Official Observer Sets Off International Incident

By K5KVN, on the scene

BANABA ISLAND, Somewhere in the Pacific — An amateur radio “Official Observer” appears to be the culprit behind an international incident that sparked angry words and a bonfire.

U.S. State Department officials traced written records to St. Louis resident Larry Parnell, an amateur radio operator who volunteers to monitor the airwaves for violations. According to the Amateur Radio Relay League, the “Official Observer Program” allows these volunteers to send notifications to other radio operators when irregularities are noticed. The observers may also send cards recognizing good operating practice.

Records indicate Parnell sent a notice to the only amateur radio operator on Banaba Island on February 27. The front of the card included the message, “Your signal was so wide, I took a picture of it yesterday and it’s still printing.” The back of the card included the words, “Seriously, it could be its own DXCC entity!”

The amateur radio operator, a female, immediately found offense at the messages, noting that the English word “signal” loosely translates to a word that represents the buttocks in Banaba native language.

She brought the notification to the attention of island officials, who convened a town hall meeting and then complained to the U.S. through diplomatic channels.

Banaba Island officials, per customary procedure for offensive behavior in that country, prepared a life-sized mannequin in Parnell’s likeness and promptly set it ablaze in a bonfire. He has been told to not set foot on their shores.

Parnell admits knowing that Official Observers are prohibited from sending notification to radio operators outside of the U.S., adding, “I had no idea that things might get lost in translation. It’s a shame, too, because I need Banaba Island in my log. I guess I should have worked her.”

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