Amateur radio call signs of Oceania
Encyclopedia
Amateur radio or ham radio
call signs
are unique identifiers for more than 2,500 licensed operators in the western Pacific
. Call signs
are regulated internationally by the ITU
as well as nationally by island national entities, some of which are independent countries and others are under colonial administration. For the purposes of this article, Australia
, its dependencies and New Zealand
are excluded. Also not included are Oceanic Indonesian areas of Irian Jaya and the Maluku Islands
.
Since callsign allocation from the International Telegraph Union is administered by national political authorities and international mandates, it is a story of colonial transition within the 20th Century.
has assigned countries in the Oceania
the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; countries and territories in Oceania are located in ITU Region 3. They cover CQ Zones 27, 28, 31, 32 and 12.
The 1947 Atlantic City ITU Conference reallocated call sign blocks some developing island nations. This time New Hebrides was assigned YJA-YJZ. All other islands were assigned call prefixes according to their colonial or protectorate status.
Since 1947 and the various independence movements, new call signs were assigned by the ITU or a new host country. This is particularly true of Japanese territories occupied by the United States following WWII.
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
call signs
Call Signs
Call Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
are unique identifiers for more than 2,500 licensed operators in the western Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. Call signs
Call Signs
Call Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
are regulated internationally by the ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
as well as nationally by island national entities, some of which are independent countries and others are under colonial administration. For the purposes of this article, Australia
Amateur radio call signs of Australia
Amateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 19,500 licensed operators in Australia. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by the Australian Communications and Media Authority which is Australia’s regulator for broadcasting,...
, its dependencies and New Zealand
Amateur radio call signs of New Zealand
Amateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 6,000 licensed operators in New Zealand. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by The Ministry of Economic Development...
are excluded. Also not included are Oceanic Indonesian areas of Irian Jaya and the Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
.
Since callsign allocation from the International Telegraph Union is administered by national political authorities and international mandates, it is a story of colonial transition within the 20th Century.
Call sign blocks for telecommunication
The International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
has assigned countries in the Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:
Melanesia
| Call sign block | Melanesia | Apprx. # hams |
|---|---|---|
| 3DN - 3DZ | Fiji (Conway Reef, Rotuma) | 384 |
| FK | New Caledonia (France) | 266 |
| P2A - P2Z | Papua New Guinea | 230 |
| H4A - H4Z | Solomon Islands | 91 |
| YJA - YJZ | Vanuatu | 121 |
Micronesia
| Call sign block | Micronesia | Apprx. # hams |
|---|---|---|
| V6A - V6Z | Federated States of Micronesia | 192 |
| AH2, KH2, NH2, WH2 | Guam (USA) | |
| T2A - T3Z | Kiribati | 174 |
| V7A - V7Z | Marshall Islands | 118 |
| C2A - C2Z | Nauru | 41 |
| AHØ, KHØ, NHØ, WHØ | Northern Mariana Islands (USA) | 121 |
| T8A - T8Z | Palau | 201 |
| AH9, KH9, NH9, WH9 | Wake Island (USA) | |
Polynesia
| Call sign block | Polynesia | Apprx. # hams |
|---|---|---|
| AH8, KH8, NH8, WH8 | American Samoa (USA) | |
| CEØ(A, E, F, Y), XQØY, XRØ(Y, Z) | Easter Island (Chile) | |
| FO | French Polynesia (France) | 400 |
| AH6, KH6, NH6, WH6 | Hawaii (USA) | |
| VP6 | Pitcairn Islands (UK) | 37 |
| 5WA - 5WZ | Samoa | 113 |
| A3A - A3Z | Tonga | 179 |
| T2A - T2Z | Tuvalu | 48 |
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; countries and territories in Oceania are located in ITU Region 3. They cover CQ Zones 27, 28, 31, 32 and 12.
History of call sign allocation
The conference held in 1927 assigned call prefixes mainly to colonial powers. The only modern Oceanic nation mentioned was an Anglo-French condominium lasting from 1906 until 1980, when the New Hebrides gained their independence as Vanuatu. New Hebrides was assigned YHA-YHZ.The 1947 Atlantic City ITU Conference reallocated call sign blocks some developing island nations. This time New Hebrides was assigned YJA-YJZ. All other islands were assigned call prefixes according to their colonial or protectorate status.
Since 1947 and the various independence movements, new call signs were assigned by the ITU or a new host country. This is particularly true of Japanese territories occupied by the United States following WWII.
Deleted or changed DXCC entities in Oceania since WWII
| Call sign block | Deleted entity | Changed to | New prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| KR6 KR8, JR6, KA6 | Okinawa (US military) | Japan | JR6RAA-JR6ZZZ, JS6 |
| KAØ | Iwo Jima (US military) | Japan | JD1 |
| KC6 | Eastern Carolines | Micronesia | V6 |
| KC6 | Western Carolines | Palau | T8 |
| JZ0 7J1 PK5 | Netherlands New Guinea | Irian Jaya (Indonesia) | YB9 |
| VR6 | Pitcairn Islands | Pitcairn Islands | VP6 |
| KA#, KB6, KC#, KG | USA Islands | standard US prefix | KH# |
See also
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- Call signsCall SignsCall Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
- ITU prefix - amateur and experimental stations
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- Amateur radio license