good evening im not new to amateur radio and was licensed in the 90s, my call sign is G0WXP, I was last active around the year 2000 2002ish and since then I have been working away long distance truck driving for various dutch companys and never had time for getting on the radio, also since I was last active I have been through a divorce and have now ended up in Grimsby and want to get back into my hobby that I have been interested in all my life, the problem I have got is my last address where I was licensed ,ex wifes house suffered a house fire several years ago and my ex wife cant find any documentation regarding my license or my rae and morse certificates, I am unsure how I would be able to get copies to send to Ofcom to renew my license, they did say if I can get a call book with my call sign and last address as proof that would help,, I am wondering if anyone could offer any advice please as I for one am not very clever at sorting things like this out and computers are not my best forte, I have bought a radio and im very eager to get going on cw and enjoy it all over again, any advice or even help is hugely appreciated and im sure several pints of the old amber nectar could work its way in your direction many thanks in advance, steve G0WXP

All I had to do was prove that I was the same person who held the licence before. Plus a fee for them to go digging in your old records if it was before a certain date.

So you'll probably get away with a phone call and a copy of your birth certificate.

hi chris thanks for the reply, I telephoned Ofcom and they said I would need documentation eg old license or pass certificates and I explained my ex wifes house had suffered a lot of fire damage and they mentioned something about call book with my details or trying the rsgb for copies of documents so wasn't sure what I have to do, maybe il have to try telephoning the rsgb and see if they can help, thanks chris and regards , I will post up any news .

I'm sure somebody on here will be able to do a paper trail for you from old call books.

Over to the congregation.

thankyou chris

Hi Steve
Does DN67JX ring any bells !

hi steve yes it does its my post code from where I lived at Doncaster

I have a 1997 call book with your Call sign, Name and address

hello steve,
if you need to get a replacement RAE certificate then that can be done online https://www.cityandguilds.com/help/help ... rtificates

email general.enquiries@cityandguilds.com.
Telephone : 0844 543 0033

hope that also helps.
73
mark.

So it seems that Ofcom have either lost or dumped all of our older non-electronic records.

What makes you think that?

Cheers

Tony

I think it's obvious.
Let's say I wanted to re-activate G4PDJ.
You would imagine that there would be a filing cabinet called G4P..., with 670-odd hangers in it ... leaving out G4PIS etc.
In each folder would be a Licence Application Form, a City and Guilds Pass Certificate, a copy of my Birth Certificate and a Morse Test Certificate.

Instead, I would now be asked to produce a page from an old Callbook to prove that G4PDJ ever existed in the first place, and who they issued it to.

Because they do not know.

Or maybe they've just lost the keys.

Ah, see what you mean.

I would think that once a licence lapses for a period the file would be cleared, after all, why keep info from thousands of dead people.

It's then the licence holder's responsibility to prove they're entitled to reactivate the licence.
Wasn't it once the case that if you let it lapse you had to resit?

Cheers

Tony

thankyou for the replies I appreciate it and I shall keep you informed as to how I get on , thanks again, regards,steve

"Wasn't it once the case that if you let it lapse you had to resit?
Cheers
Tony"


Gawd, that's going back a bit. I dunno to be honesr, although I do remember that the Morse test had a 'use it or lose it' date.

They must have even lost the log book of who got which call.