1. RETRIEVING DATA FROM FCC LICENSE DATABASE Steps for obtaining query results, and importing it into MS Excel Spreadsheet

2. FCC License Database Step 1  Click this link to access the FCC Amateur License Search engine in your browser: http://wireless2.fcc.gov/ UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAmateur.jsp http://wireless2.fcc.gov/ UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAmateur.jsp

3. FCC License Data: Web Form

4. FCC Licensee Database: Web Form Step 2  Complete the FCC Search Form.  You can search for a specific license or for all licenses within a specific geographic area meeting specific criteria.  For complex queries, perform more than one query, and combine the results.  Here’s an example...

5. FCC License Database: Web Form 1. Choose desired  license Class, or “All”  4. Change number per page. (optional)  3. Select “Active” to avoid expired, canceled, etc.  2. Enter City, State or Zip Code Note: You can use partial info. 5. Click “Search” 

6. FCC License Database: Query Results Step 3. Look over the results. If desired, refine the search and repeat. When satisfied, click on “Query Download.”  Click “Query Download” to request the complete data records.

7. FCC License Database: Query Download Step 4. Note the information in the “Download Search Results” paragraph. Provide a valid email address, and click “Download.” Watch your InBox.  Enter your email address.  Click “Download” and watch your Inbox.

8. FCC License Database: Query Download You will receive two emails from the FCC. The first just confirms your request. Wait a minute for the second email… Email Number One

9. FCC License Data: Request Results The second email will contain a link to your query data. Click the link to download a text file with the data. (Note: The link remains good for 4 days.) Email Number Two  Click on this link 

10. FCC License Data: Query Results The downloaded text file will probably open in your browser. Step 5. Right-click and save the data as a TXT file on your computer. Note: The pipe character “|” is used to delimit the many fields. You can read about the FCC Database fields here: http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/data/documentation/pa_ddef38.pdf Right click on the screen, choose “Save as…”, and specify a TXT file name and location. For example, Local_Hams.TXT.

11. FCC License Data: Query Results Step 6. Import the Local_Hams.TXT file into Excel. On the Data tab, click From Text button, find the TXT file and open it. The Text Import Wizard will take you three steps. 1. Choose the Data tab.   2. Click “From Text” button, find and select your TXT file, and open it to start the Wizard. 3. The Text Import Wizard correctly guesses that your data is “delimited.” Step 1 is done! Click Next. 

12. FCC License Data: Query Results Importing the Local_Hams.TXT file into Excel…Steps 2 and 3. Specify the “pipe character” as the delimiter, and “Finish.” 1. In Step 2, Check “Other.”   2. Type a pipe symbol “|” in the space provided. See the wizard then correctly separates the columns of data fields. 3. Click on Finish.  (We don’t need Step 3.) If prompted, click OK to put data in cell A1.

13. FCC License Data: Excel Database Excel now contains your query result as data fields in columns. We want only EN (entity) records (column A) that have name, address, etc. Scroll down, find EN records, and delete all the other records (rows).  1. Click and select row 1 (not an EN record).  2. Scroll down to find the row before the first EN record. Shift-click that row to highlight all above unwanted rows.  3. Right-click the selection and choose Delete, to remove the selected rows. Or, on the Home Tab, click Delete.

14. FCC License Data: Excel Database The spreadsheet now has the Entity records from your query. You can match up the columns with the positions in the FCC documentation. You can delete unwanted columns, and add column headings. Each column corresponds to a “Position,” as documented in the pdf for “EN” records.   Insert a row 1 and type column headings to  facilitate further use of your new Excel database.  You can highlight and delete unwanted columns.

15. FCC License Data: Excel Database  Save your spreadsheet as XLS or CSV to access it from other programs.  The column headings become important when referring to the Excel columns as fields.  For example, MS Word can print mailing labels.  You can also geocode the data to make a map (e.g., use batchgeo.com).