Charly Tango Call Sign - Why & How to apply

 One of the most questions which keeps coming up is about Charly Tango call signs.

People have been a bit confused listening to the air bands hearing Charly Tango stations and then have asked what these call signs are about. Most certain questions were "Do I need to get a Charly Tango call sign or do I need one anyways, do I have to pay for it, and if I want one where do I get one from ?"

First thing to let you know about that is as simple as if you're not an amateur radio call sign holder using ham radio frequency's you don't need a call sign to do the hobby such as CB-Radio !

These things of the past doesn't apply anymore today because there isn't any requirement anymore.

Now if you want to come back on radio you are free to name yourself like ever you want for example your first name is Peter from London you will be Peter from London which would be just fine. If you're Michel from Berlin then that's not at problem too or even Natasha from Moscow would be absolutely fine. Jason from Washington, DC or even Valtyr from Iceland, that's great.

You know, the thing is how to make yourself better recognizing by having a long distance chat on the radio which is called DX. This is the main point of why to use call signs on the radio. 

So let's think you are having a chat with me at the 11 metre CB band. My call sign is 13 Charly Tango 30 and my name is Alex. I know a couple of guys who are named Alex too so the chance could be very high to catch another guy with the same name which could lead into confusion on the radio but it shouldn't happen if you are using a call sign which, such from Charly Tango usually is unique. Next point is that those call signs, where ever you apply for has a country code in front of it which is kind of equal like telephone numbers. Mine has got a 13 which stands for Germany so my locations country will be regognized just by telling my call sign. Now you are in example Carl from London, Ontario, Canada hearing me calling "CQ DX this is 13CT30" you suddenly know that I'm from Germany while on the other hand you might reply "Here is Carl from London" I probably think you're from the United Kingdom but not thinking about there is another London far away which would make this contact definitely worth it. To avoid those mistakes a call sign like those from Charly Tango definitely can help. We might also exchange QSL-cards but how should it be done properly without a call sign ?

You are free to do whatever you want. You want a DX-call sign, go ahead and get one but make sure you gonna chose the right one which matches for your needs. I guess there are still clubs out there who aren't free of charge which leads us to the next question:

"If I want a Charly Tango call sign do I have to pay for it ?" No, absolutely not !

If you decide to join the Charly Tango International DX-Group you will get a lifetime call sign with your membership for free. Since the old Borderland DX-Group is not registrated as an official association anymore there are no obligations to todays members of Charly Tango anymore.

With other words: A Charly Tango call sign is free for your lifetime.

If you want one then simply give our admin in Charly Tango a shout on his phone number +4916098486171 , use the register form by clicking the link at the Charly Tango homepage, or write an email to the webmaster.

Just make sure to apply with www.DX-CharlyTango.de which is the original Charly Tango DX-Group as I often state to watch for the letter "Y" in the name Charly but NOT "IE" ! You know it's just like fake news one different letter could let you fall into the trap of a fake group or just like in this case a stolen idea because you can't see any differences on the call signs.

It's also useful to have a call sign list available to look up call signs during or even after a chat on radio with a station who is registered with a DX-club like Charly Tango. That's pretty easy to look up just for the basic info about name and location as well as an activity status just in case you have missed this information during a QSO while the propergation got down or QRM level led you not to understand the station you have had a chat with.

There are many good points for having a call sign but like I've already mentioned it isn't required so it's your choice. For myself I've decided to use my CT call sign for DX while for local calls I'm using another one. Just like I said there are many ways of use but when it comes to if's and but's I myself prefer to have a call sign instead of not being heard with low signals in kinda noise jungles sometimes.

73's and good DX yours 13CT30, Alex

History about CB-Radio in Germany

In 1974, the CEPT Lisbon passed a recommendation for CB-Radio in the 27 MHz range.

German CB-Radio-Station in 1976

In Germany, the CEPT recommendation was implemented by the Deutsche Bundespost (DBP) on July 1, 1975 through Official Gazette Order 393/1975, thereby introducing CB-Radio. Operation was permitted on 12 frequencies (channels 4 to 15) with a maximum transmission power of 0.5 watts PEP or 0.1 watts ERP (for handheld radios). 

German made handheld CB-Radios in the 70's

So-called mobile radio systems (mobile and hand-held radios) were free of registration and fees, thanks to a general permit.

