I Had NO Idea !

[wa6ccw]

I've been meaning to post this for a long time but never got around to it till now...

I was first licensed as a Ham in 1991. My purpose in obtaining the license was (and is) simply to be able to operate on VHF/UHF for emergency/utility reasons - and nothing more. Anyway, I happened to be living/working in the midwest at the time and originally obtained a call sign with a "9" designator.

A bit later, as we all know, the Vanity program started. Having been born/raised in Southern California, I decided that I wanted to apply for a "6" call sign. I also wanted "W" and "CCW" in the combination. Hence, "WA6CCW" happened to be available, so that is the one I picked.

Several months after receiving "WA6CCW", I decided to do an internet search on my recently obtained call sign. Much to my surprise - and amusement - I found that the previous "owner" and another fellow, "N6RXA", had what can best be described as a.... shall we say.... #"war of words" that (according to the link below) has been a "cult favorite" for the folks who operate the "World Famous Chicken Net" repeater in Sonoma County California, for many years.

Turn on your speakers, then click on this LINK (http://www.chicken.net/rxavsccw/rxa_ccw.htm) #to hear it.

Anyway, anyone who might be familiar with this situation - through personal involvement or first hand knowledge - is encouraged to fill in with any details. # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[W5IEI]

You must be very proud http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[wa6ccw]

Quote[/b] (W5IEI @ Aug. 25 2006,00:40)]You must be very proud http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Uh... http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/39.gif... yeah. http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/40.gif

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[w3sy]

Good point. Be sure you don't pick up a callsign with bad Ju-Ju attached to it.

My call was not specifically requested -- I just asked for a 1x2 back in 1977 and this is what the FCC dubbed me. The only previous holder I've been able to find was a William Cocker in NJ (when southern NJ was in 3-land) who held it before WWII.

As far as I know, he was a good ham.

OM CCW.... What call you wanna get next? Haw!!

Hey, the WA6 prefix acually has a nice vintage ring to it. WA6's were first issued in the late 1950's, and were issued and re-issued alternately with WB6's into the 1970's. Eventually, they went to sequential WD6's then the 2 by 3 calls starting with K.

[wa6ccw]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ Aug. 25 2006,02:40)]OM CCW.... What call you wanna get next? Haw!!
Uh, well... I probably ought to "let a sleeping dog lie" on this one, doncha think?

#http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[wa4brl]

So long as you can remain amused, stick with the CCW call. Perhaps better to just forget the flap (and the website devoted to it) and play up a connection to Coherent CW. (Google it.)

Coherent CW was an interesting idea that just didn't make it for whatever reason. It involved CW reception using insanely tight filters to nearly eliminate interference. The filtering was SO narrow that both stations had to be (and stay) 'spot-on' one another's frequency. This was accomplished by slaving one station's VFO to the other's via the Morse charecters being sent/received. Yes, the master oscillator drove the keyer as well as the XCVR.

So in THIS sense, "CCW" has a proud past to draw from. Run with it.

[ka5piu]

Hello.

How does one find the "history" of a call sign?
I know about the old call books and perhaps google, but that given, there is really no background.
TNX.

[G8ADD]

This is a curiously and even endearingly American thread, in that I am the only G8ADD that ever has been or ever will be unless it is either issued post mortem to one of my descendents or Ofcom changes the rules.

I find the idea of a callsign having a history rather attractive!

73

Brian G8ADD

[w3sy]

It's like moving into a previously occupied home. You have no idea what spooks and hobgoblins live there, and where the bodies are buried!