A Public Notice released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 23, 2022, in MD Docket No. 20-270, announced that new application fees for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau applications will become effective on April 19, 2022. The new fees, mandated by Congress, apply to applications for Amateur Radio licenses including those associated with filing Form 605, the Amateur Operator/Primary Station Licensee Application.

Effective April 19, 2022, a $35 fee will apply to applications for a new Amateur Radio license, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call signs.

Anticipating the implementation of the fee in 2022, the ARRL Board of Directors, at its July 2021 meeting, approved the “ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program.” Under the program, ARRL will cover a one-time $35 application fee for license candidates younger than 18 years old for tests administered under the auspices of the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC). Qualified candidates also would pay a reduced exam session fee of $5 to the ARRL VEC. ARRL is finalizing details for administering the program.

ARRL had filed comments in opposition to imposing a fee on Amateur Radio license applications. The FCC initially proposed a higher, $50 fee. In a Report and Order (R&O), released on December 29, 2020, the amount was reduced — the FCC agreeing with ARRL and other commenters that its proposed $50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was “too high to account for the minimal staff involvement in these applications.”

ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, explained that all fees are per application. “There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. The fees will be the responsibility of the applicant regardless of filing method and must be paid within 10 calendar days of FCC’s receipt of the application. For applications filed by a VEC, the period does not begin until the application is received by the Commission, a ULS file number assigned, and an email sent by the FCC directly to the applicant.”

VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not collect the $35 fee at license exam sessions. New and upgrade candidates at an exam session will continue to pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual, and pay the new, $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES – Login).

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have 10 calendar days from the date of the email to pay. After the fee is paid and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license or explanation of other action. The link will be good for 30 days.

Somma also explained that applications that are processed and dismissed will not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity call sign requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. “The FCC staff has suggested that applicants for vanity call signs should first ensure the call signs requested are available and eligible for their operator class and area, and then request as many call signs as the form allows to maximize their chances of receiving a call sign.”

Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are available from the ARRL VEC at www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee. Details for the ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program will be similarly posted there, when available.

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington reports: On March 11 at 0431 UTC, Australia’s Space Forecast Centre issued a warning. “A slow coronal mass ejection has been observed late on 10 March, and event modeling suggests arrival at the Earth late on 13 March. Increased geomagnetic activity is expected for 14 March 2022.”

We observed an active sun this week. Geomagnetic indicators peaked on Saturday, March 5, when Alaska’s high-latitude college A index reached 42.

Again this week, sunspots covered the sun every day. Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 44 to 87.4, and average daily solar flux went from 98.5 to 115.5. Geomagnetic indicators were also higher. Average daily planetary A index increased from 7.3 to 11.4.

The vernal equinox is in a little over a week, 1533 UTC on Sunday, March 20, when Earth will be bathed in an equal amount of solar radiation over both Southern and Northern Hemispheres, good for HF propagation. It is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and fall in the southern.

Predicted solar flux is 120 on March 11 – 12; 115 on March 13; 110 on March 14 – 16; 105 on March 17; 100 on March 18 – 21; then 101 and 103 on March 22 – 23; 104 on March 24 – 27; then 110, 115, and 116 on March 28 – 30; 118 on March 31 through April 1; 120 on April 2; 116 on April 3 – 4; then 115 and 112 on April 5 – 6; 110 on April 7 – 9; then 108, 102, 98, and 99 on April 10 – 13; then 100 on April 14 – 17.

Predicted planetary A index is 12 on March 11; 5 on March 12 – 13; then 10, 18, 15, 5, and 8 on March 14 – 18; then 12 on March 19 – 20; 15 on March 21; 7 on March 22 – 24; then 5, 10 and 8, on March 25 – 27; 5 on March 28 – 29; then 10, 12, 25, 20, and 10 on March 30 through April 3; 5 on April 4 – 6; then 15, 20, and 12 on April 7 – 9; 5 on April 10 – 13; then 8 on April 14, and 10 on April 15 – 16.

Sunspot numbers for March 3 through 9, 2022 were 92, 77, 95, 82, 84, 93, and 89, with a mean of 87.4. 10.7-centimeter flux was 110.9, 113.1, 120.1, 115.7, 118.3, 115.3, and 114.8, with a mean of 115.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 10, 27, 18, 9, 6, and 5, with a mean of 11.4. Middle latitude A index was 3, 7, 19, 13, 7, 5, and 4, with a mean of 8.3.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

Share your reports and observations.

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: We watched an active sun this week. Geomagnetic indicators peaked on Saturday, March 5, when Alaska’s high latitude college A index reached 42.

Again this week, sunspots covered the sun each day. Average daily sunspot numbers rose from 44 to 87.4, and average daily solar flux went from 98.5 to 115.5. Geomagnetic indicators were also higher. Average daily planetary A index increased from 7.3 to 11.4.

Predicted solar flux is 115 and 114 on March 10 – 11; 112 on March 12 – 14; 110 on March 15 – 16; 99 on March 17; 100 on March 18 – 21; 101 and 103 on March 22 – 23; 104 on March 24 – 27; 110, 115, and 116 on March 28 – 30; 118 on March 31 – April 1; 120 on April 2; 116 on April 3 – 4; 115 and 112 on April 5 – 6; 110 on April 7 – 9, and 108, 102, 98 and 99 on April 10 – 13.

Predicted planetary A index is 12 on March 10 – 11; 5 on March 12 – 14; 8 on March 15 – 16; 5 and 8 on March 17 – 18; 12 on March 19 – 20; 15 on March 21; 7 on March 22 – 24; 5, 10, and 8 on March 25 – 27; 5 on March 28 – 29; 10, 12, 25, 20, and 10 on March 30 – April 3; 5 on April 4 – 6; 15, 20, and 12 on April 7 – 9, and 5 on April 10 – 13.

Sunspot numbers for March 3 – 9 were 92, 77, 95, 82, 84, 93, and 89, with a mean of 87.4. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 110.9, 113.1, 120.1, 115.7, 118.3, 115.3, and 114.8, with a mean of 115.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 10, 27, 18, 9, 6, and 5, with a mean of 11.4. Middle latitude A index was 3, 7, 19, 13, 7, 5, and 4, with a mean of 8.3.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Solar activity was weak over the February 24 – March 2 reporting week with average daily sunspot numbers weakening from 54.3 to 44, but average daily solar flux rising slightly from 95.4 to 98.3.

Geomagnetic numbers were moderate. Average daily planetary A index declined from 9.6 to 7.3, and the middle latitude index from 7.3 to 5.6.

Predicted solar flux is 115 on March 3 – 4; 110 on March 5 – 6; 105 on March 7; 100 on March 8 – 10; 99 on March 11 – 13; 98 on March 14; 95 on March 15 – 16; 96, 97, 98, and 99 on March 17 – 20; 100 on March 21 – 22; 101 and 100 on March 23 – 24; 102 on March 25 – 26; 99 and 102 on March 27 – 28; 105 on March 29 – 31; 102 on April 1 – 2; 101 on April 3 – 4, and 100 on April 5 – 6.

Predicted planetary A index is 5, 8, 12, and 8 on March 3 – 6; 5 on March 7 – 10; 15, 12, 8, 5, and 8 on March 11 – 15; 5 on March 16 – 17; 10 on March 18; 15 on March 19 – 21; 7 on March 22 – 24; 5 and 10 on March 25 – 26; 12 on March 27 – 28; 8 on March 29 – 30; 12 on March 31; 15 on April 1 – 2, and 5 on April 3 – 6.

Sunspot numbers for February 24 – March 2 were 23, 22, 22, 48, 65, 62, and 66, with a mean of 44. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 92.3, 96.2, 96.5, 96.9, 99, 99.3, and 109.5, with a mean of 98.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 8, 3, 13, 8, 8, and 4, with a mean of 7.3. Middle latitude A index was 6, 7, 1, 11, 5, 6, and 3, with a mean of 5.6.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…,” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

Share your reports and observations.

• SEA-PAC 2022 online registration has been delayed due to technical difficulties restarting the registration web pages. SEA-PAC anticipates that online Registration will open on March 7 at 6 PM Pacific Time. SEA-PAC 2022 will host the ARRL Northwestern Division Convention June 3 – 5. The 2022 SEA-PAC QSO Party is being planned for the weekend before the event.