FCC proposes new filing fee structure, new fees for ham radio

Plus $50 per year for the AWRL (arrl).

 

With every license, you get a free Ginsu knife!

 

Finally some common sense. Thank you.
What others also seem to forget is that the FCC or whatever body governs frequency allocations, doesn't work for free. Sure we all pay taxes but a commodity like radio spectrum has value and needs some sort of organisation by people. All of that costs money. We are all using something of value. Is it so strange to pay a small fee for that? A fee, mind you, that is about 1/10 of the fees in Europe, for instance?

 

I don't think there should be ANY fee. The airwaves are set aside for public licensed use. The cost of administering the licenses is minimal. Imagine charging a fee for a neighborhood park that never need mowing, trash pickup or sweeping. We need to assert our right to the spectrum or we will lose it. The ploy to charge $50 is just one step toward monetization of your use of the frequency allocations.

 

Where is that "right" stated?

Regards,
-Bruce

 

Been licensed 64 years and still active. where can I sign up for lifetime license? Buy lifetime memberships in most organizations I join, even at my age. Just a sign of my optimism and my belief in what I join. Why have a membership if not believing in goals of the organization. Why get a ham license or do much of anything else if not in it for the long haul.
Regardless of a ham's activity, there is still a cost of processing. By the way, teens have no problem spending big bucks on rock concerts and all kinds of gadgets. A one time 50 dollar fee would be pocket change. Maybe no fee for those under 16.
Ian K3IK.

 

If I may add another international perspective to the views from PA0MHS, to enlighten the discussion: Free amateur radio licenses is a US specialty copied by few other countries, which could not be expected to last. The principle that users pay for public services is the norm around the world.

In Norway, the license costs 2,000 NOK (Norwegian kroner, appox. 225 USD) and is issued for lifetime. A 2x1 contest call sign costs another 2,000 NOK (approx. 225 USD) for a five years license, and 1,000 NOK (approx. 115 USD) for each five years renewal of the contest call sign.

I'll give you that the general cost level in Norway is higher than in the US, but honestly, in a hobby where equipment runs in thousands of dollars, you guys seem funnily annoyed by paying 5 USD/year. 50 USD each 10 years for my N2VQ call sign will be perfectly OK.

 

If you are going to start charging fees for operators then the FCC can afford to hire additional field agents for enforcement. The FCC is funded by congress from tax payer dollars so why now a fee. I agree with one poster though about about a $50.oo fee for a lifetime license. This fee should take into account when an operator upgrades their license regardless of license class. Considering the operator also has to pay a VEC when taking the test whether the amateur passes of fails a test. When passing the operator should not have to pay once again.

 

That does not make since. Either your a member or your not. All of a sudden a $5 dollar a year fee comes along and now you would leave ARRL...LOL

 

Once they decrease the number of Amateur Operators, they can then decrease the spectrum and start bidding it out. And they will decrease the spectrum, it's something they have wanted to do for years.

 

That's one way to bring out the doom and gloom crowd. Not only will this PROPOSAL result in fees it will result in the confiscation of all the ham bands.

 

True, but it is only once every 10 years.....so I don't think that $5 per year for a ham license is too bad.

 

Exactly.

 

I remember taking the test on Varick ST in NYC to the tune of $25.00 back in 1970....Now they want to reinstate the renewal fee at 2x the cost of the original....??? And they are restructuring the band plans to give newer hams more frequency allotments I.E Novices and Techs...???? How about I pay a 1X fee of $100 and you can upgrade me to Extra with a no exam with credit for being licensed 45 plus years as a General......HELLLOOOO....????

I might consider this and the FCC should grant legacy Hams of 40 plus years a chance to upgrade, not just a certificate to hang on the wall that states I have been a licensed Ham for 50 yrs....!!! C'mon FCC get with the program...….

Bring back the CW part of the test....and newcomers will drop off, unless determined, the Amateur bands and grab their free CB radios....and go at it....

I have several new hams in my area who just got their Extra and wouldn't know which end of the coax goes to the antenna...and they try to tell me if the SW'ers are low the antenna is tuned....OK....Gotta laugh...…

Have a Nice Day

73's
Jim WB2YMU

 

$25 in 1970 = $171 in 2020. https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

All things considered, $50 for 10 years is a heck of a deal.

Pray they don't alter the deal further...

If they start charging $50 a pop for modifications and put a stop to the "vanity insanity" abuse, I'm all for it.