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Author Topic: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity  (Read 857 times)

N9SKN

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FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« on: January 13, 2023, 08:34:42 AM »

License expiring in two weeks.

I have been online for hours getting a NEW FRN number (Even though I already HAD a ten digit number ON MY LICENSE).
Then struggled to "Associate" new FRN number with my call. I think I eventually managed this successfully as it is shown on the same info screen now.
However when I go pay bills (Renewal fee) there is no license to choose from in the drop down box (And I cant type it in.)
I'm a pretty PC savvy guy and not PC illiterate.
Its not that hams are dying off - its more like they just cant renew their licenses.

Government in action.
I may just sell off my beloved rigs and call it quits.
It truly is insanity.

Aaron / N9SKN
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T32AI

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2023, 08:42:13 AM »

weird, I renewed my stateside callsign this past Tuesday and had the new issuance the next day.
my FRN has my GROL, GMDSS and 1st 'telegraph (which are all lifetime) so I only need to jump through hoops once
every 10 yrs for my ham ticket.
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WD9ICU

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2023, 09:20:46 AM »

I agree that website is frustrating to say the least. Several years ago I got fouled up on there. I was able to talk with a lady on the phone and she was very helpful getting it straightened out. Its that time again for me also coming up soon, not looking forward to that, hope its a little easier this time. Good luck!
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W9IQ

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2023, 10:03:49 AM »

Aaron,

If you are an ARRL member, give them a call for assistance.

- 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.

W6BP

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2023, 11:01:19 AM »

If you have an FRN on your license (and we're long past the days when licenses didn't have them), there's no reason to get a new FRN.

Here's a possible explanation, learned from attending many VE sessions: every license has two ten-digit numbers: an FRN and a file number. If the FRN on your license wasn't accepted by the FCC, check to make sure you didn't enter the file number by mistake. You wouldn't be the first, or the hundredth, person to do so.

If that's not the problem, then I agree with Glenn: call the ARRL.
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W9IQ

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2023, 11:07:16 AM »

For the avoidance of doubt, Aaron, your FRN is 0007995616.



- 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.

K6CPO

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2023, 11:37:38 AM »

License expiring in two weeks.

I have been online for hours getting a NEW FRN number (Even though I already HAD a ten digit number ON MY LICENSE).
Then struggled to "Associate" new FRN number with my call. I think I eventually managed this successfully as it is shown on the same info screen now.
However when I go pay bills (Renewal fee) there is no license to choose from in the drop down box (And I cant type it in.)
I'm a pretty PC savvy guy and not PC illiterate.
Its not that hams are dying off - its more like they just cant renew their licenses.

Government in action.
I may just sell off my beloved rigs and call it quits.
It truly is insanity.

Aaron / N9SKN

You have five weeks before your license expires, not two. And if it does expire, the only change is that you can't operate until it's renewed. You still have two years before the license is cancelled altogether.
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KC9YAV

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2023, 12:15:46 PM »

I renewed my license in December and had a few problems/questions:  However I called the FCC customer service help desk, I never waited more then 5-7 minutes and they were very helpful.  They walked me through the steps I was having problems with while I was online and made sure all of my issues were addressed.  I found their customer service quite good.  In fact it turned what started out what I thought was going to be a nightmare into a relative simple process.
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K7LZR

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2023, 12:40:25 PM »

I renewed a few weeks ago and found the process to be quite user unfriendly but I finally did get everything in order and paid the fee.

My biggest issue came when trying to find how & where to pay. That part isn't very obvious nor self explanatory. It really could and should be made much easier to link FRN, renewal fee and payment methods. Right now its just cobbled together..... 
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WB2AIU

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2023, 04:56:20 PM »

If the FAA can't keep the NOTAM system working, shutting down the entire US Air system, what makes you think the FCC is likely to have any better software??
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SWMAN

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2023, 05:59:27 PM »

 I called the ARRL and they did all of the renewal work for me. It was just to easy for me. Took about 5 minutes.
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AC2EU

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2023, 06:44:39 PM »

I did my own on-line renewal a 2 years ago. I didn't think it was too bad for a government site.
It didn't update until the next day , though.
Did they make it worse in the mean time?

K4FMH

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2023, 06:51:04 PM »

If the FAA can't keep the NOTAM system working, shutting down the entire US Air system, what makes you think the FCC is likely to have any better software??
Because the “government” is far from a monolith. Even Departments within the same agency likely uses different software.  Any, many amateurs are able to renew their license with this same software. The OP is just having some confusion over the procedure which is only used every so many years.
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N3NUE

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Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2023, 08:30:50 AM »

Was on the phone with a very nice lady yesterday. Redid my password and email. Went to renew today, what a PITA. Won't take my password for the association of the FRN, doesn't recognize my security question/answer. She told me everything was updated. I guess not. She did send instructions on how to renew and pay, but the system evidently won't recognize my info, so back to another phone call Tuesday, as Monday is a fed holiday. Fortunately I only had to wait 5 minutes before she came on board......
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AC2EU

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    • McVey Electronics
Re: FCC ULS FRN Renewal Insanity
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2023, 10:36:11 AM »

Was on the phone with a very nice lady yesterday. Redid my password and email. Went to renew today, what a PITA. Won't take my password for the association of the FRN, doesn't recognize my security question/answer. She told me everything was updated. I guess not. She did send instructions on how to renew and pay, but the system evidently won't recognize my info, so back to another phone call Tuesday, as Monday is a fed holiday. Fortunately I only had to wait 5 minutes before she came on board......

Isn't there a "forgot password' option on the login?
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