The license conditions in VK state:
…licensee must not operate a … station unless:
(a) the content of the signal is intelligible; or
(b) if the content of the signal is unintelligible
That will catch a few!!
Most activators here in Austria use /p for an activation, even in CW… This is also written down as a recommendation in our association manual.
73, Sylvia
OE5YYN
OK George,
This is a good reason:
73 de Dani EA5FV
As a mainly CW activator I always use /P.
Main reason: It’s easier to get recognised for a S2S QSO by sending “/P” before my callsign (of course with another /p after my callsign) 
5 Likes
In Portugal is law and the law is to comply!
What is also confirmed by the SOTA DB 
# s2s QSO All mode 1365 (7315 points)
# s2s QSO cw 869 (4571 points)
73 cu, Heinz
me too.
Hello Gary and welcome to the SOTA community.
I have the feel that most activators (not all) in Europe sign /P.
I do so and I will keep doing it as I think it’s a distintive way to tell everyone that I’m not comfortably sitting in my shack but operating in the wild for a short period of time. It’s also a perfect way to identify a possible S2S contact.
One other reason for me to use the /P was the eQSL exchange, as I have setup a unique different account for EA2IF/P under SOTA operations.
This is my eQSL for SOTA activations. I admit I’m slightly behind with some confirmations through this eQSL way. Sorry and thanks for some patience…
73,
Guru
P.D. just catched up and uploaded activator QSOs onto eQSL. I hope everyone will be happy now. I believe I don’t owe any QSL to anybody now.
3 Likes
Exactly.
I only run Cw Mode and always /p except when I am on France, P.E and I use F/EA3BV.
The use of the stroke portable makes the diference against OM at home.
When I upload my log, I use both LOTW and EQSL my EA3BV/P, It means the people who registred me as “EA3BV” doesn’t confirm QSO.
1 Like
Of days ago
To me /P meant i was operating from other location than my home or an alternative address :- /A
So when /P am not at the licencee address on my Licence nor at an alternative address.
/P is st elsewhere other than above.
So if your up a Sota and not using /P in call, your at home address of said licencee and not in the AZ of the Sota let alone at a Alternative address.
I personally thing dropping the P is lazy. Personally if am out and about as don’t do Mobile me self. I AM 2E0FEH/ Portable And AT HOME AM 2E0FEH UNLESS IN another country within the UK on where my licence allows me.
2E0FEH/P SOMETIMES
Agreed here also i keep sep log of when am portable via paper and Eqsl and on QRZ logs too
karl
/P definitely appears to be the norm here in Europe. If I hear /P at the end of a CW call I know they are probably S2S or at least QRP. I really don’t see the need to omit it as it conveys a lot of information.
3 Likes
make qrq and all goes faster 
all joking aside
When I listened several years ago into the IOTA contest I heard, that the island activators gave in every (!) qso their own callsign, report, a serial number AND the reference. And many stations have during this contest more than 1000 QSOs.
It shows me it’s nonsense to renounce parts of the callsign. Or even to send it only all 10 QSO. And to trust that the chaser will read the reference on a spotting website.
Sometimes, and I’m sure anyone who tunes over the band on the mountain will be able to confirm this, it’s quite exhausting what some activators offer in terms of poor operating management.
Here’s a topical example. As I write these words, I’m listening to WA9STI sending “CQ SOTA CQ SOTA CQ SOTA DE WA9STI WA9STI WA9STI [repeat from start] K [short break]” on 14062.9 I worked him, logging the call he sent … then moments later he sent KH6/WA9STI (once) to another caller before reverting to the lengthy CQ message, while on SOTAwatch he is listed as WA9STI/KH6 on KH6/KU-011.
So, which of those 3 possible calls do you think might match on LoTW (if he uploads)?
If he chose to use /P as well (he doesn’t), there would be 6 combinations.
I don’t mind which call he uses: I just wish it was consistent, particularly the callsign he uses on-air.
[He’s still there on 14062.9 calling patiently and hearing callers OK so good luck!]
I doubt that such people have actually read the General Rules:
“3.7.1.8 QSOs must comprise an exchange of callsigns and signal reports, it is strongly recommended that the summit identifier be given during each contact. Where the summit identifier is not given in each contact (for example in slow CW QSOs) it should be repeated frequently every few QSOs. Note: Summits are commonly mis-identified by chasers when “spotting” on the SOTA reflector. Ask the Activator for the summit reference if you have not heard it stated.”
Asking the operator for the reference or callsign is sometimes the only chance. But everyone is willing to provide the information immediately.
/P is not mandatory in US. It takes extra time to transmit /p, and each extra transmitted character drains battery.
1 Like
Hi Gary
Welcome to SOTA community.
In my country is mandatory to use /p when portable, /m when mobile or /1 when on a aditional/alternative QTH.
Vy 73
Pedro, CT1DBS/CU3HF (many times /P)
Its not mandatory in the UK, either. I think the issue is whether the use of /P is a help or a hindrance in an activation. Speaking as a participant who is mainly a chaser, when tuning the bands looking for activations (they don’t all get spotted!) I will stop and listen to any station using /P in case they are SOTA, and pass over any station not using /P, so from my POV using /P helps me with my chasing and helps the activator to get contacts. Yes, I appreciate that there is a downside, in CW it takes longer and uses more battery power, I guess that it is up to the activator whether conserving time and power is more important than attracting more chasers. On phone the extra four syllables is relatively trivial and I think /P should always be used whether or not it is mandatory.
2 Likes
I always appreciate CW activators using /P whether I’m activating or chasing. My Morse is not so fluent yet, but I find /P jumps out at me in the same way that CQ does. Very few other short Morse sequences come anywhere close; maybe 5NN and 73 do, but even SOTA, RST, REF and AGN sometimes take two or three repetitions before I catch them.