Pirates a plenty

[w4hwd]

I know most of you on here spend more time on the computer than on the air, but if any of you actually find yourselves on the HF bands be advised someone out there is pirating my old call, AA2AB.

I received a QSL card in the mail from a ham in Louisiana. The card was confirming his 20M SSB contact with HI/AA2AB and requesting a card in return. Unbeknownst to me I had traveled from my home in New York on holiday to the Dominican Republic, and had brought along my trusty HF rig to do some casual DXing whilst sipping adult beverages beside the blue lagoon...and under the palm tree, of course.

Anyway, I don't live in New York, I've never been to the Dominican Republic, and when I'm on 20M I'm on PSK or CW; phone mostly never. A check of the ULS database indicated my old call has NOT been reissued as of the date of this alleged QSO.

If you hear someone signing AA2AB, they are bogus. Normally I don't give a rat's tooty about a pirate, but it being on 20M and with all the mental defects that inhabit that area of that band (the card says the QSO took place on 14.270) there's no telling what kind of anything could spew forth, attached to my old call sign. This is letting you know that it ain't me.

73 de Harry W4HWD

[KA4DPO]

Thanks Harry, I'd love to catch this guy on the air and give him some grief. Of course he'd just find another call sign to scam. Based on some of the conversations I hear on 75 I really have to wonder if a lot these yokels are bootleggers using bogus call signs.

John..

[N2RJ]

Could also be a mistaken call. I've sent a couple of cards with mistaken calls by mistake and gotten back a few "Not In Log" cards.

Usually it can be tracked down to a typo or miscopied call (most times on cw).

[WS2L]

I just checked the database and AA2AB forwards me to the poster here W4HWD so if on the air it is still a pirate station. I'm on 20 meters quite a bit and will put a posty note on my monitor if I run across this call on the bands.

[KI4ITV]

Like Ryan said, somebody copied the call wrong.
Unless I heard the person myself, or was getting multiple QSL's for contacts...I would not assume anything, yet.

Edit--In fact, I have the perfect example.
I copied Ryans call wrong when he was working DX abroad. #I happened to stay on frequency and caught it.
Unfortunately, I had already posted the wrong call here in a thread letting folks know he was there.

It happened here. #Oooops! #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif (look at the title)
http://www.qrz.com/ib-bin....=ki4itv (http://www.qrz.com/ib-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=138676;hl=ki4itv)

[w4et]

I agree with a couple of the replies that it might just be a case of mistaken callsign. I have received several QSL cards for portable operation outside of the U.S. I have never been outside the U.S. so I suspected someone might be pirating my callsign. However, I later found out that it was a case of someone copying WA4ET's call down as W4ET. I guess it's natural for us to jump to a conclusion that might not be supported by the facts. At least it was in my case.

73 Ron - W4ET

[w4hwd]

While it is possible the guy who sent the card got the call wrong, I am not going to assume he copied it wrong because he may not have. There have been instances in the past of unlicensed ops picking up unassigned calls and using them on the air. In fact, my neighbor here once had his assigned call pirated by a guy in Australia! So, in that regard, this notice is supported by "fact"...the fact is I have a QSL card sitting here, sent to me because someone worked a station they think is me. It would be easier to think "typo" if the guy sent me a card with my current call, but he's QSLing a callsign I haven't used on the air since I surrendered it three years ago - and as of right now it still has not been legitimately reissued to anyone. This thread is just a notice in case you hear AA2AB on the air...it ain't me.

[w4hwd]

Quote[/b] (KA4DPO @ Jan. 27 2007,11:39)]Thanks Harry, I'd love to catch this guy on the air and give him some grief. #Of course he'd just find another call sign to scam. #Based on some of the conversations I hear on 75 I really have to wonder if a lot these yokels are bootleggers using bogus call signs.

John..
One of my personal favorites was one night I was listening to the group out of Florida on 3851 and AD0RK came on trying to QRM them...his QRM mission failed because he was quite weak by comparison, but his choice of bootleg calls was oh so clever... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[dj1yfk]

Quote[/b] ]I received a QSL card in the mail from a ham in Louisiana. The card was confirming his 20M SSB contact with HI/AA2AB and requesting a card in return. Unbeknownst to me I had traveled from my home in New York on holiday to the Dominican Republic, and had brought along my trusty HF rig to do some casual DXing whilst sipping adult beverages beside the blue lagoon...and under the palm tree, of course.
A very quick check of recent DX-cluster spots and the mystery is resolved:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">sh/dx hi/a
14273.0 HI/AA2AP 27-Jan-2007 1301Z <IW2JQF>
14273.0 HI/AA2AP 27-Jan-2007 1249Z <AI4MT>
14271.4 HI/AA2AP 27-Jan-2007 1131Z Henry 55 <IW3SSA>
14271.0 HI/AA2AP 27-Jan-2007 1117Z tnx new and QSO qsl via AA2A<DL3YEE>
14220.0 HI/AA2AP 26-Jan-2007 2156Z Henry Dmenican Republic <K4PPQ>
14269.8 HI/AA2AP 26-Jan-2007 1120Z strong sigs <G4CUS>
14275.0 HI/AA2AP 25-Jan-2007 1207Z <K2SNJ>
14273.0 HI/AA2AP 24-Jan-2007 1126Z CQ STACJE POLSKIE <SP7TES>
14272.9 HI/AA2AP 24-Jan-2007 1103Z Henry <N5XZ>
14270.0 HI/AA2AP 23-Jan-2007 1247Z SIMPLEX. OP.HENRY <EA5AXE>
[/QUOTE]

An uncerntainity of 0.000001% remains that someone else is pirating HI/AA2AB, but that's nothing to worry about ;-)

[N5BO]

Honestly, I see alot of these post about people having their callsigns used by a "pirate" and almost every case it's easy to see the call was busted. #Not a shot at the original poster, but I think alot of #ops jump to conclusions when they RX a QSL in the mail/buro for a QSO they had no part in.

