Cornwall Wins Independence (For Radio Amateurs)

Radio amateurs in Cornwall have been given permission to change their call sign to show they are in the Duchy.

At the moment just two letters - G and M - are used to denote England as a general location. But these letters do not indicate which county the amateurs come from.

Now, thanks to a campaign led by the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club, regulator Ofcom has given permission for radio enthusiasts to add 'K' for Kernow to their call signs during 2016.

This means that the extra letter will now form part of the prefix to the call sign - distinctly identifying those in the duchy from their counterparts across England .

The campaign led by the club, which is based at Poldhu's Marconi Centre, was launched last year following the announcement that the Cornish people had been granted minority status......

'K' for Kernow 

Ofcom Poised to Cancel Unrenewed Amateur Licenses

UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced that it’s set to start cancelling Amateur Radio licenses, possibly numbering into the thousands, that have not been “revalidated” by the holder. The effort appears to be, in part, an effort to clear dead wood from the agency’s databases.

Amateur Radio licenses in the UK must be revalidated every 5 years, but until Ofcom goes through the process of revoking the license, such a license remains valid. The first batch to be revoked will comprise Amateur Radio licenses that had been due for revalidation between September 2012 and January 2013. Ofcom posted a notice on its website in order to reach licensees it has not been successful in contacting.

“We require licensees to revalidate, to ensure that our records are accurate,” Ofcom said. “Inaccurate records make the administration of Amateur Radio more difficult and costly. We must also know where stations are located, to enable us to manage the radio spectrum.”

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