International Call Sign Series and the ARRL DXCC List

AC6V

unread,

Dec 28, 2002, 10:51:07 AM12/28/02

to

Seems to be some confusion about this.

By International agreement, callsigns used by the world are set by the ITU
(not the ARRL or FCC)-- see URL:
http://life.itu.ch/radioclub/rr/ap42.htm

The DXCC list is the ARRL list of entities for award purposes. Includes
countries, islands, reefs and whatever else !!!
http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/ For example 3D2 Conway reef is listed
as a DXCC entity.
But you won't find 3D2 Conway reef on the ITU List -- it is not a "country"
and belongs to the Republic of Fiji. So if you work Conway Reef and then
Fiji -- you have 2 DXCC entities.

Further the DXCC list gives mostly "primary" and a few "secondary" prefixes.
Example the DXCC list gives PP-PY as Brazil but from the ITU list so does
ZVA-ZZZ and you will hear ZZ stations during contests and perhaps special
events. So if you work a PY - PP and a ZZ -- you only have one DXCC entity
unless you snagged DXCC entities -- Fernando de Noronha, -- St. Peter & St.
Paul Rocks or -- Trindade & Martim Vaz Is. The latter usually have PP0 as a
way to differentiate.

Another example -- YBA-YHZ Indonesia (Republic of) But also has 7A-7I,
8A-8I, JZ, PK-PO. The DXCC list only gives Indonesia as YB-YH

And you thought P5 was North Korea -- well so is HM as well as P5 thru P9
!!! (P2 thru P4 belong to other countries)

Now try and figure out where 1A0 Sov. Mil. Order of Malta came from -- the
DXCC list sez unofficial prefix !! Not on the ITU list, however.

So to weed thru the alphabet soup and prefix mush -- try URL:
http://ac6v.com/prefixes.htm

This with the ARRL DXCC List should clarify what you worked or tried to.

The USA FCC assigns callsigns for US and territories - within the ITU
framework. District numbers don't mean much these days. The islands, Alaska,
Hawaii, and US territories are somewhat defined. But N8xx could be on Hawaii
!!! Hopefully he/she ID's with N8xx/KH6

Then there is Islands On The Air (IOTA) --set by RSGB
--
I Doubt, Therefore I Might Be
73 From AC6V, Rod In Oceanside, CA
http://ac6v.com

AC6V

unread,

Dec 28, 2002, 2:15:22 PM12/28/02

to

Indeed Sir Walter -- to say nothing of WPX
Gad I worked the XYZ2002DXX -- A new one

--
I Doubt, Therefore I Might Be
73 From AC6V, Rod In Oceanside, CA
http://ac6v.com

"Walt Davidson" <wal...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:elqr0vk518vr598l1...@4ax.com...

> On Sat, 28 Dec 2002 15:51:07 GMT, "AC6V" <ac...@amsat.org> wrote:
>
> >But N8xx could be on Hawaii
> >!!! Hopefully he/she ID's with N8xx/KH6
>

> But that is just the point, Rod .... these days, he/she seldom does
> append the KH6.

>
> >Then there is Islands On The Air (IOTA) --set by RSGB
>

> Indeed. And that opens up a whole new can of worms!
>
> :-)
>
> Happy holidays de G3NYY
>
> --
> Walt Davidson Email: g3nyy @freeuk.com

Doug Smith

unread,

Dec 28, 2002, 2:24:09 PM12/28/02

to

Walt Davidson wrote:
> >But N8xx could be on Hawaii
> >!!! Hopefully he/she ID's with N8xx/KH6
>

> But that is just the point, Rod .... these days, he/she seldom does
> append the KH6.

I suppose when it comes down to it, it depends on what they're doing on
the air.

If he/she just brought a rig to keep skeds with friends back home in
Ohio, there really isn't much need to sign /KH6. The people they're
working already know where they are. If they're, say, in a contest &
trying to generate a pileup, the /KH6 is important - and it'll get
sent.

