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The Laurel VEC Technician, General, and Extra Class exams are given in the Melbourne area. The W4GAL Team exams are given the third Saturday of the month in the odd-numbered months. The W4GAL Team is one of the appointed VE Testing Teams with The Laurel VEC. There is no cost to take an exam with the Laurel VE Team, and we test in Melbourne. Pre-registration is required and it is necessary to have received an FRN from the FCC before testing. There is a link below to get an FRN from the FCC. We use your FRN, not your Social Security Number. Age is not a restriction for obtaining a license. Neither is gender, race, religion, political direction, or an infirmity of any kind. The first FCC exam I took was on my 13th birthday, at an FCC office in the Federal Building, Des Moines, Iowa. My daughter passed her first FCC exam when she was 10. My two grandchildren, ages 14 and 17 (at the time) passed the Technician exam in Guam. There is a deadline to the pre-registration. We need to enter all the candidate information into the Laurel-VEC system by noon on the day before the exam. Don't wait until the last moment. We prepare the paperwork the afternoon before the exams. The information we need from you is: • Callsign if you have one • FRN (see the link below if you need an FRN) • Have you ever been convicted of a Felony? • Full name, with middle initial if you have one • Suffix, like Jr. or III, if you have one • E-Mail address - Now required by the FCC • Street Address, or • P.O. Box • Daytime Phone (Attention to anyone in particular?) • City • State • ZIP Code • Do you have a previous application with the FCC that has not been acted upon? • Do you have Credit for Element 2, 3, or 4 with a CSCE? • Do you have an expired Technician, General, Advanced, or Extra Class Amateur Radio FCC license? • No money is needed. Laurel-VEC has been doing free exams since 1984. • Bring one form of a government-issued photo ID; youth - another form of ID may be used. • If you are upgrading, you need to bring the original or a copy of your FCC license. • Only VEs, library personnel, and examinees are permitted to be in the testing room. • If other family members arrive with you, they must relocate to another room in the library. • Until further notice, you need to bring and use a mask if the library requires it. Along with the above, we would like to know the exam(s) you are prepared to take. It is a waste of our time and resources if you request to take an exam where you have not studied. The questions on our exams are the same questions (and the same right and wrong answers) you will find in the books. All of the exam questions are available on the Internet and in ARRL books. However, don't let my warning hold you back. We recently had a fellow who emailed me and wanted to do the Technician exam. Then a week later, I got another email saying he thought he was ready for the General, also. Then another week went by and I received another email stating he thought he was ready for the Extra, too. Then he arrived for the exams, and passed all three without errors on any! We've had examinees in the past do all three at one sitting, but never without any wrong answers. If you need to register for an FRN: FCC By supplying this information, we will have your Form 605 ready for your signature when you arrive. There is no cost to a Laurel exam, but after the paperwork is sent in to the FCC, for the first license they will charge you $35. That needs to be paid within 10 days and you will immediately get your license. From then on, upgrades are "free." LAUREL-VEC TESTING DATES SCHEDULED FOR 2024: January 20, 2024- 9:30 AM March 16, 2024 - 9:30 AM May 18, 2024 - 9:30 AM July 20, 2024 - 9:30 AM September 21, 2024 - 9:30 AM November 16, 2024 - 9:30 AM LAUREL-VEC TESTING DATES SCHEDULED FOR 2025: January 18, 2025- 9:30 AM March 15, 2025 - 9:30 AM May 17, 2025 - 9:30 AM July 19, 2025 - 9:30 AM September 20, 2025 - 9:30 AM November 15, 2025 - 9:30 AM LOCATION: Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Melbourne, FL 32940 It's about 6 blocks north of the Pineda Causeway (404) off of Wickham Road. Easy to get to from the Pineda Exit on I-95, or the Pineda Exit on US-1, or A1A and Patrick AFB. There's a McDonalds on the Jordan Blass corner on Wickham. Advise me by phone, email, or snail mail if you would like to be in one of our exam sessions. • 352-871-4279 • gary@w4gal.com ........ . • W4GAL, 2909 W New Haven Avenue #111, Melbourne, Florida 32904 73, Gary W4GAL LINKS: The Laurel VEC website: Laurel VEC Register for an FRN: FCC American Radio Relay League: ARRL American Radio Relay League - Books: ARRL Books Platinum Coast Amateur Radio Society PCARS (Melbourne, Florida): W4MLB |
