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Australian amateur licences data
24 April 2021
Been looking for a way to map repeaters, beacons and even just normal operators to see whether they are located nearby ??
I was and, while there was something in the back of my mind that I had seen something like that sometime in the past, a Google search proved 'fruitless'.
When I looked at the ACMA Public Register ( https://web.acma.gov.au/rrl/register_search.main_page ), and did a few searches on it, I then followed a link to their RRL data download. This ZIP contains a number of CSV tables as would occur from an export from a SQL database and things weren't overly simple. I searched for my own callsign in the files, followed 'the numbers' to find out which were links to other files and finally put the whole thing together in a way that made sense. I don't use SQL as a matter of course, and the data wasn't in SQL table format so it was time to create some new software to process all amateur info in their database. { side note : there are some errors in the ACMA data : wrong postcodes, wrong locality/place name spellings, even at least one wrong state code (NT in lieu of NSW), plus some relatively strange data errors, many of which prevent lat/long and grid calculations. }
While well outdated, I created new code in Delphi 7, tested, modified, more testing etc.. I then added extra code to calculate grid squares for beacons and repeaters. I found a table of Australian locality names plus postcodes to lat and long so used the address details from the normal operator list to find approximate lat and long and then calculate approx grid squares for those entries too.
Finally I had a set of files that contained repeaters (REPLIST.TXT), beacons (BCNLIST.TXT) and a general operators callsign list (CSLIST.TXT). These contained the needed details but a bit of research showed me how Google's KML files could be created so that was the next step. The result was a file set 'amateur-vk0.kml' to 'amateur-vk9.kml', one for each Australian prefix. To round it out, there is a file named 'Amateur-VK-ALL.kml' which is all of the states combined. Google Earth Pro on Windows or Google Earth browser-based does not like the larger data filesizes and can take quite some minutes to finish loading before you can scroll or zoom.
NOTE THAT ONLY POSTAL ADDRESSES ARE AVAILABLE/USED AND AMATEUR STATION ADDRESSES MAY NOT COINCIDE IN ALL CASES.
The beacon and repeater KML files are reasonably quick to load, and are named 'Beacons-VK.kml' and 'Repeaters-VK.kml' respectively.
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Example : VK Beacons KML
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Example : VK Repeaters KML
Note that the CSLIST.TXT ( which is effectively a slightly-upgraded data source not unlike the old WIA callbooks) file is intentionally NOT INCLUDED in the zip file below as details mandated under section 5, 6 ,7,and 8 in the ACMA T&C's apply ( ie. Licensee’s name, address and contact details = Client Information) . I guess it could be argued that amateurs could use the data to quickly confirm whether a station heard operating was doing so within the licence conditions since this data file indicates whether a Foundation, Standard or Advanced licence is held. Strange that we can do an on-line Register search and retrieve names with address info (because ACMA's 'doing it') but we cannot 'publish' the same data due to privacy concerns.
Eg CSLIST.TXT sample data entries :
VI100AF,ADVANCED,The Wireless Institute of Australia,PO Box xxxx,BAYSWATER,VIC,3153,-37.84,145.26,QF22PD
..... to ...........
VK9LHI,ADVANCED,South Pacific Contest Club Inc,PO Box xxxx,TAYLORS LAKES,VIC,3038,-37.69,144.78,QF22JH
The issue comes with section 8 which deals with natural persons since individual amateur licensees are 'natural persons'...
(and most likely why we no longer have Australian Callbooks published ! )
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All KML files are included, including those developed from CSLIST.TXT, as they contain less personal information.
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All callsign, frequency, site, address data : ‘Based on Australian Communications and Media Authority information’.
Please note that using any data reproduced in these files is limited by the ACMA's Terms and Conditions listed below.
All of the relevant data files are in a single ZIP : VK-amateur-data.zip
Current ZIP size is a little over 500KB.
RRL data date is within each file.
Note: The algorithm involving lat/long and maidenhead grid values was revised 24Jun2021 so (in particular) presented grids may be different than available previously. Hopefully closer though not always exact.
Note : if this data is getting too old and really needs updating, drop me an email via the 'Contact Me' link near the bottom of the LHS menu requesting it be updated (or my normal emaill address if you already have it). It will not be updated at less than monthly intervals and then only by request. A new release should be available within a few days after request. Same weblink & file name, just the above date will be changed.
You can use the browser-based Google Earth ( https://earth.google.com/web/?utm_source=earth7&utm_campaign=vine&hl=en ) then using the Projects button to import the relevant KML from your computer.
Alternatively, download Google Earth Pro and install it on your Windows or Mac PC : https://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html?hl=en-GB and then simply click on the extracted KML file to execute GE and automatically load the selected KML.
Click on a push-pin to see details.
Example extract from the bcnlist.txt file :
VK2RSY,B,432.420000,T,850HF1A,-33.698742,151.055463,WIA/Comsite Comms 63 Quarry Road DURAL,NSW,QF56MH
VK2RSY,B,50.289000,T,850HF1A,-33.698742,151.055463,WIA/Comsite Comms 63 Quarry Road DURAL,NSW,QF56MH
VK2RSY,B,5760.420000,T,1K00A1F,-33.698742,151.055463,WIA/Comsite Comms 63 Quarry Road DURAL,NSW,QF56MH
VK3RMB,B,10368.536000,T,850HF1A,-37.626423,143.901577,Sectrol Site Green Hill BALLARAT,VIC,QF12WI
VK3RMB,B,1296.536000,T,850HF1A,-37.626423,143.901577,Sectrol Site Green Hill BALLARAT,VIC,QF12WI
VK3RMB,B,144.536000,T,850HF1A,-37.626423,143.901577,Sectrol Site Green Hill BALLARAT,VIC,QF12WI
Example extract from the replist.txt file :
VK2RAY,R,52.700000,R,16K0F9W,-36.022594,146.945887,Albury Wodonga Amateur Radio Club 161 Shaw Street SPRINGDALE HEIGHTS,NSW,QF33LX
VK2RAY,R,53.700000,T,16K0F9W,-36.022594,146.945887,Albury Wodonga Amateur Radio Club 161 Shaw Street SPRINGDALE HEIGHTS,NSW,QF33LX
VK2RAZ,R,433.700000,R,16K0F3E,-34.138707,150.664759,Metwide 2MCR Razorback Mt Prudhoe RAZORBACK RANGE,NSW,QF55HU
VK2RAZ,R,438.700000,T,16K0F3E,-34.138707,150.664759,Metwide 2MCR Razorback Mt Prudhoe RAZORBACK RANGE,NSW,QF55HU
VK2RBA,R,431.837500,R,11K3F9W,-36.924324,149.235232,Walabadah Mawson Street BOMBALA,NSW,QF43OB
VK2RBA,R,438.837500,T,11K3F9W,-36.924324,149.235232,Walabadah Mawson Street BOMBALA,NSW,QF43OB
From the ACMA web site at https://www.acma.gov.au/radiocomms-licence-data
Terms and conditions
By downloading the data, you acknowledge the following licence:
LICENCE TO USE THE REGISTER OF LICENCES
IMPORTANT:
1. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) provides you with access to the Register of Radiocommunications Licences (the Register) on the following terms and conditions (Terms and Conditions).
Intellectual property
3. Intellectual Property in the Register is retained by the ACMA.
4. All rights in the Register are reserved, and you may not make copies of the Register or any part of the Register, except as expressly provided in this Licence.
5. Subject to these Terms and Conditions, the ACMA grants you a non-transferable, non-exclusive Licence to use, reproduce and adapt the Register, including the right to incorporate the Register in an electronic information retrieval system or in any other software product, to merge the Register with other material (including documents, equipment or goods and medium whatsoever in which information is embodied), to develop derivative material based on the Register, and to distribute any derivatives developed by you to third parties. “Derivative material” and “Derivatives” refers to any copy of the Register or a substantial part of the Register, or any version of, merged form of or other material created from or based on the Register, whether or not amounting to a reproduction of the Register within the meaning of the Copyright Act 1968.
6. This Licence permits you to use the personal information of the holder of a spectrum licence, apparatus licence or a class licence issued in accordance with the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (Licensee) that may readily identify the Licensee (including, but not limited to, the Licensee’s name, address and contact details) (Client Information) for the purposes of management of the in accordance with the Radiocommunications Act 1992.
7. This Licence does not permit you to use Client Information contained in the Register for the purposes of:
i. sending unsolicited commercial electronic messages in contravention of the Spam Act 2003;
ii. making unsolicited telemarketing calls in contravention of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006; or
iii. conducting unsolicited mail advertising.
8. Where the Licensee is a natural person, this Licence does not permit you to reproduce or distribute the Licensee’s Client Information contained in the Register in any Derivative work authorised by this Licence.
9. If you have modified or transformed the Register or derived new material from the Register in any way, the following attribution must be used: ‘Based on Australian Communications and Media Authority information’.
Disclaimer
10. The information contained in the Register should not be acted upon in any particular matter or circumstance without seeking appropriate professional advice on that matter or circumstance.
11. The ACMA has taken all care possible in the preparation and presentation of the Register but does not accept responsibility for any actions taken as a consequence of the information contained in the Register.
12. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable legislation, any conditions or warranties imposed by law are hereby excluded. Insofar as liability under any legislation may not be excluded, such liability is limited to replacement of the Register or correction of defects in the Register, at the ACMA’s option. In no event shall the ACMA be liable for any loss, damage or injury whatsoever (including indirect or consequential loss, damage or injury, loss of profits, business interpretation, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this Register.
13. We do not endorse your use of the data contained in the Register, including any Derivative Material produced by you.