Get Your Ham Ticket
Prior to taking your Technician Class exam, you must get an FRN number from the FCC. It replaces your Social Security Number.
A "Ham Ticket" is shorthand for an FCC-issued Amateur Radio License. This is something you legally need to transmit in any mode on any authorized amateur radio frequency.
GCARC club members, through the Volunteer Examiner program, support monthly examination (test) sessions that you can attend. They are conducted on the second Thursday of the month at the GCARC clubhouse - for details, and to make sure you have all the right stuff to bring to a test session, and that the VEC (test coordinator) knows you are coming, it is recommended you contact Gary Reed, N2QEE (VEC) in advance, before coming out to one of his administered test sessions.
Gary N2QEE's contact info: glreed49 <at> verizon <dot> net
GCARC club members, through the Volunteer Examiner program, support monthly examination (test) sessions that you can attend. They are conducted on the second Thursday of the month at the GCARC clubhouse - for details, and to make sure you have all the right stuff to bring to a test session, and that the VEC (test coordinator) knows you are coming, it is recommended you contact Gary Reed, N2QEE (VEC) in advance, before coming out to one of his administered test sessions.
Gary N2QEE's contact info: glreed49 <at> verizon <dot> net
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary - November 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, Reports : It was a busy month for the VE Team with three VE sessions. On Thursday, November 9, 2023 the normal monthly session had one candidate who upgraded to Amateur Extra. The candidate was Todd Foster KE2CAH of Glassboro. His upgrade was posted on November 14th because of the holiday weekend.
The attending VE's were :
On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the VE session for the Technician and General Classes was held. There were four candidates with two new Technicians and an upgrade to General. The candidates were :
The attending VE's were :
The third session was on Friday, November 17, 2023 for candidates in the Amateur Extra Class. There were five candidates with three upgrades. The new Amateur Extras were :
The attending VE's were :
A big thank you to the VE's who helped with the sessions.
Next year they'll be additional Ham classes for upgrades to General and Amateur Extra. Also Technician classes for people who may be interested in getting into the hobby, Go for it.
The next monthly session will held Thursday, December 14, 2023 @ 1900 Hours at W2MMD Clubhouse.
Gary Reed, N2QEE, Reports : It was a busy month for the VE Team with three VE sessions. On Thursday, November 9, 2023 the normal monthly session had one candidate who upgraded to Amateur Extra. The candidate was Todd Foster KE2CAH of Glassboro. His upgrade was posted on November 14th because of the holiday weekend.
The attending VE's were :
- Mike N2WOQ
- Mike KG4JYA
- Jerry K2EAB
- Chris AD2CS
- Mike N2MHO
- Rich W2RHS
- Court KD2SPJ
- Gary N2QEE
On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the VE session for the Technician and General Classes was held. There were four candidates with two new Technicians and an upgrade to General. The candidates were :
- Mary Ciraula KE2CEF Technician of Pittsgrove
- Robert Kay KE2CEG Technician of Mullica Hill
- Glen Guenther KE2BUO General of Sewell
The attending VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Mike N2WOQ
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Earl KC2NCH
- Rich W2RHS
- Mike KG4JYA
- Mike N2MHO
- Court KD2SPJ
- Gary N2QEE
The third session was on Friday, November 17, 2023 for candidates in the Amateur Extra Class. There were five candidates with three upgrades. The new Amateur Extras were :
- James Ricketts KC3TYH of Media, PA
- Joseph Gadoury KE2AKT of Tabernacle
- Jean Wilson-Kinney KE2AHV of Medford
The attending VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Earl KC2NCH
- Mike N2WOQ
- Rich W2RHS
- Mike N2MHO
- Gary N2QEE
A big thank you to the VE's who helped with the sessions.
Next year they'll be additional Ham classes for upgrades to General and Amateur Extra. Also Technician classes for people who may be interested in getting into the hobby, Go for it.
The next monthly session will held Thursday, December 14, 2023 @ 1900 Hours at W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary - October 12, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : The regular monthly VE session was held on Thursday, October 12, 2023 with two candidates. One was a Technician candidate who passed his exam and the other was a Technician Plus who let his license expire. To renew his license he had to take the current Technician exam which he passed. He then took the General exam which he also passed. The candidates were :
· Todd Foster KE2CAH (formerly KD5FUF) General Class of Glassboro, NJ
· Robert Jensen KC3WWL Technician Class of Wilmington DE
The session report was electronically sent to the league on Thursday night and their licenses were posted early Saturday morning after they had paid the $35 license fee.
