M7 Is The New Foundation Prefix

Just noticed this spot which I’ve highlighted earlier.

I didn’t know until then that M7 prefixes did exist. I looked up this callsign on QRZ to find that it is a Foundation Callsign, so looks like all the M3 and M6 prefixes have been used up already and now we’ll soon see loads of M7 prefixes being issued this year, so just making people aware especially UK radio amateurs that are not aware of the M7 prefix that we are probably likely to see people with M7 prefixes sign up to SOTA during 2019.

Happy New Year.

Jimmy M0HGY

BEEN dishing them out since last year about November time.

karl 2E0FEH

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I read this somewhere recently. Another new UK development?

Ofcom makes ham radio G5 plus 3 letter calls available.

And also G5+2 letter calls to individuals which has been upsetting a few of the “old sweats”!

73 Phil

Ofcom on it’s website says that it will only issue new callsigns from the groups it lists there (M7 IS the currently listed group for foundation licences). On enquiring about this with my “reporter hat” on, I was told that they are willing to consider any call sign application for valid number / letter combination when the call sign is available and relevant to a particular class. I have also seen that a two letter 2E0 Intermediate call sign has been issued. I have not seen any G5 two letter calls though - which one was that Phil?

The most important point is that the automated system does not allow for special requests, you need to write to Ofcom themselves and give a reason why YOU should get a special call sign and they WILL consider it. Another point is that if you already have a call sign for a particular level they WILL NOT change it for a different callsign. These “different” call signs that have been issued over the last 4 months have been for people upgrading from one class to the next.

73 Ed.

Yes Ed, I picked this up on the CDXC Club Forum.

Listed on QRZ apparently - I have only checked one. There may be more. Good for them I say!

M5UK David Batty Leyland
M5MD Mike Davies Crawley
M5SB Stewart Bryant Merstham Surrey
M5UF Edward (Ted) Martin Warwick
M5ET John Gascoigne E-mail Me For QSL Detail

Could be another case of an OFCOM error but not being prepared to admit it. The UK Police used M5+2 callsigns at one time, not sure if this is still the case. M5 mentioned a club station - maybe he has a pub in his shack and invites the local hams round to use the call?

If you have the time Ed you could start digging for the truth…

73 Phil

It all started off with Mike Jones M5PMJ. Mike was on the Youth Commitee of the RSGB. He requested and was granted M5PMJ when he upgraded to full after passing a test in South Africa during YOTA 2018.

John M5ET was quickly on the case and corresponded in depth with OFCOM with regards to requesting his M5ET call. OFCOM told John that no mistakes had been made and that he could indeed have M5ET as his call. The call was issued in October in time for the RSGB Convention, where John was proudly displaying his new call.

I learnt about the M7 calls during the convention in October when the first ones had already been issued.

The GQRP club has recently been granted the call G5LOW and it has been put on air during the Christmas period.

Colin

In the last year I’ve seen new M1, M5 and M7 calls issued to members of my (not so local any more) club. The M7s were after recent Foundation courses. The M1 was in response to a query from someone who held an RAE pass certificate but who’d never previously applied for a call. The M5 was after a recent Advanced course, and the candidate’s preferred suffix was not available as an M0.

I kinda wish Ofcom would get itself straight about what they are and aren’t going to issue when it comes to suffixes, though. Ofcom’s automatic system had a bug a couple of years back when it briefly emitted two-letter suffixes, and there was a communication ( Ofcom licensing problem - short call signs - Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site : Radio Society of Great Britain – Main Site ) asking folk who’d been issued calls with two-letter suffixes to contact Ofcom and get them replaced by calls with three-letter suffixes. . .

This. This a gazillion times.!

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My XYL Nickie is licenced as M7AFI (managed to get the same suffix hi hi)

She is doing her first activation this afternoon with me on G/SE-002. I am also using my recently acquired KX2 for the first time.

Nickie is still very new to operating and is somewhat nervous so please be gentile if you manage to contact her.

73 Andrew G4AFI

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Congrats Nickie and welcome to SOTA! You’ll soon get the hang of it :grinning: Look forward to working you (though unfortunately it won’t be today)

73 to you both

Paul G4MD

When I passed my full licence exam 6 years, I tried requesting the callsign M0EYP which wasn’t available and then tried applying for M5EYP which wasn’t available due to Ofcom not issuing M5 callsigns, in the end I let Ofcom choose my campaign and got M0HGY. Had I have know back then I could have contacted Ofcom to request the callsign M5EYP, I probably may have done this.

Jimmy M0HGY

They wouldn’t have given it then. This is a recent change in policy.

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Hi Andrew, Listened for your XYL when she was spotted on 20m but there was some US amateur chatting to his mate on the same frequency, no doubt running 1.5KW to get across town HI.

73 Ed.

I was very pleased when I chased Nickie this afternoon.
Congratulations because she did it very well as an activator.
What a nice thing having both the same suffix!
Enjoy and I look forward to chasing you two many times in this 2019.
73,

Guru

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LOL! I suspect there’s more to it than that. For some unknown reason, a disproportionate number of the members of a certain DX-orientated club in the UK seem to have managed to acquire two-letter-suffix callsigns … either reissued pre-war callsigns or new M5+2 callsigns.

Funny that …

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

Hi Guru,
Nickie was very pleased with your contact as it was her very first Activator QSO and came after a long period of calling CQ!

Nickie will reply herself once she has completed the registration process for the Reflector.

73 Andrew G4AFI

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Except if you claim to be “a friend of the family” of a previous holder of a two-letter pre-war callsign! There are numerous recent examples of this. It used to be necessary to be a close relative of the original holder, but this no longer seems to be a requirement. There are several contest clubs around the UK whose members appear to have made a hobby of collecting reissued two-letter callsigns.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

If true it sounds like “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (apologies to all OZs!)

Hi Andrew,
I didn’t know I was the very first QSO of her very first activation!!!
I’m now even more pleased.
What a great honor!
I’m sure many more activator QSOs will follow and hopefully a good number of them with this humble chaser and activator.
73,

Guru