[UK-CONTEST] Cyprus Amateur Callsigns

[Gerry Lynch]

On 31/05/2011 14:55, Bob Henderson wrote:
> As D9 is allocated to South Korea, I would think it logical it be excluded
> from Germany's DAA - DRZ block allocation.  According to Wikipedia the ITU
> doesn't, having left it open to Germany to issue D9+ letter(s).

That's not what the article says, Bob.

D9K would be clearly a South Korean call. The article doesn't say 
anything otherwise. Germany hasn't issued a D9 callsign since the 
swastika last flew over Berlin.

Although C4N, D4B, D9K, etc. are improper **amateur** callsign 
allocations, according to ITU rules, they are perfectly within each of 
the issuing countries' overall allocation - just in a format that should 
be used for maritime shore stations. Not that any of those seem to use 
callsigns these days.

The callsigns that are definitely out of allocation are the U1, etc. 
callsigns (not R1, etc., which are perfectly valid Russian callsigns) 
used by some old timers in Russia and the Ukraine, which are remaining 
callsigns from the pre-war Soviet allocation system. As I understand it, 
war veteran radio ops who were licensed hams were allowed to keep their 
old callsigns after the war. These became invalid when the USSR split up 
and the U callsign block was split between various post-Soviet successor 
states. Some of those seem to have been handed on to grandchildren. I 
think there's a U5WA and a U1 something - U1BA maybe? - still active.

73

Gerry ZS1/Gi0RTN