Russian HAM's problems

[Andy_Melanyin]

Crossposted in rec.radio.amateur.misc
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Hi everybody !! Yesturday RB5QF, UB4QBL & UA3DPX visited Central Radio club
of Russia and all CIS republiks. Here is the short summary:
1. Bad news for all the amateur radio stations. The CIS ministers of communica-
tions desided to change the callsigns. The amateurs were not considered in mind
during their dessition. So in ITU now there is a paper according to which all
changes in callsigns will be absolutely fullish ( for axample preffixes UB, RB,
UC, UI will come to RUSSIA but the UV, UZ, UX, UW will come to Ukraine ).
You all can emagine what it will corse for the data bases etc. RSF sent a FAX
to ITU in order to stop that, but no one at the moment knows what is happening
in ITU. The discussions are very hot on the air. And no one wants to refuse
the call signs. May be some of You can help with the ITU offisials ?
Think those who desided to make changes do not care of amateur radio.
2. According to the 1. The spetial callsigns in 1993 will be frosen for no one
knows yet about the correct preffixes.
3. QSL BURO has no money to send the mail to somewere. We saw a lot of packed
QSLs. So be ready UA will be DX as far as QSLs are conserned. The air mail
letter abroad now costs 75 rubles (!!!).The average sellary at the moment is
 2.500 rubles a month. If russian station wants to get the
qsl from the BURO it costs 0.5 ruble per one QSL (!!!). If UA wants to send
qsl via the BURO it costs 2.15 rubles per one qsl (!!!). This is not a bloody
market economy this is ...
Oh yes, if You want to get the contest award via the BURO You have to pay 5 r.
for it.
4.The first class licence now costs 120 rubles a year, but if You work the con-
tests You pay 240 rubles for the KW (no matter if You have 200W or 1KW).
If You want to have a spetial call - pay extra.
5. Who knows what'll happen to amateur radio in Russia in a couple of years?
I don't know in general but I can guess.
73! Andy (UA3DPX), Dima (UV3DCX), and some others...