By Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)
The FCC’s two-year grace period is a safety net if we forget to put a reminder in our calendar app. One operator relied on it when he applied for a renewal in April, five months before the end of his grace period. But it requires more than just signing in. He needed to confirm the payment actually occurred.
This brings us to the sad tale of KE6MIT.
He attempted to renew it twice. His first application on April 9 placed his call sign in a temporary status that shielded him from losing it. His application was dismissed 19 days later, probably over a failure to pay. He did not petition the dismissal; the period for reconsideration closed; and his call sign returned to its normal grace period on June 9.
Did he not get the FCC emails? Did they go into his junk folder?
A second application on July 23 again placed his call sign in a temporary status, and the FCC again waited 19 days. Detailed records suggest the ULS checked the CORES database each workday to see if he paid $35. August 11 arrived and the FCC again dismissed his application.
KE6MIT reached the end of its grace period on September 14 — yet the window stayed open to petition the second dismissal for reconsideration… had he done so… which he didn’t.
That window shut on September 22 when the FCC closed the period for reconsideration and the ULS set KE6MIT to “expired.”
KE6MIT’s circumstances led me to analyze the ULS data to learn how many call signs expire for lack of payment. Over the last two years, roughly 20% failed to apply for renewal, while another 5% failed to pay their fee after applying:
Roughly 1 out of 16 operators who apply for renewal fail to pay for it. Did they not get the FCC emails? Did they go into a junk folder?
(The chart can only go back 24 months because the FCC apparently flushes payment data to control database bloat.)
All operators should consider doing four things: (1) put a note in your calendar app to update your email address before you pay a renewal fee; (2) update your FRN with a valid email address if needed; (3) submit a payment application; and (4) make sure the payment goes through.
Don’t learn this lesson the hard way. Your grace period offers zero protection if you fail to pay.
Source: Rob Rosenberger (K4HST)
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