How do I renew my ham ticket?

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As Mark said, you will largely be ostracized (it's quick and easy for a ham to look that up and many do), and you might even be turned in by a few folks. Most hams want to keep the bands as clean as possible, and illegal operations often are a headache for others. We appreciate that getting the license isn't a 15 minute cram job.
 
I can't believe they say the entire process to renew takes a full hour.

I see no reason for it to take longer than two minutes.

-Don- AA6GA
 
There's some utoob videos on the subject, might give you some idea what you'll be seeing. It's not like windoze software you just keep hitting [NEXT] and [OK] until it's complete. I agree, there's not enough there to take an hour but something on the order of 20 minutes is plausible if you're not familiar with it and have to stop to read every screen.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
 
I renewed my wife's and mine a few months ago. As with any government site they do not make it easy yo navigate.
 
DonTom said:
From ten years ago? Are you kidding?

Is my FRN number the same as the ten digit "File Number" that is printed right on my license?

-Don- AA6GA
Click to expand...
Mine is different but I have two licenses.

you can find your record by a simple search. .In my case I have a "memory aid" that popped it right up.
 
Not as a specific charge, but in conjunction with some other offense. Generally the enforcement actions you read about (published by the FCC) are mostly due to malicious interference to other services, like jamming public safety or aircraft. It's one thing if you're unlicensed, it's even worse (fines/penalties) if you pull that as a ham, because as a licensee you "know better".

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
 
Arch Hoagland said:
Has anybody on here ever heard of the FCC enforcing the ham license law?
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Yes, but a long time ago. Late 1960's.

I even got a violation from the FCC back in 1967. That was before I was allowed to take the Extra test because of the then required two-year wait after having advanced class. The lowest 40m frequency I could legally use was 7.025mhz. Home ham stuff wasn't as accurate in those days and I received a violation from the FCC for being on the frequency of 7.024997 mhz. Obviously, the FCCs stuff was a lot more accurate than my stuff back then. I had that logged (legal requirement back then) as being on 7.028 so I was a little more than 3.0 Khz off.

I replied in writing to the FCC about how I screwed up and how it will not happen again and then all was fine. Things have changed since those days.

BTW, just a few months before that, I was able to use the entire band. The ARRL's "incentive licensing" that they got the FCC to enforce. Much the opposite of what the ARRL wants these days. Ham radio has changed a lot since those days. Back then, testing for ham was in an FCC office, where I had to prove I can send and receive at 20 WPM for the Extra. Now there is no CW requirement at all for any class ham ticket. No incentive to learn CW and few do these days. The ARRL has a lot to do with this stuff.

ARRL: American Radio Relay Lids.

-Don- AA6GA Auburn, CA
 
You forgot to mention how back then you tuned the transmitter by how long a spark you could draw off the plate cap with a pencil, and walking uphill both ways in the snow to the FCC office.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
 
Mark_K5LXP said:
and walking uphill both ways in the snow to the FCC office.
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Nope. Took the train from San Mateo, CA to the FCC office in SF. Snow very rare in that area. Perhaps one day every 20 years or so.

But back in those days, I did build all my own transmitting stuff. Got the stuff from broken TVs at the local dumps. Was more fun back in those days. These days, it is way too easy just to buy everything.

73, -Don- AA6GA
 
ziplock said:
Can you still do HAM stuff even if you can't figure out how to renew after 6/29/23?
Click to expand...
This bullet #2. is from Lou's renew a license, link: "From your License At A Glance page, choose the Renew link in the right hand menu called Work on this License. When your license is within the renewal period of 90 days before the expiration date until the expiration date, or within the 2 year grace period allowed there after the Renew link will appear. If your license is not eligible for renewal the link will not appear."
 
Found out someting last night and easy way to get to the renewal link when you are "near" expiration QRZ yourelf www.qrz.com/db/your call sign

Click on the Detail page
And they provide a link to the FRS page

How I found that out.
I "netlog" a net on allstar node 574420 (W8ACW on Echolink) Thursday Evenings 8pm eastern
And two of our checking are in need of renewal. they were new checkings so I QRZed them. to insure I got their calls and data correct.
 
You can print a copy of your license from the FRS page, but it will have "REFERENCE COPY" superimposed on it. If you go to the FCC license site it will have "OFFICIAL COPY" superimposed.

To print a clean license visit RadioQTH - FCC License Copy and enter your callsign. They also offer a nifty full page certificate you can download at the same time.
 
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