British High Commission
PO Box 1812 Wellington New Zealand
Telegraphic Address Ukrep Telex NZ 3325
Telephone Wellington 726-049
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Ms Lynda Cooke
South Pacific Department
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
London
Your reference
Our reference
Date 14 June 1989 ́
Dear Lynda,
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Pia
14 JURINO
4
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NIT
Rej
PITCAIRN: ALLOCATION OF CALL SIGNS
1.
Thank you for copying to us Hong Kong Department's minute of 9 May about the allocation of international call signs when Hong Kong reverts to China in 1997.
one
2. Apart from the official radio station on Pitcairn, some half a dozen islanders hold radio licences. They are firmly attached to the present VR6 call sign, and have all gone to some expense to have QSL cards printed in New Zealand individual has a stock of over 10,000 cards in hand. Incomes on Pitcairn are limited by our standards, and a sudden change of call sign and need to have new cards printed would cause a financial loss which they could ill-afford. (QSL cards are exchanged or collected by amateur operators to confirm radio contacts. VR6 is regarded among the international ham fraternity as a rare and highly collectable call sign, hence the high demand for Pitcairn cards. This demand is likely to increase in 1990 with the island's bicentenary.)
3. Garth Harraway corresponded last year with the Radio Communications Division of the DTI about Pitcairn's call sign, and the DTI indicated then that they had been in touch with the FCO about the Hong Kong dimension. I attach a copy of their last letter to Garth which concluded that no change might be necessary for Pitcairn, and that if change did become necessary they would insist on adequate (4-5 years) notice being given. Garth duly conveyed this reply to the Pitcairn operators.
4.
HKD ask for our views on Options I and II in the Hong Kong paper on re-allocating call signs. As you will gather from the foregoing, our strong preference is for Option II in that it appears to mean no change for Pitcairn.
cc: P W James Esq
BCG Auckland
Youre
Bob.
J R Setterfield
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