[CQ-Contest] FW: Borrowing Callsigns

[Iain MacDonnell - N6ML]

Dick Green WC1M wrote:
> But the FCC rules don't address the case where the station licensee's
> privileges exceed those of the control operator. There's no requirement to
> sign station-call/control-op-call in this case. So, I think when a General
> class licensee borrows an Extra class call (you borrow my call in your
> hypothetical case), then you can sign just the borrowed call -- but you have
> to stay out of the Extra class band.
> 
> This seems like an omission in the rules. My sense is that the station ID
> rules are supposed to help the FCC determine the privileges of the control
> operator. But in this case they don't know who the control operator is. You
> would think that the rules would require signing
> station-call/control-op-call in this case. For my example, WC1M/KA1LBW. But
> I don't see that requirement in the rules.

You have a point there, Dick. On the other hand, an FCC/OO monitoring
station wouldn't be able to tell whether the station owner is the one
operating at the time or not anyway, unless they happened to know his/
her voice/fist... so if KA1LBW was operating your station in the extra
bands while you weren't there to supervise, and using your call, someone
listening on the air wouldn't be able to easily detect that either. If
it's an honour system, it may as well be an honour system for operating
within the privileges of the control operator. In other words, if KA1LBW
wanted to "cheat", he could do so by omitting his call and using only
yours anyway, and noone would be able to tell.

The point of the other identification system is to make it clear to
anyone listening that "hey, even though I'm operating the KA1LBW
station, I have the privileges of my WC1M license, so it's really OK for
me to be down here at 14155."

Remember that the station licensee and the control operator are jointly
responsible for ("immediate"!) operation of the station, so if it comes
to light that someone is operating your station outside their
privileges while you're not there, you'd have some questions to answer
too.

     ~Iain / N6ML