Old time Novice Calls,

Back in the "Old Days" when Novices had specific different callsigns, IE: Mine was WN9SBD and then when the up grade to general happened it was changed to WB9SBD.

Thing is, I just realized that my original novice call was issued probably three time before I got it and even possibly one more time after also,

Like WN9SBD a LONG time ago up graded to W9SBD

then the K9 group happened,

then the WA9 group, and finally my group the WB9 group,

maybe even the WD9 group?

anyway I wonder if there is any way possible to learn when and who may have had it before me, that would be sooo cool..

Joe WB9SBD nss@mwt.net

[KA9VQF]

There is a chance the Q.C.W.A. {that’s: Quarter Century Wireless Association} might be able to find what you want to know.

From what I understand they have an exhaustive collection of call books and they might be enticed to look through them for you. There may be a fee involved.

Go to their web site and try asking your question there. Never know what you’ll get. Here is a link.

Q.C.W.A. (http://www.cmh.net/qcwa/)

It would be nice to have the old call books on a database somewhere so anyone could look up old calls. Maybe they are working on it.

[WA6MHZ]

I was WN9ZGF in Lisle, Ill in the spring of 1968. Then, about that time (maybe late winter 68 or early 69), the FCC changed the rules and were throwing Novices off of 2 meter AM, so most of the folks I was associated with went out and got their Technician, as we hadn't learned the code up to 13 WPM yet. I was then WA9ZGF. So I was in the very last wave of WA9s before they started the WB9s. It would take 8 more years before I was able to squeak through the 13. Never came close on the 20!

[W0BKR]

Mine use to be, a good many years ago now, WN0LPV
(Low Plate Voltage or Loves Pretty Virgins). Nowadays, not politically correct.

Miss that old call but not on CW working DX...Hi.

[kl7aj]

Quote[/b] (WB9SBD @ Dec. 07 2007,08:27)]Back in the "Old Days" #when Novices had specific different callsigns, #IE: #Mine was WN9SBD and then when the up grade to general happened it was changed to WB9SBD.

Thing is, #I just realized #that my original novice call #was issued probably three time before I got it and even possibly one more time after also,

Like WN9SBD #a LONG time ago #up graded to W9SBD

then #the K9 group happened,

then #the WA9 #group, #and finally my group #the WB9 group,

maybe even the WD9 group?

anyway #I wonder if there is any way possible to learn #when and who may have had it before me, #that would be sooo cool..

Joe WB9SBD #nss@mwt.net
Hi Joe. Actually, the novice license being a relatively new innovation, at least when they had the distinctive N calls, there weren't that many reissues. I know for a fact my callsign WN6TEE, issued in 1972 was the original one. Now, if you had a 1x3 or a 1x2, there was a much better chance of it being a reissue.

eric

[w3wn]

Some of the original WNx 2x3 Novice calls, on upgrade, changed to their Wx 1x3 counterpart, if available.

The KNx 2x3 Novice calls converted to their Kx 1x3 counterpart, if available.

I belive that at the time, the WN/KN call would only be issued if the counterpart non-Novice call was available.

In some parts of the country, WV 2x3 calls were also issued.

In the very early days, it was possible to hold a Novice and a Technician license simultaneously. (This was during the time that the Novice was a 1 year non-renewable one-shot license) Some of these people held their "counterpart" call, some did not.

In some cases, the equivalent counterpart call was not available at the time of the upgrade. In these cases, the upgraded Novice got an outright "new" 1x3 call.

Somewhere around the 3rd or 4th time around, there weren't that many W 1x3's left available. At that time the WN 2x3 calls became WA 2x3's on upgrade. In some parts of the country, the next round went on to the WB's.

When the FCC eliminated the distinctive Novice prefix circa 1975, the remaining WN calls converted to either WB's or WD's depending on which call district you were in. (WCx 2x3's were reserved for RACES stations)

Now, who else held your old call? The only way to find out is to find someone with the old call books and look it up. Those FCC records, if they still exist, are on microfiche but are not available electronically at the present time.