The participating VE's were :
· Mike KG4JYA
· Mike N2WOQ
· Rich W2RHS
· Gary N2QEE
A big thank you to the VE's.
The next VE session will be held at the W2MMD Clubhouse on Thursday, November 9, 2023 @ 1900 Hours.
Below is an email from candidate, Bob Jensen, regarding his experience with Thursday's VE session. A special thank you to Mike KG4JYA, Mike N2WOQ, and Rich W2RHS who helped with the exam. Contrary to popular belief, I still know how to grade an exam.
Also I had a conversation with the candidate from Delaware and he said our VE group has a good reputation among the Ham community of having a very good VE testing group. A big thank you to the group for volunteering your time to achieve this standing.
“Gary,
Just an FYI of how things went. Thursday evening, took the exam at 7:00pm. Friday afternoon at 4:00pm, received email that my status was Green light and a request for payment. Saturday morning at 03:14am, received the link to access my license. Amazing how efficient everything went. Doesn't get any better. Thanks for everything. Also, express my thanks to all who were there Thursday evening.
Bob Jensen, KC3WWL”
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : The regular monthly VE session was held on Thursday, October 12, 2023 with two candidates. One was a Technician candidate who passed his exam and the other was a Technician Plus who let his license expire. To renew his license he had to take the current Technician exam which he passed. He then took the General exam which he also passed. The candidates were :
· Todd Foster KE2CAH (formerly KD5FUF) General Class of Glassboro, NJ
· Robert Jensen KC3WWL Technician Class of Wilmington DE
The session report was electronically sent to the league on Thursday night and their licenses were posted early Saturday morning after they had paid the $35 license fee.
The participating VE's were :
· Mike KG4JYA
· Mike N2WOQ
· Rich W2RHS
· Gary N2QEE
A big thank you to the VE's.
The next VE session will be held at the W2MMD Clubhouse on Thursday, November 9, 2023 @ 1900 Hours.
Below is an email from candidate, Bob Jensen, regarding his experience with Thursday's VE session. A special thank you to Mike KG4JYA, Mike N2WOQ, and Rich W2RHS who helped with the exam. Contrary to popular belief, I still know how to grade an exam.
Also I had a conversation with the candidate from Delaware and he said our VE group has a good reputation among the Ham community of having a very good VE testing group. A big thank you to the group for volunteering your time to achieve this standing.
“Gary,
Just an FYI of how things went. Thursday evening, took the exam at 7:00pm. Friday afternoon at 4:00pm, received email that my status was Green light and a request for payment. Saturday morning at 03:14am, received the link to access my license. Amazing how efficient everything went. Doesn't get any better. Thanks for everything. Also, express my thanks to all who were there Thursday evening.
Bob Jensen, KC3WWL”
Gary Reed, N2QEE with 11 year old Lucas Teaque, KC3SCY, and his General Class upgrade
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summaries
September 10, 2023 & September 14, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : On September 10, 2023 the Hamfest VE session had seven candidates with six achieving a new license or upgrades. At the session we had two candidates who were upgrading to General that were eleven and fifteen years old. Both passed the General, the fifteen year old tried the Extra exam getting 22 questions of 50 right. Since they are both under 18 they are eligible for the reduced exam fee of $5. The league will also reimburse the $35 FCC new license fee for candidates under 18.
Lucas Teague KC3SCY of Glenmoore, PA, the 11 year old was the youngest upgrade we have had for any of our VE sessions. He has a ICOM IC-718 and has been active on the Technician CW portion of the 40 and 80 meter bands with the help of his Elmer Joe Fell W3GMS. He also works DX on the 10 meter band. His father James holds a Technician license KB3HNU. It's good to see that there is interest from the younger generation for Amateur Radio especially CW.
The remaining candidates were :
There were some issues with the electronic file transfer but it was corrected by Monday afternoon.
The participating VE's were :
I'm glad to see the interest in the testing at the Hamfest since last year we had no candidates.
