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: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ken G Kopp Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2013 9:31 AM To: [email protected]; [email protected] 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 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