For most of us on the mainland USA, we really don't see the need.
Tennessee isn't that much rarer than Illinois, and about equally active
with Wisconsin and Indiana - people aren't going to be disappointed to
learn I'm not in 9-land, and they're not going to be disappointed they
passed me up thinking I *was* in 9-land. I suppose it might be
different if you were a W6 living in New York, or a W1 in California, or
something like that. Then again, an awful lot of people these days are
using the Internet or callsign CDs which remove most of the mystery.
(more than a few times, a European I've never worked before says "HI
DOUGLAS" and knows I'm in Cheatham County...)

There is one place where I will sign /4. That's on VHF CW/SSB, when I'm
working a weak station and am afraid he'll spin his antenna the wrong
way if he thinks I'm in Chicago. Problem is, at least 60% of the time
he doesn't *hear* the /4 and points up north anyway...
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Paulo Marcondes

unread,

Jan 9, 2003, 7:17:52 PM1/9/03

to

AC6V wrote:

> Further the DXCC list gives mostly "primary" and a few "secondary" prefixes.
> Example the DXCC list gives PP-PY as Brazil but from the ITU list so does
> ZVA-ZZZ and you will hear ZZ stations during contests and perhaps special
> events. So if you work a PY - PP and a ZZ -- you only have one DXCC entity
> unless you snagged DXCC entities -- Fernando de Noronha, -- St. Peter & St.
> Paul Rocks or -- Trindade & Martim Vaz Is. The latter usually have PP0 as a
> way to differentiate.

A bit late, but maybe still usefull.

PP-PY prefixes are only given to A and B class hams.
Class C hams have the PU prefix. Class D (VHF only) use the
ZZ prefix.

The Brazilian Oceanic Islands all use 0 (zero) after the
prefix, and the first letter of name of the island...e.g.:
Fernando de Noronha PY0F, PU0F
St. Peter and S. Paul Rocks are PY0S, PU0S
Trindade is PY0T, PU0T
Martim Vaz is PY0M, PU0M
Rocas Atoll is PY0R and PU0R

You won´t probably hear Rocas, Martim Vaz or St. Peter & St.
Paul with their "regular" callsigns for they are
uninhabited. You would hear them just in DXpeditions, and
then, The callsigns could be almost anything.

The amateur service rules (as defined by ANATEL's norm
31/94) specify 3 types of callsigns. The "normal" ones, are
those in the PP-PY range, as stated by AC6V.
The eventual callsigns are those effective in a specified
period of time, eg for contest, expeditions and
comemmorative (is this spelled OK?) events, and are in the
ZV-ZY range.
Last, the special callsigns would use the unallocated
prefixes.

The ITU allocated the PPA-PYZ range to Brazil (thanks to
AC6V links). The ANATEL (our equivalent of US' FCC) uses the
2 letter + 1 number (0-9) prefix scheme.

well, 73s for U all.
--
Paulo E.P. Marcondes
(former) PU2PIX
pe...@osite.com.br

KØHB

unread,

Jan 9, 2003, 8:42:17 PM1/9/03

to

For those of you sorting out your former-USSR cards, here is a handy guide.

73, de Hans, K0HB
--
Grand Exhalted Liberator of the Electric Smoke

--------------------

TERRITORIES, PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES OF THE FORMER USSR.
======================================================

(Updated list of prefixes and suffixes of former USSR radio
amateur stations).

Compiled by Oleg Chernozyomov, UA4CIF, 31 March, 1995
Text corrections and additional information by RW3AH, Dec. 24th 1995.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Literature - "Amateur Stations of the former Soviet Commonwealth"
by RA6YR, 1995.

Two-letter combinations after oblasts names in Russia and Ukraine are
adopted for ham tests and other purposes.

