The Mystery of Amateur Radio Callsigns
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 พ.ค. 2024
- AMATEUR RADIO CALL SIGNS HAVE A SECRET
“We pause now station identification…”
For the older readers of my ramblings, this is probably a phrase that you have heard in years gone by. It’s familiar, but not something that you can put your finger on. Just hanging out in the corners of your memories, but nothing that you really thought of.
It wasn’t something that you thought about because of course you knew what channel you had set your radio or TV to, so what purpose did that server for you, the listener? You already knew the identity of the station, those words were an indication that you could tune out for 10 seconds without missing anything.
Truth is, station identification is a REALLY big thing when transmitting on a channel in a licensed band. Whether that license is for a specific frequency (like easy listening FM 100.1) or news stations (KSL 1160 AM comes to mind for me) or in the amateur community where the person transmitting has the license, not the actual space on the band, license serve a purpose. Most regulatory bodies require that stations identify themselves at periodic intervals (those intervals change depending on other factors) but identification is almost always a requirement. When people pay a lot of money for the frequency or work hard to be licensed for the privilege, knowing who is transmitting where is a key component. The reason is not for when things go right, but for when things go wrong.
Much like an AP transmitting on channel 9 or a device that is sending DHCP discovery frames 20 times a second, wireless engineers the world over are always looking for a way to identify those devices so they have a chance to track them down. Wi-Fi is easy with it’s source and destination addresses, but what about signals that don’t contain any “data”, just audio and/or video? When they start to misbehave, there are ways that RF engineers can hunt them down, and a station identifying themselves occasionally in their broadcasting is a key component in that. Sit on the spectrum for a while and engineers know they can count on hearing something that identifies who is transmitting the signal they are interested in. With that information, there are ways to track down the owner of that signal.
In the scenario I listed above, it seems pretty innocuous, but what about when the license is the person, and not the business? Truth is, the information is just as readily accessible for amateur radio holders the same as corporations, and I’m not sure everyone is aware of the dangers contained in this. - เกม
In Belize, the number is not a call area designator (we only have 400K people). Belize is assigned the entire V3 range, and it uses the V31 prefix for general-class licenses, and V32 for technician-class licenses, followed by two letters. In government communications, there is a hyphen between that prefix and the suffix (like V31-LK), though that is not transmitted.
They used to have more geographic implication. I was first licensed in Wisconsin when I was 13. My call was KN9CAH. K meant I was in the US, N meant I was a Novice Class licensee, 9 meant I was in either Wisconsin, Illinois, or Michigan. The CAH was issued randomly and at the time one-up alphabetically. When I passed the General Class exam, I dropped the letter "N" in the prefix ergo K9CAH. After college I moved to Maryland for work (1964) and in those days you had to get a new call reflecting the area so I became W3DRV. The "3" indicating I was in Maryland, Delaware, PA or DC. Incentive licensing came in in the late 1960s and I lost the use of some frequencies until I upgraded to Amateur Extra class. In the late 1970s, if you held Extra Class and had been licensed for 20 years, on an "as available" basic you could request a two letter suffix. When I got into radio as a kid you had to be licensed the day after Marconi to have a two letter suffix. They were phased in batches. First dibs were hams who had Extra Class before it granted any extra privileges aside from "bragging" rights. That was practically no one. They it was phased in depending upon when you got Extra Class. I was in the first batch of that group and I got my initial "JT" so I was and still am W3JT. When they ran out of Ws the used K for the country prefix. Later, for a fee, they added "Vanity Callsigns" and you didn't have to change if you moved to a different area. My two former call have been reissued, one to a lady in GA, who has the "CAH" initials. I believe my W3DRV call has also been reissued. I have one other one ... KG4TJ (now expired) for a 1995 operation at US Controlled Guantanamo Bay, Cuba when I was down there for 10 days on a US government work assignment (I was a career Civil Servant.) That call was issued by the base, upon showing my US License.
