OT: OK4 prefix

Sorry if this is off topic - please delete if so.

I noticed that my logging programme still recognises the OK4 prefix as being a /MM station. Qso’s with Karel OK4DX/P are not given a country as the OK4 prefix is not assigned in my programm to OK. I know OK4 used to be for /MM but I am guessing this may have changed when OK and OM became separate dxcc countries. I did work two OK1 stations back around 1997 signing /MM, not OK4…/MM.

The online OK call book shows a small number of OK4 stations who are not /MM. Can anyone confirm that OK4 is no longer used for /MM and, if so, the date of the change? The online OK licence doesn’t seem to say anything about it. It would be nice for my logging programme to show Karel in OK when he is /P without breaking the date rules!

73

Reg G3WPF

Hi Reg,

the current rules for OK callsigns are as follows:
OK1, OK2 with 3-letter suffix starting with K,O,R: club stations
all other OK1-OK7 with 2 or 3 letter suffix: HAREC licensees
OK8: foreign nationals with OK license
OK9: NOVICE licensees
OK1-OK7,OL0-OL9 followed by 1 letter suffix: contest calls

Source: http://www.crk.cz/FILES/155_2005C.PDF
§ 9, 3j (in Czech).

73 Marek OK9HAG

In reply to OK9HAG:

Hi Marek.

Thank you.

Is that since January 1993? My Czech is not very good but I see no dates. ;>)

73

Reg G3WPF

In reply to G3WPF:

Hi Reg,

the document is valid from 1st May 2005.

73,
Pavel OK1MCS

In reply to OK1MCS:

Hi Pavel.

Thank you. I understand about the date of the document. So, before 1 May 2005, QSOs with OK4 stations were with stations who were /MM and not in OK?

73

Reg G3WPF

In reply to G3WPF:

Hi Reg,

yes, you have right, OK4… were previously Czech maritime mobile stations.

73,
Pavel

In reply to G3WPF:

So, before 1 May 2005, QSOs with OK4 stations were with stations who were /MM and
not in OK?

That was probably even earlier: the last regulation before 2005 was “Vyhláška o způsobu tvorby volacích značek” from June 30th 2000: in http://aplikace.mvcr.cz/archiv2008/sbirka/2000/sb062-00.pdf
and it doesn’t say anything about OK4 and /MM amateur stations.

In reply to OK9HAG:

OK Pavel and Marek, thank you.

I guess the best is to make the change from when OK and OM became separate DXCCs. As I mentioned, I already have OK1/MM worked in 1997 so it will be easier to make OK4 from before then to count as OK and if any were /MM they would show as not being OK anyway because of the /MM suffix.

Many thanks for your help.

73

Reg G3WPF

In reply to G3WPF:
I see I have worked a few OK4/MM stations between 1975 and 1979, but in every case they used a /MM suffix so there was never any confusion. What logging program are you using Reg?

73 Dave G3YMC

In reply to G3YMC:

Hi Dave.

I think I have worked a couple of OK4/MM stations around that time too but I have not yet inputted my paper logs from around 1977 to 1989 so can’t say exactly when. As I mentioned, I do have a couple of OK1 stations in the log in 1997 who were signing /MM with their OK1 calls so I think going with 1 January 1993 as the change date will be OK. At least going forward it will specify OK as the dxcc.

I’ve been using Swisslog since about 1989, first the DOS version but now on Windows for many years (it is now free) but the country table is the one updated by Erik G0CGL. He does a very thorough job and has already amended the table to take account of OK4 actually being in OK!

73

Reg G3WPF

In reply to G3WPF:

Hi Reg,
I checked my log and found OK4/MM station worked until the end of 1994, that is 2 years after OK and OM became separate countries. I guess from 1995 any OK prefix could have been used while operating /MM.

That was about the time when our merchant ship fleet was sold and this explains the reduced number of OK/MM stations on the air since then.

In any case, the pre-1995 OK4 prefix indicated that the station was operating from a seagoing ship, only if /MM indicator was added.
There were some rare cases of OK4 stations operating from a river boat on the Danube with /M indicator added (not /MM).
Simply an OK4 without /MM is not a ship station.
Also, /MM stations do not count for DXCC, so country designation for /MM is irrelevant.

73 Peter OK1CZ

In reply to G3WPF:

FB about Swisslog Reg. I have been using the Windows version for a few years, it is an excellent log. The only thing I am missing is the speed of the DOS version :slight_smile:

In reply to OK1CZ:

Hi Peter.

Thanks for the extra info. Yes, I think relying on the /MM suffix is the best way so it won’t matter much then about the date. Does your version of the country table show OK4 as no dxcc or does it correctly show it as OK? My definition has now been amended so all is fine - one less irritation.

Now I hope I have also stopped one other irritation - the change to incorrect icons in Intermet Explorer 8 ;>)

73

Reg G3WPF

In reply to G3WPF:

Reg,

My Swisslog shows the country correctly for OK4 calls, i.e. as Czech Republic after 1993 or as deleted country Czechoslovakia before 1993 respectively.

I use ver. 5.8 and the swlstat.mdb file is dated 3/4/2006.

Do you mean that Swisslog causes problems in IE8? Sounds very strange.

In reply to OK1CZ:

Hi Peter.

OK. My .mdb is produced by G0CGL who used to do the updates many years ago. I have avoided going back to Hardy’s in case it introduces problems of definition.

No, no problem between Swisslog 5.8 and IE8. (Also no problem with upgrading from Vista to W7 64 bit.) I was referring to the problem in Vista and now also I have upgraded to Windows 7 it also happens sometimes when the icon on the page tab changes. So, for example, this page may change the icon from Sota to, say, ebay! It is a well known problem and I am trying another work around to see if it stops it. So far, so good and no need to delete browsing history in IE8’s internet options.

73

Reg G3WPF

In reply to G3WPF:

OK Reg. Hearing about all the problems with new OS I am happy to stick to the old good Windows XP Professional which works alright for me. I also prefer the classical looks of Windows. I hope it will still take some years before I am forced to upgrade to Win 7 or whatever new OS. I hate to spend so much time fixing all the PC problems.
Anyway, do I get it right that Swisslog works OK under Win 7 64bit?

In reply to OK1CZ:

Hi Peter.

Yes XP is good. It is on 3 pc’s in the house. This one was upgraded from Vista home premium to Win7 Professional so had to do a clean install rather than upgrade. Backed up HDD and also used Windows Easy Transfer. Yes, Swisslog works OK with Win7 64bit. I run it as administrator.

73

Reg G3WPF