2-letter callsign ballot

Since 19 October 2005 any Australian amateur radio two-letter callsign becoming available has been quarantined by regulator ACMA and not issued or re-issued. And this has included the two-letter callsigns of radio amateurs who failed to renew their licence on time after that date.

Michael Owen VK3KI joins us to tell us what's in store.

The April issue of the Wireless Institute of Australia's magazine "Amateur Radio" includes a very important statement about two-letter callsigns. That statement is also on the WIA website and on the ACMA website.

The statement addresses three matters.

Firstly, the WIA has been asked to conduct a ballot for available two-letter callsigns and the principles to be observed by the WIA set by ACMA and the process proposed is set out in the statement and comment is invited from all
amateurs.

Please send you comment by email, letter or fax as requested in the statement to the WIA by 30 April 2008.

And remember, comment supporting the process suggested is just as important as an alternative suggestion.

Before that ballot process will commence, the ACMA has agreed to the WIA's request to review those cases where by reason of a failure to renew a licence in time an amateur has lost his or her two-letter callsign.

Merely forgetting to renew a licence or not receiving a renewal notice will not be sufficient reason to succeed on a review, but do look at the examples given in the statement, and I suggest, my "Comment" published in the April
Amateur Radio Magazine.

To have a case reconsidered, the radio amateur concerned must lodge an application, preferably with supporting documentation, with the ACMA at the address specified in the statement by not later than 4 pm Wednesday 30 April 2008. Even if you have already been in contact with ACMA about your two-letter callsign, you will have to lodge a new application.

If you are one of the radio amateurs concerned and believe that you have not been treated fairly, you must act very quickly indeed, and do read the statement, on either the ACMA website, the WIA website or in the WIA's magazine, Amateur Radio.

Also, as a part of this process, as set out in the statement, the WIA requests that the WIA office is advised or reminded of the death of any amateur who has died since 1 March 2006.

To make sure that we do our very best to get this message to every amateur, this announcement will be repeated three times in the VK1WIA News broadcasts in April.

And if you know someone who may be affected by this announcement, please make sure that you let him or her know about the short time to act and where the statement can be read.

Wireless Institute of Australia