Please Help with Import Problem

We are trying to import a export.dmp file we get an character conversion 1 to 871 not supported error. We have an 8.1.6.1 db on Linux boxes, our NLS setings on both boxes are UTF8 characerset and US7ASCII, with a NLS_LANG environment variable setting of AMERICA.AMERICA.UTF8. Our debugging focused on encrypted data - we decrypted and import worked - but problem has started up again. Tried an export of one table, that was never encrypted same message. We transfer dmp files through scp. Tried ftp in binary - same message. Tried import on same box that we did export from - same message!!?? Export generates no errors except that in some instances the export is created in US7ASCII characterset, some created in UTF8 characterset. Receive error message on both dump files (US7ASCIII,
UTF8). Any thoughts?

try unsetting your ORA_NLS33 environment variable if it's set.

Thanks for responding. Checked the init file and the NLS_DATABASE_PARAMETERS no ORA_NLS33 set.

That's an environment variable not a database variable.

thanks - we figured out the problem our environment variable directory was owned by root not dba so our import script could not pull the right settings. Thanks for your help.