good topic. I let my license expire (10 years ago) and I had to retake the technician test. After i passed and received my new call sign I went on the FCC web site and discovered that my old call sign was still available. I applied for a vanity call sign and 2 weeks later I got my old call sign back. P S. I had to call the FCC on how to exactly navigate the FCC web site. The person I talked to was VERY helpful and gave their direct number if I had any other questions.
This is exactly how I got my General license. .Back in high school in the 70's I got my Novice license, and you had to upgrade within two years. I opted to upgrade to the Technician Class instead of the General because of the code requirement. (I was in high school and other things were on my mind) Later I let my license lapsed. Later I learned that the No-Code Tech came out so I took the exam and passed. Years later in 2000 I decided to go to a General License class to study for my General. Talking to the instructor about having my old Tech license in the 70's he informed me of the new grandfather clause. I went on eBay, and found an old callbook from the 70's. Took that book to the VE session, show it to the VE and immediately got my General license without taking an exam. A year ago I finally upgraded to Extra, which was an accomplishment to me because getting grandfathered into General I felt like I didn't really earned it.
Good topic! I've held my Tech license for almost 20 years and fell off the general track due to boosting my career, life and family am now just getting back into Ham the last two years to take my general since 1. my children are adults now and 2. I have the time and funds to get into more advanced modes than just the Yaesu VX7 and 9800 I started with. So now after talking on my vhf/uhf rigs while listening and learning the works of my Ziegu 6100, Yaesu Ft-818nd and Ft991A and playing with building and buying bigger antennas while watching your General Exam prep videos (awesome sauce you put out there) over and over and now doing the Ham Radio Prep lessons I think I'm ready to set a date for my general exam! Keep doing your good work in the community!
Hello I'm Wilmer kd6rel license expired 2-19-2023 having trouble renewing .I have gone to the universal licensing service and have active still with a frn# but no password. It won't let me enter my ssn to reset. Please tell me there's an easier way. I had this license about 30 yrs or so and I don't want to lose it. Thanks and 73s 😊
FCC reissues your old license call after awhile & you can not get it back & they issue you a new one. You can take your test online if you not have a testing center or club near you. I am still using my old Guam license though when I got it the tests were a bit different than the US mainland one. When I moved back to the mainland I upgraded in Florida & they wanted me to get a US mainland call as Guam even though it's a US Territory they not have same type of call & it sounds like a foreign call. Only question is if you have a foreign license (UK/EU/Canada or any country) & get a US one is your old foreign one still valid as well? -73's
@@n2rj Cool so you can use all of them if you wanted to. If I get my US mainland one my Guam will be invalid cause it's a US Territory & FCC have some jurisdiction there.
Make a video about how easy is to switch back to your previous call sign. On my case I had N2MTM, then I got a vanity call WT2D but after few months I decided to go back to my trusted N2MTM.
You can become accredited with one of the VECs. They have varying requirements. ARRL requires an open book test. GLAARG requires a form be filled out online. Laurel ARC requires that you form a team or work with an existing team. The main requirement is the license and not having any run-ins with the FCC.
Because the FCC issue you operator license and radio license at the same time. In theory, the operator license should be lifetime(consider it's just a hobby) but the radio license shouldn't be. And for countries that separate them into two licenses like China and Japan keeps the operator license lifetime and issue a time-limit radio license along with the callsign.
@@bob-wong Here in Canada, you get your Canadian Amateur Radio Operator Certificate, then you get to apply for an initial Call Sign of your choice from those available in your province. Both the Certificate and initial Call sign are fee-free and lifetime. Additional Call signs, change of call sign and club call signs for a club repeater station each cost $60 but again are good for the lifetime of the amateur that they were assigned to. When that amateur becomes a silent key, immediate family have 1 year to apply to have his/her call sign(s) re-assigned to them, after which time they go back into the pool. If the Amateur Radio Service is not aware of your passing all callsigns are surrendered on the 125th anniversary of your birth. (a practise that I am sure will be revised if people start to regularly live long enough to remain active past their 125th birthday. )
good topic. I let my license expire (10 years ago) and I had to retake the technician test. After i passed and received my new call sign I went on the FCC web site and discovered that my old call sign was still available. I applied for a vanity call sign and 2 weeks later I got my old call sign back. P S. I had to call the FCC on how to exactly navigate the FCC web site. The person I talked to was VERY helpful and gave their direct number if I had any other questions.
