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Author Topic: FCC proposes $50 fee for new ham radio licenses upgrades and vanity application  (Read 745 times)

W0CKI

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It’s cheap.
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K6AER

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My drivers license cost me $23 every two years in New Mexico. $50 for a ham license for ten years.....big deal. Grow up. The FCC is not a charity.
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KT8R

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It'll keep the CB'ers off the bands. Besides, maybe the fee will help police the bands.
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KG4RUL

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Add new fees
Discourage new licensees
Declare amateur spectrum under-utilized
Sell off to highest bidder
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WA6BJH

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It is true that the FCC is not a charity, but it isn’t a business, either.  Its job is not to make money, but to provide a public service.  When you have a former lawyer for Verizon in charge I suppose they believe it’s their job to make money.  I have to sympathize with the FCC, though.  It costs them so much money to administer all the ham radio tests.  When I recently renewed my license I sent my application to the ARRL and they got into the FCC computer and did the work.  Of course, the FCC sent me an E-mail telling me that my license had been renewed—that was worth $50.  And if you don’t have a license and you can’t manage all three tests at once it will cost you $150 to get an extra class license. 

I wonder if they’ll share the $50 with the VECs.
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W9IQ

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The basis for the proposed fees is that Congress passed a law that requires this re-evaluation. It wasn't cooked up within the FCC itself.

This is an NPR that is inviting comments for the next 30 days. If you wish to weigh in, don't miss your opportunity.

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

K1VSK

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Add new fees
Discourage new licensees
Declare amateur spectrum under-utilized
Sell off to highest bidder
If $50 over 10 years discourages someone, they didn’t care very much. The part about spectrum is just an assumption based solely on conjecture, neither of which form a rational basis on which to make any judgment.
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KM1H

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I hope it passes as it will discourage the cheapskates as well as those just getting a license out of curiosity and after a few tries not even using it again.

Plus clearing out the deadwood in the database.

Maybe even making the Tech license only 2 years but renewable for the full 10 years, or less, after that.
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K4CQO

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To me, $50 seems high, even for 10 years. As we all get to fixed incomes, that fee is no longer just something to pay, but something to really think about!

It also would seem to inhibit people to try ham radio to see if they like it. $50 plus the testing fee is getting to the point where it would not be just something to try out especially when figuring in the cost of equipment.

I am a VE, so I am wandering how that would work. We currently only accept cash for the testing. What do we have to do to accept the $50 when they pass a test -- having that much cash is bothersome and accepting other forms of payment is also bothersome and would have to possibly be bonded where that much money -- say for 20 participants to be handled. The VEs are the interface for the FCC, and it would make sense that the VEs would handle the funds when a test is passed -- otherwise how do you handle passing a test without doing the extra money that the FCC would require for the license. The VEC would have to become a money transfer point.

So, I am against that high a fee. Having the same fee for amateur licenses and commercial licenses seems out of touch. Amateurs do not profit from having a license while commercial holders do. Using the same price structure is not right.

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KR9G

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Reminds me when I was shooting trap and skeet.  The guy that showed up with his $25,000 gold inlaid
shotgun, and got upset when he had to pay $30.00 to shoot 100 targets in a major meet.  (Understand the price has gone up).  Most of us, trying to have a decent station will spend at least 20 to 25K, and that isn't a "big" station, so spending $150 to get an extra class license, $50.00 for vanity license, (I know I got mine for free, I apologize) or 10 yr renewal seems rather "cheap and petty" if you're complaining.
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N9LCD

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Maybe manufacturers and dealers of radio gear should subsidize our licenses.

After all, manufacturers and dealers PROFIT from amateur radio and it would be in their own best interest to keep up the market for their products!
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K6AER

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Maybe manufacturers and dealers of radio gear should subsidize our licenses.

After all, manufacturers and dealers PROFIT from amateur radio and it would be in their own best interest to keep up the market for their products!

And where do the manufactures get their money? Your  FTDX3000 that was $2200.00 is now $2250.00.
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W9WQA

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im ok with any fee as soon as we stop spending billions building highways and bridges and border walls in afganistan. just sayin..
 
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