Hello I’m Timothy Martin I have several questions I done already got my gmrs license I was told I could skip the The first license technician is this info correct
2 Likes
I have never heard of that. I would think it would show up in my Volunteer Examiner experience. The only exemptions I am aware of are for expired ham licenses.
4 Likes
Since the GMRS license doesn’t require an exam I would expect that you still need to take the exams for HAM to get technician license. There are some things that they want to make sure you understand before working on HAM approved frequencies.
From talking around I haven’t found anything like that in the past either (to @JimWRL’s point), most of the people I know with both did take the ham exam, but transparently, those people actually went reverse.
2 Likes
How much does the license and class for technician license and general license
Tim
1 Like
Here’s the American Radio Club page with membership pricing. For Technician and General you would need at least the Insider level: https://americanradioclub.com/membership/
Cost for the exam varies depending on whom you take it with. It can be anywhere from $0 to $15 per exam. You can usually take both in one session if you pass the Technician first.
1 Like
Effective 19 April 2022 the fees assessed by the FCC are now $35 for Amateur Radio License Application. Of course, just as @JimWRL stated, if you are ready for multiple tests on the same day, it’s just one application fee (ex: Technician and General, or all three, etc. one after the other).
3 Likes
It’s actually only the $35 fee to the FCC, there is no charge to upgrade your license or change you address. Those are considered “administrative.”
3 Likes
True, I should have said that. Thank you for covering my gap 
From what I’ve gathered, this new fee increase also affects renewals. I just got my license so that isn’t a factor for another 5 years, however those operators that have their renewal coming up… I hope you saved your pennies to cover the $20 increase!
3 Likes
From everything I have read, the fee covers “applications” which include:
- Initial License
- License Renewals
- Vanity Call Sign Requests.
Upgrades and address changes are administrative.
From what I have read it’s the Vanity Call Application that has changed from 10 years ago or so. Used to be that you could apply and if you didn’t win the call you would get your money back. Now it’s no refunds.
1 Like
Yeah, at my local club meeting I heard some Elmers saying that is a good thing. They hope it will stop some operators from applying for a call sign then a month later dropping the call sign for a refund. Doing that keeps the call sign inactive for 2 years.
I’m not sure why people would do that, but evidently they were.
3 Likes
That’s interesting. I haven’t heard of that, but it would sure be frustrating if I wanted that call.
2 Likes