCG RO/FCC "T" licenses any more. They want GROL and GMDSS-b. There is an international endorsement for ETO, and the USCG offers it, but their requirements are strange.

73 Jeremy N1ZZZ