This is exactly how I got my General license. .Back in high school in the 70's I got my Novice license, and you had to upgrade within two years. I opted to upgrade to the Technician Class instead of the General because of the code requirement. (I was in high school and other things were on my mind) Later I let my license lapsed. Later I learned that the No-Code Tech came out so I took the exam and passed. Years later in 2000 I decided to go to a General License class to study for my General. Talking to the instructor about having my old Tech license in the 70's he informed me of the new grandfather clause. I went on eBay, and found an old callbook from the 70's. Took that book to the VE session, show it to the VE and immediately got my General license without taking an exam. A year ago I finally upgraded to Extra, which was an accomplishment to me because getting grandfathered into General I felt like I didn't really earned it.
Good topic! I've held my Tech license for almost 20 years and fell off the general track due to boosting my career, life and family am now just getting back into Ham the last two years to take my general since 1. my children are adults now and 2. I have the time and funds to get into more advanced modes than just the Yaesu VX7 and 9800 I started with. So now after talking on my vhf/uhf rigs while listening and learning the works of my Ziegu 6100, Yaesu Ft-818nd and Ft991A and playing with building and buying bigger antennas while watching your General Exam prep videos (awesome sauce you put out there) over and over and now doing the Ham Radio Prep lessons I think I'm ready to set a date for my general exam! Keep doing your good work in the community!
Hello I'm Wilmer kd6rel license expired 2-19-2023 having trouble renewing .I have gone to the universal licensing service and have active still with a frn# but no password. It won't let me enter my ssn to reset. Please tell me there's an easier way. I had this license about 30 yrs or so and I don't want to lose it. Thanks and 73s 😊
FCC reissues your old license call after awhile & you can not get it back & they issue you a new one. You can take your test online if you not have a testing center or club near you. I am still using my old Guam license though when I got it the tests were a bit different than the US mainland one. When I moved back to the mainland I upgraded in Florida & they wanted me to get a US mainland call as Guam even though it's a US Territory they not have same type of call & it sounds like a foreign call. Only question is if you have a foreign license (UK/EU/Canada or any country) & get a US one is your old foreign one still valid as well? -73's
Having a foreign call is unaffected by having a U.S. one. I have four calls including my US one.
@@n2rj Cool so you can use all of them if you wanted to. If I get my US mainland one my Guam will be invalid cause it's a US Territory & FCC have some jurisdiction there.
Make a video about how easy is to switch back to your previous call sign. On my case I had N2MTM, then I got a vanity call WT2D but after few months I decided to go back to my trusted N2MTM.
woah new video
Ria, I have a question for you, I'm an extra but physically disabled, what must I do to become a VE? Thanks, de Krisy N6KV
You can become accredited with one of the VECs. They have varying requirements. ARRL requires an open book test. GLAARG requires a form be filled out online. Laurel ARC requires that you form a team or work with an existing team. The main requirement is the license and not having any run-ins with the FCC.
Mine expired at the end of July and i haven't yet tried to get it back.
My whole point was not to take the test again.
Thanks anyway
wow thry still expire them in the USA? ours have been lifetime since 2000.
It’s 10 years here and you go online and renew. Expiring them is a good thing as it helps free up SK callsigns.
Because the FCC issue you operator license and radio license at the same time. In theory, the operator license should be lifetime(consider it's just a hobby) but the radio license shouldn't be. And for countries that separate them into two licenses like China and Japan keeps the operator license lifetime and issue a time-limit radio license along with the callsign.
@@bob-wong Here in Canada, you get your Canadian Amateur Radio Operator Certificate, then you get to apply for an initial Call Sign of your choice from those available in your province. Both the Certificate and initial Call sign are fee-free and lifetime. Additional Call signs, change of call sign and club call signs for a club repeater station each cost $60 but again are good for the lifetime of the amateur that they were assigned to. When that amateur becomes a silent key, immediate family have 1 year to apply to have his/her call sign(s) re-assigned to them, after which time they go back into the pool. If the Amateur Radio Service is not aware of your passing all callsigns are surrendered on the 125th anniversary of your birth. (a practise that I am sure will be revised if people start to regularly live long enough to remain active past their 125th birthday. )
Thank you for posting this.