This is a little off subject, but still similar. Hearing a Strange Call
on the bands.
Remember in dem olden days when you were not at home you had to sign
portable whatever?
How about Field Day! everyone was portable Nine, stroke nine or on cw /9.
Or just any day if I went to Minnesota I'd sign WN9SBD/0
Canada WN9SBD/VE (don't remember if had to do VE or VE3 whatever.)
And DX was the same way, if I was in Ecuador I'd be WN9SBD/HC
Speaking of that when did that change? Whiskey November Nine Sierra
Bravo Delta portable hotel charlie
That makes sence to me still more than HC/WN9SBD, but thats a different
story.
Back to strange calls.....
I was a Novice, and drove to the federal building in Chicago to try for
my General. I passed it with no problems.
But there was something UN-Expected. The examiner at the beginning of
the session made an announcement.
"You all that may pass today will be the first of a new program that we
are starting today. You all will be the first in a program called
INSTANT UP-GRADE. This will allow you to as soon as you pass your exam,
you will be able to use your new privileges right away. You won't have
to wait for the new license to arrive from the FCC. You will still use
your existing callsign. But at any time you exceed your old privileges
and are using your new ones you must add /CG to the end of your call. So
if I went to 20 meters CW I'd sign with WN9SBD/CG. /CG stood for Chicago.
As soon as I got home hello 20 meters here I come! I'm a CW man so of
course CW was the Mode.
CQ CQ CQ CQ DE WN9SBD/CG WN9SBD/CG
OMG! Like 10 people are calling me! This 20 meters Kicks BUTT!
I'm working them as fast as I can, but the pile is getting worse. People
are tailending, they are trying to sneak their calls inbetween
exchanges. It gets to the point that each QSO is taking like 5 minutes
to do because people never stop calling. I eventually after about a half
hour stop. I lean back in my chair and think what was that all about?
About a Hour later I try it again and same thing happened! This is
confusing but Boy is it also FUN! I again stop after a hour or so. Then
the lightbulb lit above my head, whats different? the /CG is whats
different Today is when that started.
Hmmmm do people think I am in wherever /CG is? I try to look up where
/CG is and it's NOWHERE! I now know it is a possible prefix for Canada.
But back then, it wasn't listed anywhere that it could be Canada and
thats probably why the FCC thought it was also OK to Use.
So people must think I'm some super rare new DX in wherever CG is!
That's what must be happening!
OK Now, Thinking back Not Cool, BUT I was a High School Teenager OK? And
you know what those creatures are like.
So hmmmm? a BIG lightbulb pops up, So everyone thinks I'm rare DX. huh?
OK, Cool, OK Mean kid lets go with this!
And Run with it.
CQ CQ CQ DE WN9SBD/CG WN9SBD/CG
K8MR
K8MR 59
K8MR SAYS 59
TU QRZ
AF5CC
AF5CC 59
AF9CC SAYS 59
TU QRZ
I RAN IT LIKE A RARE DX-EXPEDITION! never once giving a hint of where I
really am. Nasty Teen age Boy!
This was Almost 50 years ago now! but still remember it as if it was
yesterday.
I was on whenever possible doing this. Yeah Not Illegal, but thinking
back Not Nice either!
Thinking of how many guys may have spent hours trying to work some
teenager in Schaumburg, IL.
This Crazyness lasted for almost a MONTH! After two weeks it started to
slow down.
But still was crazy! And was finally gone after a month or so. When the
word spread about that instant UP-Grade thing.
I bet I made over 5000 contacts that month!
Strange things happen when there is a call that shows up that makes no
sense, YA GOT TO WORK IT! and then after working it try to figure where
it is he he he.
Joe
WN9SBD WN9SBD/CG WB9SBD
On 9/16/2025 10:38 AM, John Geiger via CQ-Contest wrote:
Interesting stories. I remember shortly after upgrading to general I was
working one of the CAM-AM contests (remember those) and worked AH6BK on 40m.
He sent his section, I asked for a repeat. He sent it again, I wondered why he
was laughing at me (HI HI). Then I realized that he actually was in Hawaii!
As someone who had just left the novice 40m band, didn't realize what sorts of
DX were possible on 40m. They were never in the 7100-7150 range.
Worked KH6IJ on 2m FM once when in Hawaii. Truly a gentleman!
73 John AF5CC
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
On Tuesday, September 16th, 2025 at 10:06 AM, jimk8mr--- via
CQ-Contest<cq-contest@contesting.com> wrote:
I too often heard that K5BIJ call on the air.
I also heard and called that K7HFX guy from CZ - was that Central Arizona?
73 - Jim K8MR
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 08:48:19 AM EDT, Art
Boyarsartboyars@gmail.com wrote:
Writing up my 3830scores report for Sprint CW, I reminded myself of this
story.
In the mid-1960s, in a CW CD Party, on 40M I was called by "K5BIJ". I sent
him my report, but it took Katashe several tries for me to get his call
correctly. I was astounded. Back then I didn't know it was possible to
work Hawaii on 40M from Maryland.
My antenna was a dipole. Pretty sure rcvr was my RME-4350 (maybe the "A"
version), and that I had already upgraded the xmtr from the BC-459 to a
second-hand Viking Ranger.
73, Art K3KU
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