Is the concept of split operation really that difficult to grasp
for people who have presumably passed a relatively difficult exam
in order to get their license?

There is no test of operating on the exams. It's like giving
out driver's licenses based on a multiple-choice test only. It
would be nice if the license exams included making a real QSO,
copying some signals on the air, figuring out DX prefixes, and
busting a CW pile-up. Dream on!

Take a squint at the vanity HQ website sometimes and look at the
vanity calls that even some Extra class hams have applied for -
people ask for their names, they ask for A4, A5 prefixes, all
sorts of crazy stuff. There's an Extra class person asking for
A5NM, someone asked for an RM7 prefix, someone applied for
SARK9S, others wants DA5246, DVRDWN, SARLAB and so on.

It's no wonder that when such ops get on HF and start to try to
work DX, they are completely lost. I suppose many (some) of
them figure it out eventually, but the exams could include some
very basic stuff like this, esp. the ones for license classes
that allow HF access.

Oh well,

Derek aa5bt (perhaps I should apply for A5BT, it's shorter...)