When I upgraded in 1978 (from Novice to Technician to General to Advanced,
all within 4 months) at the Federal Building in Baltimore, I was told to
append my callsign with /BM (or, on phone, "Interim BM".) I heard a lot of
crappy jokes about that designator!
73,
Vince K4JC
On Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM ktfrog007--- via CQ-Contest <
cq-contest@contesting.com> wrote:
> After instantly upgrading in 1978 I was W1GTI/BS. Got it on a high floor
> in the Boston Custom House. Down below the streets were fogged in, but up
> in the exam room the sun shone. A good omen. I was the last person to
> finish (Advanced and Extra) and the examiners were patient and kind and I
> got my BS.
>
> No pileups that I can remember. People probably stayed away from me. A few
> must have thought I was in 6S (Pakistan). Probably no one thought I was in
> China. (There was no BY activity back then)
>
> I was very happy when that little FCC envelope came. I can remember the
> excitement of opening it up.
>
> 73,
> Ken, AB1J
>
> On Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 03:26:43 PM EDT, Joe <nss@mwt.net>
> 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> 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
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> CQ-Contest mailing list
> >> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|