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Old April 2nd 17, 04:45 PM posted to aus.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.dx
Jan-Martin Hertzsch Jan-Martin Hertzsch is offline
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Default [FOAR] Adding a stroke to your callsign ...

On 03/31/2017 11:24 PM, FOAR via rec.radio.info Admin wrote:

To sign or not to sign, that is the question. ...
...
Let me start by saying that I'm not familiar with the rules in countries
outside Australia, but I'd be surprised if they're much different, since
callsigns follow a global standard, but check your local laws before you
start getting on-air to make noise.


The rules regarding callsign suffixes such as /p or /m differ from
country to country. In some places they are obligatory, in some they
are tolerated, but they are to the best of my knowledge not forbidden
anywhere, nor frowned upon. There are also /am and /mm for aeronautical
mobile and maritime mobile, where applicable. These four can be
considered "official", and you may include the numbers indicating
callsign districts here. Sometimes their use involved some extra
regulations, such as telling your QTH every so often, or not having to
keep a logbook.

/QRP and others are inofficial, frowned upon by some operators, used by
others nevertheless, not authorised and possibly not allowed by the
regulatory bodies, and hence causing some confusion every now and then.
I'd rather not use them.

The worst about these "inofficial" suffixes nowadays is that some people
mean to hear them even if you don't use them. I've had several OPs
return ".../QRP" when I was only signing ".../p". Oh well ... their
fault, not mine.

So, there is no such thing as stroke Portable, stroke Mobile, stroke QRP
and the only suggestion from the regulator is that you indicate that
you're mobile or portable and help by indicating your state if you're
not operating within your home state.


See above. It makes sense indeed to state when you are away from home,
but it does not help saying that you are QRP when calling. Either they
hear you and want to answer, that's fine. Or they hear you and don't
want to reply, that might be lazy of them and bad luck to you. Or lastly
they don't hear you, then it's not relevant anyway.

Signing /p, however, might make people curious - perhaps you are in some
interesting place, say, on an island or on a summit.

vy 73 de DL2LFH, Jan-Martin