 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
|
|
 Previous: New ISS Ham Antenna Installation Now Set for Aug 26 |  Next: Medical Mission to Honduras |
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 21, 2002--The FCC audit of a W5YI-VEC Amateur Radio test session in California is continuing. So far, the probe into a September 1, 2001, examination session in Yucaipa has led to the suspension of seven volunteer examiners and the cancellation of five Amateur Radio licenses. The FCC also is looking into other test sessions conducted by the same VE team.
The W5YI-VEC's Larry Pollock, NB5X, said possible irregularities surfaced earlier this year in the form of an e-mail and a telephone call concerning two candidates at VE sessions in Yucaipa. "One of the reports was that they had purchased a license in California," Pollock said. "The other was that the individual in question could not copy code, and that if he had passed the exam, he had done so fraudulently."
After considerable investigation on his own, Pollock said he saw "enough questionable things" that he felt retesting was in order "and that's what we proposed to Riley," he said, referring to FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth.
Pollock identified the VEs as team leader Carl A. Alford, WB6RUF; Irene L. Alford, KM6GT; Renato P. Songco, N6UAN; Ana Luz V. Saycon, W6LUZ; Khanly V. Saycon II, KQ6OP; Mharloun V. Saycon, KQ6OR; and Khanly F. Saycon Jr, KS6X. All were suspended as VEs last January 3, pending the outcome of the FCC inquiry. Pollock said all had been VEs for more than two years. Hollingsworth said the FCC would continue to investigate other examinations administered by the VEs involved in the September 1, 2001, session in Yucaipa.
In July, Hollingsworth announced that five W5YI-VEC exam candidates--four from the September 1 Yucaipa session--had not appeared for retesting as requested and had been stripped of their Amateur Radio licenses. Pollock said the four September 1 candidates were current licensees seeking upgrades that included the Element 1 5 WPM Morse code examination. All had passed Element 1 during the original test session with perfect copy.
Cancelled by the FCC for failing to appear for retesting were Camito E. Lopez, KG6GJG, of Los Angeles, a Technician licensee seeking HF privileges; Marcial S. Rivas, KG6HCP, of Salem, Oregon, who had upgraded to General; Manuel M. Vega, KG6GSP, of Anaheim, California, who had upgraded to General; and Marcelino G. Llanes, KG6HBR, of Oxnard, California, who had upgraded to General.
"They were no shows for the re-exam, and if they had actually done as well in the original code test as it appeared, they should have had no problem passing it," Pollock said this week. He added that there was no reason to believe there were any irregularities involved in the written examination elements administered at Yucaipa.
Also failing to reappear for retesting and cancelled by the FCC in mid-July was Eddie C. Bartolome, N6YAG, of Los Angeles. Bartolome, an Extra-class licensee, had been an examination candidate at earlier VE sessions conducted by the now-suspended W5YI-VEC team. According to Hollingsworth, Bartolome was alleged to have told another complainant that he could get him an amateur license for $100.
Hollingsworth praised the W5YI VEC for acting promptly in the case. "W5YI-VEC really did their homework on this one," he said, "picking up on some comments and complaints on Internet newsgroups about the exam session and, doing a little further research, found some good reasons to refer the matter to us. We really appreciate the vigilance of the W5YI VEC in this case."
| Previous: New ISS Ham Antenna Installation Now Set for Aug 26 | Next: Medical Mission to Honduras |
