[LICENSE INFO]
If your name is not here, contact:
Kenneth G. Burton
Renew your license here
http://www.w5yi.org/page.php?id=87
FOR GMC HAM OPERATORS -
CLICK HERE
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6325/gmchams04-131.pdf
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoDcLTH5YaG4dG9qNnhUa0lsRkhleWlBNkJOOEdCMHc#gid=0
Ham License Information
The classes go Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, and
Extra.
Two or three years ago they eliminated the Novice and Advanced classes
for
new
license holders. Existing license holders kept their licenses and
privileges.
My wife Laurie is KD9EU (an advanced class license holder) which is no
longer
being issued.
All US radio call signs (Amateur and otherwise) begin with A, K, N, or
W
which were assigned by an international agreement. The Canadian
calls
begin
with VE or VA for amateurs and C for commercial stations.
The US is divided into 10 call districts and the number in the call
sign
indicates the district where the call was issued. In my case the
nine
in
N9CV is Indiana, Illinois, or Wisconsin. In Canada, with
one
exception, each province has it's own number.
The length of the call in the US indicates the class of license.
6
digit calls (example KA9ABC) were Novice calls. 5 digit
calls
in a 1 by 3 combination (example K9ABC) were Technician and General
classes)
5 digit calls in a 2 by 2 combination (example KD9EU) were Advanced
class
4 digit calls were (example N9CV or NC9V) were extra class.
The FCC has run out of General and Extra calls in most districts of the
country.
With the elimination of the Novice class, 6 digit calls are now
new
Technician class licenses. 5 digit 2 by 2 calls (formerly
issued
to Advanced class) are now the new Extra class licenses.
One GMCnet user Terry Taylor (N6MON) uses his call for an id on
GMCnet.
If one upgrades to a higher class license they do not have to change
their
call to a higher class format, so many users that have 5 or 6 digit
calls
are really higher class license holders. A good example of this
is
Gene Fisher (mrerf) he has a WB6AWL call but is an advanced class
license
holder. His call was issued years ago under different rules and
he
chooses to keep his 6 digit call sign rather than change to the current
advanced
class format (2x2).
Each class of license up the line allows additional privileges in modes
of
operation and bands where they may go so there is an incentive to
upgrade.
The rules are similar, but not necessarily the same, in other countries
of
the world.
Ken Burton - N9CV