I hear ya buddy http://www.videokarma.org/images/icons/icon7.gif

My amateur license will expire next year and I would like to be able to renew it without going to too much trouble. I would rather not apply for a new license, as I went through too much trouble the last time I tried to renew. I do not want to go through having to take the exam over again, if I can avoid it; I failed it once and had to retake it a second time. The second time was the charm, as I passed it with flying colors.

BTW, why is the FCC making it so doggone difficult to renew an amateur license? I have never had this much trouble renewing a license in all my years (51) in amateur radio. Ever since I've had a renewable license, I have been able to renew it in a short time when necessary. Now the FCC is making it extremely difficult (almost impossible, in fact) to renew an existing license in the Amateur Radio Service. Unless I am missing something, I cannot for the life of me understand what, if anything, I am doing wrong.

73 and thanks much.

Please tell me what, if anything, I am doing wrong in trying to renew my amateur radio license, and why the FCC is making it so difficult to do it.

Please do not ignore this message, as I see many of you have done with my previous messages regarding this topic. Renewing my amateur radio license is very important to me, after 51 years in the hobby, and I am not about to give it up. "The clock is ticking", as the expression goes, until my amateur radio license expires, and I don't want to reapply for a new license if I can possibly avoid it. I hold a General class license which is and always has been renewable.

Thank you and 73.

Didn't someone already post "cannot renew until 90 days before it expires"? Check that out.

Yes, there was a post to VK some time ago to that effect, and it is correct. Amateur radio licenses cannot be renewed until 90 days before the expiration date. The regulations must have been recently changed, as I can remember when an amateur radio license could be renewed literally any reasonable time before expiration. The only reason I am so concerned about my own license's expiration date is that I do not want to lose the license if I can avoid it (I will use the "renew by mail" option if need be), and I don't want the date to sneak up on me.

Good luck. I changed my address with them today. I succeeded but it took two hours figuring out how to do it.

Might be easier to do it in person?

Just renewed mine online yesterday. 1 hr 15 minutes and $35. Quite an exercise! Cannot do it sooner than 90 days before expiration but you have a 2 year after expiration grace period so no need to worry if yours is about to expire or did recently.

They should make it lifetime like they did with the 1st and 2nd class now called General class radiotelephone licenses.

What if ya mi$$ it,do ya have to pay more??

They never make it easy.

No I guess it IS about $$$$$$$$ and not much else :(

J had trouble renewing my license last time. I was sure it was because I was pal-ing around with this Russian lady. She WAS on a government watch list, She was a barbie doll. But I knew she wasn't a spy. She was just too stupid.