Heard calling CQ tonight at around 1630 local time. I heard an ‘O’, call trying to work him but no answer from XXXXX I then heard someone send “FAKE” This call isn’t registered on QRZ.Com or HamCall. I checked out MW7/// on the RBN and this call has been picked up a number of times since April.
I assume of course you don’t have to register your callsign anywhere do you?
His morse was good - he was using a paddle at about 18wpm.
Any thoughts?
He hasn’t registered on QRZ.com. Means nothing.
I think in the US they get data from the FCC for all calls but not for elsewhere.
Perhaps someone has an RSGB Year Book and can see if he’s listed in there.
From RSGB Yearbook 2025:
MW7FDL Dr. R. Jones in Ystrad Mynach - so absolutely a valid call sign.
If someone sent “Fake” just because he’s not on qrz.com - that’s a lack of knowledge on that operator (who I presume didn’t give his call and hence is in breech of his licence) - lots of people like to have their privacy and chose not to give their details to callsign lookup sites such as qrz.com, hamqth etc.
73 Ed.
For those who are Google challenged…
| Callsign | Class | Type | Date last validated |
|---|---|---|---|
| M7FDL | Foundation | Amateur | 26/06/2024 |
I’m not on QRZ but I’ve just tried pinching myself and it hurt so I’m assuming I’m real.
Ah … you are referring to the 20m band policeman W6BDD 
The issue is that there seems to be a widespread misconception, mainly across the Pond, that if you aren’t listed on the Zed then you are a pirate. I don’t know how it goes now, but years ago it was not straightforward for someone outside the USA to get listed, and many this side of the Pond didn’t bother…the Zed isn’t the cesspit that some of the other ham sites became (is the Island still festering nicely? 
) but there is still plenty of junk posting there!
A good time to ask your XYL to buy you the RSGB 2025 Callbook for Xmas methinks David… I buy one every 2-3 years, I have the 2023. It contains the names and addresses of (un-notified to OFCOM) Silent Keys, as well as us living radio amateurs.
I find it good to know where the hams in your local area are living, so many are inactive, although I believe it is still possible to declare “particulars witheld at licensees request” in which case they may be licensed but not in the callbook.
73 Phil
Spot-On Brian - and unfortunately it’s not just our cousins, the other side of “The Pond”. I’ll take Andy’s word for who this was in this case but it has to be said that while qrz.com is a very, very useful resource, it is not an “official” standard. Where it is allowed to take all the data from the regulator it does but otherwise, the only time an entry gets put there (for countries where the regulator doesn’t freely give out the list of licenced hams), is when the operator adds theiir own entry.
73 Ed DD5LP.
You can download a list of allocated callsigns from Ofcom directly.
The Ofcom result that google gave me said M7FDL was last updated on 27/11/2023!
I followed a link to download “Annex 1 All callsigns.xlsx” which is about 3MB in size. It is meant to be complete but at least one callsign I know is valid and active was missing.
EDIT I think that date is the last date the licenced was validated and validation happens whenever you login to the Ofcom portal and view the licence.
Thank you very much gentlemen.
My year book is a couple of years older than that.
MM0FMF Andy I did google it and only got a couple of references one of which was the RBN bit i mentioned. Thanks for the info regarding OFCOM - I’ll bear that in mind if I can’t find a callsign again.
I now rather wish I’d answered his CQ.
I really think we should close the discussion now. Think how this guy would feel if he knew that his callsign and status had been bandied about on this thread. He is OK where he needs to be OK, that should be the end of it.
It’s an interesting thing David. Do you work the CQ or reply to your own CQ even if you think it maybe dodgy. Then check the validity and log it if it’s kosher like this callsign is and not log it if it turns out not to be valid. Or do you ignore it upfront and regret it later.
What is that old expression… it is easier to ask for forgiveness after the event than for permission before. I tend to work them and figure out whether to log them later just in case it was a genuine N. Korea P5 station using a special prefix to celebrate the fact that the glorious leader is a great person born in heaven. You’d be properly sick to miss that.
Yes. Perhaps someone should edit the topic thread title to remove the callsign leaving it as “unknown callsign?”
Yep. Got him on all bands 500kHz to 3cm.
Ah but did he QSL Tom?
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Andy
I had no reason to think it was dodgy when I first heard him.
I always enjoy hearing the odd M6 or M7 using morse, but an Austrian was trying to answer him over some loud QRM. He didn’t get a answer and whilst that was happening I thought I’d look him up and then heard “Fake” being sent.
Anyway my curiosity has been satisfied, I’ve had my query answered.
(In light of G8ADD/Brian’s comment, I’d also be quite happy for the thread to be deleted. (I’ve edited/removed any reference to his callsign in my posts)
Thanks
I remember being chased by some excellent Morse quite a few times from a station with an MM3 call. The letters spelt something and the holder also had a GM0 call. It’s the classic example of “judge not a station by the call but by their actions.”
If people are accusing someone of being fake then this thread showing it’s a genuine call with a real person using it is a good thing. I have been considered to have a dodgy call by quite a few people because I do not have a QRZ entry. They fall into the classic trap explained by Ed.
The “Details withheld” calls have their own section in the callbook - each entry is just the callsign indicating that it’s a valid call.