Call Sign Banking

[VK2AAH]

This might ruffle a few feathers, something I'm not accustomed to doing...

Am I the only one who thinks it is wrong for some to hold multiple callsigns (I'm not referring to repeaters etc) in their own call area or even in states where they don't live and rarely if ever visit? To me that seems a terrible waste of a finite resource and incredibly selfish on the part of some. New licensees should be able to access early, lapsed calls without them being held by people who already have a callsign. It isn't like the number of amateurs is booming yet I'm amazed how a free 2 letter call never seems to appear in VK2 or VK3 (in particular).

Feel free to give me a bollocking, I'm used to it.

Cheers,


Richard
VK2AAH

[VK7DR]

All things considered, one would have to ask why it is even allowable to hold more than one call at a time.

Or... why anyone would want more than one...

[VK3ALB]

I don't mind either way but I think there's two aspect to this question.

1) Does it really make it difficult to get a callsign of your choosing? Perhaps, but there's nothing wrong with contacting the owner of the callsign and asking him if the callsign is being used or would he(she) care to relinquish it. I strongly disagree with the selling of callsigns as someone tried to do on ebay some time ago. By all means recover the cost of holding the callsign for the current year but asking a large sum of money is ridiculous.

2) If the WIA bases it's figures on the number of registered callsigns then the state of AR in Australia is perhaps not a rosy as we believe. Perhaps someone knows how the WIA get their figures?

[VK4ABW]

A bit of history about me Richard. I used to hold a VK3C call sign back in the eighties (1985 i think). The reason for it was the ACMA allowed you to operate anywhere in VK, but then the rules changed so i grabbed VK4ABW (1987) when i moved back to QLD.

On a personal note, i currently hold two call signs. I also have 2 properties that i operate from frequently (NT & QLD).

That's my take on it but i do agree that 2 letter call sign (in certain states) should not be held if not in use. NT has plenty of 2 letter calls available.

cheers
de Gary
VK8AW / VK4ABW

[VK3AIF]

Hi all,

For those that don't already know, there is a thread on here "Callsign for sale" and I made note there that "I notice that one prominent amateur has no less than five two letter calls to his name". I don't know if that is still the case as I have not checked recently or why he needs so many 2 letter calls but it does seem ridiculous to me at least, multiple repeater, beacon and non 2 letter calls are not an issue.

[VK3GCP]

One reason to have them is history. In addition to my call (VK3GCP), I also hold my Great-Grandfathers old callsign, VK3BDV. Main reason is too keep it in the family, as he held it for some time until his death.

[VK2XSO]

What does it matter ? It's a tax.
If you want to pay more tax, nobody is going to stop you.

As for callsigns. If you're not active on air, isn't that worse ?
Pay the tax and not use the callsign ?
If callsigns were free, then I could understand a reason for concern.

There isn't any real shortage of callsigns. There are a few vanity calls and two letter calls which are in greater demand.

Don't suggest that two letter calls should pay a higher licence fee because they hold something that is in more demand.
We've been down that road already with the WIA fee structure.

Here's an idea, every year we can have all the licences expire and renew on the same date. You can then bid for any callsign in your state.
The highest bidders will get first choice of the callsigns each year.

When I become dictator of this country I'm going to be an evil dictator.

[VK2AAH]

Hi Gerard,

I can understand & respect that but why don't you use his call & relinquish the one you use?

Cheers,


Richard
VK2AAH

[VK2AAH]

Hi Lou,

You made a very interesting suggestion regarding approaching licence holders to see if they would part with it, however has anyone actually done that? I'd be interested to hear from anyone that has done this- by that I mean approaching someone they don't know or are related to... I'm not sure I could approach someone I didn't know to ask them to let me have their callsign. Not sure that I'd like the potential rejection!

Cheers,


Richard
VK2AAH

[VK3ALB]

Hi Richard,

In most cases you can find someone's email address on the internet if you look hard enough. The way I see it you can send someone and email and get a positive, negative or no response. I reckon most people could handle that via email. I'm sure it would be a little different if you turned up on someone's doorstep unannounced and the odds of a favorable response may diminish.

Still, most people are reasonable when they have all the facts. Let's say Gerard was looking for his grandfather's callsign and found that you were banking it. I'm sure he could fashion a reasonable request outlining the history of the callsign and why he was looking for it. Unless you were holding the callsign for a prospective amateur with the initials of B.D.V or indeed your initials were B.D.V. I reckon you might be inclined to pass on the callsign. At the very worst you'd decline the request gracefully or just not respond.

