Exactly mine and Andy’s point. The code should consider it a single station as it strips off prefix and suffix to get to the callsign root and does so currently. My only query is how much that function is used about the place, and as Andy mentioned RSLs for G stations. So, it does that, but there may be a few areas it slips through.
Then they are considered as different stations, which seems right according to the GR and the comments above.
You better put that tongue in because HB is the country identifier for Switzerland and not HB9. You seem to be just wrong.
73,
Guru
Most of our SOTA activating is based on trust and honesty. If someone gets on air saying he is transmitting from the summit of XX/XX-### nobody but himself knows whether that’s true or not.
We all believe in ourselves honesty and give credit to every activation based on the activator word.
Why can’t we apply the same honesty principle to chasers and ask them to repeat QSO with a certain activator only if they actually change their station (i.e. equipment AND location)?. To me, the fact of having a single chaser giving multiple contacts to an activator by just using different callsigns because that chaser is legally authorised to use more than one callsign is, at some extent, dishonest, as both, the chaser and very likely the activator, know they are not making QSOs with different stations.
On the other hand, going back to my Liechtenstein example in a previous post, let’s imagine that I’m in Italy about to cross the Montblanc tunnel and I chase an activator as I/EA2IF/M. I cross the about 10Km long tunnel and exit in France, where I chase again that activator but this time as F/EA2IF/M. As things are currently treated by the database these 2 contacts would not count as 2 because the country designator preffix will be removed. In my opinion, chasing that activator from the italian side of the Montblanc is totally different to chasing it from the French side.
Exactly the same applies if I’m in France and about to take the Eurostar train to the UK. I’d chase an activator before taking the train as F/EA2IF/M and later, I’d chase that same activator again as M/EA2IF/M.
It’s quite common having geographical barriers such as mountain ranges, rivers or ocean, between 2 different countries (DXCC entities) and chasing from different DXCC entities should count IMHO as different QSOs, just unlike the previously mentionned case of a single operator switching callsigns.
Likewise, if I chase an activator from my base station with my EA2IF callsing, later I chase him again from a SOTA summit, as EA2IF/P and finally again on my journey back home as EA2IF/M, these 3 QSOs are indeed made with 3 totally different stations and I think they should count as 3 QSOs for summit qualifying purposes.
Well, I hope this post will open some thoughts and discussions within the MT and the SOTA community.
73,
Guru
Hi Guru,
all your sources are the ITU prefix and not the country prefix that foreign visitors have to use. Some HB/ activations are already in the database.
I lived and studied in Switzerland an I can tell what the BAKOM (Swiss authority) told me.
From our DARC county list: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ngxcph9jox7gtos/CEPT-Laenderliste.pdf?dl=1
Schweiz
Frequenzen: 135,7–137,8; 472–479 kHz; 1,81–2; 3,5–3,8; 5,3515–5,3665; 7–7,2; 10,1–10,15; 14–14,35; 18,068–18,168; 21–21,45; 24,89–24,99; 28–29,7; 50–52; 144–146; 430–440 MHz; 1,24–1,26 (Sondergenehmigung); 1,26–1,3; 2,3–2,308 (Sondergenehmigung); 2,308–2,312; 2,312–2,45 (Sondergenehmigung); 5,65–5,725 (Sondergenehmigung); 5,725–5,85; 10–10,5; 24–24,25; 47–47,2; 76–81,5; 122,25–123; 134–141; 241–250 GHz; CEPT-Novice-Klasse: 1,81–2; 3,5–3,8; 21–21,45; 28–29,7; 144–146; 430–440 MHz
Leistung: 1000 W (135 kHz: 1 W ERP; 472 kHz: 5 W EIRP; 5 MHz: 15 W EIRP; 50 MHz, 2,3, 5,65 GHz: 100 W; alle Frequenzbereiche oberhalb 24 GHz: 10 W); CEPT-Novice-Klasse: 100 W (144, 430 MHz: 50 W)
Betriebsarten: alle (ATV: ab 430 MHz)
Landeskenner (dem Heimatrufzeichen vorangestellt): HB9/;
CEPT-Novice-Klasse: HB3/;
Rufzeichenzusätze: /AM Aeronauticalmobilbetrieb, /M Mobilbetrieb, /MM Maritimmobilbetrieb, /P Portabelbetrieb
For the CEPT-Novice I found the primary source though:
Please also check ECC Recommendation (05)06: ECO Domain Redirect
Table 1: CEPT countries
“Call sign prefix(es) to be used in visited countries”
Switzerland HB3
Liechtenstein HBØY
Indeed HB3 seems to be the recommended preffix to be used by CEPT Novice licence holders. But many of us here are not anymore novice and I have always understood the preffix to be used when operating in Switzerland was HB only, without a number.
The DARC country list you pointed to states HB9. I admit you’ve put me in doubt now and I’m trying to find on the Reflector something someone might have written in the past to clarify this point.
I’ll let you know if I find something from IARU, or HB.
73,
Guru
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Here it is:
You are right, John, and HB9 is the right preffix to be used as the Country designator when a non-Swiss ham is transmitting from Switzerland.
I had already read that thread but I confess I had forgotten and as Michael @DB7MM wrote on that thread, having the Swiss association prefix HB instead of HB9 mainly contributes to confusion.
I also think the SOTA summit references should be HB9/ instead of HB/ to avoid confusion.
73,
Guru
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Nice. I just posted there, maybe a better thread than this one.
I don’t think so. HB9 just indicates the license class. I have no problem with HB a general association prefix but it’s up to any activator to inform himself correct about the required callsign coutry prefixes. If one is not sure, a quick mail to the local authority would eliminate this issue.
Nice discussion - thanks! I did not know in Switzerland I should use HB3 until now…