Part 97 : Sec. 97.119 Station identification
FCC Regulation: Station identification
(a) Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station, must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least every 10 minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions. No station may transmit unidentified communications or signals, or transmit as the station call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.
(b) The call sign must be transmitted with an emission authorized for the transmitting channel in one of the following ways:
(1) By a CW emission. When keyed by an automatic device used only for identification, the speed must not exceed 20 words per minute;
(2) By a phone emission in the English language. Use of a phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct station identification is encouraged;
(3) By a RTTY emission using a specified digital code when all or part of the communications are transmitted by a RTTY or data emission;
(4) By an image emission conforming to the applicable transmission standards, either color or monochrome, of §73.682(a) of the FCC Rules when all or part of the communications are transmitted in the same image emission
(c) One or more indicators may be included with the call sign. Each indicator must be separated from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or by any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. If an indicator is self-assigned, it must be included before, after, or both before and after, the call sign. No self-assigned indicator may conflict with any other indicator specified by the FCC Rules or with any prefix assigned to another country.
(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.
(e) When the operator license class held by the control operator exceeds that of the station licensee, an indicator consisting of the call sign assigned to the control operator's station must be included after the call sign.
(f) When the control operator is a person who is exercising the rights and privileges authorized by §97.9(b) of this part, an indicator must be included after the call sign as follows:
(1) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice Class to Technical Class: KT;
(2) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice or Technician to General Class: AG;
(3) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice, Technician, General, or Advanced Class to Amateur Extra Class: AE.
(g) When the station is transmitting under the authority of §97.107 of this part, an indicator consisting of the appropriate letter-numeral designating the station location must be included before the call sign that was issued to the station by the country granting the license. For an amateur service license granted by the Government of Canada, however, the indicator must be included after the call sign. At least once during each intercommunication, the identification announcement must include the geographical location as nearly as possible by city and state, commonwealth or possession.
[54 FR 25857, June 20, 1989, as amended at 54 FR 39535, Sept. 27, 1989; 55 FR 30457, July 26, 1990; 56 FR 28, Jan. 2, 1991; 62 FR 17567, Apr. 10, 1997; 63 FR 68980, Dec. 14, 1998; 64 FR 51471, Sept. 23, 1999; 66 FR 20752, Apr. 25, 2001; 75 FR 78171, Dec. 15, 2010]
Explained
This section explains how often and when you must give your call sign. Many hams are confused by some of the wording in this regulation. For instance, some operators believe they must say their call sign at the end of every transmission. Another misinterpretation is when the operator that feels he must say his call sign every ten minutes even though he has not spoken during that time, such as when monitoring a frequency or listening to a net on a repeater.
Q: Do I have to say my call sign at the end of each transmission?
A: No. The regulation states "must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication." The opportune word being "communication" and not "transmission." A communication is not limited to a specific transmission but rather a group of transmissions involving the same conversation or communication. So, when you are in a conversation with another operator or group, often referred to as a QSO, you must identify your station every 10 minutes within the next opportunity which is typically next time it is your turn. You do not have to interrupt other stations to blurt out your call sign because the clock is running out.
You do not have to say your call sign with each transmission. Next time it is your turn, and you know it has been a duration of ten minutes, start by saying your call sign. If it has been a duration less, such as a couple minutes after your last transmission, you do not have to state your call sign.
During a net on a repeater in which you are participating you are not required to interrupt by stating your callsign every ten minutes. When it is your turn, state your call sign. Do not randomly blurt out your call sign if you've nothing else to say, or interrupt every ten minutes like clockwork when you have no other information to convey.
Q: Do I have to say my call sign every ten minutes on a repeater I am monitoring?
A: No. If you are just listening then you do not have to identify your station. Operators wanting to make their availability to chat known to other repeater listeners will state their call sign in conjunction with the term "monitoring." You are required to state your call sign if you are going to transmit, within 10 minutes of the first transmission. Subsequently while you listen and wait for a response you do not have to continue to identify your station every ten minutes since you are no longer transmitting. However, you increase the probability of a contact if you continue to identify your station on the repeater from time to time, and every ten minutes would not be excessive.
If all you've done is key up the repeater and announce your call sign and indicate that you're monitoring, you've satisfied both the requirement to ID every ten minutes and ID at the end of your communication if specifically no one responds to you so that the sum of your communication was simply you announcing your presence on the repeater.
Q: I was talking and was pulled away from my radio due to circumstances, am I in trouble because I didn't give my call sign at the end of my last transmission?
A: You're probably fine. Whether you received an important phone call or a family member needed you urgently, and you were unable to stay at your amateur radio to finish an ongoing conversation, you might recall that you did not not get the opportunity to conclude with your call sign on your last transmission. It was not your intent to circumvent FCC regulation. When you know you're making your final transmission in a communication you need only end it with your call sign and not specifically say that your station is clear. However, you don't always know when the transmission you make will be your last! There is no known FCC punitive action ever taken against an operator that did not conclude their final transmission with their call sign when it was accidental, in that the operator did not realize it would be the final transmission. If an operator knowingly fails to conclude with the call sign on a repeat or regular basis then the operator risks action against the license. Do your best but don't sweat it when you miss concluding with your call sign. Be vigilant in saying it every ten minutes during the conversation and you'll be fine.
Q: How worried should I be about concluding a communication with my call sign?
A: Not extremely worried. People don't always get to know when their last transmission will be their final transmission in a communication. Life is very dynamic and so is radio. Conditions might change. You might not be able to make further contact with another station. You might be on a repeater and another ham moves in and talks over you. You just don't always get to know when your last chance to talk will be. You could ID at the end of each transmission to play it extra safe, and some hams do this. It's just not necessary. It's your intent that will be the deciding factor when such an oversight is observed. When conveying 73 and good bye then be sure to include your call sign. If you're going to stick around and monitor, then don't worry about it. A communication is somewhat ambiguously defined in legal terms and a ham might consider occasional statements made throughout the afternoon all part of the same communication. It is only definitive when you clearly state that you're departing and one common method is to state, "This is A0NEW and I will be clear on your final." This method is not only FCC compliant, but clear and polite.
Q: Do I have to clear my station?
A: No. You have to give your call sign when concluding with your final transmission when it is known to you that the transmission will be the final transmission in a communication, as explained already. You do not have to announce that your station is "clear." You can be curt about it and just say your call sign and nothing more, forever! It isn't necessarily friendly however it is not a violation either. Just make sure you ID when you're supposed to.
