NoV is now available for the RSGB centenary celebration. It allows use of the letter “V” as the Regional Secondary Locator for the period 5th July to 31st July inclusive, so I will become GV3VQO.
The process is seamless. Just go to the RSGB website and follow the links for Operating -> Licensing, NoV-s and visitors -> Online NoV applications. Once you have filled in the form and submitted it, the NoV appears in your inbox as a PDF attachment instantly!
Enjoy …
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G3VQO:
Thanks Les,
Due to a quick & easy application I’m ready to become MV0XSD on 5th July until 31st July:)
73, Colin M0XSD.
In reply to M0XSD:
And for those who don’t want to play “Hunt the Link”,
http://rsgb.org/main/operating/licensing-novs-visitors/online-nov-application/rsgb-centenary-nov/
Andy
MM0FMF
Thanks for the note Les. Just done mine.
I will probably be three different callsigns during that period.
I will use the MV1EYP call for all home and SOTA portable work, generally. Except in UKACs, I will probably revert to M1EYP/P for brevity and clarity.
Also, we have just booked to go camping in the Isle of Man from 20th to 27th July (see the alerts), and having never used the ‘MD’ prefix before, will use MD1EYP/P for my SOTA activations that week even though the NoV does permit me to use the MV while over there.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
You’ll quickly run out of summits on GD at your usual rate, Tom!
I’ve done mine, too, though I may stick to the usual callsigns during activations for the sake of the DXCC entity identifier.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
I’ve done mine, too, though I may stick to the usual callsigns during
activations for the sake of the DXCC entity identifier.
Very sensible idea, the ‘V’ prefix probably won’t be accepted for DXCC if similar past special event calls are anything to go by.
Colin G8TMV
In reply to G8TMV:
Very sensible idea, the ‘V’ prefix probably won’t be accepted for DXCC
if similar past special event calls are anything to go by.
What exactly do you mean Colin? My uses of G3VQO/2K, GR3VQO, GQ3VQO and GO3VQO have all counted towards my DXCC score. I foresee no reason why GV3VQO should be any different.
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G8ADD:
Indeed. Check out the Alerts page Brian!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G3VQO:
What exactly do you mean Colin? My uses of G3VQO/2K, GR3VQO, GQ3VQO
and GO3VQO have all counted towards my DXCC score. I foresee no reason
why GV3VQO should be any different.
Yes, they count for your DX score, but because you can’t tell which DXCC entity the callsign is being used from they don’t count for the person you contact. i.e. where is GV? it could be in any one of 7 DXCC entities.
Colin G8TMV
In reply to G8TMV:
where is GV? it could be in any one of 7 DXCC entities.
Here’s an idea but I don’t know if it will work or is viable… you could send a postcard which has your special callsign and some details about you, your location and your station to the person who works you. Maybe you could make it stand out by having a colourful image printed along with callsign.
Of course there are issues to do with postage costs etc. Perhaps if enough people are interested, some could collect batches of these postcards and ship them to another batch handler. Maybe it’s something the national radio societies could run?
The biggest problem is coming up with a catchy name for this card that acknowledges receipt of a message of some kind. If only there was a universally recognised abbreviation we could use so everyone knew what it was all about.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G8TMV:
Yes, they count for your DX score, but because you can’t tell which
DXCC entity the callsign is being used from they don’t count for the
person you contact. i.e. where is GV? it could be in any one of 7 DXCC
entities.
Well, they could look up the callsign up on QRZ.com or similar database … or check any QSL card they receive … or check the country data on LOTW or e-QSL matches … or infer the entity from any SOTA, IOTA or other reference. I suppose they could even ask during the QSO!!!
My experience suggests that most callers just want the new prefix, and anything else (new country, etc.) is a bonus. I assume that you won’t be calling any GV/MV/2V stations during July Colin …
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G8TMV:
The problem’s not with the different prefix modifier, it’s with the software that assumes it can correctly divine the DXCC solely from looking at the callsign. You get the same problem (in some programs) with maritime mobile, and to some extent with places where actual DXCC is hidden in the suffix, or is even not completely there in the callsign at all. For instance, according to the licence document that applies for short-term visits to Australia, you’re supposed to give your home callsign followed by “/VK” and then declare your portable location. In which DXCC was “M0LEP/VK” operating? Can’t tell from the callsign…
73, Rick M0LEP
In reply to G3VQO:
Well, they could look up the callsign up on QRZ.com or similar
database … or check any QSL card they receive … or check the
country data on LOTW or e-QSL matches … or infer the entity from any
SOTA, IOTA or other reference. I suppose they could even ask during
the QSO!!!
Indeed they could. Unfortunately none of that will help if the ARRL decide that the prefix is invalid for DXCC as they have done in the past.
I assume that you won’t be calling any GV/MV/2V stations during July Colin …
Might do but it won’t be as GV8TMV
Colin G8TMV
In reply to G8TMV:
Indeed they could. Unfortunately none of that will help if the ARRL
decide that the prefix is invalid for DXCC as they have done in the
past.
Please produce documentary evidence in support of this assertion.
Les, G3VQO
In reply to G3VQO:
Please produce documentary evidence in support of this assertion.
The lists from the ARRL website [1] don’t show any of the Jubilee or Olympic prefixes and are thus invalid for DXCC. There was a discussion about it last year and that was the decision handed down, the reasoning being that it was impossible to check.
[1] http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/2013_Current_Deleted.txt
Colin G8TMV
In reply to G8TMV:
Maybe I’m being fik… but why is it a “V”?
In reply to G8TMV:
I believe you are getting confused Colin. The link takes us to a list of current DXCC entities which shows some representative prefixes. However, the selection of prefixes is by no means complete. For example there is no mention of UK stations with callsigns beginning “2”. Surely you are not suggesting that such stations are not valid for DXCC credit.
To quote a more specific example, I have just checked in my LOTW account (LOTW is inextricably entwined with DXCC as it exists to allow easy submission of DXCC credits), and I find my contacts with GR2HQ are correctly credited to either England or Scotland as appropriate. The same is true of many other callsigns in the GB, GO and GQ series.
There is no substance to your suggestion that contacts with GV/MV/2V stations will not count towards DXCC. By all means choose not to avail yourself of the facility for using a special callsign, but please stop confusing other users with inaccurate information.
Les, G3VQO
In reply to G7LAS:
Maybe I’m being fik… but why is it a “V”?
Probably because they’ve just about run out of letters?
In reply to M6ADB:
LOL!
In reply to G8TMV:
Forgive me but that document is missing MM, MW, MI, MD, MU, MJ, MS, MC, MN, MT, MP & MH. So they don’t count either. Makes me think someone at the ARRL is totally lacking clue about callsigns for a group of countries that number 65million people.
Hey maybe OFCOM are recruiting then someone from the ARRL could transfer. That would raise the collective IQ of both organisations. 
Andy
MM0FMF