The regular monthly VE session was held on September 14, 2023 with three candidates. Two were Technician candidates who passed their exam and the third a former General who had left his license expire. For a former licensee to regain their license, they must pass the current Technician exam and show proof of a former license to obtain their former class of license.
The successful candidates were :
The participating VE's were :
A big thank you to the participating VE's for both sessions. The next VE session will be held at 1900 Hours on October 12, 2023 at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
September 10, 2023 & September 14, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : On September 10, 2023 the Hamfest VE session had seven candidates with six achieving a new license or upgrades. At the session we had two candidates who were upgrading to General that were eleven and fifteen years old. Both passed the General, the fifteen year old tried the Extra exam getting 22 questions of 50 right. Since they are both under 18 they are eligible for the reduced exam fee of $5. The league will also reimburse the $35 FCC new license fee for candidates under 18.
Lucas Teague KC3SCY of Glenmoore, PA, the 11 year old was the youngest upgrade we have had for any of our VE sessions. He has a ICOM IC-718 and has been active on the Technician CW portion of the 40 and 80 meter bands with the help of his Elmer Joe Fell W3GMS. He also works DX on the 10 meter band. His father James holds a Technician license KB3HNU. It's good to see that there is interest from the younger generation for Amateur Radio especially CW.
The remaining candidates were :
- Brady Cowden KD2ZWM, General (15 years old) of Collingswood NJ
- Darren Hoffman KE2BWG, Technician of Jackson NJ
- Romulus LoCollo KE2BWL, Technician of Raritan NJ
- Christopher Thompson N2WFK, Amateur Extra of Runnemede NJ
- Andrew Gliddon KC3WSH, Technician of Springfield PA
There were some issues with the electronic file transfer but it was corrected by Monday afternoon.
The participating VE's were :
- Steve W2SEF
- Rich W2RHS
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Alex K3CIM
- Earl KC2NCH
- Mike N2MHO
- Mike N2WOQ
- Jerry K2EAB
- Gary N2QEE
I'm glad to see the interest in the testing at the Hamfest since last year we had no candidates.
The regular monthly VE session was held on September 14, 2023 with three candidates. Two were Technician candidates who passed their exam and the third a former General who had left his license expire. For a former licensee to regain their license, they must pass the current Technician exam and show proof of a former license to obtain their former class of license.
The successful candidates were :
- Michael Colgan KC3WSM Technician of Marcus Hook PA
- Melissa Guenther KE2BWZ Technician of Sewell NJ
- Sean Pratt KE2BWX General (formerly N1ZQU) of Runnemede NJ
The participating VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Court KD2SPJ
- Rich W2RHS
- Mike KG4JYA
- Gary N2QEE
A big thank you to the participating VE's for both sessions. The next VE session will be held at 1900 Hours on October 12, 2023 at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary : August 10, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : The monthly VE session was held on August 10, 2023 with one candidate. The candidate received her General upgrade. The session was considered a non-exam session with no exam administered.
Roslyn Marder N2AKL had passed the Technician exam prior to March 21,1987 (actually licensed 08/08/1978). Since at the time the exam consisted of 50 questions with a 5 word per minute code test, the FCC recognizes it as credit for the current General license. She provided proof of her past license with an original copy of her license.
She was required to pay the $15 session fee but the FCC $35 fee was waived since it was an upgrade. Congratulations to Roslyn.
The participating VE's were :
A big thank you to the participating VE's.
There is now a new question pool for the General exam which was effective July 1,2023.
Next month’s VE session will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 1900 Hours at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
There will also be a session at the Hamfest on Sunday, September 10, 2023.
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : The monthly VE session was held on August 10, 2023 with one candidate. The candidate received her General upgrade. The session was considered a non-exam session with no exam administered.
Roslyn Marder N2AKL had passed the Technician exam prior to March 21,1987 (actually licensed 08/08/1978). Since at the time the exam consisted of 50 questions with a 5 word per minute code test, the FCC recognizes it as credit for the current General license. She provided proof of her past license with an original copy of her license.
She was required to pay the $15 session fee but the FCC $35 fee was waived since it was an upgrade. Congratulations to Roslyn.
