In 2011, amateurs had the opportunity to get special callsigns for the Royal Wedding. On application to OfCom, you could have been GR, MR or 2R for eleven days.
This year, there are two opportunities to get a special callsign, to commemorate two big UK events. Here’s what’s planned for 2012:
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Callsigns
All hams have the option to apply for a special callsign to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The callsigns available in the UK will be GQ, MQ and 2Q.
All hams will be able to apply, from Foundation to Full, and the callsigns will be valid from 05 May to 10 June 2012. Each ham will need to obtain a Notice of Variation. You’ll be able to do this online from the 1st of March 2012, and it’s likely that amateurs will apply online using an RSGB site, and the RSGB will liaise with OfCom for issuing of the NoVs.
2012 Olympics Callsigns
The next opportunity for a special callsign will come a few months later. The prefix O (Oscar) will be available to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games. GO, MO and 20 prefixes will be up for grabs, and as with the Diamond Jubilee callsigns, a Notice of Variation will need to be applied for online. It will apparently be possible to apply for the Olympic callsigns from the 1st March 2012, and again probably via the RSGB website.
The Olympics callsigns will be valid from 21 July to 09 September 2012 – Again, all licence levels from Foundation upwards can apply for the NoV.
More Information
Full details of both the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics callsigns can be found on the RSGB site at www.rsgb.org/news/articlelinks.php?id=0263
