[Dxbase] [dxbase] VK9 callsigns and your DXbase prefix database- Joe wa6axe

Wed Jul 27 13:26:59 EDT 2011

Didn't updating to 1.07 or 1.08 in the last several months included the VK9
changes from 2009????? ((2009??)
73 de KE4WY Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: dxbase-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:dxbase-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Wes Stewart
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 11:19 AM
To: dxbase at mailman.qth.net; dxbase at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Dxbase] [dxbase] VK9 callsigns and your DXbase prefix
database- Joe wa6axe
So I guess that the new DXBase2050 will remove all of the funny suffix
letters from the Prefix column, when it's released.
--- On Wed, 7/27/11, Joe WA6AXE <wa6axe at hotmail.com> wrote:
ALL;
Back in 2009, the VK9 callsigns CHANGED .. Here is the info that was passed
back in Oct 2009
//quote//
Friday, October 23, 2009

VK9 Callsign Changes
VK9 C, L, M, N, W & X deleted from DX equation
The Australian
 Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has decided to discontinue the
use of a VK9 callsign suffix letter to denote each of the six Australian
external territories, each a DX entity.
The
long-standing prefixes included VK9C for Cocos (Keeling) Island, VK9L Lord
Howe Island, VK9M Mellish Reef, VK9N Norfolk Island, VK9W Willis Island and
VK9X Christmas Island.
The Wireless Institute of
Australia (WIA), under its role of providing ham radio licence examinations
and issuing amateur certificates of proficiency, also recommends each and
every amateur radio callsign issued by the ACMA.
On
 taking on new roles earlier this year it began to query the practices 
in relation to VK9 callsigns, then consulted the amateur radio community
 and came to the view that it could not support having a suffix letter 
as a geographic identifier in VK9 callsigns.
The ACMA itself has 
not stuck with the VK9 callsign tradition over the years when issuing 
licences and some DXers requested a callsign contrary to the historic or
 DXCC list suffix block.
VK9Y has also been used for Cocos and 
VK9Z for Mellish, and often, particularly recently, if a VK9 callsign 
was requested it would be issued. 
The ACMA having not rigidly 
applied its own VK9 callsign policy, and wanting to eliminate where-ever
 possible administrative tasks related to the amateur radio service, 
decided that the historic VK9 callsigns are a thing of the past.
From
 1 November, callsigns for the VK9 DX entities will fall in line with 
the practice for issuing callsigns for all other VK call areas, with the
 suffix only to denoting the class of licence issued - Advanced, 
Standard or Foundation.
Licences with a VK9 callsign issued to 
visiting overseas radio amateurs will only be for a short-term if 
requested or for a maximum 12 months period, and not be automatically 
renewed.
A VK ham or visiting radio amateur does not necessarily 
require a VK9 callsign, although most do for DXing, contesting or QSLing
 purposes.
Under the provisions of the Amateur Licence Conditions
 Determination, portable operation is permitted with a radio amateur 
using their home callsign /VK9 and stating their location.
Jim Linton VK3PC
//end of quote//
What this means -- is that our Refdata entity prefixes that have been
long-standing as a FIXED thing -- is not a rigidly fixed
prefix anymore ... Whenever you log a VK9 callsign -- there is a REALLY GOOD
CHANCE that you will have to CHANGE the
Prefix column of your logbook to the entity that the DX Station is REALLY IN
...  
Since they changed to this new VK9 callsign system back in Nov 2009 --- you
will simply have to keep 
an eye on WHERE the DX Station is truely located and log the QSO - but,
change the Prefix (if needed) and
when the pop-up window open asking if you want to MAP VK9.. to a particular
entity - allow that to MAP
by saying Yes ... 
This new system surely doesn't help the automatic logging of QSOs - without
the user being 
attentive to the possibility of a change needed..
JUST FYI ...
73 Joe wa6axe

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