Russia R, RA, RK, RN, RU, RV, RW, RX, RZ, UA; 1-4, 6, 8-0;
Armenia EK UG)
Moldavia ER (ex-UO)
Byelorussia EU-EW; EV5 (ex-UC)
Kirghizia EX (ex-UM)
Tadjikistan EY (ex-UJ)
Turkmenia EZ (ex-UH)
Uzbekistan UK (ex-UI)
Kazakhstan UN; UP (ex-UL)
Ukraine UR-UY; EM-EO; UV, UW, UZ, U5 (ex-UB)
Azerbaijan 4J, 4K (ex-UD)
Georgia 4L (ex-UF)

Russia R, RA, RK, RN, RU, RV, RW, RX, RZ, UA; 1-4, 6, 8-0;
============================================================

* The second letter in a suffix: W, X, Y, Z - Club stations
* U1-4, 6, 9-0 World War II veterans
* U1MIR - U9MIR cosmonauts
* R1ANA - R1ANZ Antarctica
* R1FJA - R1FJZ Franz Josef Land (Arctic)
* R1MVA - R1MVZ Maly Visotski Island (ex-4J1.)
* R3ARES - Russian amateur radio emergency service H.Q (RARES), Moscow.
* RE0RAS - RARES, Regional service. Central Siberia, Krasnoyarsk.
* R3ARC - H.Q. Rescue service of Russian Red Cross. Moscow.
* R3RRC - "Russian Robinson Club" H.Q. Lipetsk city (R3G area).
* R3SRR - Russian Amateur Radio Union H.Q. Moscow.
* R3VHF - VHF Committee of Russian Amateur Radio Union.

Oblast Identification by Combination of a Figure and 1st letter in a
suffix.
__________________________________________________________________________

*** Russia, Region 1 *** Central city
North-West Russia of a territory

A, B, D, F, G, H, I, J, L, M - St.Petersburg (SP)
C Leningradskaya oblast (LO) St.Petersburg
N Republicarelia (KL) (Prefix RN1) Petrozavodsk
O Arkhangelskaya oblast Archangelsk
P Nenetsky Autonomous Okrug (NO) Nar'yan-Mar
Q, R, S Vologodskaya oblast (VO) Vologda
T, U Novgorodskaya oblast (NV) Novgorod
W, X Pskovskaya oblast (PS) Pskov
Y, Z Murmanskaya oblast (MU) Murmansk

*** Russia, Region 2 ***
Baltics

F Kaliningradskaya oblast (KA) Kaliningrad

*** Russia, Region 3 ***
Central Russia

A, B, C, F, H Moscow ciA)
D Moskovskaya oblast (MO) Moscow area (Pushkino)
E Orlovskaya oblast (OR) Oryol
G Lipetskaya oblast (LP) Lipetsk
I, J Tverskaya oblast (TV) Tver'
L Smolenskaya oblast (SM) Smolensk
M Yaroslavskaya oblast (JA) Yaroslavl
N, O Kostromskaya oblast (KS) Kostroma
P Tul'skaya oblast (TL) Tula
Q Voronezhskaya oblast (VH) Voronezh
R Tambovskaya oblast (TB) Tambov
S Ryazanskaya oblast (RA) Ryazan'
T Nizhegorodskaya oblast (NN) Nizhny Novgorod
U Ivanovskaya oblast (IV) Ivanovo
V Vladimirskaya oblast (VL) Vladimir
W Kurskaya oblast (KU) Kursk
X Kaluzhskaya oblast (KG) Kaluga
Y Bryanskaya oblast (BR) Bryansk
Z Belgorodskaya oblast (BO) Belgorod

*** Russia, Region 4 ***
Volga river area.

A, B Volgogradskaya oblast (VG) Volgograd
C, D Saratovskaya oblast (SA) Saratov
F Penzenskaya oblast (PE) Penza
H, I Samarskaya oblast (SR) Samara
L, M Ul'anovskaya oblast (UL) Ul'anovsk
N, O Kirovskaya oblast (KI) Kirov (Vyatka)
P, Q, R Republic of Ta (Tatarstan) (TA) Kazan'
S, T Republic of Mari (Mari-El) (MR) Joshkar-Ola
U Republic of Mordovia (MD) Saransk
W Republic of Udmurtia (UD) Izhevsk
Y, Z Republic of Chuvashia (CU) Cheboksary

