A quick check of the Ham radio web site told me that the exam I needed is offered every month in an adjoining county and that I needed to bring $15 and 2 pencils.  So, I contacted them and scheduled a slot.

When I arrived for the exam, I was surprised to see 9 other people.  I thought, “WOW’, there are a lot of people taking the test.  But then I learned that there were 5 examiners, 4 candidates and 1 spectator.  The spectator was a friend of the examiners.

I must admit, I wasn’t expecting 5 examiners.  But, then I realized that this was a part of the examine protocol.

While studying for my Ham radio license, I noticed that each practice exam contained a variety of subjects.  Some of the questions contained practical common sense items such as not climbing your antenna tower during a rain storm.

And of course, there was a section on rules and regulations for operating your Ham radio station and a section on general electronics.  And all of these I could deal with.  But, when it came to radio theory, I was somewhat lost.

For example, I had no idea what radio frequencies work best during a period of sun spots.  Or what causes a “Knife edge” reflection.  So, for these questions, I relied  strictly on memorizing the answers.

Who knows, maybe some day I will learn the radio theory.  But for right now, the focus is on passing the test.