What's in a name? 40 years ago this week a very large group of us were applying to the FCC for the long-awaited "preferred Extra Class call signs." The FCC opened the gate on January 1, 1977. Decisio
Hi Jim, Agonizing indeed. I don't remember being given a choice for my first 3 callsigns. If I had a choice, its value did not 'register' with me at the time. I'll do my 'homework' next time, if I ev
I remember this well. One of the first rare DX stations I ever worked was VS9MF (Present day 8Q7). When I got his card I saw the suffix of his call was the same as his initials, and that was the cool
Oh, yes, I remember that! I was also in that group. That's when I got my current callsign. My old friend and Elmer W9RCJ ("Ragtime Cowboy Joe" - now an SK) told me that the original holder of the W9S
What someone had common sense? No way! HI! I got licensed in 1978, so I missed that window and had to wait till the vanity program. I can't recall anymore if W0MU was my 1st choice but I don't think
Jim, (at your superstation?) Interesting discussion. I never knew the exact history of this "preferred Extra Class call signs" history exactly, as it occurred just before I was licensed. On the CWops
Author: K8IA via CQ-Contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2017 12:01:08 -0500
Great history, JIm! Thanks for sharing. Before they "opened the gate" in January 1977, several of us received our 1X2 callsigns. Mine (K8IA) was late 1976 via #2 below. The procedure was; 1) Effectiv
yup when Novice Roundup was Fun and had participation. Joe WB9SBD Sig The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com On 1/8/2017 10:23 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:
in Italy we have no choice, no 2x1 call, except for a special call, only to "some" main contest ... we use sometimes IB9T ... but generally I have to content myself with a long, ugly and hard call li
That's correct, 10 years. That's when I changed from VE3 to VA3 (there were no VE3 2 letters suffix left at the time), and dropped the third initial of my name. 73 de Vince, VA3VF In Canada, to the b
Author: "Mark Steven Williams" <k9gx@thepoint.net>
Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2017 12:38:03 -0500
Very interesting thread. I earned my first ham ticket in 1980 after moving to Kentucky from my native W6 land. My first FCC licenses were on the broadcast side in the early 1960's. After moving to W4
When the club got their call shooting for something cool, short, and good on both CW as well as phone they got W9ET. Ok on phone, the phonetics don't sound like any others, so good there, and only tw
The ARRL would send a photocopy of a matrix from graph paper that showed which calls were available. It wasn't real-time, of course, which we would expect today. There wasn't a limit to the number of
I chose my initials also. Regretted it every CW contest since. Wish I had more "average power" in the suffix -- dits get lost. 73, de Hans, K0HB -- "Just a boy and his radio" ________________________
That's right. I was trying to remember the criteria. I got my Extra in 1971 so I fit under the #3 criteria. Getting the Extra was a rather humorous event. I went to the Chicago FCC office to take the
For the record, the 1976-1977 gate system of 1x2 callsigns for Extra Class licensees was adopted by the FCC pursuant to Docket #20092, and is described in detail in the Washington Mailbox column on p
That was a smart move, Glenn. I have not dealt with the DOC/IC/Whatever they are called these days, in a long time. The few times I did, they were always very helpful. As a new arrival in Canada, I w
Speaking of "Heritage" Is there any way to see if anyone had a call before you do? Joe WB9SBD Sig The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com On 1/8/2017 11:38 AM
November 1993 A rumour is floating around that Industry Canada is considering opening up the VA prefix block for amateurs. I decided to send a letter of request to the Hamilton office. The informatio
KN4VUD to K4VUD first time issued. Kept and will keep. AC4TT club station, recovered, is in honor of Tibet prefix of AC4. HS0ZCW first time issued, Kept and will keep. 9N1UD and 9N7UD first time, kep