TeleTech wrote in message ...
I used to be active on the air about 12 years ago. I will be moving out of
my assigned call area. I'd like to get back on the air when I move.

That's great!

What is the accepted practice relative to identifying the call area when
one has moved permanently, given that the FCC does not assign a new call
when one moves out of their area?

For example, if I was visiting W4 area from W3, I would identify as W3---
"portable W4" or W3---/W4.

When away from the permanent station location, a lot of us do the
"mobile 3" thing. I do it so that people know I'm mobile or portable,
and will understand if I don't respond to a call or my signal drops
out.

But at the permanent station location, most hams just use their
callsign even if their call doesn't match the callsign district.

With the current regulations, you can choose your callsign by means of
the vanity call program. So if you want a call that matches your
location, you can have one (for a fee).


Do people put the /W4 on their QSL cards, etc?
Is this a big deal these days?

No and no.

It's not a new thing, either. Here's my story:

I was licensed in 1967 and got a six-character 3 land callsign, which
I kept until I moved to New York State in 1977. This was a permanent
move, and under the rules back then I could request a 1x2, 2x1, 1x3,
2x2 or 2x3 callsign - sequentially issued, no fee and no choice other
than the format. So I asked for a 1x2 and got N2EY.

Then in 1979 I moved back to 3-land. But in the 2 years that had
elapsed, the FCC had changed the rules. I could have gotten a 3-land
call, in any of the above formats, but if I gave up N2EY the FCC would
not reissue it to anybody. So I kept it, rather than deny another ham
a 1x2 or 2x1 call.

Eventually the rules changed and they began reissuing old 1x2 calls.
But by then I was so used to N2EY that I just kept it. Never been a
problem on the air.

73 de Jim, N2EY