FCC to Stop Accepting Pre-December 2003 Form 605
 ffective with Monday, May 3, receipts, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will dismiss any applications filed on an FCC Form 605 issued earlier than December 2003. Form 605, Quick-Form Application for Authorization in the Ship, Aircraft, Amateur, Restricted and Commercial Operator, and General Mobile Radio Service, is the hard-copy version of the Amateur Service application. The change does not affect applicants filing on-line with the Universal Licensing System
(ULS) at, http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/, said the FCC, which is encouraging on-line filing ARRL VEC Manager Bart
Jahnke, W9JJ, says the Form 605 announcement will affect the way ARRL has been making FCC Form 605 available. He says the League's widely distributed March 2001 Form 605 in a three-sheet ivory/buff-colored package with perforated pages will become obsolete for applications the FCC receives on or after May 3.
In the wake of the FCC's unexpected announcement, the ARRL is developing a replacement package that could require several more pages. It hopes to have it ready in time for Hamvention May 14-16.
The FCC has been accepting both older and current Form 605 applications that included a line (Item 9a) for a Taxpayer Identification Number, a Social Security number for an individual. The FCC would then issue the applicant an FCC Registration Number (FRN) without additional paperwork. All amateur applicants must have and use an FRN when filing an application such as Form 605 with the FCC. Applicants attending VEC test sessions can still supply a Social Security number, which will result in automatic Commission Registration System (CORES) registration.
All amateur applicants must have and use an FRN when filing an application such as Form 605 with the FCC. Under the system going into effect in May, applicants not yet registered in CORES and filing on paper will need to file FCC Form 160, CORES Registration to obtain a FCC Registration Number (FRN). After the FCC has issued an FRN, applicants also might want to file FCC Form 606 to associate the FRN with an individual's license record(s) and call sign(s). CORES registration data and FCC license data are maintained in separate FCC databases.
The completed Form 160 goes to a unique Washington, DC, FCC address to obtain the applicant's FRN. Once the FCC issues an FRN to the applicant, this number must be used when filing FCC Form 605, which goes to the FCC's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, office. The two forms may not be mailed to Gettysburg together. Applicants need to have obtained an FRN via Form 160 before they can file a Form 605.
ARRL recommends that all amateurs file an on-line or paper Form 606 to associate their FRN with their license record(s) and call sign(s) in the FCC license database. Jahnke says the easiest way is to do this electronically via the ULS, and the process now is fairly straightforward.
The current edition of Form 605, dated December 2003, is available on the FCC forms page,
http://wireless.fcc.gov/feesforms/index.html.
For more information or
assistance, contact the FCC Consumer Center, toll-free, 888-CALLFCC (888-225-5322) and select option 2, or via e-mail at,
fccmd@fcc.gov.
-ARRL Bulletin ARLB010
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he Clark County ARES RACES group is pleased to announce that Matt
Yellen, KB7TSE, will present the program on April 19th about the new Icom D-STAR communications system being launched this year. Matt's
discussion will include computer interfacing to Amateur Radio equipment and how D-STAR can assist emergency services. The presentation goes into funding the project and expands in detail about digital voice and high speed data over amateur frequencies.