If it were me I'd sign the one I preferred. The objective (for the FCC) is to figure out who you are, and either serves that function. I'd read the FCC rules carefully, but I doubt that it matters very much. 73 de Dick, AA6MC You don't have to sign portable at all! If you want to sign KP4/ or /KP4, that's up to you. Read the rules carefully yourself and interpret them yourself. You will conclude that there is no requirement to sign portable anything. However, once you decide how you are going to do it, please stick to it and don't change! 73, Jay w6go@netcom.com I think the internationally recognized method of signing portable is to sign the "host" country prefix first, followed by your callsign (VP2V/WB9TIY). BUT......since you are still within the "boundries" of the FCC jurisdiction (sp?) maybe the rules are not the same. You may want to fire a query off to the ARRL's legal answer guy, but I don't think anybody at FCC is going to kick about you signing KP4/KA9FOX. In less somebody could prove to me that it was not legal to do it that way, "KP4 first" is how I would do it !! tiy Legally, you are not even required to sign /KP4 or KP4/ or whatever since PR and Virgin Islands, etc are under U.S. jurisdiction. Witness the Desecheo (KP5) operation of KP2A (not KP2A/KP5) of 1983 or such guys like WA2FIJ and W2IBJ (I think) who live in V.I. but don't sign /KP2. Also there are any number of KP2s and KP4s living in the states (also KL7s and KH6s) who don't sign /W3 or /NE7 or whatever. (Gee, I could go to KP4 for ARRL DX and only sign N0BSH and have no one work me!!! Although I think the contest rules state that I should sign /KP4 but it is in no way stated in FCC regs that I must.) However, in SS (or any contest for that matter) you will obviously attract more attention with the portable designator. People will find you regardless if it is front or back of your call. What I'm wondering is in the exchange: me: CQ SS N0BSH/NP4 you: KA9FOX me: KA9FOX nr 1 A N0BSH/NP4 79 PR etc., etc.... Do I have to have the /NP4 in that part of the exchange or can I drop it and only use in my CQ and QRZ messages? Hmm............... Sounds like a question for Billy Lunt Later mTim, KJ4VH is being a "stickler". With computer logging, everyone signs DX/CALLSIGN so that the recieving station's logging program recognizes the country. Don't worry, you won't get any OO reports or FCC mail. Sounds like you guys are gonna have a lot of fun. For what its worth, I'm super jealous. How about a DX babe report when you return. Make it up if you have to... 73 ... kevn You are correct. The proper way to sign is KP4/KA9FOX and the reason for that is the advent of computerized logging programs are designed to automatically recognize the country based on the callsign. All the good logging programs support automatic country, zone and beam heading. So, if you were to sign KA9FOX/KP4 your fellow contesters upon entering your call into their computers would see you as USA zone 4 with some eronious beam heading. KJ4VH's opinion on the subject is somewhat dated but was accurate throughout the first 50 years of amateur radio. It will take the old timers some time to become accustom to the change. Most of them probably won't change because they have no interest in computerized logging. 73's, Stu N2AUK ...several years ago I did a dxpedition - actually was a vacation where I brought the rig - to C6A.... my license was typed up as k1zx/c6a.......I was piss poor weak and nobody would wait for the c6a part...i was frustrated. after a return from the casino on the second night i switched to c6a/k1zx and started having fun-even some pileups from EU - a gud time.........my answer to your predicament: sign dx/ka9fox and have some fun...with a call as long as yours is noone will be waiting to hear the portable part! 73, Jim, K1zx k1zx@mcimail.com From: K5ZD@world.std.com (Randy A Thompson) To: KA9FOX@aol.com I have experience in this matter! I think Tim is correct, but I signed KP4/K5ZD in ARRL CW 2 years ago and no one said a word. People were more than happy enough to get the QSO. I don't think it will make as much difference in SS as it did in a DX contest. In SS, most people will work any new call. In a DX test, I couldn't afford to have them tune away. K5ZD Basically, ask the people who give you the license, I'd have thought! Trey has always signed WN4KKN/KP2,HC8,HC5 because he was told to do it that way. He still gets plenty of cards with his call written the wrong way around because people who should know better spot the call on packet clusters that way round. One guy insists on writing his cards the wrong way because "that's how I log them", he also keeps sending cards for 7P5/ instead of /ZP5, although I keep telling him Trey has never been to Lesotho, sigh. Derek AA5BT, G3NMX oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu I have always felt that the portable location should be given first because, especially for dxpeditions, I want to know *where* your are - not *who* you are (and I think the dx station will attract more of the attention they seek if they announce where they are first). Our normal callsigns are (sort of) structured that way now. My "ve5va" breaks down to "ve" which means Canada, "5" means Saskatchewan, and "va" means me. When I operated from England, I was required to sign G0/VE5VA. U.S. calls, of course, don't do much any more now than say "U.S.". However, you have to stick to the regs of the country you operate from. 73 de Pete ve5va.qrp@usask.ca