KG PackRat wrote:What's the deal with all the 3-digit #'s before there name? People 'round here just use there handle, and that's it.
Interesting question, as I too have always thought numbers were so much less interesting than handles. I'm thinking you don't shoot skip much, as the VAST majority of "dx communication" is simply just to get your named called back (at least on AM channels 26, 28, and 6). It's like that all over the country, most contacts I make are to folks who don't give any other info than their location followed by a three-letter digit.
I believe a lot of this three-letter stuff was sparked by the olden days when QSL cards were required for CB??? Most everyone I've dx'd in Virginia uses numbers too.... Maybe someone else can chime in here, as I too always wondered why everyone in "skip-land"
always used numbers, whilst all the locals use handles.
(the 167 following my handle Yota was the last 3 numbers in my grandpa's FCC call letters so I decided to keep'em)
Here is some info I pulled off of the internet as I was inquiring about your question:
There is really no "standard" method to get a call sign, first you simply
make one up for your self! It´s as easy as that! But Here is some general
"hints" to think about when you create a call sign for your first contact.
- The first part (numbers) in a CB-call sign refere to the country prefix
list, ther is one prefix list that is close to standard on the 11-Meter
band, this is the AT-List (From Alfa Tango DX Group - Asti/Italy)
Refere to: DXCC Country Prefix list
@ URL:http://
- The second part (Letters) in a CB-call sign is commonly the "Group"
letters, therefore if your about to create a call sign of your own, try
to chouse letters that is not used by any DX-Group .
- The last part (numbers) in a CB-call sign is commonly the mebership
number in the group according to the second part of the call sign.