Call Sign OPSEC...

Started by roscoe, September 02, 2012, 11:24:36 PM

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White Tiger

I have discussed this with Gil, and he has made his sympathies on the subject known - one thing that could be done to offer a little more OPSEC, and it could be done simply (which is often the best remedy)...is to simply rent a PO box and list it as your main address in the USL database?

This is what I plan to do when I register - it is perfectly legal - and would offer some level of security from "creepers" and/or identity thieves!

...I for one have never understood why this needs to be public information? I mean, it doesn't even lend itself to modifying behavior, or even self-policing? Because - at least as far as I can tell - there isn't any countermeasure for unscrupulous persons simply "borrowing" a call sign in order to make mayhem..!? and as far as I know, criminals still don't mind doing things illegally...

...nope, just keep shaking my head over this one...

Well, at least I can make sure the unscrupulous one's...don't "borrow" the contents of my home address...
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

KC9TNH

I've thought about this before and (as can be seen) made my decision awhile back, albeit not for the reasons here. I have a PO Box simply because I've always had one in this town. Based on delivery times (late afternoon) and traffic route to/from work I can get my mail quicker in my comings & goings. I can always give the physical to a UPS inbound.

I think it's counter-productive to obsess about what the G makes publicly available at this point & distracts from something that can be leveraged in our favor. Those same FCC station & frequency assignments apply for others; that's why you can get all the assigned G/g frequencies in your area for LE (including TAC frequencies), Fire, Public Works, etc. They make nice additions to one's scanner table.

In my work when we do a threat assessment we have to look at CREDIBLE threat, not all POSSIBLE threats, lest we chase tails pursuing that which gains us little benefit at much expense & headache. We look at the most likely man-initiated event with most impact, and the most natural event with the most impact. Everyone has to do their own. PO boxes can be nice. In fact, if UPS ever opened up a full-service box store like they have at other population centers I'd ditch the PO entirely since I see they've been allowed to default on yet another $5B payment.

Work whatever approach works for you but know this:
There is risk/reward and if you ever want to get in QSO with me for training purposes within the current structure you're going to be giving your G-given callsign, and you'll get mine in happily in exchange. We have no homeowner org's in my little burg so if you think you can come to my general area and look at all the beams on masts w/rotors and all the 43' verticals atop Rohn masts and find my house specifically, have at it. Lots of neighborly overwatch and gun-clinging goin' on.

Otherwise let's just go back to credible approaches to preparation. Fewer people are listening to your amateur radio comms than are simply watching internet fora. Laptops are cheap; knowledge & radio gear not so much. As a former CO said about a unit from PR that complained about the temp up here in May being too cold, "shut up & train."  (Miss that guy alot.)
[\curmudgeon off]
:)
FYI, most people look up your stuff on qrz.com and don't navigate to the FCC ULS database. At qrz.com you can edit your own page to show no coords, no map, your physical, some other location, etc.  (Snowbirds do this for example.)

gil

Quoteif you ever want to get in QSO with me for training purposes

I will take you up on that! CW, any time you're willing  :)
I need to get from 8wpm copy to 20...

Gil.

Paul

I'm afraid I look at it in another way.  That lock on my door is to protect -you-, not me...
- Paul

KC9TNH

Quote from: Paul on September 30, 2012, 11:47:54 AM
I'm afraid I look at it in another way.  That lock on my door is to protect -you-, not me...
- Paul
Quite agree; not saying don't use due diligence. Locks save lives & not necessarily those inside.

KC9TNH

Quote from: gil on September 30, 2012, 11:07:36 AM
Quoteif you ever want to get in QSO with me for training purposes

I will take you up on that! CW, any time you're willing  :)
I need to get from 8wpm copy to 20...

Gil.
Would be my pleasure. Starting in a few minutes kinda busy today but use PM & let me know what kinda days/times/freqs work well for you. You can also just shoot me an email, address at top of my QRZ page.

I'm always dusting the cobwebs off, CW is for me a really perishable skill.  I hit a "wall" at about 12 for quite awhile. While I can do a simple DX exchange much faster, conversational CW is more fun and I always like to practice good CW that gets it done the first time. So whatever speed you're comfortable with you tell me (unless you tell me you wanna re-trans "War & Peace" at 30wpm). If you say 8, 10, whatever, that's what we'll do, and with a smile. To do otherwise is what I call "writing a check your brass can't cash."

Let me know, we'll hookup at some point. It need not be long - just keep the cobwebs off for both of us, and at my age I make enough of my own.
  ;D

White Tiger

So, CW is kinda like Twitter?

Only your limits aren't wpm, there 120 characters, max

hmmm, on second thought, maybe Twitter is more like JT65...?
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.