4-Land A-Prefix 2x2 Call Sign Pool Exhausted

[W3WN]

Some radio stations seem to get away with using a name that sounds like a callsign but clearly isn't their's. WXKS is a big station in Boston who calls themselves KISS-108. I doubt if many of their listeners would recognize the letters WXKS.

BTW, in New Zealand, broadcast stations stopped having callsigns many years ago. I don't think they're even issued. They just have names.

I'm not sure if the Broadcast rules changed in the last few years, but the last I recall, the stations only have to ID once per hour, and the window they can do it in is about 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after the top of the hour.

Many are very subtle about it, too. 93.7 MHz "WISH-FM", for example, would do it this way at the end of the top-of-the-hour morning newscast:

"The WSHH-FM Pittsburgh weather forecast: Clear today, a high of 72. Chance of rain tonight, low 54. Current temperature 68 degress on WISH FM"

If you're not paying attention, you wouldn't even have noticed that they slipped the legal ID in at the beginning of that.

[N0NB]

BTW, in New Zealand, broadcast stations stopped having callsigns many years ago. I don't think they're even issued. They just have names.

For broadcasters callsigns have pretty much outlived their usefulness. Broadcasters generally don't move around much in either physical location or in frequency so finding them when needed should be easy even for the most inept bureaucrat. Licensing is another matter, of course, and is probably the only/best way to maintain order for broadcasting.

[KT1F]

New Hampshire public radio seems to be at the opposite end of the scale. Once an hour they read out a big long list of callsigns and frequencies. I guess they have lots of little relay stations in the hilly countryside and they're just doing what's legally required but it seems kind of unnecessarily and tedious because most people are just going to tune across the band to find the strongest NHPR signal. I guess it saves the complication of having some sort of local ID on each relay station.

[WA7PRC]

I can't imagine stepping down from the advantage of a 2x3 callsign. When trying to break a pileup and all the stations with 1x2, 2x1, 1x3, and 2x2 callsigns are done, the DX station hears the last one or two letters of my callsign. It has happened MANY times.

I also can't imagine ever wanting to move south. Yes, really.

[W6UV]

I can't imagine stepping down from the advantage of a 2x3 callsign. When trying to break a pileup and all the stations with 1x2, 2x1, 1x3, and 2x2 callsigns are done, the DX station hears the last one or two letters of my callsign. It has happened MANY times.

That's not an advantage restricted to 2x3 callsigns. I spend some time listening to pileups before starting to call myself to determine the pattern, and if I see that the DX is replying to stations after the pileup dies down a little, I'll just wait a second or two before throwing my 1x2 call into the mix. Same effect..

[NM7L]

The Nun will even sell the new FTdx5000 for $20! Its ALL JUNK to her!

Well of course....you did tell her you spent $100.00 on it. OR, has the truth been revealed?

[N2EY]

It's not just New Hampshire.

Here in Philly the main public radio station is WHYY. At least once an hour we have Terry Gross of Fresh Air reading a long list of stations, locations and frequencies - most of them in New Jersey. All networked to carry WHYY programming.

I love the way she says "Manahawkin"

73 de Jim, N2EY

New Hampshire public radio seems to be at the opposite end of the scale. Once an hour they read out a big long list of callsigns and frequencies. I guess they have lots of little relay stations in the hilly countryside and they're just doing what's legally required but it seems kind of unnecessarily and tedious because most people are just going to tune across the band to find the strongest NHPR signal. I guess it saves the complication of having some sort of local ID on each relay station.

[AC4BB]

Almost everything that I own was purchased new. I am very particular about the condition of my stuff.

That having been said. Do you generally get a callsign in worn out condition? It's not like you're getting a used jock strap. Mine's a virgin call. But, that's only because back in 1990, I requested a call change due to the amount of vowels in the old one. Mine's not a vanity.

[WA7PRC]

I can't imagine stepping down from the advantage of a 2x3 callsign. When trying to break a pileup and all the stations with 1x2, 2x1, 1x3, and 2x2 callsigns are done, the DX station hears the last one or two letters of my callsign. It has happened MANY times.

That's not an advantage restricted to 2x3 callsigns. I spend some time listening to pileups before starting to call myself to determine the pattern, and if I see that the DX is replying to stations after the pileup dies down a little, I'll just wait a second or two before throwing my 1x2 call into the mix. Same effect..

I do the same thing -- time my call so the DX stations hear the last 1 or 2 characters of my callsign.
It helps to have a kilowatt + BIG yagi.