Bad news to prospective hams. The FCC ULS system has suffered
a major programming glitch in that is was no longer issuing sequential
licenses. Here's the scoop from the ARRL website:
The FCC has stopped issuing Amateur Service license grants while it
attempts to unravel an apparent computer programming glitch. The FCC
posted a public alert on the Universal Licensing System (ULS) site on
November 5. At this point, no one seems to know when the problem will
be fixed.

"The granting of Amateur applications has been temporarily suspended,"
the FCC announcement says without further explanation. "We apologize
for the inconvenience." The Commission has given no indication when
processing might resume, but when it does, the FCC likely will pull
back more than 125 Group D (2x3) amateur call signs it mistakenly
issued out of sequence and grant the applicants new in-sequence call
signs. Although they eventually may be set aside and replaced, all
call signs showing up in the ULS database remain legal.

The difficulties began October 28, when the FCC implemented a ULS
software change that caused applications to be processed improperly.
ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, says
the FCC was forced to stop processing amateur applications after
attempts to correct the initial error only seemed to make things
worse. "The FCC is still trying to get its arms around the problems,"
he said this week.

Jahnke said the ULS problem will have no effect whatsoever on
volunteer Amateur Radio examination sessions that have been scheduled
or already held. The only known impact at this point will be in how
fast the FCC is able to grant licenses (and assign call signs)
resulting from examination sessions.

For some as-yet-undetermined reason the October 28 modification caused
all amateur applications from the nation's VECs to be shunted into
"Pending 2" status, flagging them for manual review without any
justification.

By November 2, the FCC thought it had things under control again, and
it reprocessed all the applications in the queue. At first blush, all
looked to be in order, Jahnke said, but closer inspection revealed
that the system had failed to grant some routine requests for new
sequential call signs. "By the afternoon, we realized that the FCC had
erroneously begun issuing new Group D call signs in several districts
from altogether new call sign blocks--out of sequence from where
processing in those districts had last ended," Jahnke said.

While the first and third call districts were unaffected, the FCC
apparently jumped from issuing call signs in the KC2Nxx sequence to
the WQ2Axx sequence, Jahnke said. It also had assigned WQ4xxx, WQ5xxx,
WQ7xxx and WQ9xxx call signs. In the eighth district, there was a gap
between KD8xxx to KM8xxx call signs, while in the tenth district the
Commission went from KC0Txx to WI0Axx. In the sixth district, the
sequence shifted from KG6Wxx to KI6Axx.

The ARRL VEC has been working with personnel in the FCC's licensing
branch to identify where the FCC had been in the call sign sequences,
where it had jumped to and where it was supposed to be.

Jahnke says the problem appears to have affected only Group D call
signs. He emphasized that any call signs the FCC issued are in the ULS
database and therefore are valid, and licensees may use them on the
air.

"Just don't get too familiar with them," he advised. "It is our
understanding that at some point, the FCC will set aside the
out-of-sequence grants and issue new call signs to affected
licensees."

The FCC has announced that due to "scheduled maintenance," the ULS
on-line filing, application and license search and several other non
Amateur Radio-related functions will be unavailable starting Friday,
November 12, at 9 PM EST until Monday, November 15, at 6 AM EST.
Electronic batch file processing will stop November 12 at 5 PM, and
VECs will not be able to send and retrieve files during the down
period. This weekend's transaction files and Sunday's database public
access files will not be available until Monday morning, the FCC says.


--
Dan, KD8AGU
Please remove ".nospam" to reply via email.

While the first and third call districts were unaffected, the FCC
apparently jumped from issuing call signs in the KC2Nxx sequence to
the WQ2Axx sequence, Jahnke said. It also had assigned WQ4xxx, WQ5xxx,
WQ7xxx and WQ9xxx call signs. In the eighth district, there was a gap
between KD8xxx to KM8xxx call signs, while in the tenth district the
Commission went from KC0Txx to WI0Axx. In the sixth district, the
sequence shifted from KG6Wxx to KI6Axx.


Jahnke says the problem appears to have affected only Group D call
signs. He emphasized that any call signs the FCC issued are in the ULS
database and therefore are valid, and licensees may use them on the
air.

"Just don't get too familiar with them," he advised. "It is our
understanding that at some point, the FCC will set aside the
out-of-sequence grants and issue new call signs to affected
licensees."

Unless the calls spell dirty words or otherwise patterns
not avaliable to hams, why not just let them stand? If
you could apply for it as a vanity call, just let whoever
got it keep it.

"Robert Casey" wrote in message
ink.net...

While the first and third call districts were unaffected, the FCC
apparently jumped from issuing call signs in the KC2Nxx sequence to
the WQ2Axx sequence, Jahnke said. It also had assigned WQ4xxx, WQ5xxx,
WQ7xxx and WQ9xxx call signs. In the eighth district, there was a gap
between KD8xxx to KM8xxx call signs, while in the tenth district the
Commission went from KC0Txx to WI0Axx. In the sixth district, the
sequence shifted from KG6Wxx to KI6Axx.


Jahnke says the problem appears to have affected only Group D call
signs. He emphasized that any call signs the FCC issued are in the ULS
database and therefore are valid, and licensees may use them on the
air.

"Just don't get too familiar with them," he advised. "It is our
understanding that at some point, the FCC will set aside the
out-of-sequence grants and issue new call signs to affected
licensees."

Unless the calls spell dirty words or otherwise patterns
not avaliable to hams, why not just let them stand? If
you could apply for it as a vanity call, just let whoever
got it keep it.

Now Bob, you know the FCC is run by lawyers. Quit coming up with some simple
and reasonable solutions to minor problems.

ak