Call Letters

[nomad66]

Years ago when I was a firefighter we always had to use our call letters whenever we used our radios that were on a shared frequency. Apparently this is no longer necessary as I never hear call letters used on a shared frequency. Does anyone know when this was changed? Thanks

 

[wb0wao]

I used to dispatch at a Sheriff's Department in Kansas back in the late 70's and early 80's and we had 39.58 licensed to us (as did most departments). Since there were multiple licencees operating on the same frequency we did use our call (KAC332) when we were on that frequency calling another agency.

In Missouri, the interop frequencies are pretty much licensed to the state and the state has "agreements" with different agencies to allow them use of these frequencies. For example, MTAC 154.680 is the statewide multi-agency frequency in MO and it is licensed for 7500 mobile units in the state. I think this is the current scheme that most states are doing now for the interop frequencies - they have one license issued to the state and then the state allows local agencies to operate on those frequencies.

 

[SkipSanders]

ID by FCC Call Letters is still a requirement, I'm sure. It's just either handled by low-audio code, sent automatically every hour, or, bluntly, ignored until the rare event that an FCC monitor station hands the offender a notice of violation for failure to properly ID.

You might not hear the ID's if they're auto-code, since they'd be sent by one of the base or repeater station, without the CTCSS/DCS tones, so users won't hear them.

 

[nomad66]

Thanks for the replies. I am currently monitoring the county sheriff, county wide fire, and city police frequencies and have never heard call letters on any of them.

 

[N4DES]

These two FCC rules will explain why...

Section

(3) When a mobile station transmits on a different frequency than
its associated base station, the assigned call sign of either the mobile
station or the base station may be transmitted. Further, a single mobile
unit in the licensee's authorized geographic area of operation may
transmit station identification on behalf of any other operating mobile
units in the fleet.
(4) Use of an identifier other than the assigned call sign. (i) In
the Public Safety Pool, mobile units licensed to a governmental entity
and which operate on frequencies above 30 MHz may use an identifier
which contains, at a minimum, the name of the licensee if the licensee
maintains at the station a list of the special identifiers to be used by
the mobile units.

 

[b7spectra]

ID by FCC Call Letters is still a requirement, I'm sure. It's just either handled by low-audio code, sent automatically every hour, or, bluntly, ignored until the rare event that an FCC monitor station hands the offender a notice of violation for failure to properly ID.

Yeah, they have 25,000 chiefs working for the FCC in Washington and probably 10 working people in the field! Rare! Just the way I like my steak!

 

[SkipSanders]

Actually, if you check enforcement records, they bust probably 2-10 people a month... almost all of them technical violations (antenna marking/lights, or failure to keep logs), or illegal broadcast stations in the FM Broadcast band, which they seem to police with great enthusiasm.

Most of the rest are enforcement against amateurs (or unlicensed folks) regarding using a repeater when the repeater owner has required them to desist using it.

 

[APTN]

Years ago when I was a firefighter we always had to use our call letters whenever we used our radios that were on a shared frequency. Apparently this is no longer necessary as I never hear call letters used on a shared frequency. Does anyone know when this was changed? Thanks

I can't speak for your area, but around here, public safety agencies usually ID with Morse Code. (As SkipSanders mentioned.)