FCC NPRM MD Docket No. 20-270 changing FCC fee structure, including Amateur Radio. $50 for new licenses and renewals and Vanity License Applications
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Honestly? I'll pay. I don't get on much but when I do I enjoy the heck out of it. Why are people complaining? Because we've had a government for years that taxes the hell out of us and wastes the money.
Looks like the FCC has begun the slow process of raising rates...
For additional info on rates and timeline see post #185 below.
For additional info on rates and timeline see post #185 below.
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ArkTex
KA5AAA
So I'm going to have to jump on it while the fee is still $15 for the licensing.
NOT SO QUICK...Looks like notice has to be given to Congress and a few other delays to the effective date:
Schedule of Application Fees of the Commission's Rules
In this document, the Commission adopts a new application fee schedule that significantly updates the Commission's previous fee schedule in both the type of applications and the processes involved under section 158 (c)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act).
www.federalregister.gov
Then these will be the new fees...
Schedule of Application Fees of the Commission's Rules
In this document, the Commission adopts a new application fee schedule that significantly updates the Commission's previous fee schedule in both the type of applications and the processes involved under section 158 (c)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act).
www.federalregister.gov
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The current $15 fee charged by some Volunteer Examiner Coordinators is not a license fee. It is compensation for expense incurred by the VEC and their VE teams in conducting the examination session and processing the applications.
The $35 fee being discussed here is a license application fee collected by the FCC separate from any examination fee collected by the VEC and their VE teams.
ArkTex
KA5AAA
So really the cost is $50 for a new license, correct?
Well, that depends. There are some VEC's who only charge $10 for their expenses.
And, there are some VECs who charge nothing for conducting a session.
The FCC allows VECs to charge up to $15. What the VEC charges is up to the VEC within that 15 dollar limit.
The FCC allows VECs to charge up to $15. What the VEC charges is up to the VEC within that 15 dollar limit.
What about the 20% for them to supply the right answers? (relax folks, just kidding!)
KC5CSG
The Awesome Blue Waffle 825
I think the renewal fee should be $1000 for a ten year license. That's $100 a year. That will surely weed out the emcom wannabees that have been ruining this HOBBY for years now. I can easily afford that, and any amateur radio operator who can is a person worthy of our ranks. To be honest, adding a renewal fee is the best idea the FCC has had in decades. Way to go!
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KC5CSG
The Awesome Blue Waffle 825
No kidding about it. That's how the club here in Lake Charles, LA does it.
robertwbob
KE0WRU
wow your really great to introduce new people to ham. maybe a couple stout CHILL PILLS could help you relax. you at 1 time was new to ham DONT FORGET IT after returning to ham wish now id never done it cause of the very very few perfect people on ham radios. but then maybe thats why 2 meter and 70 cm is so quiet. only time perfect hams talk is to get bad on new people instead of nicely correcting them if they arent using their radios properly. oh by the way thats my personal view and OPINION so have a great day perfect person
KC5CSG
The Awesome Blue Waffle 825
Why does my view on FCC fees make you think I have something against new hams? I'm all for new hams, who are decent enough to afford the hobby. Our ranks are filling up with trailer park trash, with no knowledge of radio, with the cheap little Baofeng radios that are almost unbearable to monitor when they do get within the one mile needed to ding a repeater. Even worse, most think they're here to "pass official traffic for safety services" and listening to them argue among themselves as to who is being more official than the other is getting quite old. Half do not even know the difference between YOUR and YOU'RE.
People who can afford a real fee, such as $1000 per decade, are probably intelligent enough and work hard enough to not need to act like hams act today.
Just my opinion though. Think what you wish. YOU'RE welcomed to YOUR own opinion.
Let me share with you how crazy this hobby is getting. My daughter, who is 14, and I were listening in on some emcom net that was coming out of South East Texas last night on 146.420 MHz. We sat and listened to some guy explain how to properly exit a vehicle should the vehicle become stalled with a live power line in contact with the vehicle. He went into elaborate detail on how to properly lower the window and then dive through it in a Superman fashion to avoid contact with the outside of the vehicle.
My daughter was laughing so hard she was having to wipe tears from her face. It was just embarrassing to me. My daughter, a 14 year old girl with today's education, asked me if the door was insulated enough to allow you to roll down the window couldn't you just open the door and jump out? Or better yet, use that cellphone to call for help and just remain in the car until help arrives?
Our hobby is becoming infested with stupid people who do nothing to make a good impression on even the children of today. Smarter people have more money. We need to start using money to weed out the crackpots.
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No, the reason 2M and 70CM analog is dead is that a vast majority are using some flavor of digital whether DMR, P25, or D-Star.
As to those bands being “quiet”, it’s the ‘ol boy effect in full force on analog repeaters. No one talks to anyone that isn’t in their clique. Throw your call out during a conversation? Yup, going to be ignored.
I don’t even bother with my local repeaters. I’ll go find a talkgroup or reflector that better represents my interests.
To be fair, this isn’t unique to just the amateur community. They’re, their, there is just as bad.
What we need is tougher exams with larger question pools that make memorization aka “brain dumps” an impossible method to use.
Anyone with a functional memory can easily ace the technician exam in just a few days of prep. Hell, you don’t even need to get a perfect score. You only need a 74% and with a lot of VEs, 74% doesn’t always mean 74%.
KC5CSG
The Awesome Blue Waffle 825
Very well stated. I got into DMR for a while. Took me all of an hour to figure out how to make a code plug. I got tired of getting asked to supply code plugs or being asked to teach how to make a code plug and gave my pair of TYT MD-380s to the some kids in the neighborhood to use.
After reprogramming them to legal frequencies one would hope! 
After reprogramming them to legal frequencies one would hope!
A big meh from me on this.
I play it straight since I might lose my amateur ticket but as long as they’re not on local public safety frequencies, live and let live.
I can’t even imagine how awesome a set of 380’s would have been as a kid. All we had was those crappy 49 MHz bubble pack radios and they were terrible.
Geez, I had the Radio Shack three channel jammies when I was a kid
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