So, I had a couple random thoughts bouncing around in my head that drove me to grab my copy of part 97 (Since my station is my mobile, I keep a binder in the car with manuals, FCC part 97, etc. we really should all have a copy in our stations) Maybe this is just the ignorance of a newbie, but there are a couple "lawbreakers" I noticed, that made me question things. And no, I'm not talking about the flagrant misbehavior of those couple odd-balls who hang around the frequencies we all spin past without stopping - I'm talking about some "minor" offenders - so without further ado here we go with Case Number 1 (Case 2 will be a follow up post sometime in the near future):
Case Number 1
I was driving down the highway on the way home from a recent work trip. So that I don't accidentally incriminate anyone, I won't tell you where I was, other than to say I was actually on an Island. A Long one. So anyway, I happened to be monitoring the national FM calling frequency (146.52 MHz for the couple non-ham readers that I have.) Now, usually I can drive for some pretty good distance without hearing anyone calling on FM Simplex, but on this day I heard, clear as bell "Is anybody around on five-two?" At first I grabbed my Mic, but I ended up not answering the call because I thought it was odd that I didn't hear a call sign. Isn't that illegal?
I looked in my copy of part 97 just to be certain, and like many other things in Ham Radio, I realized the answer is "it depends." Our practice of identifying ourselves when we call CQ, or call out on a repeater or (like in this case) FM simplex is actually not required. The real requirement is to identify at the end of each communication, and every 10 minutes during it. Now, at the end of each communication obviously doesn't mean every time you stop transmitting, otherwise we would all be identifying every single time, right before we let go of the PTT switch.
This means that technically, as long that station identified within the next 10 minutes, or at least followed up at some point with something like "Nothing heard, clearing frequency, X0XXX" he would have been legal. I must admit I didn't time how long it was before I ended up tuning away, but it felt like 10 minutes, and I didn't hear anything else. Either way, please ID yourself when you call, it's a common courtesy. After all, I wouldn't come knock on your front door wearing a mask so that you don't know who I am, so why would you knock on my airwaves while wearing yours?
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This means that technically, as long that station identified within the next 10 minutes, or at least followed up at some point with something like "Nothing heard, clearing frequency, X0XXX" he would have been legal. I must admit I didn't time how long it was before I ended up tuning away, but it felt like 10 minutes, and I didn't hear anything else. Either way, please ID yourself when you call, it's a common courtesy. After all, I wouldn't come knock on your front door wearing a mask so that you don't know who I am, so why would you knock on my airwaves while wearing yours?
Thanks for reading! Check out the Categories menu to the right to read some of my other posts, and also please check out the menu to the left for more info about me, some pictures, related links, to subscribe to my blog etc.
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