GM5WS on Ben Aigan & ensuing carnage - *Chasers please check your logs*

… which would be a shame. What happened is just unfortunate and must be an extremely rare occurence. I was working outside and saw the spots on my phone and assumed that you were doing a joint activation with a CW op. Others probably did the same.

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Is it though? If you have alerted and someone else is using the call on CW it will generate spots. You can disable RBNHole in your alert which would mean if you are operating CW you will have to self spot.

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Thanks, just modified my alert for G6XX to make sure that I’m not spotted by RBNHole. I think there is now snow on Burnhope Seat so it could be a shorter session! Paul

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Callsigns that get shared by multiple operators at different locations at the same time are quite unusual. In the past, at least in the UK, when there were commemorative/celebratory callsigns on offer, the time slots were divided up, but it was down to each operator to determine which modes and bands to use, and the call would be used from only one location at a time.

What I meant was that anybody using one of the Transatlantic Test callsigns for SOTA will run into this problem. So it is not a rare occurrence at the moment.

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Not that unusual, in the past we had the same problem with TM8xxx (don’t remember exact call, maybe was TM8UFT) and since we usually make an specific alert for each station that will be active, for example TM15SOTA or others!

Like this:
TM15SOTA on F/XX-XXX
Op @F5JKK on F/CR-007
and the same day.
TM15SOTA on F/XX-XXX
Op @F6HBI on F/AM-380

It is up to each operator to spot themselves with the correct reference. So far we haven’t had any problems.
The whole thing is to know who will activate this special callsign, that’s what was the source of the malfunction I presume.

I however put 2 spots to alert the chasers!

09:37 GM5WS on GM/ES-069 - 7.138 ssb
Is GM5WS (CW bands) on the summit too Fraser ? (by F5JKK)

10:36 GM5WS on GM/ES-069 - 10.1165 cw
CW Op say NO SOTA big confusion with this call :frowning: you can delete your CW QSO’s (by F5JKK)

However, I have a question!
Following Fraser’s spot on the GM/ES-057 summit:

image

which was unique news for me, I make the QSO and log this one but surprised when I check his log last night on SotLas!

image

Do I need to change my log entry, was made directly on SOTAwatch with the call spotted ??

73, Éric
F5JKK

PS: As I told Fraser via PM, this in no way taints these activations

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Right. An unfortunate collision of systems. :thinking: Now that we know about it… :wink:

The various TM* SOTA calls were the only exceptions I could remember, and as they were just for SOTA activations, the activators were well aware of possible spotting confusion, set appropriate alerts, and communicated their plans in advance. :slight_smile:

The problem this time is that the callsigns can be booked by anyone in the UK with a full licence, and the booking is for a time slot, a band, and and a mode (CW, SSB or Data), so they could be being used from up to 26 different locations at the same time. If just one of those slots is a SOTA activator who’s posted an alert then any of the operators who’ve booked a CW slot could trigger RBN spots, and be completely unaware that SOTA spots have been generated from them.

If you’ve booked a CW slot for an activation using one of these calls then there are still, potentially, 8 other CW operator slots that could be active at the same time as you, so even if you’re using CW you can’t expect RBNhole to get it right for you… :confused:

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Set the activation time appropriately and use the S+/- functionality to make the rbnhole window exactly match the time you have the callsign:

Eg, you have GM5WS for 1100-1300 UTC, any of these would work:

Activation time 1100, comment, “S-0 S+2”
Activation time 1200, comment, “S-1 S+1”
Activation time 1300, comment, “S-2 S+0”

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The catch with this particular set of special callsigns is that up to 25 other operators (probably in other locations) could be using exactly the same callsign (but on different band+mode combinations) at exactly the same time…

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It would seem my chasers logs are fixed. Thank you to the Admin. that executed the mass CW cull.

Err…no I don’t think I’ll do that!

However, I will try this.

A glutton for punishment, I will give GM5WS another go tomorrow afternoon from Creag Bhalg, GM/ES-046. What’s the worst that can happen?

Looking forward to getting the winter boots on and digging out the Buffalo shirt, as we have had a nice dump of snow here.

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Cheers Fraser for the contact with no problems, Folk who know you quite rightly know you don’t do CW.
Take care and Best 73

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That is certainly your best bet. Probably, the best solution would be to add the calls concerned* to RBNhole’s “Do not spot” list, because, even when one of them is being used from a SOTA summit, it might also be being used on a different band from sone non-SOTA location, and there’s no way to tell RBNhole “This band only!”.

  • G3DR, G5WS, G5AT, G6XX, G6ZZ, GD5WS, GI5WS, GJ5WS, GM5WS GU5WS and GW5WS can all be used this way.
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Thanks Fraser for the heads up - I used RBNN in the alert and as far as I can tell my activation on Burnhope Seat went without incident, included 3 transatlantic QSO’s and the only spots that appeared were intentional - even if I managed FM instead of SSB for the mode… thanks to Lars for putting the right one up…
It was cold on the top - so cold that I could not collapse the mast - it must have been damp from the last activation and froze together - had to resort to warming it with my hands to melt the ice! Thanks to all of the chasers. 73. Paul

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To be fair, my comment was specifically in response to the CW operator that wants rbn coverage during the activation times and is willing to handle the the risk of multiple CW operators being active at once.

Voice activators would be better served by disabling rbn alerting completely

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I had that problem today Paul.

Rumour has it that the Scottish special event callsign has logged more QSO’s than any of the other.

I wasn’t meaning to dismiss your comment. I didn’t realise who it was aimed at. Same for the comment from @MOLEP. TBH, I don’t feel that I should be jumping through too many hoops anyway just to stop RBNhole having a field day. It looks like using RBNN worked today. I just hope i remember it next time…

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