Considering that the original Novices were 1 year tickets, later 2 year tickets, there was probably a lot of churning of recycled calls every few years... Also consider that when the "one shot" restriction was lifted, some people would get relicensed but with a new call (such as my friend Joel, WN2AQZ circa 1970 / WN2FEO circa 1972) so it can get interesting!

73, ron w3wn (wn3vaw 1973 - 2006)

[KB7GL]

I think that there was some reissuing of various W calls, but I don't think that any of the old novice KN calls were reissued. My first call, KN7DWN, was not reissued, as far as I can determine, and I haven't found any record of the General version, K7DWN. I considered getting the K7 version back through the vanity program, but my present call flows better, both on phone & CW, and I kinda like the original issue 2X2, since the HAI model was unique to the "sunset" Advanced ticket.

[WA3KYY]

During the period of the W 1X3 series calls, there was a time when novices were WV#xxx. If you read any of the old amateur radio adventure series, SOS at Midnight, CQ Ghost Ship or DX for Danger, you may recall one of the youngsters in there was a novice with a WV6 call being helped by Tommy, W6ATX, the hero of the stories.

[K9STH]

WV calls were issued to Novice Class operators in the 2nd and 6th call areas. All of them became WA calls when upgraded. In the other 8 call areas WV was not used for Novice Class. Instead, WN calls were issued and those became WA calls. There were later WN calls that became WB calls. However, by the time that WB calls were running out KA calls were being issued to new Novice Class operators.

In "off shore" areas (including Alaska and Hawai'i) Novice Class operators were issued W calls followed by the remainder of the prefix for that area. For example, a Novice in Alaska was issued a WL7 call and a Novice in Hawai'i was issued a WH6 call. When those persons upgraded they were issued a KL7 and KH6 call with the identical suffix. For example, if WH6XXX was issued to a Novice Class then KH6XXX would be issued to that same operator when upgrading.

As far as I can remember, once K calls were being issued no WN calls which became W calls were reissued. Now some new Technician Class operators were issued W calls for a short time when the FCC went back and reissued calls when the K calls were exhausted (as well as reissuing K calls). However, any WN calls became either WA or WB calls. There were a VERY few WN calls that became WD calls (as was pointed out before in this thread WC calls were reserved for RACES stations). However, the FCC then started issuing KA calls to new Novice Class operators. When a Novice upgraded he/she could either keep their KA call or else apply for a WB or WD call if such were available in their call area.

Glen, K9STH

[kl7aj]

Quote[/b] (K9STH @ Dec. 07 2007,15:00)]WV calls were issued to Novice Class operators in the 2nd and 6th call areas.
Innertresting bit of history I din't know about. Thanks!

eric

[K0RGR]

FCC has had periodic fits of reissuing calls, but they seem to have gotten over that since they started being able to charge for the service.

I was WB6RGR in 1966 (previously WN6) but my younger brother became WB6HVW in 1971.

I don't think my WN6 call was recycled - W6RGR would have been issued before the Novice ticket existed, and they did use WV6 for those who became WA6 initially, and KN6 for the K's.

[WA2ZDY]

I was WN2ZDY in Jan 75. FCC just went round and round the alphabet reissuing WN calls if the corresponding WA or WB was available.

They stopped the WNs and a funny thing happened. Two best friends I knew, both named Bob got the matching WA and WB calls. That was funny around our area back in 1976.

[NA5Z]

Definitely a cool thread.

My dad got his novice in mid '78 I think. We all got a good good laugh because he HATED code and got tagged with WD5JYX. All three of the letters that plagued his code-learning-test-taking life were part of his call for a good long while LOL

By the time I got my novice one year later (11/79), I picked up a KA5 call. (KA5GWI. Sometimes sad I let that one go).

[kl7aj]

Quote[/b] (NA5Z @ Dec. 07 2007,15:47)]Definitely a cool thread.

My dad got his novice in mid '78 I think. We all got a good good laugh because he HATED code and got tagged with WD5JYX. #
I'd hate code TOO, if I got saddled with that call....good gravy! Fortunately, KL7AJ just rolls off the old Vibroplex. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[w2nsf]

I was WV2REP back in 1961.
I wish I could find someone with a copy of my novice QSL card!

