Reconfirming and Renewing Amateur Call Signs, Including Contest 2x1's

Call signs assigned before 19 February 2024

For 2-letter, 3-letter and 4-letter (known as F-series) call signs assigned before 19 February 2024, the ACMA wrote to all amateur licensees who held these call signs.

The letters were provided in January and February 2024, confirmed that each licensee
is authorised to operate an amateur station under the class licence, and included their call sign and qualification level. This letter acts as evidence that the call sign is assigned to the amateur operator.

Shortly after the class licence has commenced, we will write to holders of call signs with the prefix VK0 and VK9, as well as special event call signs, to confirm the call sign(s) held and their expiry date(s).

A list of contest call signs, and their expiry date current as of 19 February 2024, was
published on the website of the University of Tasmania, through its Australian Maritime College (AMC).
When the class licence commences, contest call signs’ assignment periods will be revised to align with the end of the first anniversary of their expiry date that is outlined in the AMC’s list of contest call signs.

For example, on 19 February 2024, if the expiry date for the contest call sign is listed on the AMC contest call sign list as 24 March 2024, the expiry date of that call sign under the class licensing arrangements will be 24 March 2025.

Amateur operators can see a current list of all call signs assigned to them, including
VK0, VK9, special event and contest call signs, by logging in to their account on
ACMA Assist.

New fees, reminder to reassign or reconfirm call signs

New amateur radio fees:

From 1 September 2024, we will introduce new fees for the following call sign activities:
• Reassigning a:
o special event call sign: $34.00
o VK0 and VK9 call sign: $34.00
o contest call sign: $15.00
• Transferring a call sign to another amateur operator: $15.00

The amateur radio call sign policy and website has been updated to reflect these new charges.
Link

Information about how we set fees is in the Fees for service cost recovery implementation statement.

Reassigning call signs:
Special event, contest, VK0 or VK9 call signs have a designated assignment period of 12 months. We will contact you before the expiry to remind you to apply to have the call sign reassigned to you (the fees listed above will apply). If a reassignment application is not made before the expiry date, the call sign will no longer be assigned to you, and will be made available on the call sign register.

Amateur operators with 2-letter, 3-letter and F-series call signs should reconfirm ongoing use of their call sign every 5 years
There is no cost for amateur operators to reconfirm ongoing use of their 2-letter, 3-letter and F-series call signs.

We encourage amateur operators to log into ACMA Assist to reconfirm their call sign, or apply to transfer or reassign call signs.

Update to the amateur operating procedures:
Following feedback, we have made a minor change to the Amateur radio operating procedures to clarify that communications established with another station is also referred to as a ‘series of transmissions’.

Page Last Updated: Thursday, 17 Oct 2024 at 11:12 hours by Lee Moyle

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