SB QST @ ARL $ARLB036
ARLB036 More call signs requested

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ARRL Bulletin 36  ARLB036
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  May 19, 1998
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB036
ARLB036 More call signs requested

The ARRL has petitioned the FCC for changes in the administration of
the special event call sign program. The League wants the FCC to
amend its rules to permit the use of additional special event call
sign formats in addition to the current one-by-one (1x1) format now
authorized.

The petition also asks the Commission to include call signs denoting
US territories and possessions having no mailing address within the
special event program. Use of those call signs would be limited to
locations corresponding to and denoted by the call sign.

The special event call sign program is administered by several
private sector coordinators, including the ARRL. Those wanting a
special event call sign for a limited period are able to reserve one
via the Internet. Under current rules, 750 combinations of 1x1
format call signs are available for limited periods. Stations
operating with special event call signs still must identify with the
station's regularly assigned call sign at one-hour intervals.

According to the petition, demand for special event call signs has
been low. In the first seven months of the program, only 237 call
sign reservations had been coordinated. But, the League says, there
has been significant demand for special event call signs outside of
the 1x1 format and for DXpeditions to locations under US
jurisdiction which do not have US Postal Service mailing addresses.
The League also says there's ''a great deal of interest'' in
additional special event call sign formats that would let the call
sign symbolize a particular event or type of event.

The petition requests that the FCC make available to the special
event call sign program several additional call sign blocks not
currently used for amateur primary station identification.
Specifically, the League wants the Commission to include 1x1 call
signs with a letter X suffix as well as 1xx1, Nxx2, and 1xx3
formats, as part of the special event program. The use of the Nxx2
format avoids conflicts with TV translator call sign assignments,
which start with K or W.

The ARRL also asked that call signs appropriate to US territories
and possessions such as Desecheo Island near Puerto Rico or Kingman
Reef in the Pacific be made available to DXpeditions for limited
periods.

The League's petition says the proposed changes would ''permit
significantly increased flexibility in private sector special event
call sign administration without any adverse impact.''

A comment period will be announced when the FCC assigns an RM number
to the League's petition.
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