[W5HTW]

Quote[/b] (WB9SBD @ Dec. 07 2007,08:27)]Back in the "Old Days" when Novices had specific different callsigns, IE: Mine was WN9SBD and then when the up grade to general happened it was changed to WB9SBD.

Thing is, I just realized that my original novice call was issued probably three time before I got it and even possibly one more time after also,

Like WN9SBD a LONG time ago up graded to W9SBD
The Original holder of W9SBD would never have had a WN9 call sign. He would have held that license before the Novice ticket came about in 1951.

If W9SBD had died in the mid or late 1940s, that call sign would never have been reissued as a WN9SBD. It may would eventually have been reissued as a W9SBD, to a General or higher, in the 1960s or later. That would prevent you from getting that call sign when you upgraded.

Consequently there would never have been a WN9SBD until you got it. As far as I know, no Novice calls were ever reissued.

So you did not get W9SBD when you upgraded, as it was already held, (or held in reserve. ) Even if the original holder had become deceased, that call sign would not be reissued for a decade or so at the very minimum.

Early on, I believe the WN Novice call signs became WA calls upon upgrade, and then WB calls when the WAs were no longer available. I think most, if not all, of the WV Novice calls became WB or WD calls.

(Edit: WN calls issued in the early 1950s upgraded to W calls, provided the W call was available. A friend of mine was WN4HTW, and upgraded to W4HTW. But that was by 1955. By mid 1955, Novices were getting "KN" calls, and no one was upgraded to a "W" call sign. Suppose there was a call sign W4HTW already in existence in 1950? Then my friend would not have been issued WN4HTW. He would have received some other call that could be upgraded by simply dropping the "N".)

W9SBP could then have been reissued as a General call sign in the 1960s, but only if it had been expired for probably more than a decade. (Though I don't know the time limit.)

"K" calls issued in the 1950s (but not Novice calls) have been reissued, some of them a few times. My own first call sign was KN4JSG. That call has never been reissued, as it was a Novice call. But when I upgraded, in 1957, I got K4JSG. That call sign HAS been reissued -- at least twice! I also held K3SSP, which has been reissued once.

However, in 1964 I held W1BXP. That was a reissue from the 1940s. It has never been reissued since I held it, nor have any of my other W call signs. (W0RKX and W3GAB) I haven't checked but even my WA2AHV call sign had not been reissued a couple of years ago. So I would say this:

That "W" call signs from the 1930s and 1940s have been reissued.

And "K" calls from the 1950s and 1960s, HAVE been reissued.

Rhyme or reason? Who knows?! My present call sign MAY have been a second reissue, which is very rare. I learned it was held in the mid 1950s by someone in Texas. What I do not know is was he the first holder of the call? The vintage of it would make it appear to be from earlier, say immediately following World War II. So I don't know if I am the second holder or the third.

Even looking at some of the W calls that were reissues to fellows I knew, back in the early 1960s, not one of them has been reissued again.

Ed

[K9STH]

Here are some QSL cards from 1959 from WV2 and WV6 Novice Class stations that I worked when I was a Novice.

On edit: Artwork for making your own WRL "My QTH" QSL cards can be downloaded from

http://k9sth.com/uploads/WRL_QSL.JPG

Artwork for other "olde tyme" QSL cards can be downloaded from

http://k9sth.com/Page_2.html

and the links are at the bottom of the list of links.

Glen, K9STH

[K9STH]

HTW:

All of the WV calls (only issued in the 2nd and 6th call areas) became WA. They were issued from late 1957 until around early 1961.

After that time WV calls were no longer issued to Novice Class operators. WN calls were then issued which became primarily WB calls with a few WD in the 2nd and 6th call areas. In the other call areas WN became WA and WB.

Glen, K9STH

[wb7dmx]

my novice call was

WN7WJO

[ac3p]

My call was KN3VZG issued December 12, 1962.

I didn't get it in the mail until the last week of December that year.

[n4cd]

My novice call was WN2KQL. I became WB2KQL (1963). I moved - had to get new call...WB9ABT....then 3 years later moved again....WB4WVC.....then the "N" calls came out and now am N4CD.

Someone has my WB2KQL call - it was reassigned a long time ago.

I haven't checked on the others.

