Clarification is likely to benefit some users of amateur radios, when considering appropriate use of Callsigns and Suffixes. Whilst it is not now mandatory to use Suffixes, if they are used, it should be the correct one. (ref Notes to the Licence (d))
2E0XYZ. For use when at the Main Station Address. Within the curtilage of the property, the Callsign only is used with no Suffix, irrespective of what radio is being used (base or handheld radio) or whether you are walking in the garden with a handheld radio, sailing your little boat on the pond, or any other activity.
2E0XYZ/A. Operating from an Alternative Address. That is a fixed postal address (can the Postman deliver a letter there?) in the UK, other than your Main Station Address. Example, could be your work, office or your friend’s house.
(Licence ref 17 Interpretation, (b)).
2E0XYZ/P. Operating at a fixed Temporary Location. That is a fixed location in the UK which is neither the Main Station Address or the Alternative Address. Example, a campsite at a remote hillside location where you have established a fixed station. It is not a Suffix to be used when operating a portable radio (handheld) and walking as a pedestrian, riding a bike or on a boat – see /M below.
(Licence ref 17 Interpretation, (jj)).
2E0XYZ/M. Operating from a Mobile Location. That is operating in the UK in or on any vehicle or conveyance; bicycle, boat (in Inland Waters), bus, car, train, truck or anything else with wheels, or as a pedestrian. Other examples. If moored alongside a riverbank or jetty on Inland Waters, you are /M. if you set-up your station off the boat on the riverbank, you are at a Temporary Location and /P, as you have no fixed postal address on the riverbank! Similarly, in a car you are /M, even parked in Tesco’s car park, or stationary in a long traffic jam. Setting up your station fixed beside the motorway (watch out for the boys in blue!) then requires /P, unless you are walking with a handheld, when it’s /M. (Licence refs 17 Interpretation, (w) & (tt)).
M0XYZ/MM. (note; Full Licence holders only) On board a Maritime Mobile Location on a Vessel at Sea, operating on the seaward side of the low-water line along the coastline.
(Licence refs Section 2. 2 Location (a), 17 Interpretation, (u), (ss)).
UK amateur radio call sign prefixes
In addition to the basic ham radio call signs a variety of prefixes are used. These not only indicate the country in which the station is located, but also the type of station – a separate set of prefixes being used to indicate whether the amateur radio licence is privately held by an individual or whether it is a club station.
The schemes are different for the M or G series callsigns and those in the 2X* series as the structure of the call signs is slightly different.
| Call sign prefix | Country |
| 2E | England |
| 2D | Isle of Man |
| 2I | Northern Irelend |
| 2J | Jersey |
| 2M | Scotland |
| 2U | Guernsey |
| 2W | Wales |
Countries for 2X* series call signs
The call signs in the G and M series follow the same format. The second letter of the prefix indicates the country and purpose of the licence.
| Prefix | Country / purpose |
| G & M, no second letter | England |
| GB | Special event stations |
| GC & MC | Wales – club licence (optional alternative prefix) |
| GD & MD | Isle of Man |
| GH & MH | Jersey – club licence (optional alternative prefix) |
| GI & MI | Northern Ireland |
| GJ & MJ | Jersey |
| GM & MM | Scotland |
| GN & MN | Northern Ireland – club licence (optional alternative prefix) |
| GP & MP | Guernsey – club licence (optional alternative prefix) |
| GS & MS | Scotland – club licence (optional alternative prefix) |
| GT & MT | Isle of Man – club licence |
| GU & MU | Guernsey |
| GX & MX | England – club licence (optional alternative prefix) |
| GW & MW | Wales |
Countries and purposes for G and M series call signs
Although amateur radio club stations are allocated call signs using the standard series of prefixes, they also have the option to use the other prefixes detailed in the table above to indicate that they are a club station. This can be particularly useful when they are operating in particular as a club station when they want to make their status more obvious, or for example in some ham radio contests where a new prefix has added value.
GB call signs
The GB prefix is used for a variety of special ham radio licences ranging from repeaters and beacons to data mailboxes and special even stations. It is possible to tell the use of the station and licence from the format of the callsign.
| GB call sign format | Purpose |
| GB3 + 2 letters | Repeaters |
| GB3 + 3 letters | Beacons |
| GB7 + 2 letters | Data repeaters |
| GB7 + 3 letters | Data mailboxes |
| GB + other digits not mentioned above | Special event stations |
For events such as contests it is also possible to obtain call signs consisting of the prefix plus one letter. For example MW0A could be used for a ham radio contest, etc.
Call sign examples
Listening on the amateur radio bands, a large variety of UK call signs with different prefixes can be heard. By using the above tables and information it is possible to determine much about the station using them. Although no UK call signs with serial letters in the series QAA to QZZ were issued, these can be used as examples as they do not belong to real stations. For example it can be seen that a station with the call sign G3QQQ would have been issued with a class A license and now hold a UK full licence, but it would have been issued between 1946 and 1971, well before the current licensing system was introduced. An amateur radio station with the call sign GB3QQ would be a repeater, and so forth.
As can be seen, there is a great variety in UK ham radio call signs and their prefixes. This diversity has partly arisen out of the changes in the UK ham radio or amateur radio licences and also from the need for new series of UK amateur radio call signs. As a result it is very useful to have an understanding of the make up of these call signs.