CB-Radios at a German dealer with prices in Deutsch Mark.

However, fixed radio systems (home bases) had to be registered with the DBP; the monthly approval fee was DM 15. Home stations were assigned a nickname, which could usually be chosen freely. Radio communication between home stations was prohibited. Initially, the only type of modulation used was amplitude modulation (AM), but from 1978 frequency modulation (FM) also were increasingly used.

In 1981, the new Federal Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (BMPT) published decree 434/1981 in the Official Gazette 62/1981. This released radio channels 1 to 22 for operation with 0.5 watts in FM like it was allowed in the Netherlands. The fee for home stations was reduced to DM 10 and a so-called pilot tone barrier was to be introduced, with which the radio communication between home stations was to be blocked (but it was largely ignored by the industry). The old 12-channel AM devices were to be slowly withdrawn from circulation with a registration deadline of December 31, 1982. From January 1st, 1992, AM modulation was to be finally banned.

The BMPT had made its calculations without the CB-Radio-Operators and the CB-Industry.

CB radio operators wanted to keep AM and the industry complained that the new 22-channel devices could not be saled. On March 1st, 1983, a conversation took place between representatives of the authorities, CB radio operators, and the industry which resulted in the following compromise, which was published in Official Gazette 55/1983 dated April 12, 1983:

The registration ban for 12-channel home stations has been lifted. In addition, 40 channels of FM were released. This led to the strange German 40/12 channel regulation. For the first time, the obligation to pay fees was determined not only according to the type of device (handheld device, mobile or home station), but also according to the type of modulation:

Devices with 40 ch FM and 12 AM channels - whether mobile or home bases - cost a permit fee of 10 DM per month. 40-channel FM home base transceivers cost 5 DM, 40-channel FM mobile devices were free of registration and fees according to the CEPT regulationas, and old 12-channel devices became grandfathered.

A little later, in 1984, there was another change:

With Official Gazette Order 768/1984 dated September 18, 1984, the BMPT determined that all FM devices would in future be registration and fee-free. 40/12-channel mobile and home stations as well as certain handheld radios cost 5 DM/month. For this 5 DM monthly fee, up to five devices could be operated. This regulation lasted until the new Telecommunications Act came into force in mid-1996.

As before, all approvals relating to AM devices were limited to December 31, 1991. According to the wishes of the BMPT, AM operation should no longer be permitted from January 1, 1992 (see above). It was not until the end of 1988 that the BMPT moved away from this position and released AM again indefinitely.

CB-Radio in Germany has now been upgraded again.

The RegTP allowed the use of any type of antenna (up to now only vertical antennas without gain were permitted), for example dipoles or gain-generating directional antennas. In addition, 40 additional frequencies below the previous 40 channels were released for use, albeit with a certain and much-criticized restriction: A so-called protection zone to neighboring countries, which is 45 km for fixed stations and 25 km to neighboring countries for mobile and portable stations. The use of channels 41 to 80 is not permitted within this protection zone. This means that a large part of CB-Radio-Users still only has 40 channels available.

With Decree 289/1997, amended by Decree 50/1998, the RegTP now also released digital operating modes in CB radio. Packet radio is mainly used in Germany. But other digital operating modes such as SSTV or Morse telegraphy have also become possible. Decree 288/1997 was intended to introduce a call sign requirement in digital CB radio, which obliged every radio operator to use a call sign assigned by the RegTP for digital operating modes. However, this regulation met with fierce resistance among radio operators and associations, so it was withdrawn with Order 49/1998. The digital CB radio operator now has access to call signs from a series assigned by the ITU, but these do not have to be used.

Since May 29, 2002, the modulation type SSB has been permitted on channels 4 - 15 with a maximum of 4 watts of transmission power for a limited period until March 31, 2004 (Approval 268/2002). The individual allocation applies to frequency use by devices that comply with the European standard ETSI EN 300433 are provided with a CE marking based on a declaration of conformity.

The RegTP published new regulations for CB radio on September 10, 2003:

General allocation (Vfg 41/2003) in the Official Gazette No.18

The most important innovations:

The time limit until March 31, 2004 for SSB (approval 268/2002 - see above) has been lifted.

Furthermore 80 FM channels (4 watts), 12 channels SSB (4 watts) and 12 channels AM (1 watt)

CB-Radios no longer need to be registered with RegTP.