It takes nothing to ask and "ya just never know yer luck in a big city".

On this topic I think in most cases the callsigns are being banked for an acquaintance (prospective licensee) or because the current owner knew the previous owner. I think if someone wants to bank 10 licenses and can afford the $700 odd dollars per year, good luck to them. Based on this discussion, I'm really more interested how the WIA get their figures for licensed amateurs in Australia. What if a third of two letter OPs in VK2 & VK3 are banking an extra two letter call? It skews the numbers a bit doesn't it?

[VK8VTX]

hi all, over the years i have moved from N.T to north QLD to south QLD back up to north QLD and now back to the N.T.

like so many others it's for one reason, chasing work around. so i have a call for NT and the same call (with a 4) in Queensland, as you never know when you will be back there


73's
joe

[VK2AAH]

Hi Lou,

I'm not sure how banking a call for a friend who doesn't have their licence yet is justified. Don't we sit the exam to EARN the licence & then get the callsign we deserve? I know if I was asked by someone to, in effect, pay to have a callsign "held" for them my answer would be a polite no...

Cheers,

Richard
VK2AAH

[VK3ALB]

I'm not sure how banking a call for a friend who doesn't have their licence yet is justified. Don't we sit the exam to EARN the licence & then get the callsign we deserve? I know if I was asked by someone to, in effect, pay to have a callsign "held" for them my answer would be a polite no...

Understood, but what about if I was mentoring someone towards their standard call and as it happened a callsign with their initials became available? What if I applied for it and kept it for them on the understanding that I'd pass it on to them if they passed their exam? A form of incentive if you like. I know that happens and I know two letter calls are banked for similar reasons. I personally don't have a problem with it and as far as I can tell there's nothing illegal about it.

[VK2AAH]

Hi Lou,

It certainly isn't illegal because we wouldn't be discussing it if it was!

The only issues I have with what you suggest is that there are probably more than one person with those initials so just because you are mentoring someone & decide to reserve it for them you may deny someone else who in the mean time earns the right to hold that call. As you say- perfectly legal & probably falls into the "get over it" category... but I don't think it is right.

Cheers,

Richard
VK2AAH

[VK3AZZ]

Hi,
I wanted a call sign to match my initials, but my initials were for a standard licence not for the advanced licence which I have.

So I looked at two letter call signs to match my first and last names. Not available. Did a search on the ACMA data base and found the amateur who holds them.

He/she in fact has about four 2 letter call signs to his/her name. Hmm.. OK...

Now this person is quite well known and I am not going to say who it is, but I did a search via google and I see this person has a number of family members who are either Fcall, or Standard licence and who's initials match the 2 letter call signs held. I suspect that these other 2 letter call signs will go to the family members in due course as they improve their level of amateur licence.

Hence I felt it was a bit pointless in asking the amateur concerned whether I can have the one I wanted.

Like many things in life, you can't always get what you want (isn't that a line out of a song ?), so I am satisfied with what I have.

Cheers,
Mal

[VK2GFR]

After I secured my novice ticket (eons ago, when Adam was a youngster) & wanting to be UNIQUE, I took the next available call-sign from the allocations form Dept Of Comms (now A.C.M.A) & had been very happy with it.
When I upgraded I applied for (and was issued) with my current UNIQUE call-sign. (Just a different letter at the front).
I have been made aware of a call-sign that is to be made available to me (when the current holder no-longer uses it).
Yes it's a 2 letter call, one-off issue. Don't bother trying to bribe me with $$$ 'cause it won't happen.
I feel extremley honoured to be even considered for this.
I had thought of "buying" back my old Novice call & my father's (deceased) novice call, for my 2 sons but they don't feel the passion of Amateur Radio.
The only time I'd be having a whinge about "banking" (reserving) of amateur call signs would be if there were so many of us Amateur's that a new alpha numeric version was required.
By the way...
"Aside from the permission given to all amateurs to use the AX prefix on every Australia Day, Anzac Day and ITU Day"
Reference source [http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311646]
Do you use it on those special days.... I do.
How UNIQUE is that?

[ZL1RS]

you can't always get what you want (isn't that a line out of a song ?)

A line and the title actually ... by The Rolling Stones ...