M1EYP wrote, " . . . It’s probably also worth remembering that what might appear to be bad/selfish/ inconsiderate operating most likely occurs in all innocence . . . ."
Or perhaps in compliance with regulations established by a greater authority than SOTA? I refer specifically to this one: “When the Activator operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.”
Common (illegal) practice notwithstanding, US ops do have an FCC requirement to identify at the end of each contact.
Jean-Pierre, your observation is correct. Violating the ID requirement has become common practice for many US DXers as well as US Contest operators. Lack of FCC enforcement has apparently communicated tacit approval; however, the FCC has not re-written the station ID regulation to grant exception for DX or Contest contacts. Until that time, it simply doesn’t matter how we characterize SOTA contacts.
I am confident that members of the SOTA MT would feel it irresponsible of SOTA to CODIFY non-compliance with any country’s amateur radio regulations (no matter how widely disrespected that regulation might be).
I also know that SOTA’s MT has not endorsed the “Good SOTA Chasers Conduct” by simply allowing it to appear in this thread. Dow (W4DOW) did us all a favor by posting the “Good SOTA Chasers Conduct”, because the spirit of every item can be taken to heart by SOTA ops.
As for the one item I questioned, perhaps this simple re-write would preserve its spirit without advocating violation of any regulation:
Once called by the Activator, I will not repeat my call sign except to correct an error or comply with regulations.
Once called by the Activator, I will not repeat my call sign except to
correct an error or comply with regulations.
In my own experience of SOTA activations I welcome that stations I pick up from the pile-up saying their callsign correctly and signal report, repeat their callsign just once when they come back to me giving my signal report because, not always, but many times I copy the call signs in my head and transmit them back by memory along with their signal reports and it’s only when I’ve finished my transmission and the called stations come back to me that I write down their callsigns, reports and time on the log.
Memory is a betrayer sometimes and having the chance to copy again their callsigns helps me go faster in the pile-up and avoid errors.
This operating way is due to the fact of having to hand write the log when at the summit in a non very comfortable position.
Nothing to do with the operating mode when in a contest at the home comfortable shack.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF