BE
INFORMED NO. 14
ABOUT THAT
STATION IDENTIFICATION
ANNOUNCEMENT
John B. Johnston W3BE
It is for the purpose of over-the-air station identification that the FCC assigns
amateur station call signs – in accord with international arrangements - and maintains the ULS data base from which our amateur volunteers and other listeners can ascertain the identity of the station licensee and verify the
class of operator license. Transmitting a proper station identification announcement is especially critical
to our uniquely unstructured radio service when it comes to creating and maintaining a culture of observing the FCC rules and using good amateur practices. Having that capability is our major deterrent to
would-be rule violators. It facilitates self-policing and discourages interference-causing transmissions
and annoying mischief-making because it exposes personal identities. It should never be compromised.
It is basic to our maintaining a high level of rule compliance and promoting proper and efficient use of our allocated
spectrum.
The fundamental requirement is codified in 97.119(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 10 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.
Note that this rule does
not specify who must speak, key or otherwise perform the station identification announcement. It simply
requires that the station transmit its assigned call sign. Section 97.105(a), however, says the control operator must insure the immediate proper operation
of the station. Section 97.103(a), moreover, says that the station licensee is responsible for the proper operation of
the station in accordance with the FCC rules. When the control operator is a different amateur operator than the station licensee,
both persons are equally responsible for proper operation of the station. This would obviously include
causing or allowing the station to transmit its assigned call sign as required. The assigned call sign
is the one shown on the FCC ULS consolidated license database for the station license grant under which the station
is transmitting. Because of the international implications of radio,
the formation of call signs is determined by the International Telecommunication Union, an agency of the United Nations.
The twenty-six letters of the alphabet, as well as the 10 single digits 0-9 may be used to form call signs.
Excluded are combinations which might be confused with distress signals or with other signals of a similar nature and
combinations in Recommendation ITU-R M.1172 that are reserved for the Q signal abbreviations in the radiocommunication services.
The first two characters shall be two letters or a letter followed by one digit or one digit followed by a letter.
The first two characters, or in certain cases, the first character of a call sign constitute the nationality identification.
These are the call sign series beginning with single letter:
B (People’s Republic of China - BAA-BZZ); F (France - FAA-FZZ); G (United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland); I (Italy - IAA-IZZ); K (United States of America
- KAA-KZZ); M (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - MAA-MZZ), N (United States of America - NAA-NZZ); R
(Russian Federation RAA-RZZ); W (United States of America - WAA-WZZ); and with single digit 2 (United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland - 2AA-2ZZ).
The call sign prefixes available to the FCC for
assignment as the prefix in a call sign are, therefore:
AA-AL; K; KA-KZ; KAA-KZZ; N; NA-NZ; NAA-NZZ; W; WA-WZ; and WAA-WZZ
Section 97.3(a)(11) says the method used to select a call sign for amateur station over-the-air
identification purposes is called a call sign system. There are three of them:
(i) Sequential call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC from an alphabetized list corresponding to the
geographic region of the licensee's mailing address and operator class. The call sign is shown on the license. The FCC will
issue public announcements detailing the procedures of the sequential call sign system. (ii) Vanity call sign system. The call sign is selected
by the FCC from a list of call signs requested by the licensee. The call sign is shown on the license. The FCC will issue
public announcements detailing the procedures of the vanity call
sign system.
(iii) Special event call sign system. The call sign is selected by the station licensee from a list of call signs shown on
a common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur station special event call sign data base coordinators.
The call sign must have the single letter prefix K, N or W, followed by a single numeral 0 through 9, followed by a single
letter A through W or Y or Z (for example K1A). The special event call sign is substituted for the call sign shown on the
station license grant while the station is transmitting. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing the procedures of the special event
call sign system.
Although the call sign transmitted in the station identification announcement must be exactly as assigned, Section 97.119(b)(2) says that when it by a phone emission, use of a phonetic alphabet as an
aid for correct station identification is encouraged. It must, however, be in the English language.
Section 97.119(c), moreover, says that one or more indicators may be included with the call sign. See BE Informed No. 52 INCLUDING A SELF-ASSIGNED INDICATOR WITH YOUR STATION
CALL SIGN for rules and recommendations for appending self-assigned indicators consistent with Section 97.119(d).
