Posted: 1/25/2014 7:44:23 PM EDT
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Does anyone know how rapidly licenses normally get issued?
I tested on 21 Nov 13, my license ends in ZIS. I was listening to a local repeater the other day and heard someone with the same prefix who's license ended with ZX something. So in 2 months for region 5 they issued approx at least 390 licenses, give or take 26. Is this normal? High? Low? |
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FCC has nothing to do with how many people take the tests in an area. They just issue licenses.
How long it takes from test to your new call sign being listed on the ULS (when you can legally begin to operate) depends more on the VEC (testing organization) than the FCC. The CVE ( Contact Volunteer Examiner, head of the test team, the guy who administered your test session) has to go over the paperwork and make sure all i's dotted and all t's crossed. Then he mails in the paperwork. In my case, being a W5YI CVE I can, for new Techs, send in scans via email and the VEC will begin processing immediately so that the new Tech can get on the air. For a test session I held on a Tuesday evening, I went over the paperwork Wednesday morning, scanned and emailed, but also snail mailed the paperwork. W5YI had them processed in a hurry and the new hams were listed Thursday night on the FCC ULS. It will take several days longer before really "official" -- that is, listed on QRZ.com 
The time from test until listed depends far more on the CVE and VEC than the FCC. |
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The issued license sequence progresses at a faster rate in more populated call districts where more people are testing. For example, the Zero district might start with AA0AA and only be to AA0BA in a month, where California might start with AA6AA and be at AA6KA in a month. Populated call districts get their calls used faster because there are more hams getting their license. I'm sure the FCC knows what's normal and you could probably farm the data online and calculate it yourself too.
Back in the late 70's we knew where the issued calls were falling just by what the local people got after testing. No online stuff then.  I got the call right after the one I wanted and guessed I would get. 
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Quoted:
The issued license sequence progresses at a faster rate in more populated call districts where more people are testing. For example, the Zero district might start with AA0AA and only be to AA0BA in a month, where California might start with AA6AA and be at AA6KA in a month. Populated call districts get their calls used faster because there are more hams getting their license. I'm sure the FCC knows what's normal and you could probably farm the data online and calculate it yourself too. Back in the late 70's we knew where the issued calls were falling just by what the local people got after testing. No online stuff then. I got the call right after the one I wanted and guessed I would get. And this answers what I was asking. Thanks! |
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The club that tested me submitted my application online and was approved within a few hours.
Had my call letters that morning. Call the VEC people that tested you and check what they say. The form you recieved after passing the test is your proof To the FCC that you passed. You may have to send it yourself to the FCC if the VEC that tested you can not be reached. |
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Quoted: The club that tested me submitted my application online and was approved within a few hours. Had my call letters that morning. Call the VEC people that tested you and check what they say. The form you recieved after passing the test is your proof To the FCC that you passed. You may have to send it yourself to the FCC if the VEC that tested you can not be reached. |
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Quoted:
Does anyone know how rapidly licenses normally get issued? I tested on 21 Nov 13, my license ends in ZIS. I was listening to a local repeater the other day and heard someone with the same prefix who's license ended with ZX something. So in 2 months for region 5 they issued approx at least 390 licenses, give or take 26. Is this normal? High? Low? Knowing the prefix is currently KF5, the first sequential license suffix issued on 26 Nov in the 5th call district appears to be ZGW. (Result number 6295.) The last sequential suffix issued on 23 Jan in the 5th call district appears to be ZYR. (Result number 6720.) Subtract and you get 425 newly licensed hams. Give or take a few that may have upgraded and requested a new sequential call. You're in the ballpark. I was originally licensed as EUH in Feb 2010. Been watching the suffix climb over the years. Partially to keep an eye out for the new guy on the air. It will be a couple more weeks before the prefix increments to KG5. The way I'm seeing it, amateur radio is showing a very slow but steady growth. However the number of hams becoming SK or lost interest and let their license lapse is barely offset by the number of new hams coming in. In my parish (county) there are only 28 hams. Four years ago there was 36. Come 2015 I expect a bunch in the local area to get dropped. A large number got licensed after Katrina but haven't done anything with it afterwards. During my VE sessions I ask each newly licensed amateur what made them want to become a ham. Except for one they all responded to have backup comms for when the SHTF (or something to that effect). Unless my area is an aberration those coming into the hobby are preppers to some extent. Very few are coming in to play with the technical side of the hobby. That's where we are missing the boat. I've been sticking my nose into the maker/hacker world and what is going on there is stunning. Lots of out-of-the-box thinking and creative solutions to everyday problems. They need to become hams. Another indication of where we are at in the hobby is the number of licensed amateurs in Japan. I've been quoting that there are over 700,000 amateurs in the USA, which is correct. I've also been quoting that there are over 1 million amateurs in Japan, which is way incorrect. It's actually less than half that and has been on the decline for 10 years. In Japan the operator license is issued for life and in crunching the stats many are double counted. What is renewed is the station license. That is what has been on a decline. http://www.speroni.com/MPT/JA-Stations.html http://www.speroni.com/MPT/Information.html More stats. http://www.speroni.com/MPT/ |
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Quoted:
Knowing the prefix is currently KF5, the first sequential license suffix issued on 26 Nov in the 5th call district appears to be ZGW. (Result number 6295.) The last sequential suffix issued on 23 Jan in the 5th call district appears to be ZYR. (Result number 6720.) Subtract and you get 425 newly licensed hams. Give or take a few that may have upgraded and requested a new sequential call. You're in the ballpark. don't forget to subtract out the vanity calls. ar-jedi |
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Quoted:
don't forget to subtract out the vanity calls. ar-jedi Quoted:
Quoted:
Knowing the prefix is currently KF5, the first sequential license suffix issued on 26 Nov in the 5th call district appears to be ZGW. (Result number 6295.) The last sequential suffix issued on 23 Jan in the 5th call district appears to be ZYR. (Result number 6720.) Subtract and you get 425 newly licensed hams. Give or take a few that may have upgraded and requested a new sequential call. You're in the ballpark. don't forget to subtract out the vanity calls. ar-jedi Only counted HA service code. |