Due to an oversight in the new communications legislation recently introduced in the Falkland Islands, the VP8 prefix no longer applies to the former Falkland Islands Dependencies (Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetlands, South Orkneys, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands).
This impasse has been ongoing since 2017 when the Falklands government abruptly stopped issuing VP8 licenses to DXpeditions and other amateurs wishing to operate from the Antarctic, South Georgia etc.
The logical solution would be to allocate new prefixes to the former Dependencies and the strongest candidates would be VP0 for British Antarctic Territory (BAT) because several nations already use 0 to indicate an Antarctic station e.g. VK0, DP0, HF0 etc. and ZD0 for South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) because it is the southernmost of Britain’s mid-Atlantic territories (the others being ZD7, ZD8 & ZD9).
Both these prefixes are available and have never been allocated before. They are eminently suitable for these locations and are probably what most DXers would prefer. Note that BAT and SGSSI are separate British Overseas Territories and therefore each requires its own separate prefix.
The Falkland Islands Communications Regulator has never invited any public consultation on this matter, nevertheless VP0 and ZD0 have been previously suggested as the logical choices for these rare DX locations. Unfortunately, these suggestions seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
Instead, it is now rumoured that the Falklands Government is about to revive a defunct Caribbean prefix (VP4, formerly Trinidad & Tobago) and apply it to two separate British territories in the Antarctic by sub-dividing the suffix e.g. VP4Axx for SGSSI (South Georgia and South Sandwich) and VP4Bxx for BAT (Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkneys & South Shetlands).
For more details, see the various posts on https://www.openfalklands.com/ If you think that resurrecting a defunct Caribbean prefix for use in the Antarctic and subdividing the suffix is a really bad idea and wish to lobby for a proper solution with new prefixes to be implemented you should contact the following Falkland Islands government officials as soon as possible and make your sentiments known:
If the worldwide amateur radio community shouts loudly enough, we just might get a couple of new prefixes and a satisfactory resolution to this ongoing five year old stalemate. [VK6CQ for OPDX]
I never worked VP4, but have seen a card while one of the older club members showed his collection. All those VP and VQ were like WOW to us young guys. As to the matter, I am with Peter W2IRT. Speaking of logic, we need to keep in mind that governing and licensing bodies have their own logic. Just have fun chasing those ATNOs.
73 and good DX
Matt – AF2F
Was able to keep my VP8DOH ( for life , officially) after reapplying for it in recent months , was issued in 2013 when working in the Falklands . Just which I could of kept my ZD8 call aswell.
VP0 makes perfect sense for near by UK islands etc .
Andy, M0hlt
I couldn’t care less if they are signing as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck if that’s what the appropriate licensing authority for the region has designated as their legal callsigns, and the DX is lawfully in the location and operating according to the terms and conditions of their license. I’m more concerned with “Have I worked South Georgia on 160m” (I have) than “what was the call of the South Georgia station I worked on Topband.
Cat among the pigeons.
Isn’t using VP4Axx / VP4Bxx basically the same as using VP8/SG & VP8/SS (S.Georgia & S.Sandwich) and VP8/SO & VP8/SH (S.Orkney & S.Shetland) in a roundabout way and is just as distinguishable ?
Is the real issue the fact VP4 prefix hasn’t been used since before 1963 (when most of today’s licensed operators never actually worked a “VP4” anyway?) Thus, there isn’t really an issue after all, or am I being too outward thinking ?
73 Col MM0NDX