Hi guys,

Well, I decided to waste $499.95 in taxpayer dollars (OK, the figure's
probably a little inflated) to order a duplicate license through the
new FCC ULS electronic filing system thingy to see how easy it really
is to use.  (See note 1.) Here's what I found:

The site, naturally, has a lot more links than it really needs, so you
might find the "skip navigation links" useful.

Starting at www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls you go to electronic filing. From
there, you log in with your FRN and password. If you don't know your
FRN, it's listed on QRZ, among other places. Once you're logged in,
you can do all manner of things, like update your address, get a
duplicate license, request a vanity callsign, and renew your
license. Since I didn't want a vanity callsign, didn't need to renew,
and haven't moved, for the purpose of this exercise, I rquested a
duplicate license. (Actually, my wallet-sized copy's getting a little,
uh, ratty...)

Login is very straightforward. So is the process of requesting a
duplicate license. Actually, if all the other options are this easy,
you shouldn't have a problem renewing or doing anything else, with the
following caveat. The site still doesn't work properly in lynx or in
links. While you can log in and get a couple steps into the license
duplicate request process with lynx, you can't finish the process;
instead of going forward to confirm your choices after the second
step, you're presented with the login page. Logging in starts you
right back at the beginning--so--while you can start the process in
lynx, you can't finish. However, it works in Microsoft's evil browser
just fine.

The new format is definitely much easier to use than the old
Java-dependent version. Very straightforward, if (as you'd expect) a
bit cluttered.

Note 1: Requesting a duplicate license is really free, and it probably
really only costs a dollar of taxpayer funds, not the aforementioned
$499.95.
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV/3    | But I will lay my burden
Email: [log in to unmask]   | in the cradle of your grace,
ICQ: 36621210              | And the shining beaches of your love,
http://www.ycardz.com      | and the sea of your embrace.--Dave Carter