[QCWA] History Questions

[Don W7WLL]

Following up on the two questions I raised on this site, two responses were received (see below).

Phil is correct, the assignments were to Military Recreational Stations not MARS stations themselves which had different callsigns (and as he notes, were usually the same site, at least all that I ran into).

I went back into some of my files and old callbooks and do see that in all cases where the W suffix was assigned that the prefix was a K, I missed that nuance completely.  But I do note that the W suffix went to primarily Army, and as Phil also notes, the F suffix to Air Force and I also found a large number of N suffix assigned to Navy facilities. All of these were US continental (I mention that since I have a number of cards from W and F military stations that were in AK). I don’t know when these were first assigned but I do know some were in place BEFORE I received my W7WLL call, K7WAI being one. It would appear that there must have been some sort of system within the FCC around the late 40’s and early to mid 50’s, perhaps later, that informally reserved K*F, N and W calls for some period of time.

This was NOT true for the military club station calls assigned to the now long gone KB, KC, KJ, KM, KP, KR, KX and KZ calls out in the South Pacific and Canal Zone areas.

Interesting on the Y two letter suffix calls, had not caught that but now that I did a review of my thousands and thousands of filed QSL’s I do see that across the US call areas for schools, primarily upper level (after HS).

Someone mentioned that he Z two letter suffix I had asked about was originally for ‘relay stations’ back back back when. See AC6V’s great but incomplete call sign history on his web site. I suppose this was translated by some to mean ‘traffic handling’, although that was not the true purpose.

Thanks a lot for the input Phil and Charles, certainly an interesting look back in time.

Don W7WLL




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On 11/18/2015 2:01 PM, Don W7WLL wrote:

Two questions:
1. In the early 50's perhaps a bit before, did the FCC not reserve some of the lower W suffix calls for the military such as MARS stations??  I was CHOP of K7WAI in that era and I seem to remember a lot of other MARS amateur calls all beginning with the W suffix.
2. There was a statement made by a local ham that  Z two letter calls were reserved at some point in time for traffic handlers. I think that is balderdash, that the FCC never reserved calls for any personal reason.

Anyone know?

Don W7WLL
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Don, 

Those Amateur licenses were issued as Military Recreational Stations and though not actually for MARS stations they tended to share the same equipment and used by the MARS ops as well as HAMS on active duty.  In the CONUS those stations’ call suffix first letter seemed to universally be “F” as in  K#F??, and the first letter a “K.”  At least those that I personally experience followed that convention.  OCONUS, other than those located on a U.S. possession (PR, Guam, etc.) such stations depended on the host country where in cases known of personally there wasn’t any “Military Recreation Station license though MARS operations were common.  Respective status of forces agreement may have provided for USA personnel ham licenses.   Most assimilated into the host counties licensing scheme.  During the WWII occupation there was unique USA personnel licensing in Japan and Germany.  All this from memory that is likely off to some degree.  LOL, my service spanned 1950 to 1980.  Regards, Phil / K4PO


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1.  I wonder if those W calls were simply assigned at the same time? X after the number was experimental (still is, but not part of ham radio) and Y after the number was college stations, some of which are still around like W9YB and W9YT to this day.

2. All of the prominent early traffic handlers like W1AW (HPM) had regular calls.

Charles Ring W3NU