Call Signs

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 11, 28 September 1928, Page 28

Call Signs

Change in Near Future. From January 1, 1929, new call letters will be used by transmission stations the world over. An endeavour has been made to allot each country letters chosen from the name of the country, in order that the transmitter may easily establish. his identity. Broadcasting stations, however, are not affected by this. arrangement, the change being confined to amateurs, ships and coast stations. New Zealand has been allotted the call signs ZKA to ZMZ. These must be given out before the district number and letters which will, where possible, remain as in use at present. Government stations will have three characters, and these will replace the former characters. Ships are to be allotted call signs of four letters. This will mean the addition of any letter to follow the three allowed this country, eg., ZLBY. Amateurs are to use signs of five characters. Two from the first two of the allowed three, a district number (as now used), and district lettering, e.g., ZL3AB will probably be the call of amateur 30B. Among the mandates to share these letters are the Cook Islands and Samoa. In this connection it is interesting to notice that Samoa has been allotted ZMA to ZMZ (Za Moa), while Cook Island has ZKA to ZKZ (Kook). It is more than chance that New Zealand is te work from ZliA (ZeaLANG).

--w Stations in calling one another first send out call sign of station wanted, then the (French "to’), and fimaliy their own call letters. Thus oné New Zealand amateur calling another may call thus: ZLA 1AK de ZLB 3XY. i 4