Tactical callsigns are commonly used to simplify communications in an emergency or service net, such as a race or a parade. Some examples of a tactical callsign that might be used would be: "Race Headquarters", "Shadow" (for the operator who is with the race director), "700 east" (street name where they are located), "net control" (for station coordinating the net), etc.

You might think at first that it would be illegal to use callsigns other than your FCC-granted call, but in actuality the requirement is only that you identify with your FCC-granted call once every 10 minutes and at the end of your conversation. Therefore, it is okay to use a tactical call for calling, as long as you identify with your real callsign once every 10 minutes and in your last transmission. It is not uncommon to hear a message such as "All stations who have transmitted in the last ten minutes please identify now" during a tactical net to remind everyone to identify using their callsign.

Last edited by airdale143@juno.com. Register to edit

Tags: call signs operating procedures

No matter what form of identifiers you are using for calling, the requirement is that you identify at least once every ten minutes and in your last transmission. Every ten minutes is a good rule of thumb, because if you are identifying every ten minutes then you are certainly filling this requirement. If ten minutes have passed and you haven't transmitted since the last time you transmitted your callsign then you do not need to identify again.

The answer "every ten minutes" is thus a little bit misleading, but ultimately if you are doing so you are fulfilling the requirement, which none of the rest of these answers can claim.

Last edited by airdale143@juno.com. Register to edit

Tags: operating rules call signs

97.119 Station identification.

(a) Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station, must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least every ten minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions. No station may transmit unidentified communications or signals, or transmit as the station call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.

So you do not have to transmit your callsign at the beginning, but you must every 10 minutes and at the end of the communication.

Last edited by rtgholson. Register to edit

Tags: operating rules call signs

You may use any language you wish for communications over Amateur Radio in the United States, but when identifying your station you must use English.

When you give your callsign always use English letters and/or the Nato Standard phonetic alphabet.

Last edited by ta1yep. Register to edit

Tags: operating rules

Indicators are never used when transmitting phone signals (phone means you're just talking with voice); you just use your callsign. You can identify with either phone (voice) or CW (Continuous Wave, which means morse code). Repeaters often use morse code for identification.

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Tags: call signs operating rules morse code

Mnemonic: Stroke, Slash, Slant = all the Same

Thus All of these choices are correct

A self assigned indicator will be used to let others know when you are not operating at your normal licensed station location. You would sign with your call sign followed by a code indicating your current location.

Last edited by ldwyze. Register to edit

Tags: self-assigned indicator call signs operating rules

Self-assigned call-sign indicators are simply anything that you choose to add onto your callsign; for example, if you were participating in a contest with morse code and wanted to indicate that you could append the suffix "/CX" to your callsign.

You can add any callsign indicator you wish as long as it can't be confused with something else; for example, someone who has passed their General exam but their license has not yet been updated in the FCC database is required to operate with the suffix "/AG" appended to their callsign to indicate that they are a temporary general; thus if you were to append "/AG" to your callsign as a self-assigned indicator it would seem you were a general awaiting your upgrade to finish. Similarly if you were to use a prefix that made your station appear to be from another country that would be confusing / misleading as well.

For this reason the rules specify that your indicator must not conflict with any other indicator specified by the FCC rules or other countries.

Last edited by kd7bbc. Register to edit

Tags: self-assigned indicator call signs operating rules

The control operator of a station is the one in control of that station. You may never be a control operator of a station outside of your authorized bands. This is different than operating a station in those outside frequencies when there IS a licensed control operator present as with a special event station, a contest, or at field day, for instance.

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Tags: control operator license class

Repeater stations are one of the most important types of stations to understand if you plan to operate on 2m or 70cm (which most technician licensees will). Repeater stations listen on one frequency (for example 147.94MHz) and retransmit anything they receive on another frequency; generally the two frequencies are separated by a well-known offset. On 2 meters the offset is usually 600kHz and on 70cm it is usually 5MHz.

The only distractor listed that seems like it might be correct is "Message forwarding station". However, a message forwarding station would receive a message and then forward it, not retransmit simultaneously. Beacon stations don't usually receive at all -- they just transmit periodically to help other stations determine wave propagation conditions. Earth stations are simply radio stations that are located within 50km of the Earth's surface.

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Tags: station types repeater

Repeaters run on automatic control, and thus do not have a control operator present at a control point. Therefore the repeater's control operator can't be expected to watch all use of the repeater all the time.

As such, the control operator of the originating station is responsible for their own emissions, even if those are retransmitted by a repeater.

Generally speaking, whoever originates something is responsible for its content, not those in charge of whatever the content passes through.

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Tags: repeater operating rules

The FCC does not restrict you from contacting any foreign operator or from you allowing a third party to contact a foreign operator as long as the government of the country in which they reside does not prohibit the communication.

It doesn't matter what region they're in; the FCC doesn't have a problem with you or anyone else with you communicating out of the country -- in point of fact, one of the stated purposes of Amateur Radio is to increase international goodwill! Of course, if you or the third party were to start doing something stupid like transmitting confidential information or threatening people or something you may come under judgement for breaking another law, but it wouldn't be because you allowed a third party to communicate. =] (Please don't be stupid.)

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Tags: international rules and regulations

This is another one of those things that there isn't much you can do but remember it; however, if you figure that 3 is a few and you need more than a few, 4 is the next choice =]

Or just remember there are four letters in club

Three is a few, four is a crew...

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Tags: call signs licensing fcc

As a federal licensee, you're obligated to make everything available for inspection that relates to the radio amateur practice (station, records etc) if the FCC or a representative requests so. These visits are very rare and only occur when there are reasons to believe that an improper behavior has occurred. Remember have your original license available for inspection too!

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Tags: rules and regulations licensing fcc