[Elecraft] OT: "/XX" observations

[Dick Dievendorff]

Ken, you do what I do:  Sign /7 when it's advantageous to do so.

I'm a K6 living permanently (since 1997) in Washington State.  I'm not
portable, I live here all the time.

I rarely sign /7. To do so would take more time and is harder to get across
in marginal conditions than my normal call. I would expect a higher error
rate with a more involved call.

I do use K6KR/7 in the California QSO party, because if I called CQ as K6KR,
I'd spend a lot of time explaining that WA is not a California county, but a
state.  

Similarly I sign /7 in the 7QP and Salmon Run contests, where I'm in the
target area. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the IOTA contest, where I
will operate from the Washington State North group.

If I borrow a friend's station in California for a contest, I'm not going to
use K6KR/6 or K6KR/7/6. I'll use K6KR (or a station or club call he
prefers). Because the FCC rules permit me to do so and because it's the
easiest and quickest for me and my colleagues in the contest.

The FCC doesn't require that I sign /7, nor do most contest rules.  The FCC
permits "self assigned designators" and no longer require "portable"
designators.  If I visit Hawaii or Alaska, I'll be /KH6 or /KL7.

I lived in England where my G3 prefix was based on chronology rather than
geography, so I'm not that used to having a number imply geography.  It can
sometimes help, but not always.

73 de Dick, K6KR


-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ken G Kopp
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2013 9:31 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net; KX3 at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Elecraft] OT: "/XX" observations

My situation is perhaps a bit "unique".  As a contester I view calls in the
7th call area as a bit more "in demand" than some others.  Being in Montana
(MT) adds a bit more to the "scarce"
mix.  The same seems to be true in DX'ing.

Since I have a "zero" call. I always sign "/7" in contests, but never in
day-to-day operation.  The thinking is probably "oh, there's a "zero" ...
there are plenty of them and I'll get him later", but a "seven" is a "better
get him now, while I can".

Factor into this that in a CW contest one would never send "Montana" as a
section identifier, but instead sends "_ _  __"
(MT) which is often heard as "MO" (long dash as CW shorthand for "O"),
placing me in an incorrect section (MO) in the other guy's log.

But this can be an "advantage" when the DX is calling by call areas.... "de
/7K0PP" or "de K0PP/7".  (:-))

Yes, it's the price I pay for not having a "seven" call for the last 35
years, BUT with my last name would -you- change my call? (:-)  BTW, there
are 50+ "Kopp" hams out there.

73!

Ken Kopp - K0PP
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