@SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Hahaha. Years ago, the initiation ceremony was a sort of 3rd degree. Morse code was required. 5 WPM (words per minute) for the entry level licenses of Novice and Tech, 13 WPM for General Class, 20 WPM for Extra Class. There was also Advanced between General and Extra.
Each level involves increasingly difficult tests. Today, the code requirement has been eliminated and the tests are easier but still require study if you intend to pass the tests.
You should be able to find a local ham radio club near you and VEs (volunteer examiners) who can give you pointers and will adminster the tests. (Back in the day there were no VEs and you had to go to an FCC office for a scheduled test, and take the code and written tests for the class of license you were going after.)
There are many courses and books published to help you study for the tests but no Morse Code is required. Today, Morse Code is voluntary.
When the code requirement was removed, many of us thought it would come to a bad end and that Morse Code would die out. Morse Code did fade down for a number of years and then a new generation came along and realized how useful and fun it is. It's hard to learn. That's a fact. There's no shortcut. A high IQ won't help you with Morse. The learning curve is the steepest of anything I've ever learned, like straight up. But persistence does the job. You have to do it and do it until it becomes natural. It's exactly like learning to play piano or any other musical instrument. But boy is it fun. Once you get over the hump, Morse code is a blast.
Anyway, locate a ham or ham club near you and ask for assistance. Tell them you need an Elmer to help you along. They'll know what that means.
@SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Oh, I didn't answer your question specifically. If you pass the required test(s) the examiner will forward the paperwork to the Federal Communications Commission and you will be issued an official license of the proper class and a call sign that's unique in the world.
If you upgrade you'll get a new official license. If you don't like your call sign, there is a vanity call program. Depending on your license class you can apply for a different and/or shorter call. 1x2 and 2x1 callsigns like mine are limited to Extra Class license holders.
73 DE KW2P
(73 is ham lingo for "best wishes", DE means "from". Most ham lingo is ancient and dates from the days of telegraph and early radio, which was all Morse Code.)
@weezmgk @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom Well, I used to be a 73 stickler until I learned that Hiram Percy Maxim said 73s when speaking. Hah. So I got over it.
@shuttersparks I know that HPM used '73s' in his satirical 'The Old Man' column 'Rotten Damped Spark Stuff,' and as far as I know, that's his only usage and was probably tongue in cheek. I didn't know he used it when speaking. Any recordings? @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom
@shuttersparks psst... 73 is 'Best Regards.' '73s' pronounced 'seventy threes' is a CBer habit. In Australia if you say '73s' on air, some wag will often reply '10-4 good buddy.' '73s' would be 'Best Regardses.' We generally let new hams get away with it a couple of times before they get 10-4ed. 'de' is 'from' in French and is quicker to send in CW than 'from.' As you said, old telegraph operator abbreviation. 73 de VK2AAF/WD9GYO @SrRochardBunson @sergio_101 @LGsMom