*** Russia, Region 6 ***
Northern Caucusus

A, B, C, D Krasnodarsky Kray (KR) Krasnodar
E Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia (KC) Cherkessk
F, G, H Stavropolsky Kray (ST) Stavropol
I Republic of Kalmykia (KM) Elista
J Republic of Northern Ossetia (SO) Vladikavkaz
L, M, N, O Rostovskaya oblast (RO) Rostov-on-Don
P, Q, R Republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya (CN) Grozny, Nazran'
U, V Astrakhanskaya oblast (AO) Astrakhan'
W Republic of Daghestan (DA) Makhachkala
X Republuc of Kabardino-Balkaria (KB) Nal'chik
Y Republic of Adygeya (AD) Maykop

*** Russia, Region 8 ***
Far East (Buryatia)

T Ust' Ordynsky Buryatsky Autonomous Okrug (UO) Ust' Ordynsky
V Aginsky Buryatsky Autonomous Okrug (AB) Aginskoe

*** Russia, Region 9 ***
Ural mounts. area and Central, Western Siberia.

A, B Chelyabinskaya oblast (CB) Chelyabinsk
C, D, E Sverdlovskaya oblast (SV) Yekaterinburg
F Permskaya oblast (PM) Perm'
G Komi-Permyatsky Autonomous Okrug (KP) Kudymkar
H, I Tomskaya oblast (TO) Tomsk
J Khanty-Mansyisky Autonomous Okrug (HM) Khanty-Mansyisk
K Yamalo-Nenetsky Autonomous Okrug (JN) Salekhard
L Tyumenskaya oblast (TN) Tyumen'
M, N Omskaya oblast (OM) Omsk
O, P Novosibirskaya oblast (NS) Novosibirsk
Q, R Kurganskaya oblast (KN) Kurgan
S, T Orenburgskaya oblast (OB) Orenburg
U, V Kemerovskaya oblast (KE) Kemerovo
W Republic of Bashkiria (Bashkortostan)(BA) Ufa
X Republic of Komi (KO) Syktyvkar
Y Altaysky Kray - (AL) Barnaul
Z Republic of Altay (GA) Gorno-Altaysk

*** Russia, Region 0 ***
Eastern Siberia and Far East.

A Krasnoyarsky Kray (KK) Krasnoyarsk
B Taymyrsky Autonomous Okrug (TM) Dudinka
C Khabarovsky Kray (HK) Khabarovsk
D Yevreyskaya (Jewish) Autonomous Oblast (EA) Birobidzhan
E, F, G Sakhalinskaya Oblast (SL) Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
H Evenkiysky Autonomous Okrug (EW) Tura
I Magadanskaya oblast (MG) Magadan
J Amurskaya oblast (AM) Blagoveshensk
K Chukotsky Autonomous Okrug (CK) Anadyr'
L, M, N Primorsky Kray (PK) Vladivostok
O, P Republic of Buryatia (BU) Ulan-Ude
Q, R Republic of Yakutia (Saha) (YA) Yakutsk
S, T Irkutskaya oblast (IR) Irkutsk
U, V Chitinskaya oblast (CT) Chita
W Republic of Khakassia (HA) Abakan
X Koryaksky Autonomous Okrug (KJ) Palana
Y Republic of Tuva (TU) Kyzyl
Z Kamchatskaya oblast (KT)
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

__________________________________________________________________________

Armenia EK Yerevan city.
=======
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moldavia (Moldova) ER
======================
6, 7, 8, 9 - In reserve, special event licenses.
0 - For foreign amateurs.

