> I didn't really follow the path of an engineer. Didn't have
> a mentor, didn't have an internship or apprenticeship. The
> station needed work done, I have an ability to learn
> something extremely quickly, so I picked up the manual to
> the transmitter and had at it. Google, broadcast.net, and
> talking with other engineers gave me a crash course in best
> practices.
Back in the day when a First 'Phone meant something I was a PD whose engineer left to fire up his own station. Things already being clean, I jumped into a quickie-school to get the stuff I had already been doing legal. The guy running the particular school (REI, Fredericksburg, VA) was really up-front. He told everyone on day one that the school would get you a license but no practical knowledge. Since I had been doing it for ten years or more with some very good engineers, no problem.
But to SBE:
I was a very early member before there were any tests or certifications, so guess I could have been grandfathered into almost anything. But this was in the days when one of the primary advantages of SBE was the good information to be gotten from their then self-published magazine. I got one issue, then no more. Complained and asked that they fix the problem...they agreed it was a mistake...but no magazines arrived. Ever. So, when the bill for continuing membership arrived I just pretended it hadn't. End SBE membership. Of course at that time the First 'Phone counted for everything; SBE was more of a
sort of fraternal organization. Still, not haveing any certs didn't hurt me; in deed, I found participation in SMPTE (by then I was in TV and out of radio) was more helpful.
Some might say it's "Irish Alzheimers"....forgets everything except a grudge. But, not true, I don't forget grudges...I cherish them, keeping each one in a little velvet lined box. Goes with age, along with pride in having outlived 95% of people who ticked me off over the years. Grrrrrr!
Still got that First 'Phone...now called "General"...and stick it on the wall whenever I do volunteer stuff for an AM or FM. Makes the paper feel useful if nothing more.
Of course on the certification side it's all different now and I sure hope that keeping track of membership has improved.
BTW, the self-published magazine was FAR superior (when you actually got it) to the later sub-section stuck into Broadcast Engineering.
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When you're done impeaching the prez, keep on going; recall every member of congress and lock 'em up! Let's try NO govt. for a while.</P>
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