[UK-CONTEST] Short UK Contest Callsigns

[Peter Bowyer]

On 05/09/06, MM0DFV <mm0dfv at scotham.net> wrote:
> It's what I am trying to ask. Do we really need any kind of contest range?
> Why not just to work in any contest you like using your short contest
> callsign?

The short answer is 'because that's what the NoV says'. The long
answer is that when the short contest call NoV was first released 10
years ago, a common principle of regulatory control was applied -
without any evidence of how well or how badly the community would
self-regulate activity using special calls, an agreement was reached
as to when they could be used which was written in to the NoV. The
list has already been revised once, to include VHF/UHF contests. The
main justification for the scheme back then was to remove the
perceived disadvantage that UK stations had in international contests
against countries which had already issued short calls (mostly ON and
F at the time I believe). RSGB-organised UK-only contests clearly
didn't qualify.

> And another good point... why do we need to report every time
> about the contest station's location to OFCOM? We don't do that when we use
> our normal callsigns, do we?

No, becuase Ofcom know where you live. They don't know where you're
using the special contest call, so there's a requirement to notify.
It's a very lightweight requirement - an email to one of 4 Ofcom
regional offices suffices. This is no more stringent than the normal
requirement for a club call - except that the contest call regime
assumes that you don't want to use /P. Noted that you do want to -
this isn't specifically covered in the NoV, several groups have done
so over the years, notably in the IOTA contest to draw attention to
their location (ie not EU-005).

> Sorry for all these questions, but I don't like to follow the pointless
> rules, why not to use our contest call signs like other Europeans do
> that?.... What about you guys?

I don't know what the regulations are in 'other European countries'.
Which ones are you referring to, and how do theirs differ? Detailed
information would inform the discussion.

The current NoVs run out in 2007. Now would seem to be a great time to
review the scheme, and I'm sure Colin G3PSM has this on the agenda for
the Spectrum Forum's sessions with Ofcom. I'm equally sure that input
from stakeholders (including us) will be sought at the appropriate
time, and that any outcome will follow Ofcom's general principles of
reducing disproportionate regulation consistent with carrying out its
statutory duties.

Disclaimer: I'm a customer of the special contest calls, and have had
no involvement in managing the scheme.

Peter G4MJS
-- 
Peter Bowyer
Email: peter at bowyer.org