Australia introduces amateur callsigns for life

If you upgraded your amateur licence in Australia you had to get a new callsign.

Same with moving interstate.

Now the rules have changed. You can upgrade your licence and keep your callsign if you like it. Details from ACMA here:

https://www.acma.gov.au/changes-amateur-radio-call-sign-policy

What people hear from VK will also change. For example our four letter suffix Foundation callsigns allow 10w output on a few bands. But under the new rules Foundation holders can upgrade to our Standard or Advanced licence and keep their callsign. So you might hear some four letter suffixes on 20 metres in the future. Like with the US system you can look up their licence category online.

A video on this topic is here:

 

I have kept my novice call sign since it was issued. KA8VNG sounds to good on CW to change it.

 

I'd imagine the 4 letter Foundation folks would be super eager to get rid of those calls! Can't do FT8 with a long suffix.

 

Why is that?

 

Great idea, we have been doing this option in the usa for years!

 

I was one of the lucky ones on the "old" system. Got VK2BOB when I lived in Sydney, then managed to grab VK4BOB when I moved to Cairns in the tropics. Three guesses what my name is. Now I can use both as I kept the VK2BOB callsign for old times sake.

 

Are you happy about this?
I don't understand to Japan.

73
JF1IRQ

 

Great for all of you down there. I got KN1KOB back in 1959 as a NOVICE and have been an EXTRA as K1KOB
61 years a HAM
73 Ralph K1KOB

 

What happens in Australia stays in Australia.

 

Actually, you can use a longer call in FT8. The simple explanation as to why you wouldn't want to is that it gets compressed and isn't as easy for the software to decode it.

See Section 10 Special Call Signs (page 32) of the following PDF for the technical details:
https://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/FT8_Operating_Tips.pdf

 

Works perfectly fine with long suffixes.

 

Great to hear. Enjoy!

 

What a joke Foundation license limited to 10w on some bands! Never thought those linear amps or 200w rigs would go that low!
And shifting to another call area and not changing pre-fix immediately will make all DX awards unreliable!
Personally I am glad only 2 letter calls will be issued to Advanced licenses some amateurs might actually be motivated to upgrade!

 

10 watts is plenty for working the world, and people should have incentive to upgrade. A taste of DX provides just that.

 

Licenses in vk are 15% foundation, 15% standard, 70% advanced. Its been like that for ages. People are upgrading all the time.