Call Area Etiquette
 

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.

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

Thanks.

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Subject: Call Area Etiquette
From: TeleTech
Date: 6/3/2004 10:49 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

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.

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

Thanks.

Greetings, and welcome back.

Unfortunately too few folks still observe the call districts in thier
callsigns. Thier "point" is that ""...I don't HAVE to do it, so I won't...".
The requirement to identify which area you ae operating from was dropped quite
a long time ago.

I am a "4" living in 4-land, but when I still had my 8 call, I always
signed "/4" on CW or stated "mobile" or "portable" on phone. I don't like it
when I am looking for a specific area only to find out that the "W1" I just
called is actually in in San Francisco.

Some contests (and of course, Field Day) require it, but that's just for
the contest rules, not "regulations".

Hope to catch you on the air some day.

73

Steve, K4YZ

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

I am a "4" living in 4-land, but when I still had my 8 call, I always
signed "/4" on CW or stated "mobile" or "portable" on phone.


Was living in Texas and got on 6 meters. Forgot to add /5 and someone
at a college ham club
thought that I was comming in during a band opening. No so once I
mentioned that I was
located on the other end of town....

No need to do either. Just use your FCC assigned call. Course it helps to
let folks know the general area your in, so they can point the antenna at
you.

Dan/W4NTI

"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.

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

Thanks.

--
NOTE: To reply, DELETE the obvious word in my e-mail address you need to
DELETE in order to reply.

My 2 cents -- When DXing give your present district as a cw slash or on
phone -- slant district. Folks calling you want to know where you are at.

In a DX pileup calling by district -- same as above and call when the DX
station calls for the district you are in. Some DX stations get very upset
when they call for sixes and a Ham in NY calls who has a 6 call

When operating a repeater that is in your home area -- no need for the
/district -- folks will know you are local.

When travelling or a visit away from your home state -- give a /district so
folks know you are a visitor and might invite you to some Ham activities or
assist with directions etc.

When on 6M and no skip --- just your call

For 6M skip give the /district you are in. I've called several W1 and W2's
only to find they were in a western state. Not good for WAS hunting and band
openings can be very short

For QSL cards a /district would be in order so the incoming ARRL burro cards
will go to your present district. Some QSL cards may not include the
/district and the card will go to the old district -- best have envelopes in
both districts I would suppose.

Keyboard In The Noise

Opinions are the cheapest commodities in the world. Author unknown but
"right on"


"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.

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

Thanks.

--
NOTE: To reply, DELETE the obvious word in my e-mail address you need to
DELETE in order to reply.

William wrote:

(N2EY) wrote in message . com...
TeleTech wrote in message ...


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

No and no.


Maybe, maybe not. Depends if the portable designation makes you a
different "country." If you were portable KL7 or KH6 or even KP4, I'd
definitely put that on my card. Even if it weren't antoher country,
I'd still put it on my card.

bb

Yeah, sort of like T5/N0IMD. Just put it on a card.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote in message ...
William wrote:

(N2EY) wrote in message . com...
TeleTech wrote in message ...


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

No and no.


Maybe, maybe not. Depends if the portable designation makes you a
different "country." If you were portable KL7 or KH6 or even KP4, I'd
definitely put that on my card. Even if it weren't antoher country,
I'd still put it on my card.

bb

Yeah, sort of like T5/N0IMD. Just put it on a card.

Dave K8MN

I did. But you're not in that log book so you don't get one. Sorry.

I could send you another N0IMD/KH2 card, though. You're a legit contact there.

William wrote:

Dave Heil wrote in message ...
William wrote:

(N2EY) wrote in message . com...
TeleTech wrote in message ...


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

No and no.


Maybe, maybe not. Depends if the portable designation makes you a
different "country." If you were portable KL7 or KH6 or even KP4, I'd
definitely put that on my card. Even if it weren't antoher country,
I'd still put it on my card.

bb

Yeah, sort of like T5/N0IMD. Just put it on a card.

I did. But you're not in that log book so you don't get one. Sorry.

We don't know that the logbook exists. We don't know that T5/N0IMD
existed. No one seems to have worked it. It doesn't show up in packet
cluster records. It doesn't show up in DXCC applications. You must
have cancelled everything through Google.

I could send you another N0IMD/KH2 card, though. You're a legit contact there.

I didn't ask for the first one. You requested one of mine through my
QSL manager.

Dave K8MN