Suffixes: KAA - KZZ - Club station
AAA - ZZZ - 4 - Category
AA - ZZ - 1, 2, 3 - Category

ER1 Kishinev, Dubossary, Orgeev, Khyncheshty
ER2 Tiraspol, Bendery, Kaushany
ER3 Beltsy, Rybnitsa, Floreshty
ER4 Yedintsy, Drokia, Soroki
ER5 Kagul, Komrat, Leovo, Chadyr-Lunga
__________________________________________________________________________

Byelorussia EU. EW. EV.
========================

EU - EW1 Minsk
EU - EW2 Minskaya oblast Minsk (Borisov)
EU - EW3 Brestskaya oblast Brest
EU - EW4 Grodnenskaya oblast Grodno
EU - EW6 Vitebskaya oblast Vitebsk
EU - EW7 Mogilyovskaya oblast Mogilyov
EU - EW8 Gomel'skaya oblast Gomel

EU, EW9 In reserve
EU, EW0 For foreign amateurs
EV5 For special event licenses

Suffixes YAA - YZZ female operator
Suffixes, beginning with W, X, Z Club station

EV1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, Suffixes A - Z World War II veterans,
special memorial event stations.
__________________________________________________________________________

Kirghizia EX.
==============

EX2, 8, 0 one-letter suffixes Extra license
EX6, 7, 8 two-letter suffixes I Category
EX8, three-letter suffixes - 2, 3 Category
EX9, second letter in a suffix - W, X, Y, Z - Club station

Oblast identification by the 1st letter in a suffix (excluding Extra
stations
)

M Chuyskaya oblast, Bishkek Bishkek
N Oshskaya oblast Osh
P Narynskaya oblast Naryn
Q Issyk-kul'skaya oblast Przhevalsk
T Talasskaya oblast Talas
V Dzhalal-Abadskaya oblast Dzhalal-Abad
__________________________________________________________________________

Tadjikistan EY.
=================

EY1, 2, 3, 0 - In reserve

Suffixes ZA - ZZ, ZAA - ZZZ - Club station

EY4 Gorno-Badakhshanskaya Autonomous Oblast Khorog
EY5 Khatlonskaya oblast (region of Kulyab)
EY6 Khatlonskaya oblast (region of Kurgan-Tyube)
EY7 Leninabadskaya oblast Khodzhent
EY8 Dushanbe
EY9 Nurek and Republican subordinate regions
__________________________________________________________________________

Turkmenia EZ.
=============

EZ3 Akhalsky veloyat
EZ4 Balkansky veloyat
EZ5 Maryisky veloyat
EZ6 Dashkhovuzsky veloyat
EZ7 Lebapsky veloyat
EZ8 Ashgabad

One-letter suffixes Club station
One-letter suffixes W,X,X,Z For special event licenses

__________________________________________________________________________

Uzbekistan UK
================

UK7, 8, 9

UJ, UL, UM - In reserve
Suffixes WA - ZZ Club station
U8 World War II veterans

Oblast identification by the 1st letter of a suffix:

A Tashkent
B Tashkentskaya oblast Tashkent
C Kashkardar'inskaya oblast Karshi
D Syrdar'inskaya oblast Gulistan
F Andizhanskaya oblast Andizhan
G Ferganskaya oblast Fergana
I Samarkandskaya oblast Samarkand
L Bukharskaya oblast Bukhara
O Namanganskaya oblast Namangan
Q Navoiyskaya oblast Navoi
T Surkhandar'inskaya oblast Termez
U Khorezmskaya oblast Urgench
V Dzhizakskaya oblast Dzhizak
Z Karakalpakia Nukus
__________________________________________________________________________

Kazakhstan UN
=============

UN ordinary licenses
UP For special event licenses

Suffixes XA - XZ Emergency services
UN1, UO, UQ In reserve

One-letter suffixes: Extra license
Two-letter suffixes: I Category
Three-letter suffixes: 2, 3, 4 category

Oblast identification by the 1st letter of a suffix:

