[ATCclears]

FCC may be headed to charging a licensing fee, so if you're thinking about your amateur-radio license then this Fall would be a good time to get it done. You could use the $50 you saved on an inexpensive handheld transceiver.

FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

 

[Acheron2010]

I'm not an amateur radio person, but knowing they have probably saved more lives around the world than any FCC official, the government should be paying them for their significant contribution to humanity, emergency response, civil rights and the First Amendment.

 

[slugger6]

I am K8TLM...Amateur Extra

 

[RudyN]

I am fortunate as I already have my Extra Class license (KK6U)


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[Groo]

thats what you do as interest in a hobby drops; you artificially increase the costs ascociated with it. smart move.

 

[CPTKILLER]

This is a dumb move by Trump’s FCC. I have a license but amateur radio has issues and is losing numbers and not gaining many new ones.

Gear is pricey and home built gear is no long a good option.

 

[Pandaz3]

I had to get a license when a Pilot had to have one, probably laying around some where.

 

[jimrusling]

This was congress's idea. The FCC was directed by them to do this.

 

[AwPhuch]

All I have is the Technician license...want to get my General

 

[Pandaz3]

And if you don't have a license .... or the level or class of license ... do they have radio detection trucks, like the WWII Gestapo, and do they raid your home without a warrant? Swat team? Asking for a friend of course

 

[ATCclears]

@Pandaz3 there are some (beyond the FCC) who like to 'foxhunt' for inappropriate activity. In a serious emergency I don't think anyone will care, but in normal times I don't think it is worth the risk and Federal fines.

 

[Crashff00]

I used to fox hunt about 15 years ago when gmrs became popular because of the number of unlicensed users flooding the radios and then moving into ham frequencies. Teenagers in college kids would use them for cop watching when street racing where I lived.


I'm fairly certain I paid to get my license back then as well.. though that might have just been a testing fee I can't remember.

 

[HiDrag]

I had to get a license when a Pilot had to have one, probably laying around some where.

I pitched mine. But I don’t think it was an amateur radio license. Had rights only on aircraft frequencies as I recall. Benn a while

 

[tallwalker]

The FCC has been incrementally upping fees for all of the license classes for years now. When I got my amateur licenses the cost was only the testing fee which went to the ARRL. I imagine that some portion of that went to the FCC maybe?

I also keep up business UHF, MARINE LICENSES FOR WEFAX, RADIOTELEPHONE, VHF, EPIRB, and a handful of other stuff which used to run around $100 to renew. Now it’s about $300.

Just renewed my amateur license this past month which lasts 10 years. Was free to renew.


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[HiDrag]

Mines good until 2026, at which point I may not renew anyway. It’s bullshit that an online license renewal costs more that $5. Whats next charging to efile a tax return? It’s hard to believe there are people who suggest an expanded role for government - if it costs them $50 bucks to renew a ham license online they’ve got to be totally incompetent.

 

[Bish1309]

How do you go about getting a license?

 

[HiDrag]

How do you go about getting a license?

Getting Licensed

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

 

[ATCclears]

Amateur Radio - How do I Get Started?

A related thread here.

 

[Bish1309]

I may have jumped the gun just a bit but I went ahead and bought a small radio. It's an 8W UV-5R two-way radio kit. Am I on the right track?

Here's a link if it's allowed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TX9FYKJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[ATCclears]

@Bish1309 the UV-5R is a solid radio.