470 Amateur Radio Group

I recieved this from a local ham, it made me wonder how some actually got a amateur radio license.. Thank you for the e mail... I have heard many talk in other languages, but yes when it came to the ID it has to be in English..My apologizes to the Russian amateur radio operator for a local hams knowledge or non knowledge of part 97 of the rules and regulations...
Here what happened...
I was listening to another repeater earlier today and it seemed like that the Echo Link was on. I thought that I was hearing someone speaking Russian. Well, one of the local hams (here in the Knoxville, Tn area) got upset with him that he wasn't speaking English "per FCC amateur radio rules". The local ham told him that 'rules dictated to speak English' and to go ahead and speak English or get off the air! The local ham sounded mad. I was thinking, correct me if I am wrong, that according to section 97.119 stating identification paragraph b section 2, we need to give our CALL SIGN in English. It didn't say anything that the entire transmission needed to be in English, just the call sign. I am going on the idea that the Echo Link connected to some repeater in Russia. I don't really know about the Russian rules on amateur radio. As far as I know, here in the U.S.A. at least, some one can speak in whatever formal language they want to so long as the call sign is in English. There might be an international rule that the call sign be in English.

Needless to say I did not say anything to the guy because I did not want to start an argument.

Besides, it may be a bad idea under 97.1 paragraph (e) to tell someone in a different country that they cannot speak their native language ( other than English) and only speak English on the amateur radio bands. Can we give a heartfelt Homer Simpson