Took my General at the FCC Office in downtown Chicago as well, and got to sign
/CG also but no pileups for me as it was common by them. Do you know when they
started the instant upgrade?
73 John AF5CC
Sent from Proton Mail Android
-------- Original Message --------
On 9/17/25 9:55 AM, Joe wrote:
> 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>](mailto: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 Boyars
>>> artboyars@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
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> CQ-Contest mailing list
>>> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
>>>
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
>>
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