[Elecraft] OT: 50 years

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Phil, K2ASP, wrote:
  I too received my first call (this one) in 1952 while I was in
  high school.  My buddies got the last of the W2s and I had to
  settle for one from the first batch of the K2s.  Boy, was I
  steamed !!


When, in '52 I got W6QAS... That is Wn6QAS... After an interminable wait of
about 8 weeks after passing the Novice code and written test at the FCC
offices, a buddy about a mile away got an unwelcome surprise. The FCC issued
him a "K" call: Kn6ABD. Everyone knew that the "K" prefix was used *only*
for Ham stations in the military. For example K6USA was the 6th ARMY Hq
station at Fort Ord that I operated about ten years later. 

Anyway, he was crushed and waited until the next day to call the FCC to see
what he should do. They explained that there was no mistake. The "6" region
(California) had run out of W calls an the FCC was now issuing "K" prefixes
to non-military licensees. 

All the guys I met who got their calls about the same time I did had
assignments scattered all over the sequence, so it was pretty obvious they
were reassigning old calls that were unused. But with the huge rush of
Novice licensees in the early 50's they didn't last long in the more
populated areas like 6-land and 2-land. Very soon only K calls were being
issued. Of course there were no two-letter prefixes in use then. It was
either a W or a K and a number. 

I looked forward to getting W6QA one day when I qualified. It used to be one
had to be a Ham for a number of years before one could even apply for an
Extra class license or a 1x2 call. By the time I qualified, they were no
more. And then in the 1970s, it was a matter of taking deep breath and
jumping in with an application for a new 2X1 calls the first day they were
accepted in the 70's and I got AC6Y. Very nice CW call. The 76th 2X1 issued
in California. 

Then, when I moved to Oregon in '98 I was faced with another issue. I had
argued long and hard against allowing Hams to move out of a call district
and keep their old call. How in the world will anyone know where the station
is by their call if they do that, I asked. But expediency won over tradition
and the requirement to have a call that matched the QTH was dropped. But,
after spouting off so much about it, I just couldn't hang on to AC6Y while
living in Oregon. It wasn't right. So when I submitted my change of address
I checked "give me a new call" and waited to see what the FCC computer might
spit out. It came back with AC7AC. Guess I was just fated to have some AC on
my signal. 

Shoot, Phil lives only a few miles from me here and I every time I see his
call I think he must be back east <G>. 

Ron AC7AC