[CQ-Contest] Watch your dits this weekend

[Robert Chudek - K0RC]

Does anyone remember the original "gates" that were setup (and the 
qualifications & dates)? I *think* I applied when gate 2 opened. I do 
remember pondering what call to request and deciding upon my initials. Then 
I recall driving down to the Minneapolis main post office and putting the 
envelope in the mailbox at 12:01 AM.

>From Jim's description, it sounds like gate 1 was for "old" Extra Class. 
Again I *think* there were 3 gates but I don't recall the particulars. I was 
looking for this information a few months ago but did not find any reference 
to the process.

Anyone?

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Cain" <jamesdavidcain at gmail.com>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 3:57 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Watch your dits this weekend


>A lot of us here got our call signs during the First Great Rush at the end 
>of 1976. I'll bet every one of us has a story. Much gnashing of teeth over 
>what call sign to ask for. At that time, in most call areas only a handful 
>of "K" 1X2 call signs had ever been issued (exceptions being the second, 
>sixth, and maybe second call area, I think). No "N" 1X2 calls ever issued.
>
> There certainly was a "rush," because we knew that when the W, K, and N 
> 1X2s were gone, that would be that. A 2X1 call sign wouldn't have the 
> cachet of a 1X2. At least, that's what I thought.
>
> I've never regretted my own decision: K1TN. Never before issued. Not a 
> "W1" retread. A connection with the call sign I had then, WA1STN. Short 
> and sweet on CW.
>
> I remember really wanting to keep some continuity between my old call sign 
> and my new one. When the FCC first offered preferred call signs a few 
> years earlier, it was for Extra Class licensees with 25 years licensed 
> under their belts, and every month for a while QST ran a little box called 
> "Who The Devil is Who?" -- an old call vs new call table. QST didn't do 
> that during The Great Rush because, I think, there were just too many of 
> us.
>
> My switch didn't result in some horrible CW call sign so I didn't have to 
> think about that. But there's a reason why, for example, my friend WA1SSH 
> did not ask for W1SH. Although, a call sign that's also an English word 
> would be sort of cool.
>
> No call sign can be perfect for contesting. These days I get called K1AR, 
> K1TTT, K1TR, W1TN, K0TN, and worse. The one I really hate being called is 
> KA1TN (no offense to the real KA1TN).
>
> A funny thing happened on the way to those Great Rush call signs. The ARRL 
> International DX Competition was two weekends per mode then, and we were 
> all waiting for our new licenses/call signs to arrive between the two 
> weekends. What would I do if I operated as WA1STN the first weekend (which 
> I did) and the new K1TN license arrived before the running of the second 
> weekend? This was a real concern.
>
> In my semi-official capacity at the time I asked someone else to check for 
> us. The answer from the FCC was, tacitly, just don't sign the new license 
> and act as if it didn't arrive until after the second weekend.
>
> The point turned out to be moot, as the new call signs didn't arrive until 
> later. I always had a feeling that somebody at the FCC (the Gettysburg 
> processing office) got wind of this and put a mail tray of brand new call 
> signs aside for a while until the dust settled. "K1TN" showed up in my 
> mailbox about two or three days after the second weekend of the contest.
>
> What a thrill, at age 28, to get an original, 1X2 call sign! Especially 
> after laboring under 2X3 call signs for nearly 16 years. These danged Kids 
> nowadays don't know how lucky they are to be able to ask for any danged 
> call sign they want and they don't even have to learn the Code. Harrumph. 
> Get off my lawn.
>
> Jim Cain
> The original, the one-and-only K1TN
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