US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
from
The ARRL Letter
on
November 12, 2009
Website:
http://www.arrl.org/
View comments about this article!
US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
If you're an American ham, chances are that your call sign was
issued by the Federal Communications Commission. A "no brainer," right?
Well, if you're an American ham who happens to be stationed at
Guantanamo Bay or at one of the US bases in the Antarctic, your call
sign is not issued by the FCC -- it's issued by the base commander.
Guantanamo Bay (or Gitmo as it's commonly called) uses the KG4 prefix,
followed by a two-letter suffix; this block is reserved exclusively for
American hams at Gitmo. As for Antarctica, the Antarctic Treaty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System, signed on
December 1, 1959 (and entered into force on June 23, 1961), established
the legal framework for the management of Antarctica, including
allocation of amateur call signs; the National Science Foundation
received their block on July 1, 1959. US military hams in Japan and
Korea are also issued special call signs:
- KA2AA-KA9ZZ -- reserved for US Army-authorized amateur stations in
Japan.
- KC4AAA-KC4AAF -- reserved for the National Science Foundation's use
at the South Pole
http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1701.
- KC4USA-KC4USZ -- reserved for US Navy-authorized amateur stations at
their Antarctic bases.
- KG4AA-KG4ZZ -- reserved for US Navy-authorized amateur stations at
Guantanamo Bay).
http://members.visi.net/%7Everb/index.html
- KL9KAA -- KL9KHZ -- reserved for assignment to US personnel stationed
in Korea.
- The 40 call signs having the first two letters AF, KF, NF or WF and
the letters "EMA" following a numeral are available to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The FCC once issued call signs to hams who lived in the Caroline
Islands and the Marshall Islands. Even though these entities -- former
United Nations Trust Territories -- now have their own sovereignty (and
DXCC prefixes), the FCC will not issue call signs in the following
blocks:
- KC6AA-KC6ZZ -- KC6 was two DXCC entities: The Eastern Caroline
Islands and the Western Caroline Islands. The Eastern Carolines became
the Federated States of Micronesia (V6) and the Western Carolines
became the Republic of Palau (T8).
- KX6AA-KX6ZZ -- the former Marshall Islands, now the Republic of the
Marshall Islands (V73).
You can find out more
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=call_signs_3&id=amateur&page=1#2&ref=
on the FCC's Web site. Now you know!
Source:
The ARRL Letter
This article has expired. No more comments may be added.
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US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
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by K3SI on November 15, 2009
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It's always been that way. Iwas in Gitmo in 1970 and athat is the way it was. I wasn't licensed at the time but my Division officer was so I helped him with antennas. It was also done that way in the Canal zone, KZ5 prefix. So what's the big deal?
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US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
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by KQ2P on November 17, 2009
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Mail this to a friend!
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Did You ever get on from KG4AN ? The walk from the warf to the station was nice as long as you stayed on the road and out of the mine fields !
I miss GITMO ! X- WB2RLA/MM
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RE: US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
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by N5TGL on November 17, 2009
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The big deal is for those of us who didn't know about it.
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US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
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by HL9DX on November 17, 2009
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I received my HL9DX call from the US Army MARS Director in Korea. I don't ever recall any KL9KAA-KL9KHZ calls there. All HL9 are reserved for this purpose.
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KA Japan Callsigns Inactive?
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by KQ6XA on November 20, 2009
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We do not see KA callsigns on the air from Japan any more. Contrary to the information in this posting... years ago, the the KA callsigns were issued to all branches of the US mil service in Japan on bases there, not just the Army.
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US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
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by W0IW on November 20, 2009
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Mail this to a friend!
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I was stationed down in Gitmo for a few months & during Hurricane Hugo..ie 1990's.. back in the early 90's.. My Gitmo call sign was KG4FB the commander at the time was some guy named Steve something and his call sign was KG4SM they took my ham call sign at the time and dropped a few letters using only the suffix.. At the time my us call sign was N0FBC so... I was KG4FB K G 4 FINE BUSINESS i was in the US NAvy from 1987 to 1992 I got out after I was in dessert Storm stationed in Saudi...
73
Joe Leto
WØIW
EX KG4FB
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RE: US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC:
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by NA6M on November 21, 2009
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I took my General exam in the Canal Zone in 1977. After passing the test I was handed a sheet of paper that had two letter groups ordered into columns alphabetically. Some were scratched out and there were obvious gaps in the list. With a puzzled look, I asked what the list was for. The examiner smiled and said I was holding a list of available call signs and to pick mine out of the list. I ended up with KZ5CC.
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