Section 97.107 says that a non-citizen of the United States holding an amateur service authorization granted by the alien's government is
authorized to be the control operator of an amateur station located at places where the amateur service is regulated by the
FCC, provided there is in effect a multilateral or bilateral reciprocal operating arrangement, to which the United States
and the alien's government are parties, for amateur service operation on a reciprocal basis. The FCC’s
About Amateur Reciprocal Operating Arrangements says: When a station is transmitting
under the privileges afforded by an amateur service license granted by the Government of Canada or an amateur service license
granted by any other country with which the United States has a multilateral or bilateral agreement, an indicator consisting
of the appropriate letter-numeral designating the station location must be included in the station identification announcement. See Section 97.119. This indicator must be separated from the assigned call sign
by the slant mark (/) or any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. When the station is transmitting under the authority
of an amateur service license granted by the Government of Canada, the indicator must be included after the call sign (example:
"VE3**/W4").
When the station is transmitting under the authority of an amateur service license
granted by any other country with which the United States has a multilateral or bilateral agreement, the indicator must be
included before the call sign (example: "W4/IB4DX). At least once during each intercommunication ("QSO"), the
identification announcement must also include the general geographical location as nearly as possible by city and state, commonwealth
or possession (example: "W3/IB4** Kent Island, Maryland " or "VE3**/W4 Wallops Island, Virginia"). The
station location letter-numeral indicators are:
Alabama W4; Alaska KL7; American Samoa KH8; Arizona W7; Arkansas W5; Baker Island KH1; California
W6; Colorado W0; Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands KH0; Commonwealth of Puerto Rico KP4; Connecticut W1; Delaware W3;
Desecheo Island, PR KP5; District of Columbia W3; Florida W4; Georgia W4; Guam KH2; Hawaii KH6; Howland Island KH1; Idaho
W7; Illinois W9; Indiana W9; Iowa W0; Jarvis Island KH5; Johnston Island KH3; Kansas W0; Kentucky W4; Kingman Reef KH5K; Kure
Island KH7; Louisiana W5; Maine W1; Maryland W3; Massachusetts W1; Michigan W8; Midway Island KH4; Minnesota W0; Mississippi
W5; Missouri W0; Montana W7; Navassa Island KP1; Nebraska W0; Nevada W7; New Hampshire W1; New Jersey W2; New Mexico W5; New
York W2; North Carolina W4; North Dakota W0; Ohio W8; Oklahoma W5; Oregon W7; Palmyra Island KH5; Peale Island KH9; Pennsylvania
W3; Rhode Island W1; South Carolina W4; South Dakota W0; Tennessee W4; Texas W5; Utah W7; Vermont W1; Virgin Islands KP2;
Virginia W4; Wake Island KH9; Washington W7; West Virginia W8; Wilkes Island KH9; Wisconsin W9; Wyoming W7.
FAQ
Q. My local radio club assists at
public-service events by running a net to pass informal traffic between several operators located around the
site. The club member organizing things said that all stations will be operating under the club call
sign and that individual operators are only to identify themselves using their tactical call signs. Individual
operators would not identify with either their own call signs or with the club call sign. Only net control
would identify with an FCC-assigned call sign, the club call sign. He said that would satisfy the legal
identification requirements for all operators at the event. I asked how this would be legal.
He simply said that it's legal. I don't understand how. What am I missing?
A. The required station identification
announcement is for the station. “Use the call sign” is hamslanguage for the holder of station
license with that call sign having taken responsibility for the station transmitting properly on our amateur service spectrum
by becoming the station licensee. See Section 97.5(a). Tactical call signs do not substitute for the
FCC-assigned call sign. Section 97.119(a) says that 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
10 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.
Q. Is it permissible
for a RACES group to only use tactical call signs; never ID'ing with their assigned FCC call signs?
A. Not and be compliant with Section 97.119(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 10 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.
Q. The tail number on an airplane
is like a ham call sign. The pilots use the tail number as a call sign. Aren’t ham calls suppose
to be unique, across all radio services?