CB radio operators no longer have to pay for frequency usage or EMV fees retroactively from January 1, 2003.

Devices that comply with the R&TTE directive and bear a CE mark, or have a German approval mark, or have been approved in another European country are permitted for operation.

Fixed radio systems with an effective radiation power of 10 watts or more EIRP will continue to require a location certificate from RegTP in the future.

The CB channels 6, 7 were also released for data radio (previously: 24, 25, 52, 53, 76, 77). Data radio may only be operated in the operating modes F1D, F2D and G2D (frequency and phase modulation, FSK or AFSK).

There is no call sign requirement anymore. If call signs are used, RegTP recommends contacting the DAKfCBNF to (quote) "prevent misuse of international call signs".

The ban on using channels 41-80 in the protection zones (near the border) only applies to fixed CB radio stations (bases). CB handheld radios and CB mobile stations are no longer affected. CB base stations within these protection zones can still apply to the RegTP for a paid frequency allocation for the use of channels 41-80.

The new general approval is limited until December 31, 2013

Detailed information is available from the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways (formerly RegTP) at: www.bundesnetzagentur.de.

This text also is available in German language at the DX-Charly Tango hompage.

Avoid TV interference on short wave bands - The "Ugly Balun"

The hamuniverse website describes how it works: A plastic tube, 2 lids, wrap a few meters (about 18 - 21 feet) of RG213 around the tube, connect it close to your antenna and you're good to go between 160 and 10 metres.

I made one of these by myself on a 110 mm savage pipe out of the hardware store in town where I also got those lids in which I drilled holes to put a SO-239 socket into each. Then I got the RG213 coax wound around the pipe 17 times so the length of it is about 6,40 metres on the outside while at the end of the wounds I brought some more of it through a drilled hole into the pipe and fixed it with cable ties, then soldered the coax to the SO-239 sockets in the lids and closed them carefully. 

Thereafter I fired up my hot glue pistol which finally fixed the RG213 unmovable in position. Then some hot glue around the sockets to make the whole thing waterproof and well done, finished !

Basically a so called "ugly balun" could be built with the coax completely outside and with PL-259 connectors on it but I have chosen to do it the hard way which means soldering the coax to the SO-239 sockets and then closing the lids without losing the soldered coax off the sockets. That could be kinda tricky.

But fortunately everything went well and it works like it use to be.

The first try was with a homemade T2LT antenna which is better known as a flower pot antenna after VK2ZOI. But I have calculated the size for 10.4 MHz as well as I built it without the so called flower pot which is the resonant balun in order to connect it with the ugly one.

Then I went outside onto the balcony and fixed a 12 metre portable mast with the antenna to the railing. The result of checking the SWR were quite impressive.

The vertical antenna works resonant on many bands as tested on 60 mtr, 30, 15, as well as at the repeater range on 10 mtr ham band.

Additionally to those bands a regular antenna tuner like those equipped in some transceivers can be also tune it on 80 as well as 160 metre band which I could not believe at the first place but that's simply the way it works.

The following night I kept listening to radio stations from far away and I found out that the receiving range with this antenna combined with that ugly balun was large enough so I could listen to some stations around 500 kHz which I've never heard by using a simple end feed wire antenna without balun at the same height.

I am really not an expert in knowing stuff like that but generally all I found out this night was that the Flower Pot Antenna combined to the Ugly Balun works as good as it gets.

But don't get me wrong, that's just a first result which turned out to be good enough and useful. I haven't done more tests yet so don't ask me for further specs about the homemade balun or even the antenna but better visit the website of hamuniverse.com and of course the page from VK2ZOI on which every information about it is published.

For my project well done I have to thank Mr. Don Butler (N4UJW) for his awesome website which inspired me of building the air wound ugly balun as well as I want to thank John (VK2ZOI) who's website also inspired me to build so many flower pot antenna's for different bands and ranges.

Finally I will end up at this point with my last statement about the Air Choke Ugly Balun. Its purpose is not only to be a resonant balun which turns high resistance low down to the wanted 50 ohms but it also works as a wave barrier that brings radiation out of the antenna only but not off the coax which means the power stops radiating at the balun which for sure is not always that ugly.

73 and good DX, yours Alex (13CT30)