I posted a few weeks back that I had picked up my amateur radio (HAM) license. The basic license is Technician Class and I was issued the call sign KI6MDR. I felt like I needed a good personal challenge and had a some free time so I decided to see if I could get all the amateur class licenses. About two weeks after my first license I found two testing dates for the next two classes taking place within a week of each other. I figured I’d try to cram all this into a confined period of time and give it a shot. If I succeeded great! If not, at least I’d tried.
The General Class test took some studying but was not all that hard. The Amateur Extra was a whole different story! I spent a good 6 solid days studying, memorizing and constantly sorting through flash cards for that one. I have no electrical engineering background, so for me it was like trying to cram an entire semester for a college level final in just 6 days. I’ve never had so many microfarads, megaohms and intermodulation interference frequencies running through my head. Anyway, right around the one month anniversary of my initial license I passed the Amateur Extra exam.
One of the additional privileges of the Amateur Extra Class license is you can apply for some special Vanity call signs that are shorter than those allowed for the other classes. I got word this week that I am now officially: KX6A. (Thanks to Jason Niedle who helped with the graphic.)
