The AM Forum

From the ARRL web site dated, 5/18/10. Nothing like going around a second or third time.

"On May 18, the FCC denied a Petition for Reconsideration filed by Glen Zook, K9STH, that asked for changes in Part 97 regarding how often amateurs must identify themselves on the air..."

For the complete story, go here, http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-again-denies-amateur-s-em-petition-em-regarding-station-identification

I'm glad to hear they dismissed it.  But I would like to see the ID rule revert back to the old 15 minute interval instead of the present 10.

I know of Glen Zook from posts on usenet. I consider him a reasonable fellow. Other than when I say 'break' to butt in and then wait to see if I was heard, I generally give my call to introduce myself. I think it is a good/polite idea, but nothing that needs to be a regulation.

The only identification problem I have with the status quo is when I'm listening to these fast break-in roundtables and stations identify so fast I can't make out the call signs.  It's most noticeable in these SSB groups.  Most AM ops seem to want to clearly announce their calls as I think we all take some pride in our signals.  I don't know if there is a way to regulate rushed identification though; it's more a matter of sloppy operating.  One good thing I like about K5UJ is each letter has a distinct sound that is hard to confuse with any other letter.

Did you say A 5 U K ?

Some of the slopbucketeers intentionally slur their IDs so that it is impossible get their callsigns with certainty. About the only way the FCC could regulate that would be to require a CW or digital ID with each transmission, or require the use of a standard set of phonetics at each ID interval.  I wouldn't want to see any of that happen.

Many stations, both AM and SSB go past the 10 minute ID interval, myself included.  The FCC used to be very picky about that, but not any more.  I once got a citation for going 12 minutes between IDs. I often hear SSB groups using fast break-in go 30 minutes without anyone ID'ing.

Over the years I've heard a number of AM stations slur their ID's and their entire transmissions.

but was it to obfuscate or from hitting the sauce?

I think on 75 meters after 10 pm it's often both.

This confirms my suspicion that they want to be able to get into all kinds of off-color stuff and turn a frequency into a bubba beer bar and not get any heat from anyone by giving a non-ID ID. 

I am one of the one's who gets going with a list of stuff to comment on in a QSO and after 20 minutes will realize I have not IDed.  I probably need to get some kind of timer.