USING YOUR CALL WITH PORTABLE/MOBILE
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| Feb 15th 2015, 18:42 | |
W1WBLTotal Topics: 0 Total Posts: 0 |
I find navigating these forums a little tricky--I don't know where that I should post this but here goes-- I have had quite a discussion over on a Facebook Ham group about the new licensing policy of the FCC--I mean by that you can pick your own vanity call in another district other than where you live--To elaborate--I am in 1 land. If I want a vanity call with my initials and te only one is in the 6 District I can have that if available-- Now comes the crutch of my post, There is no FCC rue saying that you have to announce this is W6XXX portable 1 or mobile 1-In my mind this leads to much confusion and incorrect operation--If you here a W4XXX calling CQ normally you would turn your beam south from New England yet to find He is in Minnesota !! Other confusions and waited efforts --Contests--Awards-WAS etc.--Any thoughts on this and has it affected you--I know its not the end of the world, but I can see our hobby slowly getting lax for the case of expediency--Dropping the REQ to increase membership and so on. Your thoughts |
| Feb 17th 2015, 03:22 | |
WA9WVXTotal Topics: 0 Total Posts: 0 |
Well this has been an ongoing problem for some time and I don't see it getting any better in the future. I've always tried to hang the district number on to my own call sign when ever I'm outside of my home .... even while operating within Illinois itself so the stations know I'm either at home, in the mobile or operating portable but that's just me. With the new No-Code operators, you're lucky to hear them I.D. let alone say WF7XXX/9 or whatever district their in. The other interesting problem I've noticed on several different Forums is a person will have a call like, K9DEV and then ask a very stupid question, i.e. "Why can't I connect a PL-259 connector directly to a N Type connector?" The first thing I think about is, "Why is a ham that's been licensed this long asking this type of question?" I generally will go to the QRZ page and look up the call only to discover the call has been reassigned (vanity) to a newbie Technician licensee who didn't like their original call sign. I feel the FCC should have limited the new operators perhaps a minimum of 3 years before requesting a new call. I was never offered this luxury when I received my call in 1968 and now I wouldn't change it because everyone knows me by my call sign. It's a big enough challenge just working all of the states let alone trying to figure out whether the op is where you want or need the individual to be. Between the ARRL and the FCC after the new operator receives their call sign, anything goes ... operating in SSB / CW portions of the bands, stepping on other operators, jamming, telling the Old Timers to Get the Hell off their Frequency (Huh?), I've even been chased off of FM Simplex for Rag Chewing. I fear that the FCC is just waiting to take all of our bands away and sell them to the Commercial Business Radio Users and I'll definitely lay blame right on the ARRL for NOT taking the proper steps to educate the new Amateur Radio Operators. I've been a continuous ARRL member since I was first licensed in 1968. Dan |
| Feb 17th 2015, 04:10 | |
aa6eTotal Topics: 0 Total Posts: 0 |
The (mis-)assignment of calls vs FCC districts is not exactly "new" -- it's been this way for quite a few years. The simple fact is that you can't assume that AA6E, for example, is in California. (I've been in CT since 1989.) People move around and keep their calls. People want vanity calls, too. What are you going to do? Using /n with your call is a help, if you think the other guy knows what the old-time call districts were! On JT65/JT9 modes, you're supposed to transmit your locator info together with your callsign. That's a big help. A lot of us keep a window open on QRZ.com (or similar) just to check up on who we're chatting with and what the right bearing should be. 73 Martin AA6E |
| Feb 17th 2015, 14:25 | |
W1WBLTotal Topics: 0 Total Posts: 0 |
Dan, WA9WVX--My sentiments in a nut shell--I searched little bit on ARRL to see if there had been any discussions about this and also what if any intentions the ARRL board of gurus have in approaching the FCC--I think I will pen a letter to QST and see what responses I get--Thanks for taking the time to answer--And yes I do the same thing and announce where I am operating from portable or mobile and what district--I think it is a courtesy that as you say the newbies lack-73 |
| Feb 17th 2015, 14:38 | |
W1WBLTotal Topics: 0 Total Posts: 0 |
Martin AA6E-Thanks Martin, I know its been around for a while and I understand people move--If I ever decide to move and become a snow bird to Florida, I would hate to loose my call also--I would however place the /4 after it, just as a courtesy-Its not much of an effort--That is good about JT65?JT9 asking to provide your locator--I have not tried those modes but very close to doing it--I have used PSK and enjoy that--Thanks again and 73 |
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