[UK-CONTEST] R prefix

[cris at gm4fam.plus.com]

The complainant forgot the most important contest rule of all - Work First
Worry Later.

73 Cris
GM4FAM




> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> UK-Contest mailing list
>>> UK-Contest at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>>
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>
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