MAHONING VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION 2000 LICENSE EXAMS

MAHONING VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION 2008 LICENSE EXAMS

Youngstown’s pioneer Volunteer Examiner Team, the MVARA VE Team, announces its 2008 schedule of amateur license testing sessions:

January 17, March 20, April 26*, May 22, July 17, September 27*, November 20

BELOW YOU WILL FIND ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW PRIOR TO TAKING YOUR EXAM. PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL (330) 534-1394 BEFORE THE TESTING SESSION.

1) All exam dates shown above EXCEPT THE APRIL AND SEPTEMBER DATES are held at the YSU Facilities Building on Wood Street in Youngstown. Enter via the door on the left side of the building, the testing facility is at the top of the stairs on the second floor. The April and September exams are held at the Hubbard Public Library on West Liberty Street in Hubbard, Ohio. The Hubbard location is barrier free. Directions to both locations are at the bottom of the page.

2) Pre-registration is suggested to assure you a seat at the exam. We will accept walk-ins but due to limited seating in the testing center those who have pre-registered will receive seating preference. Registration will be accepted until the capacity of the room is reached. If the room is filled, walk-ins cannot be guaranteed a prompt exam and may have to wait for a seat to open after a previous examinee is finished. To pre-register call (330) 534-1394.

3) Check in time for the April and September exam dates opens Saturday morning at 10:30 AM with exams promptly at 11:00 AM. All other dates are on Thursdays and have check in opening at 6:30 PM with exams at 7:00 PM.

4) Written exams for ALL AMATEUR LICENSE CLASSES are offered at all testing sessions. THERE IS NO LONGER A REQUIREMENT TO PASS A CODE EXAM FOR ANY AMATEUR LICENSE CLASS.

5) All candidates must show TWO forms of identification including one photo ID at check in. If you do not have a photo ID you can show a student ID, social security card, library card, credit card, birth certificate, mail addressed to you or existing radio license. This is mandated by the FCC. NO IDs, NO EXAM.

6) We will provide all the necessary FCC forms and will assist you in filling them out prior to the exams. Please do not bring your own form. The FCC periodically revises their forms and often will not accept older versions.

7) Please bring your own calculator if you plan to use one. We will provide the pencils and scratch paper.

8) Use of hand held calculators for math problems on the written exams is permitted but ALL MEMORIES MUST BE EMPTY! We are required to check all calculator memories prior to testing. Please save us time by clearing all calculator memories before you come to the exam.

9) IF YOU ARE ALREADY LICENSED YOU MUST BRING YOUR ORIGINAL LICENSE PLUS A COPY OF THAT LICENSE WE CAN KEEP! There is a two year grace period on all expired licenses. If the expiration date on your most recent license is more than two years old you are no longer a licensed amateur radio operator and we cannot accept this license for any credit toward an upgrade. Written exams must be passed to become licensed again. Expired licenses cannot be renewed after the two year grace period has passed. IF YOU ARE ALREADY LICENSED BE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR F.R.N. number which is required on the FCC form. Call 330-534-1394 for details on finding your FRN. If you do not have a FRN (if you are unlicensed you will not have one) you will be required to fill in your social security number on the FCC form. When your license is issued you will be assigned a FRN that will appear on your license.

10) IF YOU HAVE ANY CERTIFICATES FOR ELEMENTS PASSED AT A PREVIOUS EXAM SESSION YOU MUST BRING THE ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE AND A COPY OF THAT CERTIFICATE THAT WE CAN KEEP. Please remember that a CSCE (Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination) is good for 365 days beginning on the date of issue. Once a CSCE has expired it has no value, the test elements that it covered must be taken again. Those who are not licensed must first pass the Technician written exam before taking and passing the General written exam to achieve the General license. If they have already passed the General exam and have a current CSCE to indicate that this exam has been passed but have not yet passed the Technician exam, a General license will be issued upon passing the Technician exam and presentation of that CSCE. The Amateur Extra license cannot be issued unless the applicant has passed the Technician and General written exams first and has either a current license or current CSCE to indicate such. LICENSES within the grace period can be accepted to show license class. CSCEs expire one year from the date of issue, have NO grace period and can not be renewed.

11) The testing fee for 2008 is $14.00 payable in cash or by check or money order made out to: ARRL/VEC. This fee covers any and all tests you wish to take at this exam session only. It does NOT include taking the same test elements a second time. If you are paying cash we would really appreciate it if you would have EXACT CHANGE. We don’t have a cash drawer on hand to make change for large bills. Checks are acceptable and should be made payable to: ARRL/VEC. This fee is set by the FCC and is used to defray the expense of processing your license. The MVARA does not receive any profit from this fee, our examiners are all volunteers. Applicants requesting a “paper upgrade” must also pay the $14.00 fee.

