Maybe it’s me, but I’m missing how you would go about changing your callsign on the Ofcom site. Could someone point me in the right direction?
I’ve currently got 3 in there: M6VMS, 2E0KMN and M0NOM
Thanks, Mark.
1 Like
apparently this is the process? not followed it myself
Implementing Phase 2 and 3 of the Amateur Review
@M5TEA There is a step by step guide to change your callsign in the link above, I did have to call Ofcom though as there was a glitch last week, which had the options greyed out in the callsign amendment step.
3 Likes
You’re not allowed Mark. Whenever I see M0NOM spotted I think of the tune from The Muppets… Monomom doo doo be dooby, monomom, doo dooby doo! So you have to keep it 
(Yes I know it’s really Manah manah but that’s not Mark’s call).
3 Likes
once you login to the portal go to license dashboard and where it lists your licenses choose amend and then you can click next and it lets you tick a check box Change the existing callsign. You can then choose the prefix and then play about in the box below to check the availability of suffixes/callsigns. I havent gone any further yet…
1 Like
then you click next and review the info then click finish. Done. New callsign sorted . I found G5 callsigns have the most available free, from a little look i did, probably due to the fact they were used as reciprical licensees for foreign nationals so won’t have been used as much as other callsigns.
2 Likes
The callsign was chosen somewhat hastily from a list of options presented to the wife and kids ‘back int day’ and they like NOM as it sounded like pacman eating. I mean you just couldn’t make that up…
We had a local group discussion about the reuse of callsigns today, and the backlash from existing Gx callsign holders about them being opened up to all and sundry. I asked about how the callsigns were allocated, whether it was a case of G0 first and then up to G8, but I thought it wouldn’t be that simple. Use of a G5 sounds like a good idea based on your information, just in general and for availability.
If I were to reuse an existing callsign I would be interested in the provenance of that callsign. I’m guessing that the takeup vs usage of callsigns has ebbed and flowed over the years, but there would be plenty that passed their exam then never used the callsigns in anger I would wager.
Or Cookie Monster 
Some people judge people by the colour of their skin or their religion and not by what they say and do. Just the same there are amateurs who judge other amateurs by the age of their call not by their actions.
If you can no longer tell if someone has held a callsign for 50 years or 50 days you can no longer make judgements by the call alone. Your preconceived views on new licencees or old timers is no longer possible just by looking at the callsign. You actually have to listen to what they say and what they do and shock horror you find new licencees actually may know something and old timers may be as dumb as bag of rocks. The inability to judge based on callsign alone destroys years of bias and callsign-ism. And they don’t like it.
Reallocating calls works fine all over the world. But there are some who don’t like it because “it’s not how we do it here.”
Yes. Mine has been lying fallow since 1990, the previous owner went SK when I was doing my exam. I think 35 years out of use is plenty of time. He was a CW man so the fact I picked it because it sounds good in CW and will use it for CW QSOs seems like it is being used as before. He even lived about 15miles down the road. Also you have to pity the poor sod who gets FMF and sees how much baggage it comes with 
7 Likes
Horsham Amateur Radio Club this site has some interesting information about the callsigns and dates they were originally issued and their purposes.
3 Likes
So what have you gone for Andy @GM4LLD ?
Ah, I suppose it will come out in a few days any way. I’ve changed my SSO account so the DB etc. is up to date. There’s still stuff to check and ensure on the reflector and there are a zillion places where I have an account as MM0FMF which need finding and changing but I still have MM0FMF until it’s time to give up one full call when Ofcom say so.
A drum roll and fanfare please
GM4LLD
6 Likes
low level design sounds good in morse.
the private reg is also on a MOT but untaxed Ford Fiesta (G4LLD). i did look at private reg for my new call but thought i’ll use the callsign i’ll highly doubt to buy a private reg to match so got the call that didnt have a spare private reg for it.
Hi Mark,
When in Australia, I changed my call from VK2ARE to VK2JI, to get the two letter suffix and then found out that the previous holder of the callsign had lived in the outskirts of Sydney and had been well known as an instructor for taking the amateur radio licencing course and also (as it typical for Australians in my expereience) always willing to drop everything and go around to help a fellow amateur with a problem.
I was rather proud to have a call from such a special person. Unfortunately, he had passed on before I got his call; otherwise, I would have loved to go and meet him if he were in a seniors home or something.
73 Ed DD5LP (VK2JI)
1 Like
There’s an interesting statement in the Ofcom Guidance for Licensees (PDF, 359k), section 5.4.3:
If unchanged, this will cause some problems (e.g. club license holder goes SK) with clubs having to discard their club calls for 5 years until another member can get it back. Hopefully the RSGB will manage to get this sorted.
1 Like
Hi Jonathan,
I think section 2.2.4. of the document covers exactly the case you refer to and the way it is written, there would be no 5-year wait period. Proof of death and the new person to manage the club call supported by two other club members (all holders of full licences) and the authority of any club committee, should allow the transfer of the responsibility for the correct operation of a club call to a new holder. It is not clear but transfer of the holder of a club call for other reasons - e.g. leaves the country, goes into a home, has no more interest in the club/hobby, looks as if, with the correct documentation should be possible without the 5 year gap. I think the point Ofcom are making is that simply changing the name of the holder on a club licence is not supported, it has to be revoked and re-issued.
Section 5.4.3, IMHO, is not required in the document as transfer of call is covered in the earlier section 2.2.4.
73 Ed DD5LP (G8GLM)
3 Likes
Thanks Ed,
Yes that makes sense. I guess they just trying to keep the licensing portal simple with no license transfers, so the only route is to revoke a license into the free pool and then have special rules to override the 5 year wait for these corner cases.
73 Jonathan
2 Likes
I remember taking three weeks to choose my callsign, driving my very patient XYL dotty in the process. Whether it was a good pick, I still don’t know.
It has caused some amusement at club presentations, Steve Mokov are you of Russian descent?
73
2 Likes