eHam
eHam Forums => Licensing => Topic started by: N9SKN 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
-
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.
-
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!
-
Aaron,
If you are an ARRL member, give them a call for assistance.
- Glenn W9IQ
-
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.
-
For the avoidance of doubt, Aaron, your FRN is 0007995616.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RFH2pBkJ/N9SKN.png)
- Glenn W9IQ
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.....
-
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??
-
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.
-
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?
-
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.
-
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......
-
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?
-
AC2EU,
I redid my info right on the phone with the gal from the FCC, including passsword. She said I was squared away but the system didn't take it the next day, so back to Step 1 on Tuesday with a phone call....
73,
John
-
AC2EU,
I redid my info right on the phone with the gal from the FCC, including passsword. She said I was squared away but the system didn't take it the next day, so back to Step 1 on Tuesday with a phone call....
73,
John
If I've been reading this correctly, you had your conversation with the FCC on Friday; the "next day" was Saturday, and I don't think the FCC does updates on the weekend (I'm not 100% sure about that). Before you make the phone call on Tuesday, check the FCC database again.
-
As of this morning (1/17), the FCC database shows a pending renewal application for N9SKN:
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=762822
-
Follow-up
Spoke to FCC rep today. Evidently they decided to list my security question answer to all lower case without telling me, and they apologized. So THAT's taken care of. Then I tried to pay while on the phone with the rep but they were having problems taking online payments this morning. Was told to wait a few days. So I'm off the air for a bit. LOL! Should have renewed sooner, but the rest of the ham community will just have to survive without me for awhile, HI HI..........
73,
John
-
just went through the renewal process - what a PITA... first off, the new CORES2 required me to assoicate my FRN with a new username/password pair - but wouldn't let me do that without entering the zipcode from my residence where i lived when first licensed 20 years ago (despite updating my license info with new homes twice since then)...
next, renewing my license was another royal pain - why? because unless you go in, fill out the application for renewal, and *then* go back in and grant yourself authority to pay the license fee for your FRN, the link to pay the renewal fee remains hidden on the FCC site... took me a day or so to figure that out (and i'm quite familiar with computers, software, etc.)
here's the kicker: after paying the renewal fee, the receipt generated by the FCC site has my address info FROM WHEN I WAS LICENSED 20+ YEARS AGO!!!!
sheesh! to anyone facing renewal in the near future: take your time, have some patience, and good luck...
-
just went through the renewal process - what a PITA... first off, the new CORES2 required me to assoicate my FRN with a new username/password pair - but wouldn't let me do that without entering the zipcode from my residence where i lived when first licensed 20 years ago (despite updating my license info with new homes twice since then)...
next, renewing my license was another royal pain - why? because unless you go in, fill out the application for renewal, and *then* go back in and grant yourself authority to pay the license fee for your FRN, the link to pay the renewal fee remains hidden on the FCC site... took me a day or so to figure that out (and i'm quite familiar with computers, software, etc.)
here's the kicker: after paying the renewal fee, the receipt generated by the FCC site has my address info FROM WHEN I WAS LICENSED 20+ YEARS AGO!!!!
sheesh! to anyone facing renewal in the near future: take your time, have some patience, and good luck...
Did you ever see those TV commercials for computer careers?
It's like "yesterday I couldn't spell programmer...now I is one!"
Good enough for government work...
-
If you are an ARRL just call them and they will do all of the renewal work for you. Too easy. Took me 5 minutes.
-
If you are an ARRL just call them and they will do all of the renewal work for you. Too easy. Took me 5 minutes.
When did you renew?
I ask because ARRL and other third-party folks can't do the payment part.
-
Hi Jim,
I renewed with the ARRL’s help back in April of 2021. Not sure but maybe they don’t do it anymore. I’m sure I paid through them also. Good luck.
73. Jim. W5JJG
-
Hi Jim,
I renewed with the ARRL’s help back in April of 2021. Not sure but maybe they don’t do it anymore. I’m sure I paid through them also. Good luck.
Hello Jim,
They didn't impose the fees until 2022. Since the imposition of fees, ARRL and W5YI can't do renewals for hams because of the way FCC has set up the fee system.
73 de Jim, N2EY
-
Thanks for the info Jim, I have about 8 years to go. Maybe they will change it AGAIN before then, you never know.
73. Jim. W5JJG
-
Thanks for the info Jim, I have about 8 years to go. Maybe they will change it AGAIN before then, you never know.
Yes, quite possible.
I've only got 11 months left on my license. My various usernames and passwords are current and are written down, I'll figure out the rest before the renewal window opens and renew as soon as possible.
Which reminds me of a few things....
- The "renewal-before-expiration window" is only the last 90 days before the license expires. But the grace period for renewal after expiration is 2 years! Seems odd that the one is so short and the other so long. As I recall, back when license terms were 5 years, the "renewal-before-expiration window" was the last 90 days before the license expired but the grace period for renewal after expiration was 1 year.
- Since the grace period is so long, it may be that some folks who are inactive are waiting till near the end of the grace period to renew. One reason would be to save a few $$, another in the hope that the process is simplified.
73 de Jim, N2EY
-
[
- Since the grace period is so long, it may be that some folks who are inactive are waiting till near the end of the grace period to renew. One reason would be to save a few $$, another in the hope that the process is simplified.
73 de Jim, N2EY
Jim -
I don't know if a "renewal within grace" creates a new ten-year term or just picks up where the old one left off. If it's the latter, then there are no $$ to be saved. Then again, I would hope the license record would show (somehow) that the license actually was NOT valid during the grace period, for later reference in case of enforcement issues.
In any case, I'll be able to run a test soon. My son's license expired this past week. He's not active, but wants to retain it for the future "just in case." And rather than walk him through the new process remotely, we'll sit next to each other and do it together in a few weeks. We'll see what his new term is.
Steve
W3HF
-
Alway reading the mail when this "renewal" topic comes up.
My ticket expires in April 2026 so I hope by than the FCC asked Amazon for help in
processing credit card payments?
Here's one very detailed write up I came across by W0IS.Com on
How to Renew Your Amateur Radio License
https://w0is.com/LicenseRenewal/FCCRenewalInstructions.htm
I suggest everyone make a PDF file copy of it and read thru it before attempting the actual FCC update online. Thank you W0IS for your efforts! My saved copy is 20-pages of text and screen prints with 1,849 kb file size.
Good luck in dealing with that process that's "good enough for government work"
.