US call signs not issued by the FCC

If you're an American radio ham, chances are that your call sign was issued by the Federal Communications Commission. A 'no brainer,' right?

Well, if you're an American radio ham who happens to be stationed at Guantanamo Bay or at one of the US bases in the Antarctic, your call sign is not issued by the FCC -- it's issued by the base commander.

Guantanamo Bay (or Gitmo as it's commonly called) uses the KG4 prefix, followed by a two-letter suffix; this block is reserved exclusively for American hams at Gitmo.

As for Antarctica, the Antarctic Treaty, signed on December 1, 1959 (and entered into force on June 23, 1961), established the legal framework for the management of Antarctica, including allocation of amateur call signs; the National Science Foundation received their block on July 1, 1959.

US military hams in Japan and Korea are also issued special call signs:

- KA2AA-KA9ZZ -- reserved for US Army-authorized amateur stations in Japan.
- KC4AAA-KC4AAF -- reserved for the National Science Foundation's use at the South Pole.
- KC4USA-KC4USZ -- reserved for US Navy-authorized amateur stations at their Antarctic bases.
- KG4AA-KG4ZZ -- reserved for US Navy-authorized amateur stations at Guantanamo Bay).
- KL9KAA -- KL9KHZ -- reserved for assignment to US personnel stationed in Korea.
- The 40 call signs having the first two letters AF, KF, NF or WF and the letters "EMA" following a numeral are available to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The FCC once issued call signs to hams who lived in the Caroline Islands and the Marshall Islands. Even though these entities -- former United Nations Trust Territories -- now have their own sovereignty (and DXCC prefixes), the FCC will not issue call signs in the following blocks:

- KC6AA-KC6ZZ -- KC6 was two DXCC entities: The Eastern Caroline Islands and the Western Caroline Islands. The Eastern Carolines became the Federated States of Micronesia (V6) and the Western Carolines became the Republic of Palau (T8).
- KX6AA-KX6ZZ -- the former Marshall Islands, now the Republic of the Marshall Islands (V73).

You can find out more on the FCC's Web site.
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?
job=call_signs_3&id=amateur&page=1#2&ref=

Now you know!

The American Radio Relay League