[CQ-Contest] Short calls-the solution

[Michael Keane, K1MK]

"Leigh S. Jones" wrote:

> Maybe, but maybe not.  For instance, in the CQWW you are awarded
> multipliers according to zone and country.  If the zone you send
> (e.g., 1, 3, 4, 5) makes it clear which country you are in, then
> why require it?

Rules need not specify the most efficient or expedient way of doing
things, simply the way in which everyone is required to do things. 
 
If your call started with G, DJ or UA9X why should you be required to
send your zone. It's clear from your call after all. And since we're
been hearing a lot about RST being implict, why require anything? :-)

Even so, you still can't be 100% certain whether you'll be awarded a
country multiplier for working a station in zone 1, 3, 4, or 5 that has
a U.S. call sign.
 
> In the ARRL contest a station signing a callsign like N6VI and
> sending 599KW can't be pinned down.

And you can't be absolutely sure that N6VI signing 599 05 in CQWW is
going to end up counting for the K multiplier. It's highly likely that
it will, but there remains a non-zero chance that it might count for no
country mult (maratime mobile). Although that's one possibility which is
not worth worrying too much about.
 
> But your suggestion has some logical flaws: if you sign NH7A, then
> how do we know you're not operating from somewhere in the USA?  Can
> we presume you are not in the USA DXCC location?  

If NH7A is participating in a contest that has a rule such as the ARRL
rule, then yes. We should be able to presume that NH7A is abiding by the
contest rules and that he is operating from the KH6 DXCC entity.

> How would you like to have to send NH7A/NH7 through a contest -- 
> after all, NH7 really indicates USA.  

Huh? The sort of rule being discussed specifies that your call sign must
indicate your DXCC entity. NH7A really does indicates a DXCC entity that
is different from the US DXCC entity even if both of those entities are
a part of the USA.

> I could chuckle at the ARRL rule when a station calls me
> with a callsign from the KG4AAA block -- that's a USA 4th district
> callsign...does he have to sign KG4AAA/W4?

Of course not, the rule says call sign, not prefix: 

 KG4A   is in the US DXCC entity  
 KG4AA  is in the Guantanamo Bay DXCC entity  
 KG4AAA is in the US DXCC entity  

 KG4/KG4AAA is KG4AAA operating from Guantanamo Bay.
 KG4AAA/W4  is redundant.

Is this really rocket science?

73,
Mike K1MK

Michael Keane K1MK
k1mk at arrl.net
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