Special Event Call Signs GB22

For the Commonwealth Games, in addition to the HQ station GB22HQ, the RSGB is activating seven “Special” Special Event call signs, one each from the four UK Home Nations and three Crown Dependencies.

The call signs are: GB22GE England, GB22GM Scotland, GB22GW Wales, GB22GI Northern Ireland, GB22GJ Jersey, GB22GU Guernsey and GB22GD Isle of Man.

The call signs will be activated from 25 July 2022 for 28 days.

Can you help by putting one of the GB22 calls on the air?

From 25 July until 21 August 2022, the special call signs will be available for activation by RSGB affiliated clubs or individual RSGB members. As there are awards available for QSOs with the special calls, for the benefit of amateurs who are chasing them we want to activate the calls whenever possible.

Taking part is very simple and we would really appreciate it if you could volunteer for one or more sessions. You can operate from home, a club or a public event, or maybe even out portable (but then don’t use /p after the call sign please).

Each call sign has a volunteer coordinator who will be responsible for allocating operating slots in the activation schedule and will collect the log files from those who have been activating. For each call sign the schedule is shown at the bottom of its QRZ.com page.

To take part you must please first check the relevant Activation Schedule on QRZ.com for a slot to suit your availability. Then contact the call sign coordinator, who will be keen to help. They will book you in and update the schedule.

The full schedule of call signs with links to both the QRZ.com pages and to the email addresses of coordinators is..

If you are logged in to QRZ.com you will see the coordinator’s email address at the top of QRZ.com page (look for.. Email: Use mouse to view..).

Activation Rules

So what are the rules governing activation and how can you qualify to activate or supervise others who wish to activate one of these call signs?

• You must be a full licensee, an RSGB member, and you must join the RSGB Contest Club to be able to operate under the terms of the licence (a very simple process that does not oblige you to take part in any contests). The call sign coordinator can enrol you in the RSGB Contest Club if you are not already a member
• Each call sign may only be activated from the Nation or Crown Dependency denoted by the suffix – for example GB22GE is exclusively for England
• Providing your call sign or that of your group is shown on the QRZ.com schedule for the call sign as the “Activator Call”, you can operate
• You must use computer logging and must send your log as an ADIF file to the call sign coordinator at the end of your activation slot please. They will be able to offer you advice with this if you are unsure

Having sent in your ADIF file log, as an activator you will have no responsibility for Paper QSL cards, Club Log uploads or LoTW uploads, as these will be carried out by other RSGB volunteers, with Charles Wilmott, M0OXO, kindly agreeing to be the QSL manager for the call signs.

For further instructions on activating a GB22 call sign please download our frequently asked questions document: GB22 Commonwealth Games Activators (70kb pdf file)

How to get a QSL Card

If you would like a QSL card for a QSO with one or more of the special call signs then please follow the instructions on the relevant QRZ.com page. Bureau card will be available free of charge; cards by direct post will be subject to a postage and packing charge.