ARLA/CLUSTER: Radioamador britanico investiga indicativos usados por familias reais de visita ao Reino Unido

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Royal Radio Hams

A website lists those members of Royal families that it believes may
have held amateur radio callsigns

The page at http://highfields-arc.co.uk/call/royalty.htm contains a
number of Royals said to have held amateur callsigns although no
indication is given as to whether the Royals concerned actually had to
pass any exams to get the callsign. The possible lack of any amateur
exams never seemed to bothered those amateurs who eagerly queued up at
the chance to talk to Royalty and get a Royal QSL card.

It is understood that when one Royal visited the UK he applied for a
reciprocal amateur radio licence, however, since he had not taken any
relevant exams the UK regulator wouldn't issue him with an HF licence
and instead, as a diplomatic courtesy, gave him a callsign limited to
operation on VHF and above.

However, identifying which members of Royal Families have had amateur
radio callsigns can be fraught with hazard and doubt must be cast on
one of those mentioned on this list and indeed on other lists of
famous hams that are available on the web.

The list attributes several callsigns to Prince Al-Walid bin Talal bin
Abdul Aziz Al Saud (named by Forbes as the world's 26th richest
person, something which he very strongly disputes). The first is
HZ1TA, however, a casual look through the web reveals a QSL card from
a Prince Talal Al Saud HZ1TA dated 1951, over 62 years ago. Apart from
the difference in names the picture of Prince Al-Walid bin Talal bin
Abdul Aziz Al Saud and the age of the QSL card simply do not match.

Another callsign attributed to the Prince is HZ1TC, yet an entry at
http://www.qrz.com/db/HZ1AN indicates that HZ1TC was issued to a
Prince Khalid Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The third call the Prince has been attributed with is SU1VN but the
web indicates that callsign was held by Prince Тalal Bin Аbdel Аziz Al
Saud, a completely different name.

No credible indications that Prince Al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz
Al Saud has ever held an amateur callsign could be found, however, if
anyone knows differently or knows of any other members of Royal
families with amateur callsigns please email
amateurcallsigns  yahoo.com

Royal Radio Amateurs
http://highfields-arc.co.uk/call/royalty.htm

Trevor M5AKA