WAFAR
is the Western Area Amateur Repeater, and CARMA is one of the groups that monitor it. I listen on my way to work, sometimes, on 146.67. I just like to listen, but last week, someone made a comment I felt like responding to, so i picked the mike up and put my thumb on the key…..
And then took it back off. It dawned on me that maybe I wasn’t a legal operator anymore. So i put the mike down, and that night, I checked my license, pinned to a reedbuck hide above my desk. Sure as shit, I’d expired. So friday night I logged on to the FCC site, credit card in hand, to see if I could renew online.
Not only can you renew online, and not only is the process very nice and very easy, but when it asked for me to check my info for correctness and click “Continue” it just said “Your request has been processed” &etc.
No credit card.
I guess since this is the very first time I’ve ever had to renew my HAM license, I had no idea the renewal process was free. Damn. For once in my life i made contact with a government agency, got my request processed promptly, and didn’t feel like i was in the middle of a giant moist ass-rogering.
Shhhhhh don’t let them know there’s a government office that functions….
I just checked mine and I’m good until 2014. However I still keep screwing up when I test for General. I pass all the practice tests at QRZ but my math skills go out the window when I actually sit to take the test. Taken the test 7 times in the last year and I missed it by 1 question the last 2 times. Very frustrating but I intend to try again next month.
I renewed a couple of years ago. I had to pay a fee because I have a vanity license. My surprise was the license was renewed for 10 years. I’d forgotten. I won’t have to renew until I’m 71.
Pigs can indeed fly. Who knew. Most of the HAM guys I know are pretty good guys. Might need to get a license.
Welcome back to the fraternity, Og.
Yep, the regular systematically assigned callsign license renewals are free. Want one of those vanity calls? Be prepared to fork over some cash — $13.40 for a ten year term, per ARRL Bulletin 28, 11 Aug 09.