[UK-CONTEST] Is it time for contest sponsors to introduce anident rule?

[Andrew AC6WI]

On 31/07/12 07:25, Paul O'Kane wrote:
> On 31/07/2012 10:41, Roger Western wrote:
>
>> Maybe peer pressure would help: send the worst offenders a brief e-mail
>> explaining why you are annoyed.
>
> I have sympathy with this point of view, but the chance
> of the email approach making any difference is remote.
> No rule is being broken - so it's all above board.


Maybe in your country Paul, but not in the UK or the US where I hold 
current licenses.

UK Section 2 subsection 13(1)(a)
"The Licensee, or, if this Licence is a Full Licence, then any other 
authorised person who uses the Radio Equipment, shall transmit the 
Callsign specified in Section 1 of this Licence and any Modifier 
applicable under the provisions of this Licence:
(a) during initial calls ("CQ" calls) or calls to establish contact with 
another Amateur;"

So, when establishing contact with another amateur, ie a new QSO, an 
identification must be given.  So, technically, every QSO.

US FCC Part 97.119(a)
"Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station, 
must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the 
end of each communication, and at least every ten minutes during a 
communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the 
transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions."

Making contact with a different station is a new communication so 
theoretically, a callsign should be given after every QSO!

Now, it's interesting to note that similar wording is not in your own EI 
regulations which only state in S.I. No. 192 of 2009 Section 7.1(q)
"the Licensee shall ensure that the appropriate identification methods 
as required under the ITU Radio Regulations are employed for all 
transmissions from the Apparatus;"

If we then refer to the ITU Radio Regulations, Article 19 Identification 
of Stations, Section 1 General Provisions Subsection 19.17
"For transmissions carrying identification signals, in order that 
stations may be readily identified, each station shall transmit its 
identification as frequently as practicable during the course of 
transmissions, including those made for tests, adjustments or 
experiments. During such transmissions, however, identification signals 
shall be transmitted at least hourly, preferably within the period from 
five minutes before to five minutes after the hour (UTC) unless to do so 
would cause unreasonable interruption of traffic, in which case 
identification shall be given at the beginning and end of transmissions."

So, EI stations only need to identify hourly to comply with their 
licence.... maybe you need to start lobbying ComReg for more frequent 
identification as the current rules in EI encourage not identifying 
regularly  :)


Vy 73,

Andrew AC6WI / GI0NWG