There is an alert from VK3XDM/P7 for this midnight utc.
This seems to be VK3XDM operating from North Korea!!! (P7) but it’s not, of course 
Since his alert is also saying that he’ll activate the Tasmanian summit
VK7/NW-046, we all understand he won’t be transmitting from North Korea.
However, IMHO the alert should, therefore, omit the P after / in the activator callsign and say just VK3XDM/7 or VK3XDM/VK7 or even better VK7/VK3XDM.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
The VK’s do out of call area amendments to their calls in a very non-CEPT way. They know what they mean even if many other people are perplexed by it!
This is repeatedly corrected on the SOTA Australia list; it’s not the first time, nor will it be the last. The beatings will continue until morale improves, etc…
Our local regs suggest (but I don’t believe prescribe), on phone, “VK3ARR portable 7” or “VK3ARR portable Tasmania”. That can get translated to SOTAWatch alerts in strange ways that make sense to the alerter at the time.
Of course, when we travel, we use the CEPT conventions. So you could say we enjoy all the convenience of CEPT, with none of the regulations 
Cheers,
Andrew
VK3ARR (portable 4 for the last week)
1 Like
Hmmm North Korea
wonder how long he be on air for before they throw him in irons as a spy
Perhaps he ought to put up call ???/P/7
Would have seen it ones self and automatically thought P7 hmmm Tasmania as recently learnt different numbers mean different states of Australia
Now that be a rum one would it not, summits on air from North Korea.
One day one day it will happen
Did foresee the Berlin wall fall one year prior to it happening as one wrote to the station Radio Berlin International and the letter was aired too. If what would they do if the wall fell, not ever. but came down through the people , they answered it on air
" It won’t not in our life time "
One year laters it did, shall never forget that, mind you as a regular listener and chaser of there awards did gain me HB4000 award one of two of us in this country that achieved, its upstairs some where it is with god know how many QSL cards from me ISWL days during the decade from mid 80’s till mid 90’s
Karl
[quote=“M3FEH, post:4, topic:9836”]Perhaps he ought to put up call ???/P/7[/quote]The correct form in VK is “VK3XDM/7”, but that “/” gets enunciated in many different ways (and not just in VK), including “slash”, “stroke” and “portable”.
Hey Karl
Check out the QSL cards page on http://tomread.co.uk - many memories of those days on there.
Also check out the SWL honour roll (all associations) on the SOTA Database, several ISWL numbers there.
Tom G-20843
Interestingly the latest regs make no mention of having to announce any portable location. That should speed things up when activating in VK7 over Xmas.
Compton
VK2HRX
There are a couple of ways to handle it, with possible meanings:
***VK3XDM/p7 is simply a way to indicate a portable call, still “domestic” but in another region. In (South) Korea, we are also required to do as such (if I go up to Seoul for the weekend to activate I am to sign as HL4ZFA/p1).
***VK3XDM/7 could be one of two things: VK3XDM operating from a fixed station in region three temporarily, or either permanently (as in, XDM has moved house). In HL, such is the norm when somebody has moved to another region.
***P7/VK3XDM (and for SOTA P7/VK3XDM/p) does mean he’s operating from DPRK! Watch out! (pile up!)^^ When you’ve got that type of prefix stroked before the call it is not a domestic call, rather a visiting call. Up until I got a regular HL call, such was required (HL4/W2VLA) and very confusing to use amongst the local 2m population (on the HF bands, there was no difficulty in copying that style of call).
Interestingly enough, I don’t think this number switching is applicable for zero stations (club calls) in HL, ie. 6K0FM/p is simply /p in whatever region.
Regarding the NK database…well, I’ve thought about it a few times, and it has been added to that list of things including activation blog posts, video editing, and all things possible from a hospital bed with a broken leg from an activation or something-heheh! It will, however, happen one day–worry not!
73 from down south–
HL4ZFA
[quote=“HL4ZFA, post:8, topic:9836”]/p7 … P7/[/quote]Both these forms, when written down in that way, imply the opertaion is taking place in whatever place has the prefix “P7”, which is the confusion we’re trying to avoid…
73, Rick M0LEP
Logically it would be “/7/P” but that gets to be a bit of a mouthfull!
Brian
1 Like
According to CEPT (and other foreign operating) procedures/rules, the only time that it would signify that you’re operating in P7 territory is when it’s before the call…that’s how it’s been in all the regs & tests I’ve seen, as well as in actual practice. After the call, it’s a portable station.
It’s the rules, and as simple as that–and we’re specifically told to do so every time we apply for portable operations permission (in certain areas we have to). If you’re there long enough, they’ll come on by to visit, and the tab will be on you (it has happened, though not to me). Minimum fine is a few hundred bucks.
As with rules and whatnot, there are always exceptions, notably with US licensees visiting Canadia, then it goes in the opposite order (KC2BQX/VA2). As well as in Australia, hence this discussion. I was beginning to think this might be a phenomena linked to the commonwealth, but alas, from the info I can find, in the UK you operate as M/KC2BQX (a good thing, otherwise all foreigners in Britain would be mobile!). CEPT vs non-CEPT.
Confusing it is, maybe one day less so…though I’d say it’s safe to bet that any /P* (* digit) you see will be a portable operation outside their home region, with the P*/___ being that contact we all wish to make and hope isn’t a hoax! You’d see a lot more of those /p* calls if I could get the locals to use sotawatch to spot…alas, they’re all stuck on Kakao Talk…
73 de ZFA
[quote=“HL4ZFA, post:11, topic:9836”]in the UK[/quote]…there’s one rule for visitors, and a different rule for the natives, but that’s another story…
73, Rick M0LEP
Interest piqued…what is the rule?
(it’d be good to know before I pack my bivvy sack for a good round of activations in the distant future…)
[quote=“HL4ZFA, post:14, topic:9836”]what is the rule?[/quote]Visitors use the CEPT-style prefixes M/ MD/ MI/ MJ/ MM/ MU/ or MW/ depending on where they’re operating, but folk holding UK licences alter their prefix directly instead, so an M0* in England becomes MW0* in Wales, and so on…
73, Rick M0LEP
No there isn’t.
Without entering into debate about particular national regulations, the general recomendation is to use the preffix of the DXCC entity one station is transmitting from before the own callsing.
Since Tasmania is a unique DXCC entity different of mainland Australia, the recommendation is to use VK7/callsign and /P may be added at the end for SOTA activations, although this is again a recommendation.
For the rest of mainland Australia, adding /4 or /6 or whatever call area the station is transmitting from, without the letter P, should be enough without inducing anyone to any missinterpretation.
Are you sure you aren’t getting confused with VK9 (External Territories)? As much as we treat the VK7s as poor southern redneck cousins, every DXCC list I found had them under VK.
Indeed I was wrong and thought VK7 was a unique DXCC entity similar to VK9s and VK0s. Sorry for my mistake.
It looks like I’ve been away of DXing for a bit too long…
This must be another collateral effect of the SOTA fever
I don’t like this at all, 
even if it’s a joke, which I don’t know…
It’s very much a joke, much like VK4s call VK2/3s ‘Mexicans’, VK2/3s call VK4s ‘Banana benders’, everyone calls VK5s “Croweaters” and VK6s “Sandgropers”. The interstate rivalry in Australia is sometimes intense. I turned up to some cousins’ house who live in VK5, one was wearing a ‘Kick a Vic’ T-shirt. The only time we’re united is when there’s a ZL in the room :smile
In any case, this whole thread has probably grown bigger than you intended - after all, the summit spotted was in VK7, so no risk of it being close to North Korea