The participating VE's were :
- Mike N2OWQ
- Mike KG4JYA
- Rich W2RHS
- Steve W2SEF
- Chris AD2CS
- Lee N2LAM
- Jerry K2EAB
- Mike N2MHO
- Court KD2SPJ
- Gary N2QEE
A big thank you to the participating VE's.
There is now a new question pool for the General exam which was effective July 1,2023.
Next month’s VE session will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 1900 Hours at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
There will also be a session at the Hamfest on Sunday, September 10, 2023.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary
June 27, 2023 & July 13, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : We had two VE sessions in the last month. One for the Technician and General classes and the monthly July session.
The June 27th session had nine candidates from the two license classes. All candidates obtained a license.
The participating VE's were :
There were some issues with the FCC ULS posting of the Technician candidates. For some reason three of them were in the ether because they didn't make it to the database. They had to contact FCC ULS customer service to resolve the issue. They were very helpful in resolving the problem. Evidently the FCC ULS still has some issues.
The July monthly session was held on July 13, 2023. We had no candidates for the session. Since the FCC doesn't recognize a session with no candidates, the ARRL doesn't acknowledge the session.
The participating VE's were :
The ARRL session postings have been changed to no longer require preregistration for the session, Since we have the technology at the Clubhouse to create a FRN and a copy of their license, preregistration isn't necessary. A big thank you to the attending VE's and Chuck Colabrese WA2TML who has helped with the classes and past VE sessions.
The next VE session will be August 10th at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
June 27, 2023 & July 13, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE, reports : We had two VE sessions in the last month. One for the Technician and General classes and the monthly July session.
The June 27th session had nine candidates from the two license classes. All candidates obtained a license.
- Charles White IV KE2BPD (Technician) Sewell
- Beth Kraus KE2BPE (Technician) Vineland
- Dionsios Goulianos KE2BPK (Technician) Wenonah
- Richard Nicholas IV KC3WIR (Technician) Swarthmore PA
- Aimee Ortiz KE2BPJ (Technician) Clementon
- Humberto Espanol N3PKH (General) Swedesboro
- Melissa Seidner KE2BEK (General) Burlington
- Ethan Yost KE2AVA (General) Burlington
- Jacques Latoison KE3VYU (General) Chester PA
The participating VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Jim N2GXJ
- Earl KC2NCH
- Rich W2RHS
- Mike N2MHO
- Court KD2SPJ
- Mike N2WOQ
- Gary N2QEE
There were some issues with the FCC ULS posting of the Technician candidates. For some reason three of them were in the ether because they didn't make it to the database. They had to contact FCC ULS customer service to resolve the issue. They were very helpful in resolving the problem. Evidently the FCC ULS still has some issues.
The July monthly session was held on July 13, 2023. We had no candidates for the session. Since the FCC doesn't recognize a session with no candidates, the ARRL doesn't acknowledge the session.
The participating VE's were :
- Rich W2RHS
- Chris AD2CS
- Mike KG4JYA
- Court KD2SPJ
- Jerry K2EAB
- Steve W2SEF
- Mike N2WOQ
- Gary N2QEE
The ARRL session postings have been changed to no longer require preregistration for the session, Since we have the technology at the Clubhouse to create a FRN and a copy of their license, preregistration isn't necessary. A big thank you to the attending VE's and Chuck Colabrese WA2TML who has helped with the classes and past VE sessions.
The next VE session will be August 10th at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC License Class VE Exam Testing Summary
June 8, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The GCARC monthly VE session was held on June 8th. There were two candidates at the session with an upgrade to Amateur Extra and an upgrade to General.
These candidates were upgraded by noon on Friday the 9th. At 1 PM, the FCC ULS server went down for "maintenance" so the candidates wouldn't be able to see their upgrades in the FCC database. Theoretically their licenses would be in limbo since they can't be seen in the FCC database. The FCC hasn't given a time when the ULS will be back so no new license filing can take place. But the FCC CORES site is available to pay the fees.
The VE's who assisted with the session were :
Thank you to the participating VE'S. Congratulations to the candidates on their upgrades. The next monthly VE session will be held on July 13, 2023 @ 1900 Hours at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
June 8, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The GCARC monthly VE session was held on June 8th. There were two candidates at the session with an upgrade to Amateur Extra and an upgrade to General.
