Herb,
I don't think anyone is seriously or otherwise suggesting that your or any
of the other pre-1978 KV4 calls (or those recovered as Vanity calls in
recent years) sign KP2/, NP2/, or WP2/. Likewise, I don't think anyone is
suggesting that other remaining pre-1978 calls do so.
Most contest software is or should be (I know, there's that dangerous
presumption again) configured to properly handle calls like yours. And most
experienced contesters & DX'ers... yes, I know many aren't that
experienced... are aware of the old prefixes and that quite a few are still
in use (I think KG6DX is no longer active from Guam, that and the old
Johnston Island KJ6 club station are the only two that come to mind
offhand). In fact, without doing a data search on the CD, I'd venture to
say that the vast majority of pre-78 calls in this category that are still
in use are USVI KV4 calls. So it is REASONABLE to assume that a KV4 2x2
call has a high likelihood of being a USVI call. Therefore there should be
NO reason that you should or would even consider signing /KP2 etc., so long
as you are indeed operating in the USVI.
In the particular case under discussion, since we KNOW that Andy is not in
Puerto Rico, but in NYC. While FCC rules do not require him to indicate
this, and apparantly contest rules don't either, it would still be (IMHO)
good amateur practice for him to do so. He has indicated that he doesn't
want to. Completely different situation.
But what the heck. If someone (I'm speaking generically now) chooses to
operate without a clear indication of his entity, and as a result makes a
lot of contacts that are either logged wrong or end up with 0 point value,
which ends up wasting a lot of time and/or irritating a lot of people, who
am I to argue? Or to put it another way, you can be right from a technical
standpoint but wrong (or at least offbase) from a practical one. Not worth
wasting any more time worrying about it.
And FWIW, I happen to LIKE the old calls when they reappear. Adds a little
flavor to things, and keeps you on your toes. But of course, I'm biased a
little on that subject... <g>
73, ron wn3vaw
"What's the point in being crazy if you can't have a little fun with it?"
-- Russell Crowe portraying John Nash, "A Beautiful Mind"
----- Original Message -----
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 13:25:28 -0400
From: Herb Schoenbohm <herbs@vitelcom.net>
To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Re: CQ-Contest Digest, Vol 11, Issue 73
Are you suggesting is that I (KV4FZ) operate as NP2/KV4FZ in future
contests to avoid confusion? I am in the Virgin Islands and KV4 at
least used to be a recognized prefix for this place. Maybe we should
have more demanding of the FCC to retain our identity. Believe me if
Johnny Johnson, W3BE (formerly K3BNS) of the FCC's amateur Division at
the time, had arbitrarily decided to make Puerto Rico, for example, KV2
there would have been a serious revolt. The Radio Club in Puerto Rico
has some political clout so this just would have never happened.
(Remember how they successfully lobbied the ARRL to make Desecheo a
separate DXCC entity? They did so by threatening to join the IARU as a
Puerto Rico member.)
I think many agree that the now infamous FCC call sign switching debacle
was punitive, stupid, and unnecessary. It did not result from a request
for new rules by amateur from the bottom up but rather a single career
bureaucratic employee at 1919 M Street with a K3 X3 call who wanted to
send a message to all the 1X2 special interest call self- assignments,
some of which were ARRL bigwigs. Rather than exposing the special
interest arrangements and take action against those self assigned calls,
he decided to deal with the problem by painting with a broad brush and
create rules that hurt all of us. This was done without a hearing,
without a vote, and without due process. He ended up getting his 1X2 as
the rest of hamdom enjoyed the new alphabet soup.
I promised Mr. DX Dick Spencley, KV4AA before he died, that I would
never let this issue just fade away.
There is a real story here of corruption, ineptness, and bureaucratic
egotism which QST will never publish. Yet through the wonders of this
post and the internet you are finding out.
73
Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
I if use just NP3D this will confuse the people who thinks that
I am
working
from Puerto Rico. I posted a message in several Bullettines tht
NP3D is
in
Zone 5 USA, not in Zone 8, PR.
Please use NP3D by itself. The latest country file will score
this as
United
States, Zone 5. Don't sign NP3D/2, that will confuse the
software and
it will
think you are in US Virgin Islands (NP2).
But, what about those who are not using CT? What about all
the casual participants who are not using any contest logging
software? If Andy uses simply NP3D, he's going to be called by a
slew of stateside stations who don't realize he's not in PR,
especially in light of the fact that he's planning an 80m SB
operation. This is likely to prove highly frustrating for both
Andy and the callers.
73,
Bill/NG3K
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