Mobile? Portable?

[mattltm]

As for the portable/mobile. We have simply been taught that if where you are transmitting from has a postcode then use /p.

Sorry but you have been taught wrong. It would be good if you could let your trainer know that they are giving instruction that is different to what the licence recommends. You should use /A if you are at a location that has a postal address. It's not a licence requirement but it's good practice to use the guidance within the licence.

The licence document tells you most things you need to know:

(d) When operating at locations other than the Main Station Address, it is recommended that
the following suffixes be used:
I. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment at an Alternative Address, the Licensee may use the suffix “/A” with the Callsign;
II. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment at a Temporary Location, the Licensee may use the suffix “/P” with the Callsign;
III. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment from a Mobile location, the Licensee may use the suffix “/M” with the Callsign;
IV. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment from a Maritime Mobile location, the Licensee may use the suffix “/MM” with the Callsign.

(jj) “Temporary Location” means a fixed location in the United Kingdom which is not
the Main Station Address or an Alternative Address;

(x) “Mobile” means the Radio Equipment is located in the United Kingdom:
I. in or on any vehicle or conveyance;
II. on the person of the Licensee where the Licensee is a pedestrian; or
III. on any Vessel on Inland Waters;

(u) “Main Station Address” means the main station address stated in Section 1 of this Licence;
(v) “Maritime Mobile” means the Radio Equipment is located on any Vessel at Sea;

This is how I remember and use it:

/M - Mobile (I can move the station whilst operating with no modifications, for example, a hand held, or a car with antenna on roof)
/A - Alternative (I am at a station that has a postcode but is not my main station address and not /M, for example, someone else's station or a station set up at a holiday rental apartment)
/P Portable (I am at a station that does not have a postcode and not /M, for example, a field or a car with an antenna thrown in some trees)
/MM Maritime Mobile (I am a station on a boat operating in tidal waters)

[owza]

Thanks for that, it was my memory at fault. I have the exam soon, so I shouldn't forget that now, I hope!

[mattltm]

Good luck

[dez]

mobile means the radio is in a car or van it make no difference if you are moving or static if its in a car,van,truck you are mobile.
portable means on foot such as on a hill top or walking round the park with your handheld or any other type of radio that is manpack.
this is all in the foundation book so you may need to have another read even though you have passed.
hope this clears it up de m0hiq

[kr0ne]

Where about in the Foundation NOW! book is this dez? I couldn't find it anywhere when I looked...

[RogerD]

I hear licensees of all classes signing /p because they're using a handheld, even when they're at home.... and I wonder what the heck is the point of the exams/tests in the first place if they can't even understand something so bloody trivial

[FakeJake]

As I understand it:

Mobile: using the radio whilst travelling, either on foot, in the car, hovercraft, whatever.
Portable: when operating from a location with no postal address, but you are not able to move around. eg. set up in a field, or pulled into a lay-by with a mast on a drive on plate/tied to the fence etc.

[kr0ne]

Monsta, I was asking dez as he specifically mentioned it was in the book...

I know you struggle sometimes but if you take the time to read the whole thread, you will see that we already discussed all this. I checked the books at the time and I couldn't find it mentioned anywhere prior to (I think) page 17 of the intermediate book.

The information is available to the foundation license holder but it is contained in their licence, although by your rationale this is completely unnecessarily as the correct suffixes and their usage is so obvious...

The correct use of the apostrophe seems obvious to some after a lifetime using English, although a newcomer to the language may need to see the rules written down before they would know what to do. Hell, plenty of old hands struggle and need to check from time to time, including myself and whoever made your sig!

[VA7HYD]

A bit of a lesson in how laws/common practice differ around the world.

Over here there is no legal requirement to identify my station as mobile or portable...although many people do.

If operating in Canada I need only state my callsign to be legal. If in my car, I am not obligated to identify as "mobile" although many do. I do identify as mobile as I drive a manual transmission and "mobile" explains why I may not respond promptly...it takes a few seconds to work through the gears!

The designation "portable" is typically used by someone using a hand held or similar radio.

Quite often we'll use "mobile" or "portable" when checking into nets... The net controller will typically take calls from mobile or portable ops first as they may potentially lose contact as there position changes....

Regards
VA7HYD

[Transwarp]

As for the portable/mobile. We have simply been taught that if where you are transmitting from has a postcode then use /p.

Sorry but you have been taught wrong. It would be good if you could let your trainer know that they are giving instruction that is different to what the licence recommends. You should use /A if you are at a location that has a postal address. It's not a licence requirement but it's good practice to use the guidance within the licence.

The licence document tells you most things you need to know:

(d) When operating at locations other than the Main Station Address, it is recommended that
the following suffixes be used:
I. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment at an Alternative Address, the Licensee may use the suffix “/A” with the Callsign;
II. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment at a Temporary Location, the Licensee may use the suffix “/P” with the Callsign;
III. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment from a Mobile location, the Licensee may use the suffix “/M” with the Callsign;
IV. If the Licensee operates the Radio Equipment from a Maritime Mobile location, the Licensee may use the suffix “/MM” with the Callsign.

(jj) “Temporary Location” means a fixed location in the United Kingdom which is not
the Main Station Address or an Alternative Address;

(x) “Mobile” means the Radio Equipment is located in the United Kingdom:
I. in or on any vehicle or conveyance;
II. on the person of the Licensee where the Licensee is a pedestrian; or
III. on any Vessel on Inland Waters;

(u) “Main Station Address” means the main station address stated in Section 1 of this Licence;
(v) “Maritime Mobile” means the Radio Equipment is located on any Vessel at Sea;

This is how I remember and use it:

/M - Mobile (I can move the station whilst operating with no modifications, for example, a hand held, or a car with antenna on roof)
/A - Alternative (I am at a station that has a postcode but is not my main station address and not /M, for example, someone else's station or a station set up at a holiday rental apartment)
/P Portable (I am at a station that does not have a postcode and not /M, for example, a field or a car with an antenna thrown in some trees)
/MM Maritime Mobile (I am a station on a boat operating in tidal waters)

A farce in operating terms. Never bothered with optional suffix, just said my call sign and added 'mobile' at the end of it when chatting whist driving. If any operators wanted more details of my location and what up to I tell them in plain English. Like the days of old CB, loads of 10 codes in every conversation were used, none hardly used at all now.

[M6UCW]

The suffix is optional therefore not part of the Foundation licence course and exam.

I'm in the process of doing my Foundation course (done 2 of 7 weeks) and we covered this for "information" only.