KJBSF@SLACVM (03/23/87)
Date: 22 March 1987, 13:12:21 PST From: Kevin J. Burnett x3330 <KJBSF@SLACVM> To: <TELECOM@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> Subject: Radio call letters I have noticed that along with the Kxxx and Wxxx call letters used for radio stations in the US, there are ones used for other countries as well (such as HCJB radio in Quito, Ecuador). Where would I be able to find out how the lettering plan works? Thanks.
mse@Phobos.Caltech.EDU.UUCP (03/23/87)
Responding to Kevin Burnett: >I have noticed that along with the Kxxx and Wxxx call letters used for radio >stations in the US, there are ones used for other countries as well (such as >HCJB radio in Quito, Ecuador). Where would I be able to find out how the >lettering plan works? International call sign prefixes are defined by the International Tele- communications Union (Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland) and are published in many places. Look at various publications of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), e.g., their Amateur Radio Handbook, or in various Shortwave Radio Directories. Also, reference works such as "Reference Data for Radio Engineers." It's a pretty haphazard system, I'd say - worse even than telephone numbering. The block HCA-HDZ is Ecuador, while HBA-HBZ and HEA-HEZ are Switzerland. The US has all the W's, K's, N's, and half of the A's. The third world fights for scraps of address space. Martin Ewing, AA6E Caltech Radio Astronomy
KFL@AI.AI.MIT.EDU.UUCP (03/23/87)
I don't know where it is written down, but call letter prefixes are allocated by some international agency. The United States has AA through AL, and all of K, N, and W. Canada has C and V. Mexico has X. Every letter and every number prefix is allocated except no stations begin with Q. For broadcast stations, the FCC has ruled that stations East of the Mississippi begin with W, West of the Mississippi begin with K. (A very few early stations such as KDKA break this rule.) ...Keith
pozar@hoptoad.UUCP.UUCP (03/23/87)
In article <8703230020.AA04366@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> KJBSF@SLACVM writes: >Date: 22 March 1987, 13:12:21 PST >From: Kevin J. Burnett x3330 <KJBSF@SLACVM> >To: <TELECOM@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> >Subject: Radio call letters > >I have noticed that along with the Kxxx and Wxxx call letters used for radio >stations in the US, there are ones used for other countries as well (such as >HCJB radio in Quito, Ecuador). Where would I be able to find out how the >lettering plan works? > >Thanks. Funny you should mention it. The 'W' and 'K' that starts all United States radio and television station's call are seperated by the Mississippi river. East of the river all calls begin with the letter 'W', to the west, 'K' begin the calls. Of course there are exceptions... The FCC is looking into deregulating this and any one can have a 'W' or 'K' to start their calls. Also stations that have no connection with an exisiting station that has a paticular call, can share it. KGO-TV in San Francisco can give their permission to let an AM or a FM station use the KGO call. You might see a KGO-FM in LA. (Side Note: KGO-FM is now KLOK-FM, and KGO-AM is owned by ABC in SF.) -- Tim Pozar UUCP pozar@hoptoad.UUCP Fido 125/406 USNail KLOK-FM 77 Maiden Lane San Francisco CA 94108 terrorist cryptography DES drugs cipher secret decode NSA CIA NRO IRS coke crack pot LSD russian missile atom nuclear assassinate libyan RSA
marston.UUCP@dartvax.UUCP.UUCP (03/24/87)
In article <8703230020.AA04366@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, KJBSF@SLACVM writes: > To: <TELECOM@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> > Subject: Radio call letters >Kevin J. Burnett asks: > Where would I be able to find out how the > lettering plan works? The United States allocation also includes AAx-ALx and Nxxx. Full listings can be found in _Broadcasting_Yearbook_ or _Reference_Data_for_Radio_ Engineers_, which should be in the reference section of a large library. .................David Marston decvax!dartvax!marston
poslfit@gpu.utcs.utoronto.UUCP (03/24/87)
In article <8703230020.AA04366@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> KJBSF@SLACVM writes: > I have noticed that along with the Kxxx and Wxxx call letters used for radio > stations in the US, there are ones used for other countries as well (such as > HCJB radio in Quito, Ecuador). Where would I be able to find out how the > lettering plan works? According to the 1987 _World_Radio_TV_Handbook_, call signs are registered with International Frequency Registration Board, which is part of the International Telecommunication Union and is based in Geneva, Switzerland (ITU, Place des Nations, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland). Browsing through the same book reveals the following (empirical) information: Country Call Letter Format (@=letter, #=number) Argentina L[R-W][@]#[#] Aruba P4A#[#] Australia n@@ (n=[1..8] depending on state) Bolivia CP##[#] Brazil ZY[H-L]### Canada C[BFH-K]@[@] Chile C[A-D]##[#] China (R) BE@## Colombia HJ@@ Costa Rica TI@@@ Cuba CM@@ Dominican R. HI@@ Ecuador HC@@# El Salvador YS@[@] Guatemala TG@@ Haiti 4V@[@][@] Honduras HR@[@[#][#]] Japan JO@@ Korea (R) HL@@ Mexico XE@[@][@] Neth. Ant. PJ@[#][#] New Zealand #[X-Z]@ Nicaragua HT@nnn (nnn=frequency in kHz) Panama HO@[##] Papua N.G. P2[KT]#[#] Paraguay ZP#[#] Peru O[A-C][X-Z]#@ Philippines D[W-Z]@@ Thailand HSK@ Uruguay C[V-X]#[#][#] Venezuela YV@@ -- -- john j. chew (v3.0) poslfit@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu +1 416 463 5403 (300/1200 bps) poslfit@utorgpu.bitnet {cbosgd,decvax,mnetor,utai,utcsri,{allegra,linus}!utzoo}!utgpu!poslfit "Script-G for open, sub-delta for durchschnitt"
halbert@pbsvax.DEC.COM.UUCP (03/24/87)
The easiest place I know of to find a chart of international radio call letter prefixes is in the front pages of a copy of the "Radio Amateur's Callbook", which is a telephone-book-like book you can probably find at your local public library. There are U.S. and foreign versions, but either will do for this purpose. The US has all of K, W, N (e.g. the numbers on the sides of airplanes), and AA-AL. Commercial broadcast stations use only K and W now, but the other prefix letters are in use for ham, military, and other call signs. --Dan Halbert, KB1RT