Your Callsign and What It Means
What's a Callsign?
When you get your license, ACMA assigns you a unique callsign — your radio identity. Australian callsigns follow this pattern:
VK 2 ABC
- VK — Australia's country prefix (every Australian amateur starts with VK)
- 2 — The state/territory number:
VK1 ACT VK5 South Australia VK2 New South Wales VK6 Western Australia VK3 Victoria VK7 Tasmania VK4 Queensland VK8 Northern Territory - ABC — Your unique suffix (Foundation callsigns have 4 letters, e.g., VK2FABC)
When to Use Your Callsign
You must identify yourself with your callsign:
- At the start of a contact
- At the end of a contact
- At least every 10 minutes during a long conversation
Suffixes for Special Situations
- /P — Portable (operating away from your registered address, e.g., VK2FABC/P)
- /M — Mobile (operating from a moving vehicle)
Your callsign is your identity on air. Always use it. Never transmit without identifying. Never use someone else's callsign.