FCC Votes to remove symbol rate limits on HF

11/13/2023

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that earlier today, the FCC Commissioners unanimously voted to amend the Amateur Radio Service rules to replace the baud rate limit on the amateur HF bands with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit to permit greater flexibility in data communications.

Click here to read the full story on the ARRL web site 

New General Class exam question pool now in effect

07/11/2023

A new question pool took effect on July 1, 2023, for General-class license exams. ARRL has released new editions of its popular study resources including the 10th edition of The ARRL General Class License Manual and the 7th edition of ARRL's General Q&A.

ARRL has also updated its free online review and practice resource, ARRL Exam Review for Ham Radio.

"ARRL Volunteer Examiners (VEs) are already administering the new General-class exams," said ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. Somma suggests that candidates first take a practice test using ARRL Exam Review. "If you're already passing online practice exams, then you're ready to search for an in-person exam session team, or you can take the exam online via a remote video-supervised session." Visit the exam session search page on the ARRL website.

The new General-class question pool is valid for examinations taken between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2027. "Upgrading from a Technician-class license to General-class significantly opens more operating privileges on HF bands," added Somma.

March 24, 2022

From ARRL website

New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become Effective April 19, 2022

03/24/2022

A Public Notice released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 23, 2022, in MD Docket No. 20-270, announced that new application fees for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau applications will become effective on April 19, 2022. The new fees, mandated by Congress, apply to applications for Amateur Radio licenses including those associated with filing Form 605, the Amateur Operator/Primary Station Licensee Application.

Effective April 19, 2022, a $35 fee will apply to applications for a new Amateur Radio license, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call signs.

ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, explained that all fees are per application. "There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. The fees will be the responsibility of the applicant regardless of filing method and must be paid within 10 calendar days of FCC's receipt of the application. For applications filed by a VEC, the period does not begin until the application is received by the Commission, a ULS file number assigned, and an email sent by the FCC directly to the applicant."

VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not collect the $35 fee at license exam sessions. New and upgrade candidates at an exam session will continue to pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual, and pay the new, $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES - Login).

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have 10 calendar days from the date of the email to pay. After the fee is paid and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license or explanation of other action. The link will be good for 30 days.

Somma also explained that applications that are processed and dismissed will not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity call sign requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. "The FCC staff has suggested that applicants for vanity call signs should first ensure the call signs requested are available and eligible for their operator class and area, and then request as many call signs as the form allows to maximize their chances of receiving a call sign."

Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are available from the ARRL VEC at www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee.  

April 4, 2022

from ARRL:

New FCC Application Fee Will Not Apply to Amateur Radio License Upgrades

04/04/2022

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff has clarified in response to an ARRL request that the new $35 application fee will not apply to most license modifications, including those to upgrade anamateur radio licensee's operator class and changes to club station trustees. The FCC staff explained that the new fees will apply only to applications for a new license, renewal, rule waiver, or a new vanity call sign. As previously announced, the new fees take effect on April 19, 2022.

"We are pleased that the FCC will not charge licensees the FCC application fee for license upgrade applications," said ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. "While applicants for a new license will need to pay the $35 FCC application fee, there will be no FCC charge for future upgrades and administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. Most current licensees, therefore, will not be charged the new FCC application fee until they renew their license or apply for a new vanity call sign."

ARRL previously reported that the new $35 application fee for amateur radio licenses will become effective on April 19, 2022. Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are available from the ARRL VEC at www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee.

FEE SCHEDULE (not applicable until fees take effect on April 19):

INDIVIDUALS

$35 FEE: new, renewal, rule waiver, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee will be per application.

NO FEE: administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, modification applications to upgrade an amateur radio licensee’s operator class or to request a sequentially issued call sign and license cancellation.

AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS

$35 FEE: new, renewal, rule waiver, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee will be per application.

NO FEE: administrative updates, such as a change of name, change of trustee, mailing or email address, modification applications to request a sequentially issued call sign and license cancellation.