Hello Garie, Jim, John and everyone else.
I think it's time to clarify some terminology.
Some contests use Canadian provinces and terrories and/or US states as
multipliers. (ie. RAC, ARRL 10m, NCJ NAQP, NCJ Sprint ...)
Some contests use RAC and ARRL "sections" as multipiers. (ie. ARRL SS,
ARRL 160m, ARRL SS ...)
Some contests use other things as multipliers. (ie. Prefixes for WPX,
DXCC/WAE countries and WAZ zones for the CQ WW, DXCC for ARRL DX, Italian
provinces for the ARI Contest, DOK numbers for the Worked All Germany
contest, Prefectures for the JIDX Contests ...)
In contests where Canadian provinces, territories and US states are used
as multipliers, it is good form and common practice to use the official
two-letter postal abbreviations suggested by the Canadian and US post
offices to indicate your multiplier.
In contests where RAC and ARRL "sections" are used as multipliers, it is
good form and common practice to use the RAC- or ARRL- suggested two- or
three-letter "section" identifiers to indicate your multiplier.
Newfoundland (VO1) and Labrador (VO2) together form one province, called
either "Newfoundland" in conventional parlance, or "Newfoundland and
Labrador" more officially. Canada Post's suggested abbreviation for the
name of this province is "NF". In those contests where Canadian provinces
are used as multipliers, it is correct for VO1 and VO2 stations to send "NF"
in exchanges with other stations. VO2RAC did the right thing by sending
"NF" to stations they worked in the Canada Winter Contest.
Until 1996, Newfoundland-Labrador, togther with the three Maritime provinces
of New Brunswick (VE9), Nova Scotia (VE1) and Prince Edward Island (VY2)
were organised as one section of the RAC field organisation. This section
was called "Maritimes-Newfoundland," and abbreviated "MAR." That year,
RAC separated Newfoundland-Labrador from the old "MAR" section, and in 1997,
the new Newfoundland-Labrador section was recognised as a unique multiplier
alongside the now-smaller "MAR" section in those ARRL Contests that used
RAC and ARRL "sections" as multipliers.
Even though Newfoundland-Labrador (the province) and Newfoundland-Labrador
(the section) occupy exactly the same territory, they somehow use different
abbreviations in some contests, depending on whether the multipliers are
provinces or "sections." When it's a province, Newfoundland-Labrador is
abbreviated "NF." When it's a section, Newfoundland-Labrador is abreviated
"NL." I don't know the reason why, but I suspect the "NL" abbreviation
was chosen to prevent computer logging programs from confusing NF (North
Florida - an ARRL section) with NF (the province of Newfoundland-Labrador).
If my theory is true, this judicious choice was similar to the choice made
some years ago to distinguish the state of Louisiana (correctly abbreviated
LA) from the Los Angeles section (LAX) of the ARRL Field organisation.
QSL VO2RAC via Chris VE3FU - he and Colin VO2CC were the operators. They
were in Labrador City at the VO2WL club station, and definitely in Zone 2.
And so endeth the epistle of St. Contest to the reflectorites.
73,
Dave Goodwin VE2ZP/VE9CB
RAC HF Contest Manger - for only one more day!
ve2zp@bbs.ve3jf.ampr.org
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