[600MRG] W and K Calls in USA

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Prior to 1977, AA to AL calls were Army, N calls were Navy or Coast Guard.

In 1976 a Notice of Proposed Rule Making was issued by FCC just after the
USCG dropped the assignment of N#AA to N#ZZ callsigns to USCG auxiliary
radio stations, would be thereafter be available for assignment to the
amateur radio service.

Merchant Marine ships were only issued W or K callsigns. Large ships with
radiotelegraphy were issued four letter callsigns. Private  coast  stations
were issued three letter callsigns according the the above information, one
strange exception was RCA's Port Arthur Texas Radio, WPA but since it was
assigned when Texas was in the W callsign area, it makes sense. Private
land stations used for ground to air communications were issued four letter
callsigns like WEAL Eastern Airlines New York station.

Private aircraft were issued five letter callsigns like KHAAQ the callsign
of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra aircraft.

U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships were issued four letter callsigns
starting with N, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard land stations were issued
three letter callsigns starting with N, such as NAA, NSS, NPN, NPO, NMF,
NMA, NOJ.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ships were issued four letter callsigns
starting with AE, U.S. Army land stations were issued three letter
callsigns starting with W or in the AA to AL series as example AIR and WAR
in Washington, D.C.  ABM was used by Army to send Notices to Mariners in
the Pacific in Kwajalein.

I hope that clarifies the focus of the article.

73

DR
N1EA

On Fri, Dec 25, 2020, 12:37 J Mcvey <ac2eu at yahoo.com> wrote:

> The speculation that the A and N calls are Army and Navy is not correct.
> My call is AC2EU . I am not, nor ever have been in the Army!  I can add,
> that as far as I know, the A call has only been issued to those with Extra
> class licenses. Extras are also the only class that can be issued a "one by
> two" call, that is a letter , number then two letters.Ie; W5AB
> I know several non-military Hams with the N call as well.
>
> The call assignments other than the region number appear to be assigned by
> where the FCC happens to be in the alphabet at the time of issue. Hams that
> obtained the same class license at the same time have sequential call signs
> if they are available. Two hams passed general in the same time frame might
> get wa2ab and wa2ac respectively, for example.
>
> Jim
>
> On Friday, December 25, 2020, 11:23:47 AM EST, Scott Armstrong <
> aa5am at vntx.net> wrote:
>
>
> I'm surprised WRR Dallas, TX is not listed.
>
> It is still on the air now as a FM station, owned by the city of Dallas.
> Depending on the source....
>
> It was the first licensed broadcast station in Texas, was one of the
> Nation's five inaugural stations and second oldest operating station in
> the US. Licensed on Aug, 5th, 1921.
>
> https://www.wrr101.com/history/
>
>
> The other source states it was the first in Texas and second in the US and
> began broadcasting in the Fall of 1920. Licensed on Aug 4th, 1921.
>
> Not sure why the discrepancy in the license date.  maybe a typo?
>
> https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/wrr
>
>
> Just a little bit of Texas history...
>
> Scott AA5AM
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 25, 2020 at 5:35 AM D.J.J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> [image: kw.jpg]
> [image: kw1.jpg]
> [image: kw2.jpg]
> Have you ever wondered why the call letters of the coast stations in the
> USA start from ‘’K’’ in the west coast and ‘’W’’ in the east coast ?
>
> Below is the answer :
> The Why (and Where) of U.S. Radio's K and W Call Signs
> West of the Mississippi, all radio stations have call signs beginning with
> K. East of the river, all call signs start with W.
> The origin of the division goes back just over a century. In 1912, the
> U.S. federal government started licensing terrestrial radio stations,
> assigning the call letters W and K to stations in the east, respectively
> the west of the country. Those letters were the result of international
> agreements hammered out at International Radiotelegraphic Conferences at
> the beginning of the 20th century.
> Appendix 42 to the Radio Regulations of the International
> Telecommunications Union (ITU) still lists all international call signs, as
> assigned at the 1912 London conference. For instance:
>
> The U.S. has four: not just K and W (KAA to KZZ and WAA to WZZ, to be
> precise) but also half of A (AAA to ALZ) and all of N (NAA to NZZ).
>
> It seems that the letters A and N apply only to military radio stations (A
> to Army and Air Force, N to Navy and Coast Guard) - and that they are the
> basis of the otherwise seemingly random choice for K and W. The Morse Code
> for A is dot-dash (.-) and for N is dash-dot (-.). Add a dash to each, and
> you get W (dot-dash-dash, or .--) and K (dash-dot-dash, or -.-).
> Incidentally, radio call signs are reversed out on the ocean. Ship radios
> on America's Pacific coast start with W, and with K on the Atlantic side .
> It's unclear whether this practise, which precedes call signs for
> terrestrial radio, is the reverse by intention (i.e. to facilitate the
> distinction between radio stations on land and at sea) or, as some sources
> state, the result of miscommunication. In the latter scenario, the aim was
> to extend W call signs to radio stations on land in the west of the
> country, and K to terrestrial stations in the east - but the instructions
> got scrambled somewhere between the draft of the order and its
> implementation.
> Quite early, the border between K Country and W Land had to be fixed
> geographically. But that dividing line lay further to the west than it does
> now: it followed the border between New Mexico in the west with Texas and
> Oklahoma in the east, then north along Colorado's eastern border with
> Kansas and Nebraska, Wyoming's eastern limits with Nebraska and South
> Dakota and finally Montana's with the Dakotas.
> This was possibly done to continue distinguishing between ship radios in
> the Gulf of Mexico (which started with K) and land radios in Texas (which
> started with W when it was an 'eastern' radio state). A decade into the
> first federal regulation of station call signs, the K/W line was moved to
> the Mississippi, turning Texas and 10 other 'eastern' (W) states into
> 'western' (K) ones .
> After January 1923, new radio stations in the switchover states would be
> assigned a K call initial rather than a W one. But a grandfather clause
> provided that those radio stations in those states which already had a W
> call sign could keep it. This explains some of the anomalous call signs
> still in existence today, if not quite all of them. There are currently 27
> exceptions to the general K/W divide - 9 Ks in W Country, and 18 Ws in K
> Land. This map shows them all, and colour-codes them into seven categories:
> 1. Blue: Remnants of the situation before January 1923 in the switchover
> zone. A grandfather clause allowed the circa 170 existing radio stations in
> the switchover zone to keep their pre-1923 W call sign. A total of 11 call
> sign 'fossils' remain: WBAP, WDAY, WEW, WHB, WJAG, WKY, WNAX, WOAI, WOC,
> WOI, WTAW. However, all newer stations were assigned K call signs.
> 2. Purple: Anomalous assignment, in 1920-'21, of KD call sign to stations
> across the country - both east and west of the Mississippi. Only remaining
> station: KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA.
> 3. Gray: Formerly 'portable' stations that got their call sign in one zone
> before taking root in the other one. Three extant examples, all having
> moved from W Country into K Land: WBBZ, WIBW, WMBH.
> 4. Dark Green: Regular radio stations that originated on the western (K)
> bank of the Mississippi before moving over to the eastern (W) bank: KOTC,
> KSGM.
> 5. Red: Exceptional grant of a request to deviate from the general rule.
> Two Ks in W Land (KFNS, KWAM) and four Ws in K Country (WDBQ, WHO, WMT,
> WSUI).
> 6. Light Green: government assigned call - KTGG (because someone mistook
> Michigan for Missouri).
> 7. Black: reason unknown - KFIZ, KQV, KYW.
> August 20 2020 is the 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting. In the
> Radio Service Bulletins issued by the Commerce Department (preceded the FRC
> and FCC)
> By some accounts, today is the 100th anniversary of radio: 8MK (today WWJ)
> in Detroit went on the air on the 20th of August 1920, and ten days later,
> the station broadcast Michigan election returns. Thanks, WWJ-- still on the
> air. WWJ was the station of Detroit News, it was authorized 360 and 485,
> Commerce Dept. issued permits for 360 meters to transmit concerts, but
> being authorized doesn't mean it was done as we both know. I can find an
> entry in Radio Service Bulletin #62 of June 1921 listing WWJ as being
> authorized vacuum tube radio telephony.
> Detroit, Mich. (WWJ) . - Range, 200 ; system , Western Electric Co. ( v.
> t. telephone).
> Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #62, June 1922, page 8,
> Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #63 lists many stations,
> including WOI Iowa State (but no times are given), Atlanta Journal, WSB,
> University of Texas, WCM, Austin, TX, Clark University, WCN, Worcester, MA,
> Bridgeport, Pa., WBAG, Buffalo , NY, WGR, Charlotte , NC, WBT,, Chicago,
> IL, KYW, (phone and Morse), Cincinnati, Ohio, (THREE STATIONS!) "Cino
> Radiio: WIZ, Crosley Radio,, WLᎳ, and Precision Equipment, WMÁ, Dayton ,
> Ohio, Rike - Kumler Company, WFO, and the WWJ Detroit News station listed
> above, there's more but I'm tired of typing.
> This does one thing for me, it EXPLAINS the three letter call signs of the
> early radio stations like WOI, WBT, KYW (which was transferred to
> Philadelphia, PA by Group-W (Westinghouse), WBZ Westinghouse, Springield,
> MA (transferred to Millis, MA then to Hull (Boston), MA. They were issued
> three letter call signs because they were also authorized WT provisions, I
> spoke to Art Goodnow, W1DM just before he passed away, we was one of the
> operators at WBZ point to point radiotelegraphy in Hull, MA.
> I have lots of work to do because the scans are a mess, I'm bookmarking
> them and rearranging and deleting duplicate pages.
> I also see an entry in Radio Service Bulletin #66, October 1922 that WWJ
> was authorized 400 (750 kHz) and 485 meters (1617 kHz.)
> The first mention of WBZ as a broadcast station is in RSB #54, October 1,
> 1921, It assigns WBZ Westinghouse, Springfield, MA to 360m and "variable"
> with unscheduled (X) times.
> Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. was authorized East Pittsburgh,
> PA, KDKA, Chicago, IL, 360, 485 meters, KYW, Newark, NJ,, WJZ, and WBZ,
> Springfield, MA. Interestingly, John Wanamaker Department Stores was issued
> WOO for Philadelphia, and WWZ for New York - both on 360m which was
> Commerce Dept's authorization for radiotelephone. Wanamaker also had WHE
> Philadelphia on 1650 m, but it was restricted to communications only with
> Wanamaker's NYC station WHI, Wanamaker NYC was authorized 300m, 600m and
> 1700m. This was the station that R/O David Sarnoff was to have copied the
> SOS from MGY, TITANIC in 1912.
> Fascinating history.
> US Army in Nome, Alaska mentions their authorized frequencies: Nome,
> Alaska. - Loc. 0 . 165° 23 ' 33'' , N . 61° 30' 20" W. ; system , U . S .
> Army, arc and v . t. telephone, and telegraph ; w . l., 480, 540, 600,
> 1400, 1950 , 2600, 3300, 4300, 6000 ; rates, ship service, 6 c . per word .
> So in the early days, 600m was a distress and calling frequency, as was
> 300m which is 1,000 kHz - right in the middle of today's AM broadcast band.
> That's why AM broadcast stations had to employ a radiotelegraph operator to
> monitor 300 and 600 meters and they had to shut down in case of SOS. Some
> radio checks are aaround from stations stating they are shutting down
> because of SOS.
> August 20 2020 is the 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting. In the
> Radio Service Bulletins issued by the Commerce Department (preceded the FRC
> and FCC)
> By some accounts, today is the 100th anniversary of radio: 8MK (today WWJ)
> in Detroit went on the air on the 20th of August 1920, and ten days later,
> the station broadcast Michigan election returns. Thanks, WWJ-- still on the
> air. WWJ was the station of Detroit News, it was authorized 360 and 485,
> Commerce Dept. issued permits for 360 meters to transmit concerts, but
> being authorized doesn't mean it was done as we both know. I can find an
> entry in Radio Service Bulletin #62 of June 1921 listing WWJ as being
> authorized vacuum tube radio telephony.
> Detroit, Mich. (WWJ) . - Range, 200 ; system , Western Electric Co. ( v.
> t. telephone).
> Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #62, June 1922, page 8,
> Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #63 lists many stations,
> including WOI Iowa State (but no times are given), Atlanta Journal, WSB,
> University of Texas, WCM, Austin, TX, Clark University, WCN, Worcester, MA,
> Bridgeport, Pa., WBAG, Buffalo , NY, WGR, Charlotte , NC, WBT,, Chicago,
> IL, KYW, (phone and Morse), Cincinnati, Ohio, (THREE STATIONS!) "Cino
> Radiio: WIZ, Crosley Radio,, WLᎳ, and Precision Equipment, WMÁ, Dayton ,
> Ohio, Rike - Kumler Company, WFO, and the WWJ Detroit News station listed
> above, there's more but I'm tired of typing.
> This does one thing for me, it EXPLAINS the three letter call signs of the
> early radio stations like WOI, WBT, KYW (which was transferred to
> Philadelphia, PA by Group-W (Westinghouse), WBZ Westinghouse, Springield,
> MA (transferred to Millis, MA then to Hull (Boston), MA. They were issued
> three letter call signs because they were also authorized WT provisions, I
> spoke to Art Goodnow, W1DM just before he passed away, we was one of the
> operators at WBZ point to point radiotelegraphy in Hull, MA.
> I have lots of work to do because the scans are a mess, I'm bookmarking
> them and rearranging and deleting duplicate pages.
> I also see an entry in Radio Service Bulletin #66, October 1922 that WWJ
> was authorized 400 (750 kHz) and 485 meters (1617 kHz.)
> The first mention of WBZ as a broadcast station is in RSB #54, October 1,
> 1921, It assigns WBZ Westinghouse, Springfield, MA to 360m and "variable"
> with unscheduled (X) times.
> Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. was authorized East Pittsburgh,
> PA, KDKA, Chicago, IL, 360, 485 meters, KYW, Newark, NJ,, WJZ, and WBZ,
> Springfield, MA. Interestingly, John Wanamaker Department Stores was issued
> WOO for Philadelphia, and WWZ for New York - both on 360m which was
> Commerce Dept's authorization for radiotelephone. Wanamaker also had WHE
> Philadelphia on 1650 m, but it was restricted to communications only with
> Wanamaker's NYC station WHI, Wanamaker NYC was authorized 300m, 600m and
> 1700m. This was the station that R/O David Sarnoff was to have copied the
> SOS from MGY, TITANIC in 1912.
> Fascinating history.
> US Army in Nome, Alaska mentions their authorized frequencies: Nome,
> Alaska. - Loc. 0 . 165° 23 ' 33'' , N . 61° 30' 20" W. ; system , U . S .
> Army, arc and v . t. telephone, and telegraph ; w . l., 480, 540, 600,
> 1400, 1950 , 2600, 3300, 4300, 6000 ; rates, ship service, 6 c . per word .
> So in the early days, 600m was a distress and calling frequency, as was
> 300m which is 1,000 kHz - right in the middle of today's AM broadcast band.
> That's why AM broadcast stations had to employ a radiotelegraph operator to
> monitor 300 and 600 meters and they had to shut down in case of SOS. Some
> radio checks are aaround from stations stating they are shutting down
> because of SOS.
>
>
> The early Department of Commerce Radio Service Bulletins have tons of
> information. https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/radio-service-bulletins Call
> signs like 8ZZ 1YA and others weren't 'amateur radio stations'. they were
> "Special Land Stations" - stations like 1ZE Irv Vermilya and W2ZI actually
> held calls which were "Amateur Special" because they both held commercial
> licenses, they were authorized to use those call signs on both amateur and
> on the commercial frequencies (600 meters). See http://pj7uq.com/
>
> 73
> DR
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 600MRG mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/600mrg
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:600MRG at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: https://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: https://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 600MRG mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/600mrg
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:600MRG at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: https://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: https://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/600mrg/attachments/20201225/cc2ca825/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: kw2.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 30706 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/600mrg/attachments/20201225/cc2ca825/attachment.jpg>