Hmmm… It’s going to be fun trying to figure out whether
Here’s a hint, ask them where they are. The use of secondary locators is bizarre for such a small place as the UK. They’ve given up on them in the USA.
Anyway, this wasn’t a problem when we all had GE prefixes in 1977 or GQ in 2003.
In reply to GW7AAV:
I am seriously underwhelmed at that prospect.
Bzzzzt! Wrong attitude. Go on the air with your GR prefix and you’ll need a big stick to beat off the pileups that these odd prefixes generate. Go on the air as a GW and you’ll be left alone.
I apologise in advance for refusing to work anyone with an R call that day.
I have no great affinity with the monarchy, although I do appreciate
the day off. Moreover, I am looking forward to my 20m CW pile-ups
from SOTAs with the MR1 prefix, especially after announcing the WFF
reference!!! (No affinity with WFF either, but I will shamelessly use
anything to my own personal advantage).
Sounds like a challenge, Tom
I’ve just resurrected the biggest weapon in my armoury, namely M6MMM
And a visit to Scotland using MMR6MMM/M should prove quite entertaining :-)))))
Oh, I’ll be chasing SOTA activations, and they’ll already be giving out geographical information, won’t they. It’ll be a bit more fun for activators working pile-ups and trying to keep track of DXCCs, though. (The US does still have its 0-9 regions, though they don’t seem to be hot-swappable in the way the UK codes are.)
People’s Republic of Elbonia?
Heh! Bet the paperwork for that one would be… fun.
Secondary locators pander to the sense of national identity of the components of the UK. Nobody pretends that W0 is a different country to W1, although there might be some doubts about W6! Does any GM doubt that Scotland is a distinct country?
I’ve applied for my NoV and will use it. I have some doubts about making such a big thing of the royal wedding, not because of doubts about the monarchy (I support them if only because it prevents us from having politicians as Head of State!) but because I feel that weddings are private affairs. Besides, there is a much more important bean feast coming up next year - well, I think it is next year, do we celebrate the accession or the coronation?
And a visit to Scotland using MMR6MMM/M should prove quite entertaining
Sorry to disappoint Mike, that call won’t be allowed as we all become “commoners” without country identifiers during that period. Anyway, MM6MMM/P might be of equal or even more interest, by way of providing some relief for the rest of the amateur radio world!
What I object to is the fact that if you appear on the HF bands during the period that a special prefix is in operation using your standard callsign, then you generally get ignored. It happened to me back in 2003, so I blanked the whole period and came back on air when sanity reigned once again. I guess it is a case of join the throng or stop in the pub.
73, Gerald G4OIG
(This time around I have applied for the NoV, but whether I use it is entirely another thing).
Actually I will be operating as G7AAV that day from a Windmill near G/CE-005 Wendover Woods, as I will all that week. We had intended visiting the Science Museum that day but will now give the Capital a wide berth.
We will be QRV from CE-005 sometime that week, maybe several times that week, seeing how it is the only summit near enough and only a stone throw away from our windmill.
I wonder if anyone has a call that would make something amusing with the addition of the R. IE: GR0UCH, GR0WLS, GR0GGY.
I might make an exception for SE-007 and I will of course reply to anyone who calls me with an R call.
ISW? Do you mean the ISW 508, a small German convertible two-door from the Mafia II game? ;0)
I am chairman and holder of club callsigns of the Scarborough Special Events Group and we have used various special (special) prefixes in the past 23 years, such as GV and GE to commemorate important national events
However, previous permission to use these prefixes has always been announced by Ofcom as a blanket coverage to all amateurs or club callsign holders, so the requirement to apply for a NOV is a new requirement.
One point to note is that a NOV usually states that the special call may only be used at the address stated in the application form and at no other location. (You cannot operate a GB station /P or /M).
It will be interesting to see if this applies to the NOV’s granted via e-mail.
In reply to G4SSH:
Another issue to consider: Most computer logging software will either default to GR, MR, 2R etc. as all being in ENGLAND, OR ignore such prefixes alltogether with a a blunt “UNKNOWN” or “ILLEGEAL” callsign.
73 de Ken
I’m delighted to inform everyone the SOTA database will allow such prefixes due to the forward planning of its programmer. That’s Gary, not me however.
And a visit to Scotland using MMR6MMM/M should prove quite
entertaining
Sorry to disappoint Mike, that call won’t be allowed as we all become
“commoners” without country identifiers during that period.
Anyway, MM6MMM/P might be of equal or even more interest, by way of
providing some relief for the rest of the amateur radio world!
Hi Gerald, while I was on Gun G/SP-013 this afternoon, it suddenly dawned on me I’d made a mistake.
Mind you, there are some avid triple letter callsign chasers, not least the BMW Works Amateur Radio Club. Can’t remember their exact callsign, but their suffix is BMW. Anyway, a very excited club operator came back to my CQ last summer, when I was M6MMM and told me they collected three letter suffixes and if I sent them a QSL card, they would send me a gift. He seemed delighted to find a callsign with 3 letters the same, however, finding a callsign with four letters the same, was the callsign collectors equivalent of finding the Holy Grail.
I explained to him, that if the gift was was an M5 BMW, I would send a card special delivery.
What I object to is the fact that if you appear on the HF bands during
the period that a special prefix is in operation using your standard
callsign, then you generally get ignored. It happened to me back in
2003, so I blanked the whole period and came back on air when sanity
reigned once again. I guess it is a case of join the throng or stop in
the pub.
Yup, gotta agree with you there.
(This time around I have applied for the NoV, but whether I use it is
entirely another thing).
Roy, I think (and hope) that the secondary ‘R’ is more like the ‘X’ added to a club callsign, rather than a GB (or GV, GE) special event. I expect (and hope) that portable operation away from the main station address will be permitted, but I have emailed the RSGB for confirmation.
OK Tom, I hope so and have applied for GR0OOO so that John G4YSS can use it on SOTA activations.
The problems will be with the QSL Bureau who will not know which regional sub-manager to send a GR card to. I think this was solved last time by appointing a new sub manager solely for GR calls so anyone using one will have to supply GR call envelopes.
My XYL, Carole (M6ENU) has pointed out that if they changed the license conditions to allow operators below “full” license to operate in tidal waters and within coastal waters, you would be able to operate as MM6MMM/MM
My XYL, Carole (M6ENU) has pointed out that if they changed the
license conditions to allow operators below “full” license
to operate in tidal waters and within coastal waters, you would be
able to operate as MM6MMM/MM
It was bad enough operating MM6MMM/M during my visit to Scotland last year, Ian.
I’ve been told, it’s a nightmare on the key
Answering CQ calls with Mike 6 Mike Mike Mike and my name is Mike, was good fun too.
Nah, nearer 4 months… but I was out of the country for the best part of one of those, short of an HF antenna for another, and out of voice for half a third, so I never actually got round to using 2E0LEP on the air. A friend who took the advanced exam at the same time as me had passed his foundation and intermediate two weeks previously, so he got his M0 a month and a couple of days after his 2E0…
