The following is from the ARRL URL: "DXCC to Accept P5/4L4FN Contacts for Credit
NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 2, 2002--The ARRL has announced it will accept SSB contacts with P5/4L4FN in North Korea (Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea) for DXCC credit. Operator Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia, has been active from the capital city of Pyongyang since early last November. Valid SSB contacts from the onset of the P5/4L4FN operation last fall may be submitted for DXCC credit, effective immediately. "The ARRL has now received adequate evidence that the operation by Mr. Giorgadze is being conducted with the knowledge and approval of telecommunications officials in Pyongyang," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG. "At the present time, this approval is limited to SSB operation." Giorgadze has been operating with oral permission from North Korean authorities, but Mills said the ARRL is satisfied on the basis of written information submitted that the P5/4L4FN operation conforms with DXCC rules and should be accepted for credit. Mills cited DXCC Rule 7, which states "Any Amateur Radio operation should take place only with the complete approval and understanding of appropriate administration officials." The rule continues, "In any case, credit will be given for contacts where adequate evidence of authorization by appropriate authorities exists." Mills said the ARRL Awards Committee met and concurred that the operation should be accredited. The P5/4L4FN operation is not a DXpedition. Giorgadze is employed by the United Nations World Food Program and often spends as much as 12 hours a day on the job, operating in his off hours. It's expected that he will be in North Korea at least until July and possibly longer. He tried for more than two years to obtain permission to operate Amateur Radio and finally was given the okay last year to bring an ICOM IC-706MkIIG into the country. Initially using a 20-meter dipole, he now has installed a multi-band vertical and has been active on several bands. A favorite hangout has been 21.225 MHz (he works split and listens up). He's also been a frequent visitor to 10 meters. While P5/4L4FN has been doing some RTTY operation in addition to SSB, those contacts are not yet acceptable for DXCC credit. Bruce Paige, KK5DO, has been acting as QSL manager and liaison for P5/4L4FN. Paige offers an on-line log and additional news and information about the operation on his AMSAT Net Web site. Click on the "P5 North Korea" link. Following the recent Ducie Island VP6DI DXpedition that racked up an estimated 40,000 QSOs, North Korea moved back into its long-held slot as the most-wanted DXCC entity. North Korea was added to the DXCC list in 1991, but actual amateur operations from there have been few and far between. The most recent was the brief P51BH operation by Martti Laine, OH2BH, in 1999, which netted just 263 contacts with the rarest entity. Laine was the first to activate North Korea in 1995, when a demonstration operation worked just a handful of contacts. " 73, Jay/AF2C __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://http://taxes.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems, etc DX-NEWS http://njdxa.org/dx-news DX-CHAT: http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX NEWS items only, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives http://www.mail-archive.com/dx-news%40pro-usa.net/