A Mangistauskaya oblast Mangistau
B Akmolinskaya oblast Akmolinsk
C Severo-Kazakhstanskaya oblast Petropavlovsk
D Semipalatinskaya oblast Semipalatinsk
E Kokchetavskaya (Kokshetau) oblast Kokchetav
F Pavlodarskaya oblast Pavlodar
G Alma-Ata (Almaty)
I Aktyubinskaya oblast Aktyubinsk
J Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast Ust' Kamenogorsk
K Kzyl-Ordinskaya oblast Kzyl Orda
L Kustanayskaya oblast Kustanay
M Ural'skaya oblast Uralsk
N Chimkentskaya oblast Chimkent (Shymkent)
O Atyrauskaya oblast Atyrau
P Karagandinskaya oblast Karaganda
Q Alma-Atinskaya oblast Alma-Ata (Alamaty)
R Dzhezkazganskaya oblast Dzhezkazgan
(Zhezkazgan)
S Leninsk (Baikonur)
T Dzhambulskaya oblast Dzhambul (Zhambyl)
V Taldy-Kurganskaya oblast Taldy-Kurgan
(Taldykorgan)
Y rgayskaya oblast Arkalyk
__________________________________________________________________________

Ukraine UR-UY.
===============

UR - UY ordinary licenses
EM - EO For special event licenses
UV, UW, UZ In reserve
U5 World War II veterans

Two-letter suffixes: I Category
Three-letter suffixes: 2, 3, 4 Categiries
Second letter of a suffix: W, X, Y, Z - Club stations

UU1-8J, UU0J Crimea (KR) Simferopol
UU9J Sevastopol (SL)

Oblast identification by the 1st letter of a suffix:

A Sumskaya oblast (SU) Sumy
B Ternopolskaya oblast (TE) Ternopol
C Cherkasskaya oblast (CH) Cherkassy
D Zakarpatskaya oblast (ZA) Uzhgorod
E Dnepropetrovskaya oblast (DN) Dnepropetrovsk
F Odesskaya oblast (OD) Odessa
G Khersonskaya oblast (HE) Kherson
H Poltavskaya oblast (PO) Poltava
I Donetskaya oblast (DO) Donetsk
K Rovenskaya oblast (RI) Rovno (Rivno)
L Kharkovskaya oblast (HA) Kharkov
M Luganskaya oblast (LU) Lugansk
N Vinnitskaya oblast (VI) Vinnitsa
P Volynskaya oblast (VO) Lutsk
Q Zaporozhskaya oblast (ZP) Zaporozhie
R Chernigovskaya oblast (CR) Chernigov
S Ivano-Frankovskaya oblast (IF) Ivano-Frankovsk
(Ivano-Frankivsk)
T Khmelnitskaya oblast (HM) Khmelnitsky
U Kievskaya oblast (KO) Kiev
U Kiev (KV)
V Kirovogradskaya oblast (KI) Kirovograd
W Lvovskaya oblast (LV) Lvov (Lviv)
X Zhitomirskaya oblast (ZH) Zhitomir
Y Chernovitskaya oblast (CN) Chernovtsy
Z Nikolaevskaya oblast (NI) Nikolaev
__________________________________________________________________________

Azerbaijan 4J. 4K.
====================

4J, 4K
1, 0 For special event licenses and foreign amateurs.

Suffixes AWA - ZZZ Club station
AAA - ZVZ 2, 3 Category
AA - ZZ 1 Category
A - Z Extra licenses

4J2, 4K2 Nakhichevan'
4J4-9, 4K4-9 Baku city
4J3, 4K3 Azerbaijan territories excluding Baku and Nakhichevan'
__________________________________________________________________________

Georgia 4L.
==============

4L1, 4L4, 4L6, 4L7, 4L0 ordinary licenses
2, 3, 5, 8, 9 In reserve
One-letter suffiz Extra licenses

Territory Msg #36 From: RW3AH Date: 27-Dec 0752Z Subj: Ex-USSR CALLSIGN
SYSTEM