[CQ-Contest] Phonetics for long call signs

[Charles Harpole]

Ideas
1.  for quick break in, I send Hotel Sugar Zero.  This alerts the op
unaccustomed to hearing from Zone 26 where I am and that maybe I am a
needed multiplier.  This is only useful for a prefix like mine.
2.  "Hotel Sugar" is the phonetic often associated with HS, Thailand, by
common use like "Sugar Poppa" for Poland and so on.  It is irritating not
to receive the FULL CALL, but often ops do not leave enough time to give a
six unit call sign.
3.  I have been testing effective phonetics for intelligibility for several
years and my results are not fast but are very effective and reduce
requests for repeats;  better for pile ups than contests, maybe.  The
results are based on (a) having two equal and stressed syllables, (b) using
widely known place names in use around the world, especially in English
language TV broadcasts, and (c) avoids using equivocal names like
Greece/Hellas or Spain/Espana.  It also avoids the problem exemplified in
French where the "H" is aspirated, with "Hotel" coming out " 'otel."   I
always smile at French speakers using 'otel for an H phonetic.

America (likely the most well known place name in the world)
Boston (two hard syllables, a well known place name with this spelling
standard).
Canada (same as Boston).
Denmark (same as Boston).
England (SAB... same as Boston).
Florida (SAB)
Germany (mostly ok, but not Deutschland, a factor, but at least not Golf or
Gulf and
       Guatemala is a nice alternative).
Honolulu (really difficult to mistake this one).
Italy (pronounced with hard "it" at the start; "IT TA LEE."  not "itly").
Japan (SAB).
Kentucky (SAB and remember the fried chicken now everywhere).
London (SAB).
Mexico (SAB, but said like English, not Mexican speaker).
Norway (SAB, but November is good).
Ontario (SAB, amazing works every time even if you do not know Canada
towns).
Pacific (the name of the largest ocean, for gosh sakes, but gives some ops
trouble).
Queen or Quebec (a difficult one made worse because Quebec is pronounced
Keybeck in French).
Radio (if a ham does not know "radio" what can I say?).
Santiago (a killer ap;  just cuts through great).
Tokyo (SAB).
United (as in United States;  please not "uniform").
Victoria (extends the word Victor, but it still has weaker second
syllable).
Washington (use it if you want to be heard;  I know it is long).
X-Ray (desperation choice).
Yokohama (like Santiago and Washington;  it just works).
Zanzibar (please, not "Zulu" which dies in the QRM).

Also, purse your lips to say TWO, put lots of tongue on your upper front
teeth for Three, upper teeth on lower lip for Four, wide smile for Five,
try Niner for the old ops.  Count out your number in real trouble and do a
count-backwards to get to ZERO.

Now, I can hear you guys.......  73, Honolulu Santiago ZERO Zanzibar Canada
Washington.


On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 6:06 PM, <jpescatore at aol.com> wrote:

>
> Dave - as someone who operated with a looong callsign for many years
> (WB2EKK), just use phonetics for your suffix and not your prefix.
>
> That won't change anything when someone has an SO2R auto CQ going on a
> frequency they are not actively listening to, but it will reduce the time
> it takes to get your call through and leave it to the receiving op to ask
> "Was that Whiskey *Nancy* 4?"
>
> > What phonetics would be the most effective and efficient for my
> unusualcall sign?Dave, WN4AFP
>
> 73 John K3TN
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-- 
Charly, HS0ZCW