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08/24/2006: "KI4QXQ"

What does KI4QXQ stand for?

One of our plans when we go cruising is to stay in touch with those we leave behind via email. How do we send an email from a boat away from the dock? By amateur or ham radio is how. Our boat is equipped with a Single Sideband radio which also has the capabilities of an amateur radio. In order to transmit on the amateur radio frequencies a license is required. Obviously in order to implement our plan one of us needs an amateur radio license. Last Saturday after several weeks of studying I went to New Bern and took the test for the “Technician” class license. Today the FCC issued the call sign FI4QXQ giving me all the rights and privileges of a Technician class operator. Unfortunately the rights and privileges of a Technician do not allow me to transmit on the frequencies that are used for emails. This means that I have several other tests to take to get to the “General” class which includes the use of the necessary frequencies. That may take a while since one of the tests is the use of Morse Code. Until then I will be busy on the lower spectrum.