This Saturday, the 19th of May 2018 sees the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
To allow amateurs to commemorate this event, Ofcom has allowed licence-holders to apply for a temporary RSL (Regional Secondary Locator) which can be used for 3 days. With the change:
- M6QQQ would become MR6QQQ
- 2E0QQQ would become 2R0QQQ
- G8QQQ would become GR8QQQ
- M0QQQ would become MR0QQQ
To be able to use your “R”, you need to apply for an NoV (Notice of Variation). This takes about 2 minutes and is available to all UK licence levels.
How to apply for the Royal Wedding “R”:
To apply, you’ll need your call sign, licence number (from the front page of your licence) and your email address.
It’s a simple form, and you’ll be able to download the PDF straight after completing the online application
Please note the NoV is only valid from the 19th to the 21st May 2018
Similar variants to callsigns for special occasions (e.g. “O” for Olympics, “Q” for the Queen’s Jubilee) have generated on-air interest, especially from overseas prefix-collectors, so even if you’re not excited about the Royal Wedding, you might find the world wants to get you in their logbook.
Note that you might want to give your “R” an outing on 2, as it’s the RSGB 144MHz May Contest (from 1400UTC on Saturday the 19th of May for 24 hours) – Essex Ham may be out-and-about over the weekend, so keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
Will you be using an “R” this weekend? Let us know in the box below…
We will be running a special event station GR9HAM at the Chertsey radio club to celebrate the royal wedding. email us to arrange Satellite / HF / DMR / Local repeater schedule and we will do our best to work you.
Excellent – will try to work you!
Pete
Absolutely, hoping to give /p a go for the first time with it as well. :-)
Great. Hope to catch you on the bands somewhere!
Is a gathering still on the cards for this weekend ? Be nice to do one for the happy couple, we know how hard it is when starting out in married life :-) :-) :-)
I should be King, I am after all the Lord Humongous, legend in his own lunch time.
So is it 19th to 21st GBT/UTC or BST ?
Not bothered as not doing it myself and cannot see Dorothy playing at 00:01 or ending on 23:59 :)
Richard
Good question – NoV doesn’t specify UTC or BST :)
Historically everything ham radio is UTC including contests cannot see why this would be any different.
WHY a special call sign for this wedding, when there was not one when Diana married Charles or when William married Kate.