[UK-CONTEST] Three character calls

[Justin Snow]

On 01/02/2011 19:15, Gerry Lynch wrote:

> I am 33 years old (and have been licensed for 19 of them).  I would like
> a vanity call as my callsign is unbearably long, with six characters and
> a big fat zero in the middle.  I am willing to pay for a 2x2 callsign.
> I'd be quite happy to take a never issued Gi7+2 callsign.  I don't
> really think that waiting another 21 years suits me, nor do I think
> gerontocracy is a good principle for organising amateur radio, or very
> much else for that matter.  I don't see why I should be stuck with a
> crap callsign - which would actually be as good as a 2x3 callsign gets
> if some minor functionary had realised it would be smarter to issue G7
> calls to people to knew morse code and G0s to people who didn't.
>
> I have neither a long dead relation who was an amateur nor am I buddies
> with someone in Ofcom nor do I hold high office in the RSGB.  The
> present system does not work for me.
>
> We are talking about a system that was introduced in the US, what,
> around 20 years ago now?  Seriously, what's the problem?
>
Looking back, one of the biggest mistakes made back in the mists of time 
was using the numeral to denote licence class.
The other made more recently was that when you want to 'upgrade' to 
intermediate, you get a rather more cumbersome 2xnxxx call compared to 
the M6xxx Foundation call.

73,
Justin, G4TSH