Good video. In UK we don't use numerical call area designators but a letter (which is now a voluntary option). UK callsigns when "decoded" also give the level of licence held (Foundation. Intermediate, Full) and the region of the UK as well. So my M0 (full) callsign changes when I go into Scotland, (MM0) Wales (MW0), etc. I could also use ME0 as a prefix for England but I don't have to.
Thanks for the info 73 @M0RMY
And it meant I could pick my call sign of M7KEC . . . . KEC being my daughter's initials!
Why is Scotland not a Country
@@malcolmscott9582 Because James VI sold his soul to the English in 1603?
Since 1968 I have had/used 4 callsigns. 2 of which were issued in error by the relevant authority.
ZC4MO from Troodos , on top of Mount Olympus, Cyprus , Troodos was about 30 miles outside the Sovereign Base area. Should have been 5B4MO. took many years to find and resolve the error.
DA2GJ. Because I had a US Army APO Postal Address the German Authorities thought I was American. Call sign should have been DA6xx.
Such is life. If you have a ZC4MO QSL card it counts as 5B4 as does cards from my mate Eric ZC4ER.
Still active today as G4JIU
A big howdy from "The Lincolnshire Poacher"
LA8PV was used in a TV comedy skit in 1976, but there was a clerk error in reserving it, so LA8PW was reserved instead and LA8PV by error also assigned a radio operator. The radio operator (Knut Kolstad) finally got the callsign changed to LA2WRA in 2008, and LA8PV is no longer used.
As a Master Mariner I have used several commercial radio call signs over the years.
Nice to know @skippern666 73
AI7VS here 😊 have a nice day.
Have a nice day 73
G'day from "Risky Outpost"
Queensland
As a new Tech, I moved from Alaska to Colorado. Of course my call sign started with KL but the number 7 was missing but instead had a 1. It confused many because even as a Tech I had a 2x2 call. All of the system issued call signs in Alaska are 2x2. I was told the FCC ran out of 7s and 0s and began issuing 1s. Oddly enough my suffix is my initials so even though I'm now an Extra I decided to keep my original call sign though I now live in Texas.
73
Doug, KL1DJ
this video was ai generated
In India the number can mean the grade/level as well. VU is India code. 2 means a general grade license and 3 means a restricted grade license. How ever 4 and 7 become geographical locators for Andaman Island and Lakshadweep Islands. 😊
I would love to be able to see the history of the call signs that I have. I tried searching awhile back to see who held them in the past but can't find that info.
AX is a VK special call for ANZAC day and Remembrance day, Also Antarctica has a special call and if you are licneced and working there most camps down there have a radio. Then there is the Space sation.
@shanerorko8076 thanks for the info 73
great video 73s from M7FDJ
@cooldad4 Many thanks! 73
KB2FRA here
73 @renardfranse
Does the ISS still have a functioning HAM station (and operator) on board? 73 de Karl, VE3GUN
Yes , 73
Great video ! Hope the US Senate crushes these HMO’s that are anti- Antenna. We need hams in case of National Emergency! DA, how dumb everyone should be a ham just for the fact of National Security & Emergency’s in the world we live in today. KJ7TBR 😎🇺🇸📡🎙
Thank you 73 88 @Brenda-jf2pe
Hello from the Heart of America! KD0QMY
Hello from the land of the B prefix.
Hello @michaelturner4457 and Mabuhay from Philippines
It is as unique as your fingerprint.
Not in the UK. OFCOM want to re-issue dormant callsigns after two years. When I become an SK I want my callsign to die with me!
@@rambo1152If you die in the US people can get yours through our vanities. Not like people bother unless it’s short though.
AB5YE here in arkansas
@Earl940G Hello 73
VK1NME here :)
73 @shanerorko8076
K0OWS Hello!
Holland PD2HSO
Doc in Antioch, IL. From 11 meters lol.