[Dx4win] Country file prefix changes coming (European Russia)

[ALAN ZACK]

I suppose this makes sense. I did a quick check of my UA/RA etc calls by
doing a search for prefix UA9 (as of now you cannot search for prefix UA0,
DX4WIN does not recognize UA0 and opens the PREFIX window so you can find
the proper prefix) and found that calls with a 9 were logged as zone 17 or
18 while calls with a 0 were logged as zone 19. Only exception I found was
UB0A was logged as zone 18 and his QRZ.COM data also says zone 18. I thought
maybe the prefix UB made the difference but QRZ.COM says just plain Russia.
I suppose DX4WIN will now treat UA0 as a new and separate prefix from UA9 in
a future CTY file update?

Alan, K7ACZ

-----Original Message-----
From: dx4win-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:dx4win-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Jim Reisert AD1C
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 1:59 PM
To: DX4WIN Reflector
Subject: [Dx4win] Country file prefix changes coming (European Russia)

Hi Folks,

The ARRL has ruled that callsigns beginning with UA9F, UA9G and UA9X should
be counted for European Russia (UA), not Asiatic Russia (UA9/0).  Here is
more info:

    http://www.arrl.org/awards-blog

Look for the heading near the bottom, "DXCC and Russian Prefix Information
(rev.)"

The change is effective 1 December 2011, but it affects all such callsigns
going back to the start of the ARRL DXCC program (i.e. all the QSOs in your
log -- past, present and future).  The ARRL is *not* going to require anyone
to re-submit QSLs for DXCC credit due to the change.  For example, I have an
Asiatic Russia (UA9/0) credit on my 80 meter DXCC with UA9FGR.  Under the
new rules, this really should have been credited to European Russia (UA).
But the ARRL is not going to retroactively change their records, requiring
me to send in a different UA9/0 QSL for credit with UA9/0.  Nor do we want
DX4WIN users to have to do that either.

Here is how it's going to affect DX4WIN users:

1.  A new country file will be released.  Starting with QSO dates of
1-December-2011, all callsigns in your log beginning with UA9F, UA9G or UA9X
(and other variations like RA9...) will now be credited to European Russia,
UA.  QSOs with these callsigns before 1-December-2011 will be unaffected.
This means your past DXCC credits will be the same as before.

2.  If DX4WIN submits a confirmation for credit with Asiatic Russia (UA9/0),
and it chooses a QSO from before 1-December 2011, make sure it does not
begin with UA9F, UA9G or UA9X (or similar callsigns).  If it does:

a.  clear all your submission flags

b.  Go to the QSO that DX4WIN tried to submit, and change all three DXCC
award flags to "I", meaning invalid for DXCC

c.  Do the submission again

Repeat steps a. through c. above until DX4WIN submits a callsign that does
*not* begin with UA9F, UA9G, or UA9X, or is after 1-December 2011.
Alternatively, if you already know of a "good" QSO with Asiatic Russia that
you would like to submit, set that QSOs DXCC award flag(s) to "S"
(submitted) *before* doing the initial submission.  This will tell DX4WIN to
choose this QSO first.

I know this sounds confusing.  The country file change is actually not that
hard.  However, trying to apply the new rule based on what DX4WIN wants to
submit is where the user must be a little involved in the submission
process.

If you have any questions, let me know.  I hope to release a new country
file Saturday 17-December.

73 - Jim AD1C