Every amateur radio operator has a call-sign issued to them by their government or licensing body. In the UK this is OFCOM.
Call-signs are individually issued and you can recognise which country is calling as each has a unique code.
Each have a prefix (country code) and suffix (individual letters for the station). So my call of M0RMY indicates that I'm licensed in England (M0 = a full license in England, (intermediate and foundation are different prefixes) and the letters RMY are unique to me.
As I've been operating in Scotland, my temporary call here is MM0RMY - the extra "M" indicates that I'm transmitting in Scotland. Hams take logbooks of contacts very seriously. It's traditional to exchange confirmation of a contact by sending a card with details of the QSO to the other station. These are known as QSL cards (those 'Q' codes again). Physical paper cards sent in the post are the ultimate, but in the modern world, internet QSL confirmation is also used.
Not a formal logbook-- will upload that when I'm home. A list of callsigns I've managed to contact. Just for information.
See if you can spot your call sign. I'm grateful to all who heard me.
M3YSB John / G3PDQ Derek / M5STC Steve / S51DX Janez / MW0PAI Adrian / LZ144GO Balkan radio club / PA50PKZ Peter (50 years a ham) / IZ6BXU Toni / ON4BW Jon / MW6AQT Leigh / EI4JT Wes / M6TJT Rich / M7NHC Nick / G4KJU Ron / 2E0CRV Simon / G8VMP Keith / M0JCF Mark / M7ENV Mark / M0XXT Callum (who?) / G4IAR Dave / MM0UDI Robbie / M0CQL Andy / GB4NPT John / G6AD Ady / M7GTP Jez / 2E0MNN Lee / G3VCG Don / G0PMJ Dave / G3OKA John / G1NYJ Dave / MI7TMQ Tony / G4NXL Malc / M0KEN Kevin / 2E0FMI Bill / G4KLT Lawrence / M0PAE Phil / M3ZDZ Daz / M0DSZ Hugh / M7GTP Jeremy / 2M0KIE Keith / G0GMR David / PA3GEG Gerald / DL4YAO Chris / KC1KUJ Brayden / DC1DA Daniele / EB1DJ Alex / G4VMM Steve / M1ANN Alan / DJ7LM Alex / M0CLG Graham / DK8WG Claus / II0WRTC WRTC award / II3WRTC WRTC award / S57DX Slavko / PY6RT Roberto / PJ2/K4JC Vincent / VE3CRG Brian / EA1FHR David / PC4DX Jan / PD0DCH Cor / NC1CC Don / VE1CHW Rob / S51DX Janez / HA4FB Yuri / YU1XA Blagomir / ES5TTT Amir (many thanks Amir) / K9RX Gary / WP4L Alberto / OC5VU Nat / N1UR Ed / K3LR Timothy / CJ3A Ron / K4ZW Kenneth / KQ2A Victor / K1DW Dallas / K8AZ Thomas / GB100BBC Steve / 2E0WGA Anthony / M0NMI David / 2E0EII John / M0MJA Bob / GE4NOO Mike / M0UAC Dave / G3VOF Martin / G8RZA Andy / M7ENV Mark / GW3XHG Dave / MW0GOV Colin / M1EUZ Tony / GM8OFQ Geoff / PB5X Bob / 2I0FIP John / MI7CYL Liam (This was Liam's first HF contact as a young ham) / 2E0KCI Nathan / PA9RW Rodney / ON6YPT Greg / M3NFU Tony / GW0SSI Osmond / GM6ZAK Andy / G4HPE Steve / GB80LAN Graham / G0AJH John / IV3WTJ Alberto / PD6CQ Pierre / GM5BPX Barry / ON9CGB Bill / DB7LG Peter / IZ2LVY Andrea / G6INU Doug / F8CPA Michel / OS8D Etienne / M0MCV Bob / PC2K Klaus / EA1HJO Juan/ G0CNN Ian