On the CWops mailing list, we’ve been talking about the use of special event callsigns. One fellow noted:
Operators using US 1×1 calls are required to identify with their own call periodically … every hour I think.
I honestly didn’t know this, so just to be sure, I looked it up. Here’s the rule:
Section 97.119 (d). When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special significance, a station may substitute for its assigned call sign a special event call sign as shown for that station for that period of time on the common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the special event call sign data base coordinators. Additionally, the station must transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour during such transmissions.
You learn something new every day….
To be completely honest, I haven’t complied with the rule. Last summer, for example, I used W8L when I operated from the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse. Anyone know the statute of limitations on violating a Part 97 rule?
Shh. Don’t spread it around, or the FCC might hear about it.
No real harm done, but it goes to show that one needs to “read the rules, heed the rules”, as W3BE would say: https://qcwa.org/be_informed/w3be.php
I thought that all of John Johnstons (former FCC commissioner) articles had disappeared, but they’ve found a new home on the QCWA web site, and may be accessed without requiring a QCWA membership or login. His columns use to appear regularly in the QCWA Journal when it was a print edition. Now I see that he keeps this archive online, and updates it from time to time (shown with a “new” badge in the contents).
Enjoy!
The last time I did a special event station (W5G to honor the Oklahoma Green Corn Rebellion), I mostly did FT8, so the ID was pretty easy. I would just send out “W5G ID KG5JST” about every 30 minutes (more than required but I thought better to not take a chance on not doing the required ID).