- Konstantin Reznitsky KE2BDR (Amateur Extra) of Voorhees, NJ
- Tim Searl KC3VHU (General) of Chester Heights, PA
These candidates were upgraded by noon on Friday the 9th. At 1 PM, the FCC ULS server went down for "maintenance" so the candidates wouldn't be able to see their upgrades in the FCC database. Theoretically their licenses would be in limbo since they can't be seen in the FCC database. The FCC hasn't given a time when the ULS will be back so no new license filing can take place. But the FCC CORES site is available to pay the fees.
The VE's who assisted with the session were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Court KD2SPJ
- Mike KG4JYA
- Earl KC2NCH
- Lee N2LAM
- Rich W2RHS
- Mike N2WOQ
- Mike N2MHO
- Gary N2QEE
Thank you to the participating VE'S. Congratulations to the candidates on their upgrades. The next monthly VE session will be held on July 13, 2023 @ 1900 Hours at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC License Class VE Exam Testing Summary
May 11, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The GCARC monthly VE session was held on May 11, 2023. There were six candidates at the session with a upgrade to Amateur Extra, three upgrades to General, a new Technician and one former Extra who had let his license lapse and was restored by passing the Technician exam.
The VE's who participated with the exam were :
Congratulations to the candidates and a big thank you to the participating VE's. The next monthly VE session will be Thursday June 8, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
May 11, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The GCARC monthly VE session was held on May 11, 2023. There were six candidates at the session with a upgrade to Amateur Extra, three upgrades to General, a new Technician and one former Extra who had let his license lapse and was restored by passing the Technician exam.
- Darrin Malone KD2ALQ (Amateur Extra) of Vineland
- Harry Maloney III KE2ALG (General) Vineland
- Edward Martino AD2FP (restored Amateur Extra) of Medford
- Konstantin Reznitsky KE2BDR (General) of Voorhees
- Christopher Slusar KE2BJL (Technician) of Somerdale
- Todd Woodward KD2ESH (General) of Turnersville
The VE's who participated with the exam were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Earl KC2NCH
- Steve W2SEF
- Court KD2SPJ
- Mike N2WOQ
- Rich W2RHS
- Chris N2IVN
- Gary N2QEE
Congratulations to the candidates and a big thank you to the participating VE's. The next monthly VE session will be Thursday June 8, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC License Class VE Exam Testing Summary
April 18 and 21, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : A VE session was held on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 for the students of the Technician and General license preparation classes. There were 10 candidates from the classes and an additional outside candidate. Four of the students received Technician licenses and four upgraded to General. One student achieved both Technician and General. The outside candidate also achieved a Technician license. A total of five Generals and five Technician licenses were obtained. The upgrades were posted on Wednesday and the Technicians were posted on Thursday morning.
The General upgrades were :
The Technician licensee's were :
The participating VE's were :
A VE session was held in conjunction of the Amateur Extra license class on Friday, April 21, 2023. There were six candidates for the exam from the class and three candidates achieved their upgrade to Amateur Extra license.
They were :
The participating VE's were :
A big thank you for those who helped with the additional VE sessions and help to support the goals of the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club to promote Amateur Radio.
April 18 and 21, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : A VE session was held on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 for the students of the Technician and General license preparation classes. There were 10 candidates from the classes and an additional outside candidate. Four of the students received Technician licenses and four upgraded to General. One student achieved both Technician and General. The outside candidate also achieved a Technician license. A total of five Generals and five Technician licenses were obtained. The upgrades were posted on Wednesday and the Technicians were posted on Thursday morning.
The General upgrades were :
- Joseph Gadoury KE2AKT of Tabernacle
- Jean Wilson-Kinney KE2AHY of Medford
- Ralph Daggan III KE2AHX of Sewell
- Randy Testa KC3VCC of Havertown, PA
- James McCullough KE2BEL of Sewell passed both his Technician and General exams
The Technician licensee's were :
- Carl Jackson KE2BEE of Mount Royal
- Jacques Latoison KC3VYU of Chester, PA
- William Steacy KC3VYV of Philadelphia, PA
- Felicia Jackson KE2BED of Mount Royal
- Melissa Seidner KE2BEK of Burlington
The participating VE's were :
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Courtney KD2SPJ
- Chris AD2CS
- Mike N2WOQ
- Jim N2GXJ
- Mike KG4JYA
- Mike N2MHO
- Rich W2RHS
- Gary N2QEE
A VE session was held in conjunction of the Amateur Extra license class on Friday, April 21, 2023. There were six candidates for the exam from the class and three candidates achieved their upgrade to Amateur Extra license.