A. An aircraft registration number
could be the same as an amateur station call sign. Section 87.107(a) authorizes an aircraft station to radio identify by one of several possible ways.
One is to state the type of aircraft followed by the characters of the registration marking (“N” number)
of the aircraft, omitting the prefix letter “N.” When communication is initiated by a ground station, an aircraft
station may use the type of aircraft followed by the last three characters of the registration marking.
Q. Do I use my home call sign while I am working from an EOC or a hospital during a drill
or an emergency?
A. That’s but one option. Under that choice, you
are the station licensee, responsible for the proper operation of the station, as it says in Section 97.103(a). The station transmits your primary station call sign in the
station identification announcement. You then designate yourself as the control operator.
Another
option would be for another amateur operator to agree to be the station licensee and then designate you as the station control
operator (“SCO”). The station transmits that amateur operator’s primary station call
sign in the identification announcement. That station licensee and you - the SCO - are both accountable for the duties of
its SCO being performed properly. Note that Section 97.103(b) says that the FCC will presume that the station licensee is also the SCO unless there
is documentation to the contrary. See BE Informed No. 1 W3BE CHECKLISTS for the duties of each.
Still another possibility is for a club station
license trustee to agree to be the station licensee. Again, the trustee would have to designate you as
the control operator.
Q. I heard an individual claim that the ONLY acceptable way for a station to give their ID on voice
was for his call sign to be the last thing given. I absolutely agree that is the normal way to give an
ID, but not necessarily the only acceptable way. I maintain that the test of legality is:
a) ID in English
b) with your own FCC-assigned call sign
c) no attempt
to confuse or deceive, and
d) It is clearly understandable.
For example I maintain that after a short transmission (less that 3 minutes) an acceptable ID could be, "This
is WD8* turning it over next to W3** with the rest of the group on the side." Obviously my call sign
was not the last call sign given, but I maintain that that phrasing is sufficiently clear to be entirely legal. Your
comments please.
A. Section 97.119 codifies the rules for our station identification announcements. Paragraph
(a) says that it is the station that must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication,
and at least every 10 minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the transmissions from
the station known to those receiving the transmissions. That is apparently the basis for your acquaintance’s
assertion; he must view the rule requirement for transmitting the assigned station call sign at the end of each communication
with his interpretation that the station call sign must be the last thing to be transmitted at the end of each communication.
Under either interpretation, the purpose
of clearly making the source of the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions applies.
Assuming, there is no negative impact on the workload of our amateur volunteers, your more-relaxed
view appears to be realistic. Hopefully, it will not ignite a prolonged discussion of just how close
to the final utterance the station call sign must be!
Q. I've heard some confusion about a group QSO and the ID requirements for each individual station in the group.
The main point being whether a station which has been part of the group, but after IDing has been silent for some period of
time is required to ID on the next 10 minute interval. I have maintained that as long as that station properly
ID'd their last transmission they are under no obligation to transmit further identification when they have been silent even
for a period of longer than 10 minutes. Instead, that station may continue to be silent and not ID until
they, in the natural course of the conversation make their next transmission, at which time they would ID again, even though
more than 10 minutes have elapsed since their previous ID. Your comments please.
A. It is Section 97.119 that applies to each station participating in the group QSO. It
does not include special provisions for station participating in a group QSO.
To facilitate compliance, a good amateur practice might be for the control operator
of one of the participating stations to call for a station break every 10 minutes to allow the participating stations to transmit
their station identification announcements.
Q. If a club station licensee trustee has a General Class license, am it correct that any transmission
outside of the General sub-bands, by a designated control operator with the appropriate license grant, i.e. Advanced
or Extra Class would have to be identified by the club license call letters followed by the call letters of the control operator?
A. Yes. See Section 97.119(e) says that when the operator license class held by the control operator exceeds
that of the station licensee, an indicator consisting of the call sign assigned to the control operator's station must be
included after the call sign. That's why, for a club station that multiple members take turns at being
its control operator, having an Amateur Extra Class operator as the club station licensee can simplify the station identification
announcement.
April 22, 2011
Supersedes all prior editions