When people moved, they had to get a new call in the call area they now lived in....people always changing callsigns. Finally, the FCC decided that you could keep a callsign no matter where you lived. So now I am a 4 in TX.

OF course, in the beginning, callsigns were 1SZ, 8RN and similar....hams could not talk outside the country due to short range of equipment.

Only after hams were banished to 'the short waves'...above 1.5 MHz where nothing was supposed to work (and didn't at the time) did it become possible for small hamstations to work into Europe. Before that, it took 25KW spark transmitters and massive towers to do that. Hams were limited to 1KW input after 1912.

Spark/arc was outlawed in 1926.

International rules required countries to put a prefix in front of callsigns, so the US started using W and K.

[K9STH]

HTW:

I just got around to checking some Novice Class call signs from mid-1952. WN9PRJ was mentioned in the May 1952 issue of CQ in Herb Brier's Novice Column (he was the author of the Novice Column in CQ before taking over that job in Popular Electronics) as being a new call. The WN9S calls came in 1953. Therefore, W9SBD was not issued before at least early 1953 and therefore the person holding W9SBD could definitely have been a Novice Class holding WN9SBD. WN9O calls were also listed in the May 1953 issue and those probably were from mid to late 1952.

Remember that the "lead time" on articles was 60 days before the cover date and magazines were generally mailed around the 20th of the month before the cover date.



CD:

Remember that there was a way to keep your original call if you moved to another call area before the mid 1970s. That was to get an additional station license. Of course you still had to have a valid address in the original call area. I obtained WA4MLI as an additional station license for Atlanta, Georgia, when I went to college at Georgia Tech. My K9STH was still licensed to my parents' house in LaPorte, Indiana. When I moved here (Richardson, Texas) after I graduated from college I obtained WA5STI (I never did forgive the FCC for missing STH by one letter) and changed the station location on the WA4MLI to my mother-in-law's house in Atlanta. Meanwhile, I changed the mailing address on the K9STH to my address in Richardson as well as the mailing address on the WA4MLI license.

When I took my Advanced Class examination at the FCC field office in Dallas, Frank Wanja, the FCC engineer who gave the test, told me that I had "passed handily" but that I couldn't keep my K9 call. I had to have a call from the 5th area. Then I showed him my license with the Indiana station location and the Texas address. He said, "I'll be damned! If they did it once they will do it again."

It was not until 1977 when my additional station licenses and my primary license expired and the FCC discontinued additional station licenses that I had to get a call from the 5th call area. The FCC "assigned" me W5UOJ. I held that call (which at least 3 others had held before me) until 1996 when the FCC started the vanity program. I was in my office in downtown Dallas doing some work on the FCC website when I came across the notice about vanity licenses and being able to get back any previous call that you had held. So, since no one else had ever had K9STH but me I got it back.

Of course my original call was KN9STH. I took my Novice Class examination on my 15th birthday, 13 February 1959. The license was not issued until 15 May 1959 and I got it in the mail 2 weeks later! I already knew my call because all the QSL card printers had sent me samples and my call was on the mailing address on the envelope. But, at that time, you had to have the actual paper copy of your license in your hand before you could go on the air. I also got the little plastic desk holder with my call (sent by Mosley Antennas) the same day as my license came. When I upgraded to General in November of 1959 Mosley sent me another one. I have long since lost both of them. However, I sure would like to find one of them.

Glen, K9STH

[ac3p]

Remeber when a lot of guy swould get sample QSLs from The Little Print Shop addressed to them with there new novice calls before they even go the ticket in the mail.

They were faster than looking up online. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[WA3KYY]

Quote[/b] (ac3p @ Dec. 14 2007,12:43)]Remeber when a lot of guy swould get sample QSLs from The Little Print Shop addressed to them with there new novice calls before they even go the ticket in the mail.

They were faster than looking up online. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Yes indeed. #I got a blurb from them addressed to WN9PQR in May of 1965 but did not get the letter from Gettysburg until June. #They were my only source of QSL cards until they went out of business sometime after 1982. There is now another Little Print Shop in Rapid City, SD but the original was in Austin, TX.

73,
Mike WA3KYY

[ac3p]

Do they do QSLs? and Do they have a website?

Maybe I 'll order a few for old time's sake.

