Call signs in Antarctica

Call signs in Antarctica include a three letter region code and a series of numbers and letters.[1][2][3]

Assignments for telecommunications
Region codeCall signLocation
ATACD 55Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva
ATACD 57Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva
ATALRF 374Marambio Base
ATACD 61Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva
ATALRF 373Esperanza Base
ATAAFANMcMurdo Sound

Assignments for amateur radio

Amateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for licensed operators in Antarctica. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by governing bodies within each country who may have nationals operating in Antarctica. Call signs may also be issued by a local Antarctic authority (i.e. base commander) who chooses from a block reserved by their national body for that purpose.[4] The Antarctic Treaty 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 International Telecommunications Union does not assign call letter blocks to Antarctica[5] since there is no single government there which can send delegates to ITU conferences. However, some individual countries reserve Antarctic prefixes or call letters from within their own call letter blocks as per this table.[6] In some cases the assignment of call letters is made locally at an Antarctic base and the relevant national body is notified.

Prefixes Country Notes
ATA, ATN, AT0 India unofficial allocation, as part of special event designation, see VU, below
CE9 Chile ITU 67, 69–74; CQ 12, 13, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39
DP0, DP1, DP2 Germany expeditionary calls, only for outside of Germany in international territories or in space, other DP numbers used in home country
ED,AO Spain also used in home country
EM Ukraine also used for special events
FT8Y France
HL8,DT8 South Korea
IA0 Italy Mario Zucchelli station, Terra Nova Bay
KC4AAx, KC4USA–KC4USZ United States KC4AAA–AAF for Byrd, McMurdo, Palmer ITU CQ zones 12–13, 30; KC4USA–KC4USZ for US Naval bases
LU#Z Argentina '#' is any numeral
LZ0 Bulgaria also for special event stations
OA0 Peru also for special event and club stations
OJ1 Finland ABOA suffix. OJ9 rarely used. OJ1 also used for World Radiosport Team Championship
OR4 Belgium Other OR4 calls have been used in home country
RI1A Russia usually three letter suffix in the form of Axx. In the past Russian bases used callsigns in the R1A series.
VK0 Australia also Heard Island and Macquarie Island
VP8 United Kingdom VP8 also used in Falkland Islands and its dependencies
VU India not distinctive to Antarctica, see AT above
ZL5, ZL9 New Zealand ZL9 is for sub-Antarctic territories, operators must have permission to land before call is issued
ZS7 South Africa
ZV0, ZX0 Brazil for ZX0, suffixes not starting with F, S, or T
3Y Norway also Bouvet Island and Peter I Island
8J1 Japan RL suffix from Syowa Station, also used for special events

Reciprocal agreements
Reciprocal Agreements by Country
  CEPT Member Nations.
  IARP Member Nations.
  Members of CEPT and IARP.
  USA and Canada Treaty, CEPT and IARP.

Although Antarctica is considered international by treaty, amateur radio operators in Antarctica are often subject to the reciprocal licensing requirements pertaining to the country under which the camp is flagged.

Special Events

The Worldwide Antarctic Program keeps a list of special event call signs issued from various countries at various times.[7] TM4IPY was issued in 2007 by France to celebrate the International Polar Year as was IA0IPY, IA8IPY, IA7IPY & IP7IPY by Italy, GB4IPY by The United Kingdom, VY0ICE/VE2 in Canada, LZ07IPY in Argentina, EV5IPY in Belarus, CQ4IPY in Portugal, SN0IPY in Poland, YE2IPY in Indonesia, S50IPY in Slovenia, 5D0IPY in Morocco, and others. These callsigns were used by amateurs in their home countries.

History of call sign allocation

The Worldwide Antarctic Program maintains current internet Bulletins as to call sign activity in the south polar region,[8] including 3,100 call signs used since 1945.

  • Australia – VK0 callsigns were used c. 1955 based on Antarctic treaties at the time. Before that Macquarie Island and Antarctic area call signs were known as VK1.
  • United States – prior to 1959 the FCC assigned KC4USx, McMurdo still uses KC4USV. Since 1959, the FCC reserves callsigns in the block KC4AAA to KC4AAF for the National Science Foundation's use at the South Pole. South Pole uses KC4AAA and Palmer uses KC4AAC.[9]
  • India – AT0A was used in 1983 for an expedition to Antarctica, as was AT3D and AT3ANT for a similar purpose from 1994 to 1996.
  • USSR – The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics assigned '4K1' as its Antarctic prefix. Upon the USSR's dissolution in 1991, this call fell within the Azerbaijani Republic's ITU allocation.[10] It is unclear if the Azerbaijani Republic still considers it as reserved for use by Antarctic stations.

Islands on the Air

The Radio Society of Great Britain assigns islands into seven world districts, including Antarctica. It assigns IOTA Groups and Reference Numbers corresponding to these areas – Antarctic Islands are AN-xxx. Some of these IOTA groups have call signs assigned by a sovereign power, others have call signs assigned according to the Antarctic Treaty. Not all of these islands fall within the Antarctic Treaty area.

IOTA # Prefix Location
AN-001 Various Callsigns Graham Land West (Adelaide Island) group
AN-002 3Y Bouvet Island
AN-003 VK0 Heard Island
AN-004 3Y Peter 1 Island
AN-005 VK0 Macquarie Island
AN-006 Various Callsigns Graham Land West (Biscoe Islands) group
AN-007 VP8 South Georgia Island
AN-008 Various Callsigns South Orkney Islands
AN-009 VP8 South Sandwich Islands
AN-010 Various Callsigns South Shetland Islands
AN-011 Various Callsigns Ross Island group
AN-012 Various Callsigns Graham Land West (Palmer Archipelago) grp
AN-013 Various Callsigns Trinity Peninsula group
AN-014 Various Callsigns Berkner Island
AN-015 Various Callsigns Queen Maud Land (Prince Harald etc.) group
AN-016 Various Callsigns Antarctica (Main Island Only)
AN-017 Various Callsigns Adelie Land group
AN-018 Various Callsigns Palmer Land West (Alexander Island) group

See also

References
  1. Hepburn, William. "Call signs". Dx Info Centre. Dx Info Centre. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. "International Call Sign Series". ARRL.org. National Association of Amateur Radio. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  3. "Callsign database by QRZ". QRZ.com. QRZ.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  4. eHam.net US Call Signs Not Issued by the FCC
  5. APPENDIX 42 Table of Allocation of International Call Sign Series Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "AC6V amateur radio prefixes". Archived from the original on 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  7. "WAP Special Events callsigns issued worldwide, including the International Polar Year". Archived from the original on 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  8. "WAP Antarctic Bulletins". Archived from the original on 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  9. The Antarctic Sun
  10. "AMATEUR RADIO PREFIXES". Archived from the original on 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
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