My Work Permit

I don’t need government permission to run this website, but I did need permission to run the radio station transmitter when I was working alone on the weekends. The requirement was passing the test for an FCC 3rd Class Radiotelephone Operator’s License.

This study guide was printed the year after I took the test. Looking through the questions now, I can’t believe I knew any of this material.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-FCC/FCC-Commercial-License-Study-Guide-1974.pdf

Many wannabe DJ’s had trouble with the test. I passed it the first time. The license is in a box somewhere. As I recall, the FCC dropped the test before I quit the business. All you had to do to get a license was fill out a form and send it in.

Let me amend something I said. Parts of Element 9, the more technical section, are still with me.

The Cold Facts of Heating Oil

My oil-fired furnace is now over 25 years old. A lot older than it was in that picture. It’s from the first week of this site, September 2006.

This year for the first time, at the insistence of the oil company, I’m on a monthly payment plan. Until this heating season, paying for each oil delivery individually, the thermostats were usually set to 65 during the day, and 59 at night. The result was a chilly house.

Now that I’m being billed the same amount every month year-round, I’m not worrying about the cost of each oil delivery, or the thermostat settings. They’re set to 70 degrees all day and 65 at night. So, yeah, I’m burning a lot more oil, but enjoying the comfort level.

Although I have no intention of selling my house, which is held in a trust, I can imagine that an oil burner with forced hot water heat would be a negative on the real estate market. How long can I wait to replace the heating system, and what should I get to replace it?

My friends the Sinnotts replaced their oil furnace with Mitsubishi heat pumps. They love the system, especially because the house now has air conditioning. I’m looking forward to seeing their heat pump setup and, oh yeah, maybe looking at some original Joe Sinnott art.

I mentioned my house being in a trust because of this cautionary tale: