Greetings to Ham getting my old Call

[N4ARO]

The following letter was sent to a ham who had received my old call. # It might be of some general interest especially for the old-timers. #Use it as you desire. #Dick Church N4ARO

To:
Wilburn Smith, W4WNJ
2792 Peavine Rd.
Rock Spring, GA 30739

Jan. 18, 2003

Hi Wilburn

I was surfing the FCC web site the other day while getting my license updated on line and checked out my old call. #I discovered that you were the new owner of it. # I thought you might enjoy knowing a bit of the history of your call. #I guess we normally think of unused calls being from silent keys, but in this case that would be a bit of a premature assumption. Even though I celebrated by 50th year as a ham last year, I am still kicking pretty high.

I was the first and probably the only other person to have the call until you got it. It was first issued on 7-21-1952 as WN4WNJ when I was 15 years old attending #high school in Johnson City, TN. # This was shortly after the #novice license was first established. #For some time, # I had been trying to learn morse code by listening to the thumps coming out of the families old #Silvertone console radio that tuned several short wave bands. #I had found one of the ham bands (probably 40 meters) and got to where I #could pick out letters and words of the code coming in. #I had built up my speed to maybe 8 or 10 WPM this way and when the novice class ham license was announced I obtained an ARRL license manual and starting making arrangements to make the 100 mile trip to Knoxville to take the test and get my license. (In those days we had to actually appear before an FCC examiner who came around about every three months to give the tests. #The closest one was in Knoxville at the Post Office building. #
I already had my rig built and ready to go on the air as soon as the license arrived. #It was a two tube homebrew with a 6L6 in the final with a pi network output feeding an end fed wire up about 20 feet. The power out was about 10 watts. #The receiver was a converted BC-454 surplus command receiver on 80 meters. To begin with, #I had one crystal to plug into the transmitter on 3.717 MHZ. #

On the day the license arrived (July 26, 1952) #I was on the air. #My first contact (and the only one for some time) was with my friend Van Wilson WN4VST who lived about 5 miles down the road. #He had obtained his novice #license at the test given in Knoxville #three months before I got mine #For about four weeks #until sometime in #September, # I called CQ and answered calls with no success. The only results #I was achieving for my effort #was to work the local guys around town who could hear me and blacking out all the TV sets and radios for blocks around my ham shack. #I finally came to the conclusion that my antenna was just not cutting it and made the change #from the end fid wire to a resonant half wave dipole fed in the center with 72 ohm twin lead. #Using that dipole and the #little 10 watt #rig, I managed to work #novices on 80 cw all over the U.S. and Canada. #By dragging my self out of bed, #and getting on the air at 3 or 4 am before getting off to school, #I actually was able to work nearly all states on 80 cw. Also by limiting my operating to the early morning hours I kept peace in the neighborhood with the TVI problem. #In those days, TVI was a real serious impediment to operation.. #There was no cable TV, #stations were in my case over 100 miles away, received signals were weak, our home brew transmitters were relatively unshielded, etc.etc.

About the first week of January 1953 after building my code speed up, I got on the bus here in Johnson City and made the trip back to Knoxville to take the test to upgrade from novice to General class. # Well, on Jan 30, 1953 W4WNJ was issued to me by the FCC. #On Feb 9,1953 , I made my first contact as W4WNJ. #By passing the General test, the FCC merely dropped the N from the call and I was a General class # My old friend Van, who had earlier also upgraded and as W4VST #became my first contact as a General Class.

I operated as W4WNJ using all home brew equipment for many years. #I worked everything from 160 meter AM #(with a half wave dipole) #to 20 meters using a ground plane vertical on the top of the garage. # I had upgraded to a used #Hallicrafters S-20Rreceiver somewhere along the way and had built several new rigs finally getting up to 60 or 80 watts output with a pair of parallel 1625's in the final. #Modulation on AM phone (no SSB to speak of in those days) was with a pair of push pull 6L6's #An outboard home brew VFO which plugged into the crystal socket on the front of the rigs #allowed movement around the bands. #In 1957, W4WNJ operated a short time from Cocoa Beach, FL. Where #I was working at that time as an electronic technician on one of the early missile programs at #Cape Canaveral.

From 1953 to 1959 I was on the air nearly every day and filled three log books with contacts. In 1959, I #graduated from college #and moved to Orlando, FL where I operated for a while from my rented apartment. #In 1966 I moved to Los Angeles, CA and in April 1968 #believing that I would stay there forever, I surrendered my license to the FCC for reissue with a W6 call. # (I believe at that time it was necessary to obtain a call that represented the call area you were operating from.) #I became W6IMD . W4WNJ was silenced. # I operated for a while with this call from Palos Verdes CA #I kept it until I changed job assignments and moved back to W4 land in 1979. #While living in Lebanon, TN , # I sent in my form 610 to the FCC in June 1980 to report my change in residence and request my old license (W4WNJ) be reissued,. # Well, the FCC of course didn’t do things like that and I received in the mail a new license with the call N4ARO. # I shortly moved on to a job in Oak Ridge, TN, #I again #became interested in getting on the air. #I attended a local ham fest, bought a beautiful used Collins 75A4 receiver, set up some old transmitting gear, strung some wires and became active again. #Right away a local ham friend noticed that my new call was real neat in that the phonetics were “Amateur Radio Operator”. #How about that., I had barely noticed as I was inactive at the time I received the new ticket #and had just put it in a drawer #hardly looking at it. #I also mostly worked CW and phonetics just didn’t come to mind.

Well, much has happened in my amateur radio career over the years, including an upgrade to Amateur Extra in 1980 (still keeping my N4ARO call). That in a nutshell is the story of W4WNJ. I hope you enjoy your use of the call. # You can contact me at: # winelover99@yahoo.com. # Unfortunately, I am not currently on the air as I just moved into a new home and all my gear is boxed up and I have no antennas set up as yet. #Perhaps I will get on the air soon and we can have a QSO on air. That would be different hearing my old call coming back to me.

73: Dick Church # N4ARO, ex. W4WNJ

[kb3fga]

Dick,

That was certainly a nice thing for you to do, it shows the friendliness of the amateur community.

-K1CWB
Chris

[WA3G]

Really great story!!!
John

[WA5EOG]

Yep, nice story. I enjoyed reading it. What amazes me is that anyone would let their call go. I have had my call since 1963 and it is so much a part of me that I can't imagine having a different one. I hope you got a nice response from the new holder of your callsign.
73's, Ken, WA5EOG

[W5ATX]

Yes indeed, I too enjoyed that story. Nice rundown of the history of ham radio in those days too.

Imagine today's newcomers reading about how you operated CW, had no SSB gear, ran all homebrew stuff . . . They're probably reading that and thinking "yeah, and he walked uphill both ways to school too." My first transmitter was a 6L6 with a crystal on 7123kc. My early experiences were much like yours except that I had Radio Moscow to deal with too.

Yes indeed, I hope W4WNJ appreciates your letter.

73,

Chris

[kb5kjn]

Let us know if he writes back!!!

[k1zym]

Great Story, I have my Dads old call who is now a Silent Key. It is nice to know the history behind a call. I hope he writes back. You sound like a very nice person
73's Ken Pooler - K1ZYM http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KC8FKS]

That truly was a GREAT story.
I always enjoy reading about the good ol days.
Thanks for sharing it.
73 Doug

[w6th]

Very nice story Dick. #I heard my old call on 40 meters two years ago, when I checked, it was never re-issued.

# # # # # # # # # # # # 73 Dick, #W6th

[n7wsb]

I don't think my callsign has any history other than my own :) - and I don't plan to change anytime soon. When did the N series callsigns come into existance anyhow?

[df7fe]

Good idea! Nice to read the story.

VY 73
Peter (DF7FE)

[n0srq]

This is a nice story with a good bit of history. #I hope the new holder does respond and a friendship grows between you. I also hope you get the chance to work each other on the air sometime and I'm lucky enough to hear it. #The down side to this story for me is I'm starting to second guess my decision to get my current vanity call (N0UY) instead of keeping my original N0SRQ. #How long before it is available for re-issue to someone else? #I wonder if my current call has a history also.
73 # Ray

[K2WH]

"The down side to this story for me is I'm starting to second guess my decision to get my current vanity call (N0UY) instead of keeping my original N0SRQ. #How long before it is available for re-issue to someone else? #I wonder if my current call has a history also."
73 # Ray

I had to make the same tough decision. #Go ahead, dump the old call for the new vanity. #I should have dumped mine a long time ago.

I have to admit, changing my 30+ year call sign (WA2AEH) to K2WH had me really confused for some time. #Notice I kept the first and last letters of my orginal call. #I thought that was a nice touch.

However, I actually had to post large cards with my new call letters on them in the shack and on the dashboard to prompt me to say K2WH instead of WA2AEH. #Took about 1 month to make the mental changeover completely.

But in the long run the new calls are much easier to say/send and much easier to copy on the other end. #I don't have any misgivings about changing the call at all. #If you are not sentimental about your SS#, or DL # then change the call.

BTW, it is (2) years before your old call is available for re-issue.


K2WH x WA2AEH

[K0YGO]

I recently sent the call sign history of a now SK's call to the current call holder. I was given the SK's radio gear and wanted to pass along some of the enjoyment that the old gentleman had for 50 + years.
The call dated from the late 1950's, and I assumed that the current call holder might be interested in the history of his new vanity call.
I included a few of the SK's original QSL cards and and a brief #history of the 4 different calls the gentleman was assigned throughout the years.
Have not received any #acknowlegement from the new holder of the call.

Strange that some one would take the time and effort to choose a vanity call, then not even bother to send an email thank you for the history.

Oh well,

73

[K9PLK]

GREAT LETTER !

Thanks
Paul
K9PLK

[kw8g]

Very neat story!!!I remember in the late 50s trying to pull the C.W. signals from a floor model shortwave set.I also had a WN call back in the "old novice days". Hope other hams read this and add their stories to it!!Best 73..Ralph,KW8G

[g6vmi]

Very nice story, my dad and I are trying to piece together an accurate time line of my Grandads callsign (G2MI). Perhaps we might even publish it here? or even on the callsign finder?

[WD8X]

Great story to motivate the best in us. I recently upgraded and earned the right to a vanity call. I have done research on the previous holder but have come up empty. As for original callsigns, I was glad to let my technician license go away (KC8AXG) as well as my advanced call too (KG8XQ). Did not have them as long as some of my respected peers had their KN or WN novice licences (like my good friend Ralf KW8G, a previous poster on this thread). I would be hard pressed to decide on taking my fathers call sign (K8BVY originally KN8BVY) since there would be a lot to live up to. I have been mistaken for him on the air many times since our voices are similar so imagine how bizarre and uncomfortable that would be for someone to work me thinking it was him. I'll wait till then to think about it further. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[AF4XZ]

Dick,
I talked to W4WNJ this morning on 3.995 KZ. Wilborn or Harold as we call him here is a very good friend of mine. He is a member of the Georgia Cracker Radio Club and is a regular on our net. He usually is on the air around 4 A.M. eastern time on 3.995. He works at a school in Walker County and has to leave around 6 A.M. for work. He does not have a computer so he can not reply to your story but I will print the history of W4WNJ and give it to him.
73 John AF4XZ

[k9lgj]

"LGJ" forever...!
It's a small world.
Back in my early days as KN9LGJ (1958), I noticed W9LGJ driving past the house almost every day. One time I flagged him down and found that he worked at an AT&T Longlines office about a mile south of where I lived and he lived in the town where I was born.!
73's dennis
.

[KC2KQH]

"Very nice story, my dad and I are trying to piece together an accurate time line of my Grandads callsign (G2MI). Perhaps we might even publish it here? or even on the callsign finder?"
I have never heard of the callsign finder, what is it.
73, Ryan KC2KQH

[w3wn]

N7WSB et al,

The "N" series 1x3 calls were first issued on a regular basis (as "Group C" callsigns) by the FCC starting in March 1978, when the existing call sign system came into place. I know that when I passed the FCC exams for my Tech (on St. Patrick's Day 1978), while I was fortunate to get my old Novice call back, those who earned new licenses at that test session got some of the first N3AAx calls.

Some time in the mid to late 1970's, "N" series 1x2 calls were issued to Extra class operators when the existing "K" and "W" series 1x2's were exhausted. My friend N3WS was one of many who got their calls at that time.

Prior to that, the "N" callsign blocks did not apparantly belong to the FCC for assignment. They were being used by the Navy for Navy MARS calls and other purposes, and I know there was at least one special event 1x2 (N6V) issued, but that was it. There was also some FAA use of these calls on aircraft, which continues to this day to some degree I believe, but again, those are not amateur calls!

So, I don't think there's much doubt that you are the first Amateur to hold your call.

73, ron wn3vaw

[g6vmi]

re comment by ryan kc2kqh i actually meant the qrz database as it is still getting hits. Blame it on 48+ hours no sleep with sprog qrm teething !! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[WA3ELQ]

Dick,

What a great story! Your message was truly in the best spirit and tradition of ham radio. I am sure W4WNJ will enjoy reading about the rich history of his call.

Although I have chosen to maintain my original call (it has been a part of me for 38 years), if I were to choose a new call I would like to know its history and something about the previous owner. I hope more hams will take the time to tell new owners of calls what the history of their call is - whether the stories are about themselves or about friends who are now SK's.

73,
Larry WA3ELQ

[W5ATX]

I was exchanging some emails with my brother the other day about this very subject. We've agreed it's time for me to face that I will not return to Texas as I have continued to hope. I started my life over - again - six years ago with a new wife, now more kids, and she and they have no ties nor interest in Texas. Sad but true. Sooooooooooooooooo, I think it's time to give this call back to the fifth district just in case someone else down there wants it.

So I think soon you'll be seeing posts on here from WA2ZDY. My brother though suggests K2ZDY. I can't decide - if I change now, I think I should just get my own old call back.

Ideas? It's between those two. Suggestion? Better yet, I'll go with the majority on here of whatever replies I get in the next few days. Help me out fellas!

Thanks, WA2ZDY (my original General call - I don't want WN2ZDY back!) or K2ZDY?

73

Chris

[wn0iff]

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif This is a great story. Speaking as one who is has my dad's first call I can honestly say it is a neat thing for me and my father. When my dad was originally licensed the FCC issued him WN0IFF. A couple of years later when he upgraded to Technician and ultimately General, he was told that he had to lose the "N" and he became WB0IFF.
When he was an "N", I remember him sitting in the basement at his station pounding out CQ on the novice bands. (My bedroom was also in the basement). While I had always wanted the license, I had a real hard problem with the code. I finally got it together and got my ticket in 1983. When I upgraded to General in 2000, I put WN0IFF on the form thinking I wouldn't get it as I hadn't seen any other calls like it on the sights and I got in on Sept 1, (1 day after my birthday.)
I hope the new holder of your old call writes back to you and dicsoveres the pleasure and joy you had with it.

73's
T. Mulvin WN0IFF

[N4ARO]

THANKS TO ALL YOU GUYS FOR YOUR NICE COMMENTS. i AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM W4WNJ. WHEN I DO, I WILL UPDATE YOU ALL. 73 DICK N4ARO

[WB0VSR]

Great story! Brings back old memories! Almost forgot that my call was WNØVSR for the brief time as a 15 year old Novice. Carrying a "phone" on my belt before the days of cell phones. Going to downtown St. Paul to the F.C.C. Field Office to take the Technician and General tests.

Also, recall the "old ladies" at the FCC office with the "horned-rimed" glasses and laugh about that to this day. (I think that was the basis of one of the charactors in the "Monsters Inc." cartoon....) http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

73's WBØVSR (ex. WNØVSR)

[W1YFU]

That was a great story and thanks to you for taking the time to write it.
I was licensed first in about 1950 as WN1YFU and then went to Technician as W1YFU and then General and now Advanced (I really should take the Extra). Last year when registering my car I asked if a particular name was available - they said no - it's already taken, I asked about another - they said no - it's already taken, I said ok then how about W1YFU - they said no. The computer rejected it as some people might be offended by the last two letters. I give up.

Very nice posting. Now that I have passed my Extra I have mixed emotions about changing calls. I have held WT7AAN, WB7SHW, N7AET, KD4YC and finally KD5VU (since 1982). Like you said I had no choice in the old call - they were FCC selected calls. I am still thinking about changing and there are pros and cons.

I noticed one call that was about to exprie and sent the owner an email note hiscall@arrl.net and got a response with a page of Thank You's that he forgot to renew the call and appreciated the note.

If you like your callsign, don't let it expire.

73 de Dick, KD5VU
Capital of Texas

[KB9KLC]

Yes that was a great story. #I too would like to know if you ever hear from the gentleman that received the call.

[k8cpa]

Very good story.... funny thing I recieved a post card today from Len WB2KFX, it seems Len Once owned my call in 1955 upon returning from the army. after that according to research, A man in grand rapids, mi owned it till like 10 years ago...

Interesting indeed!

73 de K8CPA

-Chuck

[wf5p]

Very good story! I love hearing stories like that.

Mike Hughes ex WF5P and now N9GI

[n4tn]

Richard -

What a great letter! That is the true ham radio spirit in my opinion.

I remember you from when you [/U]were[U] W4WNJ! You and Van Wilson showed up at the Kingsport Amateur Radio Club (W4TRC) Field Day back before I became a Novice. Both of you were traveling on one motorcycle if my memory is correct!

I became WN4DMS in January of 1954 and W4DMS in July of that same year. My son now holds W4DMS so I won't have to write to anyone about the history of that call! I became N4TN in early 1977. To answer the question from the N7 station, my first QSO as N4TN was on Feb 10, 1977 and to the best of my knowledge that was the first day that any N-prefix amateur calls were active (other than possibly some special event calls).

Richard, I tried in vain for 27 years to find anyone who knew anything about the original W4DMS. I would have be so pleased to receive a nice letter like the one you wrote. You are a great ham regardles of what your callsign is!

73 - Don Jones N4TN
Kingsport, TN

[K4TAX]

Interesting reading. Dick's story sounds a lot like mine but only with the names changed. I've been licensed since 1959 getting my Novice call, KN4TAX, while in high school. Latter upgrading to General and now an Extra Class license. I'll not give up my call as I feel it is to unique to me as ham radio has been a large part of my life. As a final request, I've asked that it be engraved on my grave marker, after my name.

73, Bob
K4TAX

[dk5nk]

I read the message with great interest.
Here in Germany, where I live , we had nearly the same situation, only some 8 or 10 years later.
Got license with 16, a ride to Regensburg (100 km) to our "FCC" (Oberpostdirektion), first callsign DJ6BI, moving to another country (OE1BHW), back to Germany, another call and now active with newer equipment, also after 25 years of homebrew.
I think these nearly similar experiences of amateurradio-life make the fascination of our hobby and bring us together.

kind regards and 73
DK5NK, Hermann Bommer
www.qsl.net/dk5nk (History of DK5NK)

[W5ATX]

Ihre Gewebe Seite ist sehr informativ Herr Bommer. Vielen Dank für Teilen es mit uns. Ich habe besonders die Aufnahmen gemachte Geräte Ihres Heims genossen. Geschichte ist ein gutes Ding zu genießen und, von zu lernen.

73,

Chris

I received my Novice call of WN4DOU in Oct. 1961 and present call of WA4DOU in May of '62. It was unthinkable to me to ever change it but I would have if I'd moved out of the call district permanently. I felt that it was reflective of the time I came into amateur radio and had become a part of me, as well as being a unique call, never issued before, to another.
I didn't care for vanity calls and still don't.
I enjoyed the story and once felt motivated to write an owner of the call WN4DOU and tell him that it was a virgin call as I didn't get on the air as a Novice, despite having built a 6L6 crystal oscillator as a Novice. I just didn't care about getting on with cw. A year or so later I discovered the virtues of cw and seldom ever operated anything else since then.

[ce4usw]

Nice story.

73 de Juan Pablo, CE4USW.

[kk5f]

"The "N" series 1x3 calls were first issued on a regular basis (as "Group C" callsigns) by the FCC starting in March 1978..."

"Some time in the mid to late 1970's, "N" series 1x2 calls were issued to Extra class ..."

I believe the issue of Nx2 calls began in 1978 also. #At least, I never personally heard any before then.

"Prior to that, the "N" callsign blocks did not apparantly belong to the FCC for assignment. #They were being used by the Navy for Navy MARS calls and other purposes..."

The N0xxx calls were US Navy-Marine Corps MARS calls. #The N1xxx through N9xxx calls were generally assigned by the Navy to Reserve Center stations. #An Eighth Naval District MARS Reserve Center station might have a call like N8ABC. # The MARS calls added two Ns in front of the original call after about 1975, IIRC, as part of the process of giving the FCC control of ham-format calls starting with N. #I was MARS N0LTD, so became NNN0LTD.

"... there was at least one special event 1x2 (N6V) issued..."

I think that was the NASA Viking Mission Special Events Station, which was in 1978, IIRC. #That was after the FCC took over ham-type N calls.

"There was also some FAA use of these calls on aircraft, which continues to this day to some degree I believe, but again, those are not amateur calls!"

Modern US aviation calls start with N, followed by one or more numerals, followed by one or two letters. #Thus, many many Nx2 ham calls are also being used as aircraft calls (unrelated to the ham with the same call). #There are at least a few instances where a ham aviator has the same ham call as his aircraft (usually through the vanity call program).

As far as Nx3 calls go, if the numeral is 0, then most current N0 calls were likely previously issued to USN-MC MARS stations before 1975. #If the numeral is something other than 0, the call may have been a Naval District Reserve Center call sign before 1975. #I am unaware of any source today for these former call sign assignments.

Mike / KK5F

[W8JEB]

Dick, that was a great thing you did. I am a fairly new ham, was lisenced in April of 2001, as KC2HUZ. I have already turned in my old call to the FCC for a Vanity call, W8JEB. This call was issued to me in March of 2002. After reading your post it made me think of how little history my original call will ever have, but the call I have now will be with me forever. I hope that you will have as much fun with the call you have now, and maybe someday we will have a QSO on the air.

73, Jason W8JEB ORS

[k5ajk]

My first time to post anything so forgive me if I screw up. My vanity call is K5AJK and must admit that the family of the first K5AJK contacted me. What a joy it has been talking with these folks via email! My first contact with them was over two years ago and we've kept in touch ever since. It's been fun to learn about Gus, the ham that had this call first. Seems that old Gus was quite a ham, very into public service. Find it nice to be able to touch base with Gus's family. Gus may be gone but the good will as far as ham radio goes still live on and I'm, after learning about him, proud to hold his call sign. All the Best de A.J.

[N4ARO]

Thanks to all who responded with their comments. If you sent me an e-mail to my yahoo box and it was bounced, it was because so many of you guys sent e-mail (many with attached pictures, etc) that it filled the box and yahoo bounced some of the newer messages. Please re-submit if you care to. I am trying to keep the box open. So far no response from the new W4WNJ. But, I sure have revived some old acquaintances and made new friends. 73 Dick N4ARO

[n4tn]

Not that it makes any difference, but in regard to comments by Mike KK5F regarding "N" prefix calls:

"I believe the issue of Nx2 calls began in 1978 also. #At least, I never personally heard any before then."

My log book and a couple of hands full of QSLs confirm that I received my N4TN call and went on the air #on Feb 10, 1977. The EU prefix chasers could not get enough of it. I could call a short CQ on 20 cw and have a roaring pileup. It was fun for the short time that it (the "new") lasted! #I QSOed N4DD (now re-issued) near Washington DC the same day. In the next few days, between the DX QSOs, I logged contacts with new N-prefixers N9DX, N4CQ, N5ZZ, N4ZZ and others.

"... there was at least one special event 1x2 (N6V) issued..."

"I think that was the NASA Viking Mission Special Events Station, which was in 1978, IIRC. #That was after the FCC took over ham-type N calls."

I have a QSL from N6V for a 20 mtr SSB QSO on August 10, 1976.

Nothing to be proved by any of this, but maybe the info is useful to some one.

73 - Don N4TN

[k8cpa]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (k8cpa @ Jan. 23 2003,17:46)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Very good story.... funny thing I recieved a post card today from Len WB2KFX, it seems Len Once owned my call in 1955 upon returning from the army. after that according to research, A man in grand rapids, mi owned it till like 10 years ago...

Interesting indeed!

73 de K8CPA

-Chuck[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
UPDATE.... I worked WB2KFX finally on 7.267.15Khz Today.... very interesting QSO Indeed!

It was fun!

-Chuck

K8CPA (The Third)

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[kk5f]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (n4tn @ Jan. 29 2003,17:41)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Not that it makes any difference, but in regard to comments by Mike KK5F regarding "N" prefix calls:

"I believe the issue of Nx2 calls began in 1978 also. #At least, I never personally heard any before then."

My log book and a couple of hands full of QSLs confirm that I received my N4TN call and went on the air #on Feb 10, 1977. The EU prefix chasers could not get enough of it. I could call a short CQ on 20 cw and have a roaring pileup.

"... there was at least one special event 1x2 (N6V) issued..."

"I think that was the NASA Viking Mission Special Events Station, which was in 1978, IIRC. #That was after the FCC took over ham-type N calls."

I have a QSL from N6V for a 20 mtr SSB QSO on August 10, 1976.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Hi Don and all,

Thanks. I was unsure of the date that the first Nx2 calls appeared. I was in the Navy at the time and wasn't hamming all that much. I remembered that it had to be after 1975, when the Navy modified MARS (the system!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif calls so that ham-format calls starting with N could be turned over to the FCC for issue to hams.

As far as N6V, I should have remembered that 1976, Not 1978, was the year that the Viking landers arrived on Mars (the planet!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif. So your date of QSO with N6V makes sense.

I too remember the prefix hunter chase of all the new prefixes appearing on new US ham calls 25 years ago. I changed from a WA5 call in 1980 to my current call and had the same thing occur. Today, there are still some contests (CQWW, maybe??) where the number of different prefixes worked is helpful to one's final score.

73,
Mike / KK5F

[WA2NTW]

This was one GREAT story...I know one son of a friend
who got his dad's callsign K2LSX, emailed him a while
ago, got a nice reply...
With the new rules in the 70's we can now keep our
callsigns no matter where we live, does take some of
the geography out of it, but it does allow us to keep
an identity. I was first licensed as WN2NTW in 1972 or
1973 (don't remember when I passed) and have
been WA2NTW since 1976. I plan on holding on to
the call until the end. I sypathize with folks who
cannot get their callsign on their license plates.
A former teacher had a very unique call W6FU...
we didn't tease him about it either!
Please keep updating us so we know when word does
get to you from the current owner..
Al WA2NTW

[kb7ssp]

Was a nice letter in reading my dad now a silent key
call was W6MDD gee do I rember 6L6 my dad in 1943
in the navy helped every one learn morse code i still
can't master it , not to meny on the radio around here
eastern Oregon to geve me a test my dad was in
whittier ca.iv got a ft100D i dont run the hf part till
i pass test . Got to go bye.73 KB7SSP Bob

[KB3CUU]

I would like to have a schematic of the home-brew rigs of which you speak. I am a no code tech and wish to get onboard with CW. I also am learning the art of building kits and would love to see what you had to work with in those days. Thanks- John, KB3CUU