It’s a shame that so few US/Can stations use the /P suffix. It made deciding who is activating much trickier when looking for S2S contacts yesterday. Incidentally I made quite a few S2S contacts.
73 Richard G3CWI
Of course we no longer HAVE to use /P here either these days. But virtually all of us still do, because it is better “advertising” that we are maybe doing a SOTA activation.
I must admit though that when chasing NA S2S, I hunt them via SOTAwatch Spots rather than trawling through the frequencies! Some may disapprove of that, but it is an efficient and sensible method.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
but it is an efficient and sensible method.
But far from infallible. It relies on a good internet connection on the hill and misses those that are band hopping rapidly.
As you suggest /P is a good advert!
73 Richard G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
I agree.
We could always adopt something specific to SOTA, such as /S for Summit or SOTA.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
The majority of activators that participate do sign /P, no need to come up with anything new, just encourage the use within the scheme across the pond.
Steve MW0BBU.
In reply to MW0BBU:
I have read that many hams across the pond believe that /P is against FCC regs over there because P would be a valid prefix…as would S, I’m afraid, but /S would at least distinguish a SOTA activation from a run-of-the-mill portable operation. Not that I imagine it would catch on, we’re a conservative bunch at heart! 
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
In reply to MW0BBU:
I have read that many hams across the pond believe that /P is against
FCC regs over there because P would be a valid prefix
Hard to believe that a suffix is a valid prefix… Alternate country designators are indeed prefaced to the normal callsign so no confusion exists?
73 Richard G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
Some Americans when operating overseas still put their guest country prefixes as a suffix (I have heard it locally on 2 metres!), I believe it was and possibly still is an FCC requirement - they are known to change slowly, look how long it took them to get rid of the morse test! There was a long thread about it several months ago on QRZ.com, with many of them commenting unfavourably about the rest of the world doing it differently. IMO the argument against a /P suffix is spurious, anyway, as P on its own could indicate three different entities, but these guys are stubborn.
73
Brian
In reply to G8ADD:
Some Americans when operating overseas still put their guest country
prefixes as a suffix (I have heard it locally on 2 metres!), I believe
it was and possibly still is an FCC requirement
…I think that you will find that the FCC’s jurisdiction does not extend outside the US and so the way in which callsigns are used by US stations in other countries is dictated by the country that they are in, not their own country.
Anyway this is not really relevant to the basic point (undisputed I think?) that it is easier to spot portable stations if they sign /P.
73 Richard G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
Alternate country designators are indeed prefaced to the normal
callsign so no confusion exists?
Except that, for US licence holders operating in Canada (and vice versa) the alternate country designator is added as a suffix. This is because such operations are subject to a bilateral agreement that pre-dates, and presumably takes precedence over, the CEPT rules that otherwise cover out-of-country operations.
73 de Les, G3VQO
Anyway this is not really relevant to the basic point (undisputed I think?) that it is easier to spot portable stations if they sign /P.
There is no doubt that is true Richard, which is why the UK activators have continued to append with it even after the rules were relaxed. Occasionally, a new SOTA activator is heard and does not use /P. Often they are soon advised on air that adding /P would be in their best interests, and they do so!
I don’t know what the rules are within the US and Canada, but I agree it would be nice, and generally mutually beneficial, if the SOTA stations could sign /P. After all, they were able to sign /BB recently IIRC!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G3CWI:
Anyway this is not really relevant to the basic point (undisputed I
think?) that it is easier to spot portable stations if they sign /P.
No argument with that, Richard, I was just trying to explain why some Americans think (I believe mistakenly) that /P is not legal for them to use.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Brian, you do realize that us “stubborn” Americans can read this right?
Unlike in EU, It was never a practice to run /P in the US, hence the reason you do not see it a lot. That said, quite a few SOTA ops do run with it, and is probably good practice. Its not a matter of stubborn, but what has been standard operating practice for – well – ever, and SOTA is probably the only instance where you may see a US station run /P.
I have run a number of times (for DX) with my host country ahead of my call (ie LX/K9EZ, ZL1/K9EZ) for “advertisement” purposes. Frankly, does it really make any difference?
See you on the air Gents and Ladies! Good luck to all!
Kent, K9EZ
In reply to K9EZ:
Brian, you do realize that us “stubborn” Americans can read this right?
Yes, I realise that, Kent, I was referring to the guys over there who objected on the Zed thread to us using /P and please don’t take “stubborn” as an insult - stubbornness can be an admirable characteristic, if I’d wanted to be insulting I would have said “obstinate”!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
In reply to G8ADD:
We could always adopt something specific to SOTA, such as /S for
Summit or SOTA.
We could not.
/S is not a legal suffix to append to your callsign.
(Neither is /QRP, by the way!)
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to G3NYY:
(Neither is /QRP, by the way!)
Don’t we know it!
Grrrr - That is my pet hate…
Pete
In reply to G3CWI:
Wow, I’d never even think of signing “/P” while activating, and I strongly discourage other U.S. activators from adopting that practice, especially on CW. This has nothing to do with what is legal, it is entirely related to efficiency: sending “/P” slows things down and adds no value at all, since RBNGate automatically spots CW activators on SOTAWatch and everyone already knows that you are activating.
I actually feel sorry for you chaps in Europe who are forced by your regulations to do this. I signed SV8/KU6J/P for a week and it drove me bonkers. I know SV8/ was required and prudent, but why make me add “/P” at the end? Santorini Island is clearly not California!
73,
Eric KU6J
===========================================
Free SOTA Spot Monitor Software + RBNGate FAQ:
http://www.ku6j.com
In reply to G3NYY:
In reply to G8ADD:
We could always adopt something specific to SOTA, such as /S for
Summit or SOTA.We could not.
/S is not a legal suffix to append to your callsign.
(Neither is /QRP, by the way!)
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
I know that under the current regulations /P and /M are no longer mandatory, though we are not forbidden to use them, but are there any current regulations that actually forbid the use of convenience suffixes?
I agree that /QRP is an abomination!
73
Brian G8ADD
Yes Brian, I think in the UK, if you are sticking something on the end, it can only be one of /M, /P/, /A or /MM (if appropriate).
/P works well for activators here, even though we are not required to use it. I can’t see activators here or in North America changing their habits anytime soon. It is what it is, no revolution needed.
Talking of North America, I have just decided to go for a wander up The Cloud G/SP-015, so hope to catch some of you on 12m.
Tom M1EYP