05-16-2001, 06:36 PM
kc0isu (kc0isu@qsl.net) writes "I have been a little confused about the protocol of being a control operator at another station, and the ARRL license study books seem to skim over the issue.
The book says that if you are working on a friend's ham shack, you can use either your call sign or his. But if you have a higher grade license and move into extended bands, you have to identify with his call sign + "/" + your call sign. I never see anyone do this, nor have I heard anyone ID this way over the air waves.
I have also been at ham campfests where a bunch of people were hanging around a picnic table and we had an HF station set up. Somebody asked "where is a copy of the band plan? What is General again?" Somebody replied, "I'll be control operator. You can talk on Extra." And the General used his own call sign. The ARRL books don't describe this situation. Was the General supposed to use the Extra's callsign if he went onto the extended bands?
I dug through the licensing books, because these are fair questions. I need to follow the rules to be a respectable ham, right? All you get is "if you don't have a call sign, you use the control operator's call sign," and "station owner / your own call sign for extended privileges.""
The book says that if you are working on a friend's ham shack, you can use either your call sign or his. But if you have a higher grade license and move into extended bands, you have to identify with his call sign + "/" + your call sign. I never see anyone do this, nor have I heard anyone ID this way over the air waves.
I have also been at ham campfests where a bunch of people were hanging around a picnic table and we had an HF station set up. Somebody asked "where is a copy of the band plan? What is General again?" Somebody replied, "I'll be control operator. You can talk on Extra." And the General used his own call sign. The ARRL books don't describe this situation. Was the General supposed to use the Extra's callsign if he went onto the extended bands?
I dug through the licensing books, because these are fair questions. I need to follow the rules to be a respectable ham, right? All you get is "if you don't have a call sign, you use the control operator's call sign," and "station owner / your own call sign for extended privileges.""