They were :
- David Kappler N3DRK of Magnolia
- Michael Covaleski N2MMC of Sewell
- Donald Martel Sr KE2AIB of Blackwood
The participating VE's were :
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Chris AD2CS
- Mike N2WOQ
- Courtney KD2SPJ
- Earl KC2NCH
- Steve W2SEF
- Mike N2MHO
- Rich W2RHS
- Gary N2QEE
A big thank you for those who helped with the additional VE sessions and help to support the goals of the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club to promote Amateur Radio.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary
April 13, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held April 13, 2023 with 3 candidates. All three passed their exam.
There was an issue with the league batch filings to the FCC and one candidate's posting was delayed. This was corrected on Monday morning and the candidate received their call sign on Tuesday morning. The other candidates received their upgrade and license Friday night. Being able to electronically submit session results has reduced the time it takes to receive candidates license. When it was mailed it was a week to ten days. The league VEC has been very receptive to solve the problems.
The participating VE's were :
A big thank you to the participating VE's. The next VE session will be Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
April 13, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held April 13, 2023 with 3 candidates. All three passed their exam.
- Marty Wilt, W2ILT of Laurel Springs upgraded to Amateur Extra
- Konstantin Reznitsky, KE2BDR of Voorhees obtained Technician
- Robert Bleattler Jr, KC3VXW of Upper Chichester, PA obtained Technician
There was an issue with the league batch filings to the FCC and one candidate's posting was delayed. This was corrected on Monday morning and the candidate received their call sign on Tuesday morning. The other candidates received their upgrade and license Friday night. Being able to electronically submit session results has reduced the time it takes to receive candidates license. When it was mailed it was a week to ten days. The league VEC has been very receptive to solve the problems.
The participating VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Mike KG4JYA
- Steve W2SEF
- Jerry K2EAB
- Rich W2RHS
- Earl KC2NCH
- Gary N2QEE
- Lee N2LAM
- Courtney KD2SPJ
A big thank you to the participating VE's. The next VE session will be Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary
March 9, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held March 9, 2023 with no candidates.
The participating VE's were :
The next VE session will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
March 9, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held March 9, 2023 with no candidates.
The participating VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Mike KG4JYA
- Steve W2SEF
- Jerry K2EAB
- Rich W2RHS
- Mike N2WOQ
- Earl KC2NCH
- Gary N2QEE
The next VE session will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary
February 16, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held February 16, 2023 with one candidate. The candidate passed their Technician exam.
The participating VE's were :
A thank you to the VE's who helped with the session. The next VE session will be held Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
February 16, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held February 16, 2023 with one candidate. The candidate passed their Technician exam.
- Ethan Yost, KE2AVA, of Burlington, NJ
The participating VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Lee N2LAM
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Mike N2WOQ
- Gary N2QEE
A thank you to the VE's who helped with the session. The next VE session will be held Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse.
GCARC Monthly VE Exam Testing Summary
January 12, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held on January 12, 2023 with 3 candidates. All candidates passed their examinations.
The FCC license upgrade went through the next day and the one Technician license was posted Saturday morning. The second candidate's Technician license wasn't posted till Wednesday the 18th. This was due to the fact the FCC CORES website was hacked sometime Friday night or Saturday morning. Although the candidate had paid the $35 fee no license was issued. As of the afternoon of January 18th the FCC CORE site was back up.
The participating VE's were :
A thank you to the VE's who helped with the session. The next VE session will be held February 16, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse. Due to a scheduling conflict this date is the third Thursday of the month.
January 12, 2023
Gary Reed, N2QEE reports : The monthly VE session was held on January 12, 2023 with 3 candidates. All candidates passed their examinations.
