[Fists] Support for the paper VA14_C3_40 'Conflicting CW Procedure'

[Graham Smith]

The document "Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur"
('EOPRA') contains misunderstandings related to some aspects of CW procedure
in conversational (non-contest) QSOs.  Fortunately the vast majority of CW
operators know the correct procedures and have ignored the
misunderstandings, but some are now using erroneous procedures on-air.  For
a more detailed discussion of the issues, see
http://fists.co.uk/docs/iaru/VA14C340Support.pdf.

The paper VA14_C3_40 (copy available at
http://fists.co.uk/docs/iaru/VA14C340.pdf ), written by the Icelandic Radio
Amateurs Association, is being put forward at the September IARU Region 1
Conference in Bulgaria so that the IARU can endorse the correct procedures,
as used and documented in amateur radio books (such as the RSGB and ARRL
Handbooks) for a period of over 70 years.  Prior to this and over a period
of 6 months, the Icelandic Association was not successful in persuading the
authors of 'EOPRA' to correct the text.  The IARU also confirmed to the
Icelandic Association that in endorsing 'EOPRA', it had not been intended to
try and change operating procedure and the errors had been inadvertently
overlooked.

The procedures concerned may seem trivial, but are important because of the
confusion caused when all operators are not "on the same page", particularly
in relation to the end of transmissions.

Over the weekend of 17/18 August 2014, the Nordic Amateur Radio Union (NARU)
agreed to endorse the paper.

Please help the Icelandic Association by requesting that radio clubs and
societies that you are a member of support the paper and also that any that
are present at the conference do so there. For more information, see the
Association's analysis at http://bit.ly/MGrcRj and share this link with
others.

 

73 de Graham G3ZOD FISTS #8385
FISTS Membership Secretary (Europe)
http://fists.co.uk <http://www.fists.co.uk/>