Your callsign must reflect your address

[VK3ALB]

Recent discussions on the forum indicate that our Amateur callsign must reflect our place of residence. For example, if you live in Victoria your callsign must begin with VK3.

Discuss.

[VK2AAH]

A question intended for the ACMA boys here on the forum... does this mean the ACMA is going to permit amateur license holders to only have one amateur callsign tied to their residential/station address (not including repeaters, beacons etc)? If so, has anyone told their management of the impending drop in income?

Is this an end to callsign banking? If not, why not?

Cheers

Richard
VK2AAH

[VK4TS]

WHY ? Where does it say that in the LCD ? Just asking for clarity

[VK5ZD]

WHY ? Where does it say that in the LCD ? Just asking for clarity

There's nothing about it in the LCD.
There used to be a page on the old ACMA site explaining how amateur callsigns were derived, including the state indicator. I can't find any reference to it on the new ACMA site.
I know of one ham that moved interstate at the beginning of this year. He advised ACMA of his new address. Since then his licence has been renewed. No one has told him he has to get a new callsign.

My guess (and that's all it is) is that, provided the ACMA get their $$$ each year, they don't care. The actual address of a licence holder is there for all to see in the 'Register of Radiocommunications Licences' so, apart from upsetting some amateurs, does it really matter? (BTW, it's amazing how some people manage to fit their station into a PO box ).

[VK2JH]

Yep,

You pay your money and you get a renewal indicating your new address..

John
VK2JH
VK4JHC
Mount Hallen Qld
4312

[VK3BQ]

(BTW, it's amazing how some people manage to fit their station into a PO box ).

I use a po box. And was required to provide an "operating address" of the license. My paper license shows a postal address (as does radcom) and an operating address on the body of the license . Acma know where I am.

[VK4GHZ]

Wasn't there a relaxation in how the external territories callsign blocks were allocated, and where the station really is?
ie; a VK9L may not necessarily be on Lord Howe.

Where is the consistency?

[VK4TS]

There is consistency...

They are consistently inconsistent....

[VK8VTX]

i have both a vk8 and vk4 calls because life is the late 20th and early 21 first century's is uncertain and you never know when you
have to up and move again. many Australians are on the move at any one time. yes the call should reflect where your living
but it should also take into consideration that that people move around and are not garden gnomes

73's

Joe
VK8VTX/VK4VTX

[VK2AVR]

As an engineer, I like things to be consistent. We are taught that VK2 means NSW, VK3 means Victoria etc. If you move, you should update your call. I get confused when someone says VK1 and they actually live in VK2, it is against general practice.

It's also important for ACMA to treat this consistently.

It sounds like as long as somebody doesn't complain that things are allowed to slip but when someone does complain they need to act. This has the effect of giving you a long grace period to make things right.

There should be no reason why we can't regulate ourselves, and do the right thing before it becomes a problem.

It's no use complaining that NZ, US, etc don't have call areas. We do, and that's the end of it. What happens if a radio station or TV station moved? It would need to change its station name as well, they have regional calls too!

[VK2AXL]

The UK comprises of 4 countries and several separately governed island groups (3 I think) and they all have their own prefix. But I use the same license and the same callsign in all of them, I just change to the relevant prefix as I cross the border.

Aus could easily adopt a similar system. In fact I don't know why they don't. There are less hams in Aus than UK so it would be easier. However that would lead to a complete re-organisation and we would all have to change our callsigns.

If we all stay very quiet we will be able to hear the distant rumble of 2 letter call owners heads exploding as they read that last line.

Hate mail to the usual address.

[VK2IL]

As a Defence member, I regularly (annually) used to change address, usually between different states of Australia.
I was sick and tired of constantly changing callsigns so I approached ACMA on the matter who told me just to advise change of address and keep the callsign which suited me. This drew immense rebuke including vulgar language and threats from certain operators when posting on VKlogger just because I was in VK2 but signing VK4***.
Did note over the years though that my details would often "revert" to some address that I had lived at many years before and referred to operating from some completely different address from years before.
Now that I have left Defence and have my own home, I change address once again with ACMA who have now taken a full month and not changed the address. I s'pose Rome wasn't built in a day and nor was the ACMA licence register.

[VK4WDM]

"people move around and are not garden gnomes"

I am sure that some of the contacts I have are with garden gnomes, especially on 40m

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK2OMD]

...
Now that I have left Defence and have my own home, I change address once again with ACMA who have now taken a full month and not changed the address. I s'pose Rome wasn't built in a day and nor was the ACMA licence register.

