[MiQP-Mail] 50th of Mackinac Bridge

[Hank Greeb]

GREAT GOING, Randy!

I hope you've started an avalanche of 1 x 1 applications.  I have N8M 
for my operation in Kent or Montcalm County.  There are 7 distinct 
letters  in M A C K I N A C, so we should shoot for 21 different 1 x 1 
calls.   I've offered to print and mail the certificates, so the award 
"should" be a go.  Since time is short, I agreed that we could "spell" 
MACKINAC with the first letter of ANY Michigan 1, 2 or 3 letter suffix.

As for justifications for use of a call, in practice, "Michigan QSO 
Party", "Ohio QSO Party", "Illinois QSO Party," have all passed muster 
for me - Ohio QSO party has passed muster for something like 3 or 4 
years in a row.   Using the Mackinac Bridge event is a very suitable 
justification for a 1 x 1 call.  The fellow @ ARRL Hq who administers 
the calls advises that they've never had to ration 1 x 1 calls, though 
it might be conceivable that there'd be two big commemorative events in 
the same call area on the same date, which could conceivably result in 
rationing of the calls.

With a puny antenna we managed considerably better with W8B on OQP from 
the same locations as we did for a couple years with N8XX, and the 
operators haven't improved in ability, so I attribute this to the 
attraction of a 1 x 1 call.

I'll be looking forward to working W8I from N8M - and I hope others will 
jump on the bandwagon to fill out the K, N, and W roster of m's, a's, etc.

73 de n8xx Hg

Love, Randy wrote:

> Well, since the Michigan Section ARRL News Summary came out and said 
> that MiQP will be trying to offer a certificate for Big Mac's 50th, I 
> will be applying for N8I to use from Isabella county during MiQP. I 
> can help host and maintain a separate page with the info regarding the 
> Big Mac Cert special events stations. Should others apply for the 
> special event calls to use during MiQP, I suggest that you state the 
> 'event' as Mackinac Bridge 50th Anniversary. Technically, according to 
> the 1x1 guidelines, just saying 'MiQP' gets a little dicey, especially 
> if you plan using a 1x1 again next year. From the ARRL 1x1 Callsign 
> Webpage (http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/1x1.html):
>
> Quote
>
> The FCC says that special event 1x1 call signs are authorized for use 
> "in conjunction with an event of special significance." This suggests 
> an event with high public visibility, as opposed to a routine ham 
> radio contest or other operating event. However, a special event call 
> sign could be used in conjunction with a contest if one were to occur 
> within the call sign reservation period.
>
> End Quote
>
> 73,
> Randy
> WF5X
>