SB QST @ ARL $ARLB093 ARLB093 Vanity call sign update ZCZC AG73 QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 93 ARLB093 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT December 13, 1996 To all radio amateurs SB QST ARL ARLB093 ARLB093 Vanity call sign update From the time it began issuing Gate 2 vanity call signs on November 4, 1996, and through December 11, the FCC in Gettysburg cranked out an estimated 5700 new vanity call signs. That number includes all Gate 1, Gate 1a, and Gate 2 applications it received on or after September 23, the opening day for Gate 2. As of December 11, the FCC had processed all applications received through the end of October. Approximately 175 of the applications processed still require special handling, in some cases because the FCC was unable to grant any of the applicant*s call sign requests. The ARRL estimates that as many as 2000 applications remained in the processing queue as of December 11. Gettysburg received another 405 vanity call sign applications between November 26 and December 4, 226 of them filed electronically. No date has been announced for the opening of Gate 3. To avoid surprises--especially when filing via the electronic on-line Form 610V--the ARRL advises all vanity applicants to confirm that the application fee has been received and deposited by Mellon Bank, the FCC's fiscal agent, or that your credit card account has been debited. The FCC reminds hams filing for modifications and renewals to include a ZIP code to avoid delays. NNNN /EX