[CW] KDKA

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

Yes, Phil.  The early 1920's had quite a mix.  They still had a mixture of
the old three letter ship call signs and the old three letter coastal
telegraph stations, then they added the new medium wave broadcast stations
like KDKA in Pittsburg, PA.

For those not familiar with the ITU call signs book I'll make the listing a
bit more meaningful:

KDKA       East Pittsburgh, Pa.
KDK          Atenas                           Am ss
KDKB       Eastern Sword              Am ss.

KDKA being a shore station - in fact a medium wave (the only kind at that
time) broadcast station.

Both KDK and KDKB were American (Am) steamships (ss).

In the 1910s ships were given three letter call signs.  At first they were
given two letter call signs.  Atenas would have been DK.  When national
prefixes were made mandatory, the ships of USA were given K, W and for our
warships (except Army) were given N call signs and Army was given AAA to
ALZ which Alaska being given to the Territory of Alaska.  Perhaps there
were other "holes" in the Army block of call signs - Army wasn't the big
user of ships, Navy and USCG were.

The MAAA to MZZZ block was assigned to the Marconi Company but this too in
the 1920s was to be stopped and assigned to the United Kingdom - no more
"Company" call signs on ships.

Thus MGY was Titanic.  The M block for years was assigned to the upper
crust of the UK so if you heard a yacht with a M call sign you knew the
owner was connected to those in power and prestige.

Four letter call sign block call signs (W and K and AA-AL) continue to be
assigned in USA to those ships licensed for radiotelegraphy and those which
also carry a lifeboat(s).

73
David N1EA



On Fri, Jun 20, 2014 at 12:12 PM, k9pl--- via CW <cw at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> According to the May 1922 edition of "The Consolidated Radio Call Book"
> listing of "Ship Radio Calls" KDKA was assigned to "East Pittsburgh, Pa."
> KDK to "Atenas Am ss: and KDKB to "Eastern Sword Am ss."
>
> 73,
> Philip, K9PL
>
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