[KC9JUB]

Quote[/b] (WA3KYY @ Dec. 06 2007,16:27)]During the period of the W 1X3 series calls, there was a time when novices were WV#xxx. #If you read any of the old amateur radio adventure series, SOS at Midnight, CQ Ghost Ship or DX for Danger, you may recall one of the youngsters in there was a novice with a WV6 call being helped by Tommy, W6ATX, the hero of the stories.
Tommy Rockford, the hero, was known as K6ATX, the same call as the author Walker A. Tompkins(SK).

I read the book (SOS At Midnight) about 50 times before I got my novice, WN8OGC, in 1964.

73,

Bob - KC9JUB

[KC9GUZ]

There are so many older hams around me that have WB9/WA9/WD9 and KA9 calls that i lost count how many there are! I know most fo them all have been lisensed for well over 30+ years.

[K9STH]

3P:

If you are interested in printing some of your own "olde tyme" QSL cards go to

http://k9sth.com/Page_2.html

and scroll down to the bottom of the list of links. The artwork for making your own WRL, Walter Ashe, GE, and Johnson QSL cards and the instructions for adding your callsign, address, etc., are there. I was asked some time back by people on various E-Mail reflectors to come up with this artwork.

Glen, K9STH

[ac3p]

Glen,

Thanks for the info. I will try it.

73

Frank AC3P

[W8NSI]

In 1972 I received my novice call WN8NSI. It was a 2 year non-renewable license at the time, so when I upgraded to tech, I checked to see what was available. At the time I believe that WA8NSI was taken but W8NSI was vacant.
I was issued WB8NSI which I held until 1999 when I decided to snag the W8NSI call as a vanity call.

A couple years ago the original holder of the call, John Branch KI7BM emailed me with the history of the call. He was the original holder and abandoned it back in the 1950s for 1 area call when he moved to the east coast. My call had been vacant since about 1955. John said it was a nice CW call and I agree, but his current 7 call has a great cw rhythm too. That is why he decided to stay with his 7 call.

I am fortunate to be able to know who was the original holder because he did a lookup to see who currently held it... and he is not a silent key. I fear that the history of many calls will go unknown unless someone has some really OLD call books.

[n7wr]

Got my Novice in 1958 and was issued WV6CUP. That was less than 3 months after a friend of mine got his Novice and was issued a KN6Y__ call. Must have been a lot of us Novices coming on board at that time in 6 land. When I upgraded to General (skipped Tech) it became WA6CUP, a call I held until about 1984. I'm on my 6th call sign (some change due to moving from 6 to 7 land) and don't ever anticipate changing again.

[k9xr]

Years ago when you had to get a new call in the area you moved to, there was at least one way around it. If we were operating away from our home station area over a certain time period, (I think it may have been 30 days but not sure) we had to notify the FCC that we were operating in another area. We had to also sign /and the area. #If I operated in Maine I had to sign "/1". I believe you had to renew the notice with the FCC every 90 days or so.

I know some stations just kept renewing thir portable notice. #One of the best examples I can think of was Wayne Green who signed "W2NSD/1 for many, many years.

There were many "big gun" contest stations that did this also.

[W1GUH]

I was issued KN8TFH on 4/12/60. Got my Tech. in July as K8TFH. General happened in August. Back then, most of us who went for the Technician license did it for two reasons:

1) To practice taking General theory
2) Just in case our generals didn't happen before the novice license expired, it was a way to hang onto your call.

A lot of us never operated VHF.

My W1 happened in '73 when I moved from Mich. to Mass. At that time if you had a "preferred" call, 1X3, you'd be issued another "preferred" call with K's and W's considered equivalent.

[K7KBN]

I was KN7KBN from December 1959 until April 1960 when I "dropped the N" and became K7KBN.

Operated /MM from USS Kitty Hawk in the mid-60s, and was AD7KBN in 1976 (Bicentennial call).

Anybody else remember the Bicentennial calls?

[k7mh]

Quote[/b] ]Anybody else remember the Bicentennial calls?
I do and used one for a while but do not remember how they worked. I was WA7QII at the time. I think I used AA7QII but I am not sure. I was WN7QII as a novice. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif