[SECC] Why can folks get my call right?

[Bill Coleman]

A new discussion topic. A couple of weeks ago, I handed out a few contacts in the SS Phone. I was in Fulton county with crappy antennas, so I didn’t expect much. 

But what drives me crazy is that on phone, people don’t appear to be able to copy my callsign.

I generally use Alpha Alpha Four London Radio, or perhaps Lima Radio. Sometimes it is America America Four, especially if it Europeans who want to put me in Germany (Delta Alpha Four), the Netherlands (Papa Alpha Four), or perhaps Turkey (Tango Alpha Four)…. But, hey, this was SS, so not so much of a problem.

Other than the Europeans, most folks get my prefix right much of the time.

Many times, however, it’s the suffix they struggle with. 

I can tell the guys using Super-Check Partial, they will go “Alpha Alpha Four Charlie?”— because if type in AA4, SCP will suggest AA4C. Like, what I just said was nothing like “Charlie”….

But, most of the time they have problems, it’s the “L”. They’ll pick up “Radio”. So I’ll hear “Alpha Alpha Four something Radio try again.”

I’ll give my call a couple of times, or maybe a half dozen before they will finally put it together. Then — here’s the weird part. I’d given them the whole SS exchange: “Whiskey One Yankee Mike 143 Alpha AA4LR 75 Georgia” and bam — they’d get it all in the first go, no repeats.

Why is that? Why do they get so stuck on one letter of my call, but they can swallow the whole SS exchange in one go? 


Drives me nuts. 

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901