Check your licence when you get it, the licence I was issued after 5 weeks had the wrong address on it, and by 6 weeks I had the correct licence.

Owen

[VK3ZAZ]

As a Defence member, I regularly (annually) used to change address, usually between different states of Australia.
I was sick and tired of constantly changing callsigns so I approached ACMA on the matter who told me just to advise change of address and keep the callsign which suited me. This drew immense rebuke including vulgar language and threats from certain operators when posting on VKlogger just because I was in VK2 but signing VK4***.
Did note over the years though that my details would often "revert" to some address that I had lived at many years before and referred to operating from some completely different address from years before.
Now that I have left Defence and have my own home, I change address once again with ACMA who have now taken a full month and not changed the address. I s'pose Rome wasn't built in a day and nor was the ACMA licence register.

As is said there are more KL7s in lower 48 than KL7s in KL7
and as for the rest of the bunch in USA half the callsigns are not where you would think.
And then we have the issue of issuing ZEROS for Aliens like YJ0 ZL0 G0 M0
They are callsigns nothing more or less
If u think it takes time to get a call address changed, the callbook is once per year
Drivers lic you get a sticker on the back which wears off.
As to why you think your callsign should reflect your address I am unsure of what your issue is.
Many have silent addresses.
Why do you want to be known in the public domain?
Your point is?
As a defence guy you had special priviledges with r.t. your car rego and drivers licence did you not?
The reason for wanting your address in the public domain?
ACMA is lic body so is DMV
I thought it was 3 or 6 months.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
How about you update qrz.com, vclub loog, hrd log eqsl etc yourself.
No offence but I am over this /P VK/4 issue/debate it is a callsign nothing more or less.
have you typed in your call on Google/QRZ to see who you are and where you are?

[VK3ZAZ]

"people move around and are not garden gnomes"

I am sure that some of the contacts I have are with garden gnomes, especially on 40m

Wayne VK4WDM

Can they DUPE?

They sound like gnomes es the cw
dah di darh

[VK4WDM]

Hi Steve

No gnomes on 6m. Plenty of other hairy old blokes though

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK2GOM]

I was looking at a popular radio-related club website today, and it turns out one of the officials lives in Canberra, but operates with a VK2 callsign.

I guess he's OK until someone complains...

73 - Rob VK2GOM / GW0MOH

[VK2TY]

Hi all,

I'm Spanish, I can share with you how is there:

- The "ACMA" wants the address of your radiating antennas just in case there is an interference complaint.

- And when there is an interference in your area they will inspect you (no previous monitoring or investigations: you are close, so it must be you...). This was particulary annoying back in the days of the pirate QRO 27 MHz stations (their address was not in the "ACMA" books.

- Ages ago, the "WIA" had a callbook with our address. Changes in privacy laws prevent them from doing it anymore. As a license holder, your address can be disclosed by the "ACMA" to any member of the public (small fee involved) but his/her details are logged and no further dissemination of the details (name, address) is allowed.

- If you change your address to another district, you will plan to install antennas at some point. The "ACMA" will insist in issuing you a new licence prior to allowing you to install your antennas in the new district. It is a bureaucratic problem for them to have transmitters operating in one district with licences issued in another (they treat us like broadcasters).

- If you don't feel the need/urge to legalize the antennas in your new district (because you live in a rural property, for example) no one cares (among the amateur community) and you will be invisible for the "ACMA" unless you create some trouble (interferences).



I understand that the Australian culture is different to the Spanish one, in terms like risk aversion, law abiding and civil rights.

As an engineer, I like things simple and functional.

Carlos

[VK2AAH]

I'm sorry Carlos but what are you talking about? I think you are trying to describe what it is like in Spain but I'm not sure how that relates to Australia...

If I want to find a license holder's address, unless it is a post office box, it is available for free on the ACMA database:
http://web.acma.gov.au/pls/radcom/regis ... .main_page

No fees, and I don't know where you got the idea that privacy laws have caused the demise of the callbook (maybe in Spain, but not here in Australia)... technology killed the call book. Why do I need to buy a paper call book when I can get the data in real time off ACMA on line or qrz.com?

And you seem to have a beef with ACMA (might be the Spanish ACMA? I found it hard to understand...) doing random audits. This has been explained before... when they (ACMA field officers) get a job in your area (and it can be totally related to amateur radio) they often have time to fill waiting... so rather than heading for the pub they look in the database to see what other services are in the area. That can be an amateur, it can be a commercial radio site... but it is no government conspiracy- just the few guys left trying to do their job.

Cheers

Richard
VK2AAH