Posted: 8/16/2012 11:14:45 AM EDT
|
(Before someone says Google, I've heard the wait varies depending on several factors)
I took my test (Tech) early Saturday morning through ARRL. As of the time of this post I don't show up in the ULS. The VEs said they'd get the paperwork "right in", and that I'd get my sign "soon". |
It all varies, who knows, you test-want the call...wait, wait some more, then finally it shows in the ULS....and you hate it-it sounds stupid and you wish you had a different call....
then you test for General, Pass, Wait for the ULS to update and apply for your vanity 
|
|
In the past month, I've taken the Technician, General, and Extra exams (on the weekends). Each time, it showed up in the ULS by the following Friday. It then took another four or five (work) days to get the paper license in the mail. In fact, I'm expecting the Extra class paper license to show up today or tomorrow. And hopefully, my vanity call sign will be approved by the end of the month (typically 17 days).
Edit: Just got the Extra class paper license in the mail, today. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
, it use to be much slower. Back in my day they used to put your call in a bottle and throw it in the ocean
Or carrier pigeon. I remember going to the freakin mailbox daily (after about a month of waiting) and checking to see if the license had made it. The day it arrived I went back in the house and made a contact. The rig was already warmed up as it had been for weeks. I actually had to read my call off the licensa cuz I hadn't memorized it yet. No internet back then. 
|
|
It took over 8 MONTHS to get my advanced.
FCC was doing some sort of upgrade and lost my shit. 
this was before the internet, so I had to look in the mailbox every day to see if my new 2x2 call arrived. that was in '93/'94 that, combined with the Klinton so called "assault weapons ban", really pissed me off. 
|
| OP you can call the ARRL their phone number is 1-860-594-0200 . I think one of the first options is to contact the VEC. You should be able to talk to a real person. I had to do that with my extra. The VEs that administered my test royally Fu&*(^) my paperwork and it took a month. |
|
Quoted:
Of all the groups that does ARRL is the slowest . my club uses westcars and most of the time you get it the day it is turned in. I disagree. I'm an ARRL VE. We test on Saturday's and usually the call sign gets posted to ULS by Tuesday or Wednesday. You can't complain about that. W5YI on the other hand is slow. When I tested for Extra it took 3 weeks for it to show up. |
|
Having just administered the Technician exam to almost 20 people this weekend, and recently upgrading my own license to extra, I'd say you need to be waiting til at least Friday.
The VE team at best might have cut a check on the spot for the fees paid and mailed out the paperwork immediately after the exam. Post office. So that wouldn't likely have been picked up til Monday morning by the post office. In recent months, the turnaround time has been pretty close to 1 week on the mark. I took my extra test on a Saturday as well, and was in the system the following Friday. I also served as a VE a few weeks later and a friend who sat at that session (on a Monday evening) was showing his general upgrade the following Tuesday or Wednesday (can't really remember now.) In any case, you've got a little waiting til the ARRL processes everything, sends the data off to the FCC, and the folks in Gettysburg tap the magic letters and numbers into the ULS. |
|
Quoted:
then you test for General, Pass, Wait for the ULS to update and apply for your vanity Why wait for general to get a vanity call? Tech and general both have the same options as far as vanity calls go. It's not until extra that you get any of the 1x2, 2x1 calls, or the A-series 2x2's. 1x3's are open to tech/general right from the get to: http://www.w5yi.org/page.php?id=281 Doh, methinks I may be wrong on the above, now that I'm actually looking into the process for myself.
Edit 2: Double Doh, I was right on the first attempt, yay! |
|
The vanity process takes 18 days, after the receipt date. There is a good explanation of how the system works, here.
Quoted:
Just filed for a 1x3 vanity call sign today, I'll post how long that takes to go through. |
|
Quoted:
In the past month, I've taken the Technician, General, and Extra exams (on the weekends). Each time, it showed up in the ULS by the following Friday. It then took another four or five (work) days to get the paper license in the mail. In fact, I'm expecting the Extra class paper license to show up today or tomorrow. And hopefully, my vanity call sign will be approved by the end of the month (typically 17 days). Edit: Just got the Extra class paper license in the mail, today. Humm, I did the same thing! Tech Sat. The next Friday showed up on ARRL then in mail the next week., Took General & Extra passed them on Sat. Was posted yesterday, waiting for paper license
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Of all the groups that does ARRL is the slowest . my club uses westcars and most of the time you get it the day it is turned in. I disagree. I'm an ARRL VE. We test on Saturday's and usually the call sign gets posted to ULS by Tuesday or Wednesday. You can't complain about that. W5YI on the other hand is slow. When I tested for Extra it took 3 weeks for it to show up. It all depends on if the cve mails it or sends it electronically. I am a cve for W5YI and if we test on sat and send the info electronically the callsign is issued Monday before 8 am. Arrl takes a week minimum. |
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.