12) Your tests will be graded at the exam session and you will be notified of your results before you leave the building. Of course you will need to wait for a short period of time. By FCC regulations each test paper must be checked by three separate examiners. This and the associated FCC paperwork requires some time. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR RESULTS PRESENTED TO YOU IN PRIVACY PLEASE ADVISE THE EXAMINES WHEN YOU TURN IN YOUR EXAM.

13) You can bring your study material into the testing room and study until the actual testing begins. At that time you will be asked to remove all this material to another part of the room. When testing begins you can not have any material on the table or on your person except that which is provided by the examiners plus your own calculator.

14) If you require any special testing accommodations due to a handicap we will do all we can to help but we must require ADVANCE NOTICE OF AT LEAST 45 DAYS PRIOR TO THE EXAM DATE. Many handicap accommodations require us to schedule additional examiners or acquire special equipment and this can not be done on short notice. If you request special accommodations for a handicap less than 45 days prior to the exam we will reschedule you for the next closest exam date. No exceptions, please.

The Restructuring Act of 2000 has made it possible for some amateurs who received a Technician license prior to 1987 to receive an automatic license upgrade to General but since the formula for this is quite complex and date-specific it is best to call 330-534-1394 with any questions you may have if you feel you may qualify.

The YSU Facilities Building is located just a few blocks south of the MADISON AVENUE FREEWAY on WOOD STREET just east of the corner of Wood Street and Fifth Avenue. Here are directions from various points of arrival

1) Approaching on I-80 from the west (Akron, Ravenna etc) follow the signs to YOUNGSTOWN via I-680. From I-680 take Exit 6B and bear to the left and follow the sign marked HUBBARD and follow the directions in #2 below at ****.

2) Approaching from the east or south via I-680 (from Boardman, Poland, etc) get off I-680 at the HUBBARD EXIT. **** Continue to the exit marked “422 WEST, WARREN” which will put you on the MADISON FREEWAY. Take the exit marked FIFTH AVENUE. Turn LEFT at the light at the top of the ramp onto FIFTH AVENUE and proceed on Fifth through FIVE traffic lights. Do not count the light at the top of the ramp. When you’ve passed through the traffic light at RAYEN AVENUE the next cross street will be WOOD. Get into the far left hand turning lane. Turn LEFT when you reach the intersection with WOOD STREET. There is no traffic light at this intersection. The Facilities Building is the first red brick building on the LEFT side of the street, Parking on the right side of Wood Street is OK. No need to feed the parking meters after 5 PM. Enter via the door on the LEFT side (not the front) of the Facilities Building and go up one flight of stairs.

3) Approaching from the east on I-80 (Sharon, Hubbard, etc) exit I-80 at route 711 south. This exit, just west of the Belmont Avenue, route 193 exit, is a left hand exit off I-80. Once you have passed the Belmont exit make sure you are in the left lane. Follow 711 several miles to the junction with I-680. Follow the signs to I-680 SOUTH then take Exit 6B and bear to the left to follow the HUBBARD sign then follow the directions in #2 above at ****.

4) Approaching from the south via Route 11 (Canfield, Salem, etc) exit Route 11 onto I-680 by following the YOUNGSTOWN signs. From I-680 take Exit 6B, bear to the left and follow the HUBBARD sign then follow directions in #2 above at ****.

5) Approaching from the north via Route 11 (Warren, Niles, etc) stay on the road as it becomes route 711 until you come to the junction with I-680. Follow the signs to I-680 SOUTH, then take Exit 6B. Bear to the left and follow the Hubbard sign then follow directions in # 2 above at ****

6) HUBBARD LIBRARY EXAM DIRECTIONS: Interstate 80 to exit #234. Follow routes 7 and 62 south into Hubbard. Cross the railroad tracks then at the 4th traffic light turn RIGHT onto WEST LIBERTY STREET. Go through one traffic light on West Liberty. Go two blocks and the Hubbard Public Library will be on your RIGHT. There is a large sign in front of the building. Parking and the main entrance is in the rear of the building. From the greater Youngstown area take Routes 7/62 or Route 304 into Hubbard, go through three traffic lights. Library is on the LEFT.

IF YOU HAVE A 2 METER RADIO YOU MAY GET FURTHER TALK-IN DIRECTIONS ON OUR CLUB REPEATER AT 146.745-.