[UK-CONTEST] R prefix

[g6nhu at me.com]

My brother who hasn't used the radio properly for probably twenty years has recently thrown up an aerial and started playing wireless again.  He's got an NoV, giving him a GR4 callsign and when I mentioned that it was the 80m CC tonight he decided to give away a few points.  I did tell him he couldn't put an entry in but was fine to work people and give away points.

The third station he called complained about his callsign.  He said that he's not actually competing but was told in reply to "go and read the rules".

I think this is pretty poor behaviour on that person.  As below, it's quite legitimate for an entrant to work someone using a special callsign but the person using the special callsign isn't entitled to put an entry in.

It's also ironic because the person who told my brother to go "read the rules" clearly didn't have an understanding of the rules himself.

I don't know who it was but I hope you're reading this.  Shame on you.

73
Keith, G6NHU
--



On 2 May 2011, at 01:16, Steve Knowles <g3ufy at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> Hello Chris.
> 
> As an entrant you would be perfectly entitled to claim a contact with any 
> properly licensed station for points, subject to any individual contest 
> rules, so working GR stations is OK.  But, as an entrant, you may not USE a 
> special callsign on HF.  Because you require a NOV in order to use the GR 
> prefix, it is definitely a special callsign.
> 
> So your assessment of the situation is crrect - you can work GRs, but not BE 
> a GR in RSGB HF Contests.
> 
> Hope this clarifies the situation.
> 
> 73
> 
> Steve
> G3UFY
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chris G4FZN" <ukcontest at mailbox01.freeserve.co.uk>
> To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 12:01 AM
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] R prefix
> 
> 
>>> On 1 May 2011 at 12:57, G4LMW wrote:
>>> 
>>>> The HF General Rules apply to the CCs and specifically exclude the use
>>>> of Special Prefixes. See rule 6(a)
>>>> 
>>>> http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/information/hfgenrules.shtml
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> That's not quite right. Rule 6(a) does not say "special prefixes" at all. 
>> It
>> simply says "UK stations may not use special (eg. GB or GX etc), callsigns
>> nor be /MM or /AM."
>> 
>> The issue hinges on whether the insertion of the letter "R" into one's own
>> personal callsign makes it a "special callsign" or not. That, in itself, 
>> is
>> open to interpretation.
>> 
>> Personally, I'd play safe and not use it, but if someone calls me using 
>> the
>> "R", I see no reason not to claim the points.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Chris
>> G4FZN
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
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> 
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