XPost: uk.radio.amateur   
   From: ianREMOVETHISjackson@g3ohx.demon.co.uk   
      
   In message , Rob   
    writes   
   >Ian Jackson  wrote:   
   >> They have (hopefully only accidentally) re-issued, to new licensees,   
   >> callsigns that had been issued previously - but which had been expired   
   >> for at least two years.   
   >>   
   >> They go on to say that if you have been issued one of these recycled   
   >> callsigns - and don't like having a recycled callsign - you can ask for   
   >> it to be replaced by a brand spanking new one. [There seems to be no   
   >> intention of making you give up the recycled callsign.]   
   >   
   >What is the point of recycling old callsigns when new ones are still   
   >available?   
      
   In this instance, it seems to have been a mistake (presumably by someone   
   unfamiliar with old-time traditions of amateur radio). However, I'm sure   
   there are those who, while maybe not actually wanting a 'prestigious'   
   G2/3/4/5/6/8 two-letter callsign, wouldn't mind getting any recycled G   
   callsign instead of an M.   
      
   >  I could understand that it is being done when all callsigns   
   >in a series have been used up.   
      
   I don't know how long the present Ms and 2x series will last  - but   
   there are many other weird UK prefixes that could be use as well.   
   [Unfortunately, to me the UK is 'G-Land', and even the M and 2x prefix   
   seems distinctly odd!] However, it's obviously untidy to have a database   
   sparsely populated with old allocated callsigns - and full of empty   
   holes and even areas of total wasteland. It's only natural for someone   
   to wonder why no-longer-allocated callsigns cannot be re-issued.   
      
      
   --   
   Ian   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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