Any ham radio operators?

[SirPoonga]

I have a couple of questions.

Can you operate more than one radio with the same call sign? At the same time? If not can you have more than one call sign?

I am curious as I might look into vehicle tracking with APRS. But if I am to be licenses I might as well learn to use the whole system. I would be getting a dedicated APRS system for the vehicle, I am wondering if I also got a hand held for myself if I could use both at the same time.

[MonMotha]

I have a couple of questions.

Can you operate more than one radio with the same call sign? At the same time?

Yes.  You must be "at the control point" for each device (which may be remote relative to the device) unless it is under automatic control, such as a repeater.

If not can you have more than one call sign?

No, you can't.

I am curious as I might look into vehicle tracking with APRS. But if I am to be licenses I might as well learn to use the whole system. I would be getting a dedicated APRS system for the vehicle, I am wondering if I also got a hand held for myself if I could use both at the same time.

You can only operate the APRS system while you're in control of it unless it's operating under a non-typical station classification, in which case automated control could be permitted.  This means that you can't have the APRS system in your car sending unsolicited location transmissions when you're not in the car.  So, if your intent is to simply use APRS to track your car while you're not in it (say, to track a child driving the car), that's something that may run afoul of the rules.

You're also only supposed to use the amateur radio service to communicate with other amateurs (which could include yourself).  One-way communications are generally heavily restricted. Automated location transmission with the sole intent of looking things up on the internet would probably be a no-no.  You may be able to say that you're remotely controlling the APRS station (if there is indeed a way for you to remotely control it) and receiving it with your own gear.  People certainly do this with cameras and such on remote controlled craft, but then they are also in remote control of the entire vehicle.

In practice, people are probably not going to care if you use the APRS "cloud" for this, and the FCC doesn't generally get involved unless somebody complains.

However, you should still follow the rules.  How this would fall under the rules depends on how the APRS transmitting station in your car gets classified, and you may be able to argue multiple classifications.  I doubt any FCC statements exist on the issue (again, they tend to take a "hands off" approach to the amateur radio service unless somebody complains).  I'd read part 97 and see what it has to say.  The "auxiliary station" definition may apply, in which case you're probably good saying that it is "automatically controlled" and are also permitted "one-way communications".

This is for the USA.  If you're in a different country, the rules may differ.