The station in HI was actually HI/AA2AP, clearly a busted call by the op who sent a card to you. #AA2AP has been spotted by many stations this month and easy to find with a quick search in DXsummit.

edit: Somebody beat me to the DXsummit stuff http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[wv6z]

Quote[/b] (dj1yfk @ Jan. 26 2007,14:46)]An uncertainty of 0.000001% remains that someone else is pirating HI/AA2AB, but that's nothing to worry about ;-)
Hey Fabien! Excellent avatar! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[N4AUD]

I have gotten QSL cards from contacts I never made and I'm sure a lot of hams have also. Bad copy on a call, pirated call or someone trying to fudge to get an award??? Who knows? But it looks like this mystery is probably cleared up.

[w4hwd]

I contacted the guy who sent me the card...he did in fact work AA2AP.

All you naysayers were right, it was a miscopied call... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Well, this thread was fun while it lasted, though...

Enough of this, I'm going back to my conspiracy theory website. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[N2RJ]

Quote[/b] (KI4ITV @ Jan. 27 2007,12:16)]Like Ryan said, somebody copied the call wrong.
Unless I heard the person myself, or was getting multiple QSL's for contacts...I would not assume anything, yet.

Edit--In fact, I have the perfect example.
I copied Ryans call wrong when he was working DX abroad. I happened to stay on frequency and caught it.
Unfortunately, I had already posted the wrong call here in a thread letting folks know he was there.

It happened here. Oooops! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif (look at the title)
http://www.qrz.com/ib-bin....=ki4itv (http://www.qrz.com/ib-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=138676;hl=ki4itv)
Oh that reminds me, I have to look up your call in the log and send you a card.

Thanks for the reminder...

[N2RJ]

Quote[/b] (w4hwd @ Jan. 27 2007,19:04)]I contacted the guy who sent me the card...he did in fact work AA2AP.

All you naysayers were right, it was a miscopied call... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Well, this thread was fun while it lasted, though...

Enough of this, I'm going back to my conspiracy theory website. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Oh I know about that guy AA2AP.

What a LID.

DX would say, "North America stand by..." and he would just keep calling non stop.

But yeah, it happens.

I sort for the w2 buro and I see quite a few cards that seem to be addressed to the wrong person, the call isn't even in the database.

[WA2ZDY]

Back in the late 70's, someone was bootlegging as FY7YE. The screwey part was he told the WHOLE WORLD QSL via WA2ZDY. Used up all my buro credits, packed my mother's PO box . . . Those who sent $$$ or SASEs I answered via return post. The buro cards I returned at my expense via Jesse W3KT's outgoing buro (remember him? Before the ARRL buro too!) It was a lot of work.

One day I worked FY7YE myself - yes, Mario, the real one, I have the card. We had a chuckle over this ordeal.

[cu2jt]

Back in the early 1960's when 160m still was no-no in Sweden, I and a friend of mine called a guy in England with a bogus Swedish callsign (it was issued about 30 years later to a real person...) just to see if the antenna worked on that band.

Yes, we did send a "QSL card" to the Briton explaining our mischief and also that he really had been in contact with Sweden. Guess it is forgiven by now and besides, I don't live in Sweden anymore...

[KL1ZB]

I know someone that got his Tech license and no more then a few weeks after he received his license he started receiving QSL cards for making contacts that he never made, the funny thing is a lot of them had notes on them thanking him for helping with Morse code practice, problem is he doesn’t even know code. His call is new, not a recycled one. They stopped coming after about a month.

[al2i]

I have had failed QSOs where I tell the other station that I cannot copy their complete callsign (I am usually running 1kW CW) but if I send an RST of 119, they will QSL anyway. Should I send back a card with 119 on it even though I never accurately copied their callsign on-air? So far, I have just sat on the QSL cards.

[n1ydx]

For me to QSL, the log has to have Call, RST, QTH & Name along with times. I QSL 100% whether I need the state, location etc.

Just a personal thing.

N1YDX - Lee

[w8cbc]

My call gets busted every which way in the 'phone modes, standard phonetics and all. I do my best to correct the situation but sometimes it just won't take. It's rare in CW though. So I wouldn't be surprised if others are getting QSL cards for contacts I've made.

[WA3KYY]

Quote[/b] (al2i @ Jan. 29 2007,13:35)]I have had failed QSOs where I tell the other station that I cannot copy their complete callsign (I am usually running 1kW CW) but if I send an RST of 119, they will QSL anyway. #Should I send back a card with 119 on it even though I never accurately copied their callsign on-air? #So far, I have just sat on the QSL cards.
Send a card thanking him for the SWL report http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

We each establish the minimum criteria for a completed QSO that we will acknowlege with a QSL card. For me that minimum is the correct callsign and signal report, but then I spend a lot of time in DX pileups and several major contests where exchange of items such as name and QTH does not happen unless it is part of the contest exchange. If I required the correct name and QTH both ways as part of the QSO, I'd still be a long way from DXCC and have a shoebox full of DX cards I could not respond to.

73,
Mike WA3KYY