Application delivered & received - callsign next week hopefully

I've spoken with Comreg who tell me they have received my application for an Amateur Station Licence and all seems in order. I should have my new callsign and licence some time next week hopefully.

I look forward to many QSOs on the air, with ham operators local and worldwide, on HF and VHF.

Here's me with my results form

One for the record . . .

If I look a bit tight in the face, forgive me. It's not intentional. I was holding the Nikon D200 with flash attached in one hand because there was no-one else around to take the photo!

Just an official photo of muggins with his results. I think I might pour myself a wee glass of wine now and enjoy the feeling of having passed.

I PASSED - WITH FLYING COLOURS!

The results just came. My XYL is reading them out on the phone.

Section A: 26 out of 35 - 74.29%
Section B: 12 out of 15 - 80%
Section C: 9 out of 10 - 90%

So that's not just a pass, but a good one! 60% needed in each of the three sections. My total is 78.3% (47 questions right out of 60). Brilliant. Delighted.

Wooohoooo!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say I'm over the moon. I was told by Thos EI2JD today that I was the only one who doubted myself - everyone else knew I had it in me. I'm delighted with the scores, particularly with Section A where I thought I scored less. Congratulations to those who have passed and commiserations to anybody who didn't make it this time round. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Michael in Kilkenny who hasn't received word in the post today. Hopefully tomorrow Mick - good luck!

I took a slightly extended lunch break today to deliver my licence application directly to the Comreg offices. I figured with the way the post has been lately it would cut some time out of the equation. I left my completed application with a nice young lady called Aisling. Hopefully I will be on the air very soon.

Thanks to all who phoned or texted today - word travels fast - and hopefully we'll all be having nice QSOs on the air in the coming days.

I'm delighted with my scores in Section B - where I got 12 out of 15 - and Section C - where I missed just one to score 9 out of 10. I had a funny feeling I had done well in those sections. It was Section A that had me worried. But I needn't have stressed.

No post today - unfortunately ! :(

Countup Timer: 2 weeks 0 days since the exam

The XYL is just on the phone now (12.09pm) telling me that there was no post. The postman did deliver one item of (unwanted) post but regrettably there was nothing from Comreg.

It's agonizing, all this waiting . . .

Welcome news re training from the IRTS

This welcome news was included in this week's IRTS news:

Train the Trainers

The Society is considering running a "Train the Trainers" session for theory tutors intending to run classes and who wish to use the Society's CD Exam Course Guide. This may also be of interest to those unable to attend classes and who wish to use the Guide as a study aid for the Theory Examination.

The two-hour session would most probably take place on a weekend afternoon and would demonstrate how best to use the CD Guide and also practical matters relating to
preparing students to sit the Exam. If you are interested in participating in such a Training Session please drop an email to Paul EI2CA or Seamus EI8BP or indeed any of the Committee Members. Their contact details are on the IRTS website and in the latest issue of Echo Ireland.

I have to say I think this is fantastic news. There were no theory classes operating in my area while I was studying for the exam, so I would have absolutely availed of the above suggested service. Let's hope it gets off the ground.

Watching and waiting for the post . . .

Countup Timer: 1 week 6 days

Tomorrow will mark two weeks since the exam, and I am waiting with much anticipation on the post. I am at work, so I have asked the XYL to keep a close eye for the postman at home. The post is normally delivered some time in the morning at home. Lately, the postman has been around early, before I depart for work, but not this week apparently.

I have given fairly direct instructions to her good self, which she said she would oblige in doing. I told her if she sees an envelope from Comreg, just to open it and find out whether I passed or failed, and then to phone me, and just utter two words: either "you failed" or "you passed". No beating around the bush, no delays, no procrastination. Just give me the result as soon as I answer the phone!!

So, here I am busying myself with work, hoping the envelope will arrive sooner rather than later. I find myself watching the phone, thinking I might have missed a call or a text message. In fact, it's now 12.18pm, so I must give her a buzz and see if any post came.

UPDATE: 12.26pm - the XYL is on the phone, telling me there's no post! :(

The long wait continues . . .

I had been doing a "countdown timer" in advance of the exam, and now that it's over I should be doing a "countup timer". The wait seems eternal. It is now 11 days since I sat the exam and, it being the weekend, I know I will not receive any notification from Comreg before at least Monday.

My recently-licenced friend, Brian EI7GVB, tells me it was 17 whole days after the exam when he finally received his "golden envelope" from Comreg. By that measure, it would be next Friday before I find out. Hopefully not. The wait is agonising.

However, I'm a bit more relaxed about it now. I realise that although I found Section A tough going, I think I did enough to pass it and I reckon I did well enough on Section B and Section C. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I've been doing a wee bit of listening, as usual. While HF has been quiet all week, VHF has been more exciting. Most of the HF bands were closed a lot of the time, although right now, as I write this, there is good activity on 20 metres, and there were some openings earlier on 17 and 15 metres. On VHF, there seems to have been a resurgence of interest in 2 metres. I was particularly interested to hear a gentleman called Terry on the air, using his father's callsign - EI8Z - a nice short one!! Some of the people licenced after the June exam are regulars, including Nick EI7GOB in South Dublin, who can regularly be heard operating through the Dundalk Repeater EI2CCR. There are some new operators north of the border too who have recently joined the hobby. One local operator who had been licenced earlier in the decade - Darragh EI8IZ - is back on the air after a long break and can regularly be heard on 2 metres also. I look forward to working you Darragh IF I get the licence!! I hope also that you get set up on HF soon.

On Monday of this week, Short Wave Listeners, myself included, were delighted to hear so many people call in after the IRTS news - a total of 20 callsigns were registered. Peter EI4HX (EI0RTS) was kept busy for a long time after the news bulletin with all the callers. Ironically, the news itself was short this week.

Just checking the Dundalk Amateur Radio Society website, I see there are ZERO sunspots. This has been the norm this year. We are in a very prolonged period of low activity. Hopefully, things will begin to lift soon and we'll see some spectacular aurora - and some spectacular conditions on HF!!

Life hasn't been quite the same since Tuesday 6th October for me. I have not been doing any study!! So things have been a bit easier, a little less pressurised. I don't miss the study really, although I did learn a lot and am grateful for the experience. I hope I don't have to pick up the books again next year to try again. Obviously, as soon as the post comes with the results, I will let you know.

In the meantime, I'm trying out a new High Definition video camera. Maybe I'll point it at the sun, and see if I can see some sunspots!!

73 de
EI1597