[ARC5] Call Letters

[Geoff]

A HS buddy came up with "Karls 2 Quarts of Japanese Moonshine"
I like yours better!

Carl


Hey, Carl, "Quick Jumping Mouse" or some variation thereof wouldn't be all 
that bad as "cute" phonetics!

I've been using "Great King Kong" since my Novice days back in 53-54.

73
Mac, K2GKK in OKC

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 13, 2013, at 8:55, "Geoff" <geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com> wrote:


----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Morrow" <kk5f at earthlink.net>
To: "ARC-5 List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2013 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Call Letters


> Dave wrote:
>
>> 1977 or 1978... somewhere in there.
>> I went for my Extra when the FCC came to Shreveport, LA
>> for a testing session...They had started issuing the 2x1 calls
>> for Extras and I was hoping to get issued one of the "W" or "K"
>> calls, but was a little late for those.
>
> I was still on active duty during that time, and I wasn't paying a
> lot of attention to ham regulatory matters.
>
> The first hint I had of something changing was in 1975 when I
> received notice that my long-held USN-USMC MARS call had been changed
> for some mysterious reason from N0LTD to NNN0LTD.  I learned later
> that was just setting the stage for the new N#xyz ham calls a couple
> of years later.
>
> I was surprised to begin hearing ham 2x1 ham calls starting with
> "A" in 1978.  I had considered "A" and "N" calls to be military and
> naval calls.  What really shocked me just after I left active duty
> in 1979 was to have a CW QSO with a W0xx who told me he was 18 years
> old.  In earlier times, one had to be a ham for two years to sit
> for the Extra exam, then had to be licensed for 25 years to apply
> for a W#xx or K#xx call.  I could not understand how such a call
> was assigned to an 18 year old.  I learned that the 25-year requirement
> was dropped in 1977 as transition to the new call sign system took place.
>
> Personally, I was very disappointed by the dropping of the 25 year
> requirement for a W or K 1x2.  Years later, when vanity calls became
> the rage, I regret that re-issue of 1x3 calls beginning with W or
> K did not have a similar 25-years licensed requirement.  I miss the
> day when one could still find many 1x2 call sign holders on the air
> that were not Extra holders.  Those were the real old timers.  Today,
> one is very likely to hear someone holding one of the old 1x2 calls
> asking something bizarre...like "are RF chokes polarized".  Sad.
>
> I kept my original WA5WGJ call until 1980, when I attended the
> semi-annual FCC examining session in Tulsa to upgrade to Extra.
> Good luck was mine...the systematic sequential call sign assignment
> process gave me my current call of KK5F.  That is way better than
> WA5WGJ on CW or voice.  I propose to never change it.  In truth,
> I had waited to upgrade until the monthly QST notice of recently
> assigned calls showed that the 2x1 calls were about to pass the
> KJ5x block.  I disliked Morse J, Q, Y characters in a call.  I just
> hoped I wasn't testing too early, getting KJ5Q or KJ5Y instead. :-)
>
> Mike / KK5F


My first call was KN2QJM and later K2 so it fulfills your Q and J distaste; 
I never cared for it. Next was Kilo One Uniform Hotel Yankee which was also 
a PITA.

As bad as that K2 call was I kept with CW, worked my way to a 40 wpm 
certificate and did a fair amount of traffic handling and working my way to 
the high speed nets.

When I joined the USN and went aboard ship as as an ETSN I astounded the 
Radiomen by copying their traffic and training sessions in my head while 
doing repairs and PM's in Radio Central. The Chief RM challenged me to a 
high speed net session and I stayed right with him. When he found out I 
could use the "speed key" (bug) proficiently he gave up(-;  I brought my 
Vibroplex Presentation back a few weekends later and stood duty when ops 
were sick, on leave, etc as well as quite a bit of training of newer RM's as 
well as being trained myself on the mill.

Naturally, ET duties took priority but I enjoyed playing RM at sea to 
relieve the boredom. As soon as ham radio aboard ship was authorized I was 
running phone patches on 20M and working CW back in Emergency Radio on 
several bands as /MM. I went from SN to ET2 on that ship.

Carl
______________________________________________________________
ARC5 mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html


-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1432 / Virus Database: 3204/5988 - Release Date: 07/13/13