- Marty Wilt W2ILT of Laurel Springs upgraded to General Class
- Benoit Desjardins KC3VKQ of Glen Mills, PA achieved Technician Class
- James Keeney KE2AOR of Haddonfield achieved Technician Class
The FCC license upgrade went through the next day and the one Technician license was posted Saturday morning. The second candidate's Technician license wasn't posted till Wednesday the 18th. This was due to the fact the FCC CORES website was hacked sometime Friday night or Saturday morning. Although the candidate had paid the $35 fee no license was issued. As of the afternoon of January 18th the FCC CORE site was back up.
The participating VE's were :
- Chris AD2CS
- Mike N2MHO
- Lee N2LAM
- Jeff WB2ZBN
- Mike KG4JYA
- Mike N2WOQ
- Earl KC2NCH
- Rich N2RHS
- Gary N2QEE
A thank you to the VE's who helped with the session. The next VE session will be held February 16, 2023 at 7 PM at the W2MMD Clubhouse. Due to a scheduling conflict this date is the third Thursday of the month.
The South Jersey Radio Association has testing sessions at the New Brooklyn United Methodist Church, 1336 East Malaga Road, Williamstown, NJ at 7 PM on third Wednesday of the month. There are NO testing sessions during the months of November and December.
The Southern Counties Amateur Radio Association (SCARA) offers a VE testing session on the first Thursday of each month. The testing location is at the Anthony Canale Training Center, 5033 English Creek Avenue, Egg Harbor Township, NJ. The doors open at 6:30 PM and testing begins at 7:00 PM. Pre-registration is required. Be sure to bring your photo I.D. and current license if you are upgrading to a higher license class. The current testing fee is $15.
To pre-register, please contact Larry Schall, KB2MN at 609-287-5340 or kb2mn <at> arrl <dot> net.
The PDF file downloads below are publicly available material
2022-2026 Technician Class (Element 2) exam is 35 questions out of a pool of 412 questions
2023-2027 General Class (Element 3) exam is 35 questions out of a pool of 432 questions - (Effective July 1, 2023)
2020-2024 Amateur Extra Class (Element 4) exam is 50 questions out of a pool of 620 questions
2022-2026 Technician Class (Element 2) exam is 35 questions out of a pool of 412 questions
2023-2027 General Class (Element 3) exam is 35 questions out of a pool of 432 questions - (Effective July 1, 2023)
2020-2024 Amateur Extra Class (Element 4) exam is 50 questions out of a pool of 620 questions
2022-2026 New Technician Class (Element 2) Question Pool.PDF
2022-2026 New Technician Class (Element 2) Tech Graphics.PDF
2023-2027 General Class (Element 3) Question Pool.PDF
2023-2027 General Class Graphic G7-1.PDF
2020-2024 Amateur Extra Class (Element 4) Question Pool.PDF
2020-2024 Amateur Extra Class Question Pool Diagrams.PDF
Download Part 97 FCC Rules
2022-2026 New Technician Class (Element 2) Tech Graphics.PDF
2023-2027 General Class (Element 3) Question Pool.PDF
2023-2027 General Class Graphic G7-1.PDF
2020-2024 Amateur Extra Class (Element 4) Question Pool.PDF
2020-2024 Amateur Extra Class Question Pool Diagrams.PDF
Download Part 97 FCC Rules
Amateur Radio License Practice Exams and Study Websites
www.hamstudy.org : Find A Test Sessions
ARRL : Find An Amateur Radio License Online Exam
Gordon West Study Guides
KB6NU's No-Nonsense Study Guides
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Getting My Dad’s Call Sign
By Mary Delemarre, W2TDS (Formally KD2PLH) My dad, Steve Blasko, known to hams as W2TDS passed away on December 30, 2020. He had been a ham since he was a teenager, even before he was an electronics technician in the Navy. He learned about ham radio while at Merchantville High School in an after-school club. He was 17 when he got his ham ticket and his driver's license. Some of my earliest |
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memories are of my dad saying "CQ CQ this is W2TDS Whiskey Two Tango Delta Sierra calling CQ". When I was six I moved upstairs into the bedroom he had built for me. My mom and dad did not have enough money to pay for a finished second floor, so dad did it himself. I cannot think of my bedroom without remembering going to sleep with the crazy sounds of the antennas blowing in the wind.
