Vanity Call Sign - How long?

[K5UNX]

I applied for a vanity call sign on 1/25, got the fee paid and everything . . . I even have a smiley face on my application on http://www.vanityhq.com/.  I know some say it takes 3 weeks or so . . . Is that in line with people experiences here?

Wayne

[NA4IT]

It will always take at least 18 "working" days from the time the FCC "receives" your application. Good thing is, when it appears on their database, you can us it.

Keep watch at http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=334577

and

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/ApplicationSearch/results.jsp?applSearchKey=applSearchKey20120281415550

[W3HF]

It will always take at least 18 "working" days from the time the FCC "receives" your application.

VanityHQ has a page that tells the full story. You can find it under "VHQ FAQ", under the topic "How long does it take for the FCC to process an application?"

The quick paraphrase is your app will be processed on the first Tuesday, Friday or Saturday that occurs on or after the 18th day your app is received by the FCC. As NA4IT implies, "received" doesn't mean when you submit it. It really means the first business day on or after you submit (so a Saturday submit is "received" the next Monday, unless Monday is a holiday.) And if the 17th day after receipt is a federal holiday, the processing day is delayed one business day. This is because the processing is set up the day before to run overnight, and if that setup day is a holiday, the job is not set up until the next day.

[K5UNX]

So . . . I submitted it on Jan 25th. Counting 18 working days and skipping Presidents Day since it's a holiday, the earliest I'll see it would be Feb 22nd which is Wednesday, so the 24th processing would be when I may get it? So basically it takes a month it seems.

[SWMAN]

Mine took exactly 3 weeks to get it back.
 Jim W5JJG

[W3HF]

Counting 18 working days...

That's not what I said. I said 18 days, not 18 working days.

Eighteen days after 25 Jan is 12 Feb, which is a Sunday. You should be processed on the succeeding Tuesday, Valentine's Day.

[W5RB]

Steve is exactly right , as we should learn to expect  :-)   AE7Q's excellent site predicts assignment of the first choice on 14 February . My experience indicates that you'll see it appear on the ULS pages about 0100 on the 14th , Eastern time , give or take an hour .

http://www.ae7q.com/data/AppDetail.php?UFN=0005045246#Id6583516

[K5UNX]

Counting 18 working days...

That's not what I said. I said 18 days, not 18 working days.

Eighteen days after 25 Jan is 12 Feb, which is a Sunday. You should be processed on the succeeding Tuesday, Valentine's Day.

My bad . . . Not sure where I got the working days part . . . That's better! Thanks for setting me straight!

wayne

[W3HF]

Not sure where I got the working days part...

NA4IT used that phrase. But "working days" only matters at the start and end of the 18 days, not at the beginning:

- The "received date" is the first "working day" on or after the actual date you submit the app. So if you submit on a weekend or a federal holiday, it's "received" the next business day. (And if you submit on a weekend AND the following Monday is a federal holiday, it's "received" on Tuesday.)
- If the day before the processing day is a federal holiday, then the processing won't occur then. This is the "set up the job" issue I mentioned in my first post.

So maybe a better "rule" to define the processing day is as follows:

- determine your "received by" day as the first federal "working day" on or after your application date
- count 17 calendar days
- your processing day will be the day after the first federal "working day" on or after that 17th day

[K5UNX]

Steve is exactly right , as we should learn to expect  :-)   AE7Q's excellent site predicts assignment of the first choice on 14 February . My experience indicates that you'll see it appear on the ULS pages about 0100 on the 14th , Eastern time , give or take an hour .

http://www.ae7q.com/data/AppDetail.php?UFN=0005045246#Id6583516

Yup, I am now K5UNX according to the FCC

! http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=3351525

For those thinking about getting a vanity call sign . . . I applied on Jan 25th, it went into effect today, Feb 14th.

[W3HF]

Yup, I am now K5UNX according to the FCC

Congratulations!