[ARC5] ARC5 Digest, Vol 264, Issue 15

Sun Jan 11 14:31:27 EST 2026

I watch for a friend, W5ZA.  Several times the network has reported hearing him and when I tuned the call was W5ZR. The sending sounded like a keyer to me so must have been an SNR problem. 

I wouldn’t put too much faith in the correctness of the RBN decodes. 

Al
K5TAN

Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 11, 2026, at 11:31 AM, arc5-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. I've Been Bootlegged! Call AB5S "Borrowed" (David Stinson)
>   2. Re: I've Been Bootlegged! Call AB5S "Borrowed" (Bill KA8VIT)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:03:45 -0600
> From: David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
> To: ARC-5 <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>,    "milsurplus at mailman"
>    <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>,    "Boatanchors at mailman"
>    <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: [ARC5] I've Been Bootlegged! Call AB5S "Borrowed"
> Message-ID: <f09843bd-d9fb-403b-8f4c-e366fb3ae614 at ix.netcom.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; Format="flowed"
> 
> I was checking the "Reverse Beacon Network"
> and found something eye-bugging.
> Someone is working 30 WPM CW, mostly contests,
> Many, many QSOs using my call sign, AB5S.
> I did none of them.? My station has been down
> for months. Take a look at this:
> https://tinyurl.com/yhksaffv
> 
> I mean- I know AB5S is a good call for CW,
> but a polite request might have been in order.
> 
> I support CW and might even have designated
> him an op if he had asked, but I have no idea
> about him.? He could be up to no good, or maybe
> he's old like me and misread his license,
> or who knows?
> 
> I asked three of the guys he contacted last night on 80M:
> Did he give you a name and QTH?? Did he
> give any other clues as to where he might be?
> We'll see what they say.
> The reverse beacon reports the origin point
> to be Nevada, Texas, of course.? It listens for
> the transmissions, but doesn't do any DFing.
> 
> Maybe I've been sleep walking??
> What would you do?
> If found, maybe I should charge him rent?
> 
> TNX ES 73 DE Dave (the real) AB5S.""
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:31:30 -0500 (EST)
> From: Bill KA8VIT <ka8vit at ka8vit.com>
> To: David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>, ARC-5 <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>,
>    "milsurplus at mailman" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>,
>    "Boatanchors at mailman" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] I've Been Bootlegged! Call AB5S "Borrowed"
> Message-ID: <360071218.48386.1768149090367 at email.ionos.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> I've had a similar thing happened.
> 
> My buddy's call kept popping up on HamAlert, (an Android app that monitors the RNB, DX Spots and more for triggers you have set).
> 
> But when I spoke with him he said he hadn't been on the air.
> 
> This happened a lot, usually during the afternoon hours when I was not near a radio.
> 
> It went on for over a year!
> 
> Then, one day I was finally able to get on the air when an alert happened and caught the guy on the air.
> 
> Turned out, the OP's call was W8ABC but he liked to put a pause between the last two characters of his call...
> 
> Example:   W8AB.....C
> 
> He always sent it that way.
> 
> My friend's call is W8AB,  (example).
> 
> But the RBN always copied that guy's call as W8AB and not W8ABC triggering the alerts.
> 
> 73 - BILL KA8VIT / W8COD
> 
> 
> ====================================
> Bill Chaikin, KA8VIT
> Chief Radio Operator
> WW2 Submarine USS COD SS-224 (NECO)
> 
> ka8vit at ka8vit.com
> http://ka8vit.com
> http://www.usscod.org
> ====================================
> 
> 
>> On 01/11/2026 11:03 AM EST David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> I was checking the "Reverse Beacon Network"
>> and found something eye-bugging.
>> Someone is working 30 WPM CW, mostly contests,
>> Many, many QSOs using my call sign, AB5S.
>> I did none of them.  My station has been down
>> for months. Take a look at this:
>> https://tinyurl.com/yhksaffv
>> 
>> I mean- I know AB5S is a good call for CW,
>> but a polite request might have been in order.
>> 
>> I support CW and might even have designated
>> him an op if he had asked, but I have no idea
>> about him.  He could be up to no good, or maybe
>> he's old like me and misread his license,
>> or who knows?
>> 
>> I asked three of the guys he contacted last night on 80M:
>> Did he give you a name and QTH?  Did he
>> give any other clues as to where he might be?
>> We'll see what they say.
>> The reverse beacon reports the origin point
>> to be Nevada, Texas, of course.  It listens for
>> the transmissions, but doesn't do any DFing.
>> 
>> Maybe I've been sleep walking??
>> What would you do?
>> If found, maybe I should charge him rent?
>> 
>> TNX ES 73 DE Dave (the real) AB5S."" ______________________________________________________________ ARC5 mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5 Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: https://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> 
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> End of ARC5 Digest, Vol 264, Issue 15
> *************************************