Sorry, don't know the solution for the failure to recognize that kilowatt is one word at least not one I would care to post here.
Great point! I have a new ham friend that worked the ARRL DX Phone contest last weekend and didn't know if he should record KW or K for Kilowatt. In this case the ARRL would give him credit either way but it does make the point.
You know what the funniest thing is about this thread....believing in standardization....!!!! What is the FCC going to do if a standard alpha code was adopted and someone didn't use it! I can see the whiners complaint now....WS6KW didn't use the standardized alpha code...fine him and take his license!!!! The FCC can't stop this group of guys on a local repeater here in So Cal from cussing and not signing and interfering. Then the FCC can't enforce other countries to use a standardized alpha code...so what is out solution???? Oh that would be to ignore that DX operator. Geez people...go to Walmart and buy a pair of pants that are not so tight around your brain and loosen up. Some of the issues I have read here about not understanding....really has to do with accents of other people and or fading in propagation. That's ham radio. Golf, George, or Germany is a "G" Zulu, Zed or Zanzibar is a "Z" I get it...it's a hobby...lets keep it fun and enjoy the creativity of others who come up with phonetics that are easily remembered.
Indeed, the FCC just has thousands of agents sitting around with nothing to do all day. Maybe they could create the FCC "phonetics 50" squad. Just think, they took down Al Capone on his income taxes maybe they could take down the 40 meter and other miscreants for failure to use proper phonetics, forget the other violations. As to the comment on the FCC and phonetics in other countries, give the phonetics police a chance...they'll get around to it.
Hello WX4W, I see you have an X-ray in your call sign. When I chose my call sign. M0XRZ, I thought it would be Punchy and easy for someone to get my call sign straight away, but instead people stall. There are hardly any words in "English" that start with an X. I was talking to a Spanish station about this and he said xylophone starts with an X and he is correct, but someone may take it as a Z for Zulu (Zebra). I can only think of X-ray or Xeon a colourless odourless gas in the air. Not "Standard Oil" because it begins with an E Exxon. Unfortunately America the lexicon you use confuses people. Mr Webster was Dyslexic. A German once pointed out on my QRZ.COM page that I had spelt "receive" wrong, a typing error I put the i before e . However he didn't say that I had spelt Centre wrong. The reason I spelt it as Center is because as a boy my Aunty and Uncle went to the USA to live and brought me back Dr Seuss books to read. I also grew up at the time when Marionette shows like Thunderbirds used Canadian accents and spelt Centre like Center so it would sell in the USA. I have no problem spelling Labour, Neighbour and colour.
The problem where there is supposed to be a standard no one goes by the standard they use other phonetics........its another assassination of whats supposed to be a standard and acceptable .its often is not and than people make their own standard...the rules and standards are thrown out the window...its a free for all. when other do not follows what is standard others will feel as though they too can use their own standards thats why we have standards and a structured way of doing things...
I can't understand why you keep going back to enforcement. I don't think anyone is saying it should be an enforceable requirement. I and many here are saying it's a best practice. It looks like you are trying to make a point with a false "Red Herring" argument. Just as earlier you mention the "Phonetics Police". Seriously I'm simply saying this is a good practice. I have no problem with people using funny phonetics (like my call WX4W could be Weather for Women) on clear strong signals but in challenging conditions or when "Running Rate" in contests who can not want efficiency and clarity? Please stop this fallacious claim.
I have noticed that non standard phonetics usually makes a weak signal contact worse, , lots of people make up their own phonetics , but they probably only work 5-9 contacts , , but under bad conditions and weak signals, standard phonetics help tremendously ..... I hate trying to figure out someone elses phonetics.
Not a problem and there are those, myself included, that may think otherwise. This is a hobby, have fun. On the issue of "best practice", to the extent it applies to a hobby, it may fit your definition but does not make it universally acceptable. Definition of best practice : a procedure that has been shown by research and experience to produce optimal results and that is established or proposed as a standard suitable for widespread adoption.
This is really a funny, if not hilarious discussion. Our hobby is MADE UP by standards. We all agree to our band limits, we all agree to use LSB below 10MHz and USB above that. We all agree about band plans (well.. almost), we all agree about modulation methods and digital modes and how to call/define them. Everthing defining our hobby is cast in standards to ensure we can communicate with each other. Yet, setting a standard on a phonetic aplhabet seems to be a real problem for many of us...