The idea to get my dad's call sign was suggested to me by my brother, Stephen Jr., just after we had said a toast to my dad. We had just come back from arraigning his funeral. It all seemed so surreal. Two months earlier he had been driving, paying bills, walking and talking, and now he was dead. At the end he wasn't even able to talk, but he passed away peacefully looking at my mom, his wife of 55 years. I was glad I was there when he passed, I had been able to say goodbye to the man who had raised me to become the person I am today. I probably would not be an electrical engineer or a ham without his encouragement and guidance. He was always encouraging me to get my license, especially after I got my Electrical Engineering degree from Rutgers and the Morse code requirement was dropped. I had thought about it from time to time, but finally did something about it when I attended a ham cram session at the Trenton Computer Festival and passed the test. I waited a few months to tell my dad. I told him on father's day. He was so happy and said it was the best present ever. The next day he drove down to HRO in Delaware and bought me my rig - a Yaesu 857d.
But was I worthy of his call sign and could I get it with just a technician’s license? I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew the members of the Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club would help me if I asked for help. I got lots of encouragement and advice from them and it helped me navigate what to do.
I did a lot of research to better understand call signs, vanity signs and how to get vanity signs. I learned that the FCC wants to start charging hams licensing fees. I did not know if that had gone into effect and the FCC website certainly did not help clear up my confusion.
From my research I learned that the rules of vanity call signs had relaxed and I would be able to qualify for my dad's call sign with a technician class. For more information on vanity signs please refer to : https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/amateur-radio-service/amateur-call-sign-systems. I also learned that the FCC fees for ham vanity call signs had not been implemented.
My first attempt to get my dad's call sign failed, because he still had the call sign. I needed to alert the FCC that he had passed before I could request it as next of kin.
MAIL METHOD : "The license of the former holder now deceased must show a status of expired or cancelled in the licensee database. See Section 97.31(a). This is accomplished by submitting a request that includes a death certificate or obituary that shows the person named in the operator/primary station license grant has died. Such a request may be submitted as a pleading associated with the deceased licensee's license and sent to : FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245
ELECTRONIC METHOD : You can submit all the information via the FCC’s support web page by clicking on “Submit a Help Request”: https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services. At the bottom of the help request page you can attach a file if needed before submitting the notice to FCC.
I chose the electronic method. I attached an electronic copy of the death certificate and included links to the obituary. I also mentioned that I was planning to request his call sign.
The website says "Allow FCC one to two weeks to cancel the license. You can verify the FCC has canceled the license by looking up the FCC license call sign data at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/systems-utilities/universal-licensing-system. If the license has been canceled, FCC will show the license STATUS as "CANCELED"."
About a week or so later I checked. Please refer to Figure 1 below.
Now that my dad's call had been canceled, I resumed my electronic application for my dad's call sign. It was still pending from my first attempt.
According to the FCC website "After the license is canceled in the system, the eligible family member will have a limited amount of time to apply for the call sign depending on the date of death. The time allowed may be as little as 30 days or up to 2 years to apply for the call sign as a vanity call sign before it goes back into the pool of available call signs."
“An eligible family member would apply under the eligibility : CLOSE RELATIVE OF FORMER HOLDER.
The applying amateur must have their FRN (Federal Registration Number) and their CORES/License password to log in to the FCC's online Filing System : https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp. Filing online is fairly easy and you will know immediately the FCC has received the request and that the application was completed correctly.”
“If you have any questions or issues with the password to login, you can call the CORES help desk.
FCC CORES/FRN Help Line: 877-480-3201 (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET).
Once you have logged in, applying for a vanity call sign online is very easy and should take less than 5 minutes”.
It took about 5 minutes. I chose CLOSE RELATIVE and I believe I mentioned I was his daughter. See Figure 2 below for the confirmation of my request to get W2TDS.
It takes the FCC about 18 days to issue the new call sign. I checked every few days and finally on March 16th I was W2TDS. Refer to Figure 3 below.
I also had to register my new call sign with http://www.echolink.org so I can continue participating on the 2M Thursday net rag chew using EchoLink.
Speaking of which, I would like to thank the 2M Thursday net crew for their encouragement and help in getting my dad's call sign. I would especially like to thank Vinnie N4NYY and Steve W2SEF for the detailed emails.
I hope I can live up to my dad's legacy as W2TDS.
73,
Mary Delemarre
W2TDS