For ( native ??) English speaker  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Jane
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2015, 09:30:52 pm
content: Not sure if this is a proper forum but I think someone can help.I would like to register in one radio amateurs forum but there isa question to prevent automated form submissions by spambots.The question is:Which country is "VK"What is the answer?Is that an English idiom or what?Does anyone know ?Thanks

author: orin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2015, 09:38:37 pm
content: One would assume that they are asking "Which country uses the amateur radio callsign prefix 'VK'?", to which the answer would be Australia.

author: Andy Watson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2015, 09:38:47 pm
content: Quote from: Jane on February 13, 2015, 09:30:52 pmNo. Remember it's a radio ham clique. VK is probably a call sign. Wiki says VK = Australia.

author: radiomog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2015, 09:51:24 pm
content: As already pointed out,VK is the Basic Amateur Radio Operator Callsign Prefix for Australiasomewhat complete list here:http://www.arrl.org/files/file/dxcclist.txt

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 03:49:29 am
content: Quote from: Andy Watson on February 13, 2015, 09:38:47 pmNot really a "clique"----VK is one of the call prefixes allocated to Australia by International agreement."AX" is another,but it is normally only used for special occasions.Prefixes are often used loosely when referring to all amateurs from a particular country.For instance,YB is a common Indonesian prefix,so Indonesian Stations are often called "Yankee Bravos" (phonetic alphabet) in general conversation.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 05:25:43 am
content: In the US, radio and tv stations use K or W and amateur radio operators do as well.If I recall, K was the west coast and W was the east coast.That's why you'll see WNBC in New York and KNBC in California.In the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas, we have WFAA (a TV station), WRR, WBAP (radio stations) and all the rest that I can recall are K. I guess since we're in sort of the middle we have them both. (Though far more K)The W stations are typically older ones here.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 05:58:38 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on February 14, 2015, 05:25:43 amYeah,a lot of older hams refer to the USÄ as "W land"

author: radiomog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 06:05:56 am
content: USA broadcastingW= East of the Mississippi RiverK= West of the Mississippi River

author: Jane
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 06:20:03 am
content: Thank you ALL . Australia was the correct answer

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 09:30:53 am
content: So, why would Australia be assigned VK rather than (say) AU or AT?Well, the story I heard was that the IARU delegate given the task was a German fellow and he used VK as there are Viele Kängurus (many kangaroos) in Australia.

author: atferrari
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 09:38:26 am
content: Quote from: German_EE on February 14, 2015, 09:30:53 amProbably not true but funny

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 03:58:20 pm
content: So, you tell me why Australia uses VK?

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2015, 04:12:24 pm
content: Quote from: radiomog on February 14, 2015, 06:05:56 amYes that's that I remember.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2015, 07:53:10 am
content: Quote from: German_EE on February 14, 2015, 03:58:20 pmAt the 1912 International Radiotelegraph Convention, British colonies were given callsigns beginning V. There's a list at that time herehttp://earlyradiohistory.us/1913call.htmAlthough it's been altered since then, most significantly at the 1927 convention, this was the basis of the international callsign prefix.And on another nerdy point, ICAO also adopted the Convention's standard for aircraft prefixes too, so even today there is a strong correlation between aircraft registration prefixes and radio callsigns.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 15, 2015, 05:09:39 pm
content: The USA uses W, A, N and K for ham radio prefixes. Nothing else can be said about that.