[QCWA] Fw: Frank Lester, W4AMJ SK

[Harvey&Bessie]

Walcott, Paul wrote:

>I'm pretty sure there's a chapter or so devoted to this subject in Two
>Hundred Meters and Down.  
>
>I think it goes back to the time just after the first successful
>transatlantic tests, when it became obvious that there needed to be
>something included in callsigns to denote the station's nation, since at
>that time all official callsigns were simply a number followed by two or
>three letters.
>
>I can't get at my copy of Two Hundred Meters and Down, right now to
>check, but as I remember there was a time when the U.S. hams used the
>letter u as an unofficial prefix.  When it was written, the u was always
>shown in lower case because it was unofficial. I think at the same time
>Canadians used c and the French used f.
>
>The example which sticks out in my mind:  Wasn't the French station
>which was involved in the early transatlantic tests 8FB.  I think under
>this system he sent F8FB (no lower case in over the air Morse) but was
>recorded as f8FB.
>
>Then somewhat later (somehow I'm thinking 1930's although that's really
>just a guess) the current system of callsign prefixes came into use by
>international agreement at the IRU or whatever.
>
>73's,
>Paul WD8H
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: qcwa-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:qcwa-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
>On Behalf Of Harvey&Bessie
>Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 9:30 PM
>To: Discussion of QCWA
>Cc: newsline at ix.netcom.com
>Subject: Re: [QCWA] Fw: Frank Lester, W4AMJ SK
>
>According to my memory, which is sometimes a bit hazy at 91, the prefix 
>NU was used for a short time in the late 20's and the W and K prefixes 
>were started in about 1927. Qrz does not show Ralph Hasslinger as 
>currently licensed, please confir his name and c/s if available.
>Harvey,W4TG (originally W9CLT  1931)
>
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>  
>
I began listening to hams as early as 1928 and am sure the W (and K) 
prefixes were firmly in place by that time. I'm quite sure they were 
adopted in 1927 by international agreement. The NU prefix was only used 
for DX work and only for a short time. I have a QSL card issued by the 
first holder of "4TG." After the W prefix was mandated he had the 
printer superimpose a red W over the black call letters 4TG on his card. 
The QSL was sent to W8CL, K. Mengle, in Buffalo NY for a QSO on Dec 13, 
1930, a year before I was licensed as W9CLT. The original holder of 4TG 
was Walt Puckett of West Palm Beach, Fla. "Where the summer spends the 
winter." Later on, in the 50's G. E. Franklin  of Chicksaw, AL, was 
issued W4TG. I have a card issued by him to W1GL of Ipswich, Mass., for 
a QSO on Feb 17, 1955. I was issued this c/s in 1965.
Harvey/W4TG

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