[Hallicrafters] Old calls

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Everette" <radiocompass at yahoo.com>
To: <thompson at mindspring.com>; 
<Hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>; <W4AWM at aol.com>; "Wilson 
Lamb" <infomet at embarqmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 11:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Old calls


> Thanks to all who have offered information and suggestions 
> about running down history on W4DSE.  Keep those cards and 
> letters comin,' folks!
>
> Based on admittedly limited historical knowledge, my 
> impression is that there was probably slower growth in ham 
> radio here in the 4th call area prior to WW2 than in some 
> others.  I knew the "original" W4ESB, now SK, and he was 
> first licensed in late 1936 or early 1937.  I knew the 
> original W4GJS and W4GQG; both were pre-war and I think 
> W4GJS may have been from 1938-39.  W4IBU was one of my 
> dad's WW2 basic radio school instructors in Winston-Salem, 
> NC, along with W4BNF and W4DRJ.  (The instructors wrote 
> the textbook, and their calls are listed on the title 
> page.)
>
> The latest pre-war 1x3 W4 calls known to me are in the 
> W4I** block; I knew a couple more old-timers from that 
> series but have forgotten the actual call signs.
>
> I knew the original W4KUV, and am almost certain that his 
> call was issued early post-war.  A now-SK friend received 
> W4LWU in about 1947; another now-SK friend was issued 
> W$OAN in 1947-48.
>
> However, there's a clinker in the mix... I also knew the 
> original W4LCV who was a close friend (SK 1983), and he 
> certainly was first licensed long before WW2 -- probably 
> in the 1920s.  But I have no idea what his original call 
> may have been.  If he ever told me, I don't remember.
>
> Were there Callbooks issued during the war years? 
> (1942-45)  I tend to doubt it but really don't know if 
> this is true.  Anyone who obtained a ham ticket between 
> December 1941 and some time in 1945 was ussued an operator 
> license only; the station license, along with the call 
> sign, was not issued until after the war.  Those licensed 
> during the war (mainly to qualify for military radio jobs, 
> or as Civil Defense -- aka WERS, or War Emergency Radio 
> Service -- operators), were known as "LSPH's" -- "Licensed 
> Since Pearl Harbor."  After the war, they received station 
> licenses and call signs.
>
> I'd like to hear from folks who may have Callbooks from 
> 1935-1941, or Spring 42 which may have been the last one 
> before the end of the war.
>
> This all leads me to believe that W4DSE, if issued prior 
> to WW2, may have come out as late as 1935-36; but probably 
> circa 1934.  It's hard to imagine that W4DSE could have 
> been skipped over, prior to the war.  If the original 
> holder went into the military in WW2 and did not come 
> back, the call would have been canceled by 1945-46 even if 
> it had been last renewed in 1939-40; license terms were 5 
> years back then and I don't think there was a grace 
> period.
>
> Before WW2, K4 calls were Puerto Rico and K6 were Hawaii 
> and Pacific islands; these became KP4, KH6 etc fairly soon 
> after the war.  K calls weren't issued stateside until 
> sometime in the early to mid 50s.
>
> Has anyone ever seen an FCC notice sent out in early 1942, 
> requiring that hams send in their licenses for 
> cancellation due to the war emergency?  I saw such a 
> document in a scrapbook from the estate of W4HER (1940 
> issue); but the document isn't now in my hands.  I wonder 
> how many hams actually did this; I don't think W4HER sent 
> his in because I recall seeing the original license. 
> (But, according to his family, at that point W4HER was 
> doing civilian war work in the Northeast, so he may not 
> have seen the notice for a while.)
>
> 73
>
> Mike
> W4DSE


     If the Amateur Radio Callbook was included in "Books in 
Print" it may be possible to find out if it was published 
during the war. You may be lucky and find someone at a 
public library who can research this for you. Libraries 
often have archives of BIP.
     Also, it seems to me that the Call Book was advertised 
in QST and probably the ARRL Handbook. I looked in a couple 
of old ones but I don't know how it was listed in the 
advertising index. Does anyone know who the publisher was?
     I am old enough to still think of WW-2 as _the war_ as 
in it happened during the war.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com