I've seen a lot of posts stating that we can use any type of call letters, as long as it's not in the FCC database. As for me, I just use the NU and 2 or 3 letter calls.
What should a station id for a part 15 station use? I mean, who's gonna know what the station is, if they don't hear an ID?
Hi zoruafan170.
There actually is an FCC rule about Part 15 I.D., but the crazy thing is that it's not within the Part 15 section, but is Part 73.3550.
Look it up and print it for your files, then you will know what to do.
I use the "Q" designation, and I do certainly play a station ID.
We don't HAVE to, but personally, I think it helps to identify myself, and give the listeners something to look up if the want on the net.. also - in the past - it has helped me avoid visits.
"Big D Country, AM 1610, Tallahassee, Florida, and worldwide at bigdcountry.com."
I believe some sort of ID should be made regularly. First of all, it sounds professional. SEcond of all, it prevents people of thinking of you as a scofflaw. The curious, whho listen in will have a better understanding with a bit of polite, informative "legalese" Every hour at the top I run little sweepers with an appropriate music bed behind them that basically say "You're listening to Iron Range Country, Bovey, Minnesota" with an occasional tag like "the best in vintage country music" or some such. But also, once an hour in my regular rotation of PSA's and promos, I run an "about IRC" spot that presents the legitimacy that part 15 is, and lets people in on what's up. If you'd like to listen to it, I've uploaded it to:
http://www.ironrangecountry.com/aboutirc.mp3
Just seems like a good idea to me!
Tim in Bovey
Iron Range Country
a timer/relay would turn the music
down, and an announcement would
play, which said,"Dog Radio FCC Part
15 point 219."
It also gave the time, such as" "Good morning,
it's 10 'o clock," or: "good afternoon, it's 2 o clock."
The announcements also had a sign on and sign off
explaining what the station was, and what Part 15
meant. The station was off between 1:AM and 6:AM.
It was all done with a bunch of timers.
All of the announcements were on a tape, which
would play for about 2 days, until it had to be
rewound. The announcements were all in order
on the tape.
It was a real thrill to hear the system run
automatically, and give the announcements
over the air.
That was... When it worked.
Bruce, DOGRADIO
(Well,,, It was fun anyway.)
mir, what do you mean by "Q" designation?
Do you mean your station is called "Q"?
There are 9 instances of the letter Q in local licensed call letters.
I might call mine "Station A".
people sometimes use call letters as a on air moniker, and with my case i use KDSX because there was a famous radio station locally and nationally (when eisenhower was visiting his birth home in a nearby community) which served my community for over a half century (definitely before i was born and my grandparents were just under 13 when it came on). it was a good station before an operator violated every rule and got the license revoked in the 90's and the operator is now a sex offender. thats horrible. so i use the call letters as an on air moniker and try my best to be what the old kdsx was at the time.
your listening to the voice of texomaland, fm 99.9 KDSX the radiator, part 15 community radio, Southmayd, Sherman, Denison and ab media inc radio station. its news time.
I've used MRAM for about 20 years. The rule under Part 73 specifies a Part 15 station can use whatever desired so long as the ID is not to be confused with any licensed service.
To quote from FCC Part 73.3550 "(l) Users of nonlicensed, low-power devices operating under part 15 of this chapter may use whatever identification is currently desired, so long as propriety is observed and no confusion results with a station for which the FCC issues a license."
But I have never seen an unlicensed cited for using already issued calls.
"...may use whatever identification is currently desired, so long as propriety is observed and no confusion results with a station for which the FCC issues a license."
The key word is WHATEVER.
Without conflicting with the "whatever" rule for station i.d., there is no requirement to be perfectly and exactly truthful.
For example if you said "This is Radio Half-Watt, from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica...... outside temperature minus 50-degrees."
What a treat for DXers!
"What a treat for DXers!" - ha! I had thought of running something like that for april 1...
Carl - you keep me chuckling...