[UK-CONTEST] Vanity Calls

[Roger Parsons]

I am sure others will also respond, but for me it is very simple. I've been licensed for quite a long time, and don't think I need to disguise anything. G3RBP is/was a reasonably well known callsign on 160m, but it is remarkably easy to misinterpret both on phone and CW. If I had only had the good sense 40 plus years ago to wait a little while and get a 'better' call I might have been content, but I didn't realise it was possible and I'm not. My current call of VE3ZI is virtually never misunderstood, it flows nicely and yes, it does make a difference in contests.

A quick listen during this weekend will demonstrate that the great majority of serious contesters prefer short calls - and almost all of these are reissued or from previously unused sequences. 

I am proud to continue from the two previous holders of my current call and like the thought that it will continue to be used and enjoyed after my death. 

I fail to see any connection whatsoever between callsigns and permitted power!

73 Roger
G3RBP/VE3ZI




> 
> I know that this topic was been discussed at length a few
> months ago but I
> don't recall ever receiving an answer to my question
> why does anyone feel
> the need to change their callsign ?
> 
> I can see that there are cases where the call has
> previously been allocated
> to a family member or very occasionally where the original
> call as a
> combination of letters which are difficult to copy but I
> find the need to
> change from a 'regular' callsign to a '2
> letter' call hard to understand.
> Is it just the case that some people find the need to
> disguise the fact that
> they've only been licensed for a short time and want to
> make the rest of us
> think that they have many years of experience under their
> belts? Even for a
> serious contester the difference between a 2 & 3 letter
> call can't make that
> much difference and in some cases can even be a hindrance.
> When in the past
> using the club call G4KF we were often asked to repeat the
> non-existant
> third letter.
> 
> I noticed whilst looking back at previous postings to see
> what had been said
> about vanity calls a comment that some M3's/2E's
> etc. would soon be asking
> to run more power as they are not being fairly treated with
> the lower power
> limits. I now see the letters in recent Radcom's trying
> to justify this
> change. Perhaps we should all be allowed to run up to 1kW
> like those
> (mainly) anonymous individuals who have high power permits
> and the higher
> powers apparently allowed in some other European countries,
> TVI here we
> come!
> 
> 73....
> 
> Ken
> 
> G3LVP