What is the toll-free number for the ARRL members? I am
a life member but became one in 1975 long before the present
landscape existed.

	My license expires at the end of this month. I was going
to renew it on line via the new Mac I have at work but got
caught in one of those wonderful accessibility snags. Right now
the only browser for Mac that is truly accessible is safari
which is a good thing because many sites will work with safari,
but, of course, not the FCC's site. It requires Internet
Exploder, probably one compiled by the light of a 3RD-Quarter
moon when it is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with
Mars. Well, the Fifth Dimension gave me that idea, but one would
hope that a public site would be less esoteric.

	Anyway, when I tried to apply for a FRN, it appeared to
work but then nothing ever happened on their end.

	The Firefox browser might work, but it has not yet been
made accessible for the Mac. It probably will be one day, but
not before March 31. GRRR!

	I could have gone the Windows/JAWS route at work, but I
am a UNIX geek through and through and I knew that these things
would happen from time to time, but I need to go to Plan B for
now.


	As for remembering the good/bad old days, I cam remember
a few trips down town in Oklahoma City in the seventies to take
the 13-WPM CW, once in 1969 at which point I flunked but got
enough right in a row to qualify for a Technician License.

	In March of 1970, I went back to that place of terrors
and passed. In fact, I remember the examiner watching me say the
letters and he just stopped the tape after a minute because I
already had it.

	One of the last times I took one of those FCC-given
exams was in 1976 in a relatively new building at 5TH and
Robinson in Oklahoma City called the Alphred P. Morough Federal
building. It was the Advanced Class and I passed it after 2
tries.

Louis Kim Kline writes:
>I guess that dates me too, because I remember going to 111 West Huron 
>St.  In fact, I went there to take my Advanced Class test.  The Technician 
>test and three out of the four 13 wpm code tests that I failed were taken 
>in Syracuse.  The FCC used to go there four times a year, and I was going 
>to college at Syracuse University at the time.  I did fail one 13 wpm test 
>in Buffalo, too, but I came so close that I knew that I would hit it on the 
>next try.
>
>I still remember the euphoria of the day that I passed the 13 wpm and 
>passed the Advanced written test.  I guess unofficially I was a General for 
>about an hour--the amount of time between when I passed the 13 wpm and when 
>I passed the Advanced Class written exam.
>
>I went straight from there to the nearest Radio Shack to buy a 4 pin 
>connector so I could wire a microphone for the Kenwood TS130S, and I went 
>home and scavenged the Turner hand microphone that I referenced earlier 
>today from an old dead CB that my father gave me.  That was a great day.
>
>73, de Lou K2LKK
>
>
>At 04:51 PM 3/1/2008 -0500, you wrote:
>>Hi;
>>I know it dates me but it would prefer to just go to my local fcc.  I do pay
>>their salary.
>>Richard
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.2/1305 - Release Date: 2/29/2008 
>>6:32 PM
>
>Louis Kim Kline
>A.R.S. K2LKK
>Home e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>Work e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>Work Telephone:  (585) 697-5740  
>