Ed,
Daryl, Thanks for telling me renewal of my License through the
FCC costs $35.00 USD.
You can take care of that online at the FCC ULS. It's amazing how
many hams don't realize there's a fee for a new or renewed license,
or for a vanity callsign request...although there is no fee for a
sequential callsign change, license modification (change of name,
address, email, etc.). The fee did stop the folks from requesting
and locking up all the 2x1 and 1x2 callsigns (so none of the "No
Code Extras" could get them)...as it was another $35 each time...
never mind the call was now on hold for 2 years and a day, before
one could get it again.
The tragic thing is that so many have no clue as to when their
license expires. Several years ago, I asked on one net, "Without
looking at your ham radio license, do you know when it expires??".
Except for one other person besides myself, everyone else said "No".
The thing is, unless your license expires during a government
shutdown, you are OFF THE AIR the day of expiration. At least now,
if the license lapses (expired more than 2 years ago), you do NOT
have to take everything again.
Years ago, if you were a 20 WPM Amateur Extra Class licensee,
you had to pass 3 Morse Code tests (5, 13, and 20 WPM...although
if you passed the 20 WPM, it was usually felt you could pass the
5 and 13 WPM exams), then the Novice, Technician, General, Advanced,
and Amateur Extra exams. Never mind the fact you lost your callsign,
and if it was a 1x2 or 2x1, you likely would never get it back. One
ham realized 2 days after his license had lapsed, and was pleading
with the VEC to help him...but there was nothing they could do for
him.
Today, if your license lapses, you ONLY have to pass the Technician
exam to get back on the air...with these caveats:
1) If you previously held a Novice or Technician Class license, you're basically "starting over", as if you had never taken a ham radio license
exam. Passing the Technician exam gets you a CSCE for a Technician Class license.
2) If you previously held a General Class license, whether it was proof
of a Technician Class license issued on March 20, 1987 or before, or a
General Class license, you pass the Technician Class exam, and get a
CSCE for a General Class license.
3) If you previously held an Advanced Class license, it is DOWNGRADED
to General, since the FCC stopping issuing Novice and Advanced Class
licenses on April 15, 2000...the same day they removed the 13 and 20
WPM CW exams. The 5 WPM CW exam was removed on Feb. 23, 2007. One
could get that 250 kilohertz of spectrum back, and 250 kilohertz more,
by also passing the Amateur Extra exam. Otherwise, in passing the
Technician Class exam, you get a CSCE for a General Class license.
4) If you previously held an Amateur Extra Class license, and you pass
the Technician Class exam, you get a CSCE for an Amateur Extra Class
license.
In each case, you will get a brand new callsign...and there is no
more Morse Code exam requirement.
The other info you posted I already read before seeing your
post.
It never hurts for a refresher.
The 250 Kcs/s I can't operate on prob is unused execpt fot
Amateur Extras interested in DXing, which doesn't matter to me
anyway even if I could get on the air on the lower end of the
Advanced CW Band.
There are only 5 reasons to upgrade from General or Advanced to
Amateur Extra.
1) Full amteur radio privileges, although you have to stay at least
3 kilohertz away from the band edges on HF, to keep from going "out
of band".
2) The shorter 2x1 or 1x2 callsigns...IF you're lucky enough to get
one. For all practical purposes, all of those are GONE, and you'll
have to settle for a 2x2 callsign.
3) If you travel overseas, with a CEPT license, you have full amateur
radio privileges.
4) As a Volunteer Examiner (VE), you can give and grade ALL the exams
(the Technician, General, and Amateur Extra). An Advanced Class VE
can give and grade the Technician and General exam, but not the
Amateur Extra. And, the General Class VE can only give and grade the
Technician exam.
With the recent rule change on exams to be passed to get the ham
radio license back (which has previously lapsed), they have to pass
the Technician exam, and it's the General Class VE that can give it
to them. Of course, if they want to also take the Amateur Extra exam,
only an Amateur Extra Class VE can give it to them.
5) Snob appeal (hi hi).
While I personally had to upgrade to Amateur Extra to be a VE Team
Leader, when I'm on the air, I operate EXCLUSIVELY in the Technician
Class privileges, as I enjoy them.
I still have almost two years before my License has to be
renewed. Ed
Mine doesn't renew for another 8 years.
73,
Daryl Stout, N5VLZ
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock Ham Radio Club VE Team Leader
... Do NOT try to cure this HAM -- DE N5VLZ
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