Quoting Daryl Stout to Nancy Backus on 05-03-19 17:03 <=-

Thank you for the translation... my knowledge of Morse Code is very
rudimentary, as I've never gone for a ham license... ;)

The FCC dropped the Morse Code requirement for getting a ham radio
license in February, 2007. Now, folks are learning Morse Code because
they WANT to...and NOT because they HAVE to.

Yes, I knew that... didn't remember the exact date... :)

Was that your choice, or was the the usual assignment for novices...?

The FCC normally issues callsigns in a sequential format...such as
N5VLX, N5VLY, N5VLZ (which was my first callsign), N5VMA, N5VMB,
N5VMC, etc. The 1x3 calls (1 letter, a number (the callsign district)
and 3 letters) have all been used, but are still available in some
cases as "vanity callsigns". One no longer has to pay a fee for the
vanity callsign, but there's a 21 day waiting period after requesting
one. Also, the first callsign a ham radio operator gets is "sequential"...they have no choice in that one.

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to
others...

And bbsing isn't quite the same either, not being time-dependent for
connection... ;) But it's the same echo, anyway.... ;)

That's why I like QWK mail...where I can spend my time offline
reading and replying...saving my online time for games. That was more important on a dial-up BBS, but there aren't many of them left (I think less than 20 still exist). There's around 400 telnet BBS's around the world, and those can be accessed from anywhere, without long distance charges...unless they have to pay long distance to reach their ISP.

Yup... I learned the beauty of offline messaging back in the dial-up
days with HUGE echo volumes... It's still very handy for when things
get too in Real Life busy, and one has to put aside packets for a few
days... as I end up doing... ;)

ttyl neb

... O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet. - Saint Augustine

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NANCY BACKUS wrote to DARYL STOUT <=-

The FCC normally issues callsigns in a sequential format...such as
N5VLX, N5VLY, N5VLZ (which was my first callsign), N5VMA, N5VMB,
N5VMC, etc. The 1x3 calls (1 letter, a number (the callsign district)
and 3 letters) have all been used

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to
others...

I always thought the shorter the call sign, the more senior the
operator. Phil Karn wrote a great TCP/IP stack for DOS back in the day
that he called KA9Q - that was apparently his callsign.




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Nancy,

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to NB>others...

Originally, there wasn't such a thing as vanity callsigns. Some tried
to get the FCC to make licenses valid for life instead of just 10 years.
But, if it was lifetime, if the FCC never got notified that the
individual had died, that callsign would be tied up forever. The FCC
declined to make US Ham Radio Licenses "lifetime", but some countries do
have such a designation.

Yup... I learned the beauty of offline messaging back in the dial-up NB>days with HUGE echo volumes... It's still very handy for when things
get too in Real Life busy, and one has to put aside packets for a few NB>days... as I end up doing... ;)

Same here...especially with all the thunderstorms we've had lately.

Daryl

===
þ OLX 1.53 þ Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?
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Kurt,

I always thought the shorter the call sign, the more senior the
operator. Phil Karn wrote a great TCP/IP stack for DOS back in the day KW>that he called KA9Q - that was apparently his callsign.

That used to be the case...reserved only for Amateur Extra Class
licensees. But, I know several Extra Class hams who still have their
original, and in some cases, Novice or Technician level callsigns.

Daryl, WX4QZ

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Quoting Kurt Weiske to Nancy Backus on 05-09-19 10:02 <=-
NANCY BACKUS wrote to DARYL STOUT <=-

The FCC normally issues callsigns in a sequential format...such as
N5VLX, N5VLY, N5VLZ (which was my first callsign), N5VMA, N5VMB,
N5VMC, etc. The 1x3 calls (1 letter, a number (the callsign district)
and 3 letters) have all been used

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to
others...

I always thought the shorter the call sign, the more senior the
operator. Phil Karn wrote a great TCP/IP stack for DOS back in the day that he called KA9Q - that was apparently his callsign.

I'm not at all up to date with that sort of thing, never having been a
radio ham operator, or even done CB.... so it's all been just from
following conversations either in person or here on echoes... ;)

ttyl neb

... Blackened chicken: (1) put chicken in oven (2) go check Facebook.

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Quoting Daryl Stout to Nancy Backus on 05-09-19 12:48 <=-

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to
others...

Originally, there wasn't such a thing as vanity callsigns. Some
tried to get the FCC to make licenses valid for life instead of just 10 years. But, if it was lifetime, if the FCC never got notified that the individual had died, that callsign would be tied up forever. The FCC declined to make US Ham Radio Licenses "lifetime", but some countries
do have such a designation.

I can see where that could be a valid concern... I'd think, though, that
the FCC would have some way of checking that out, after a certain length
of time had passed.... Or even just a periodic mailing to have people
respond to, rather than make people have to formally renew the callsign.

Yup... I learned the beauty of offline messaging back in the dial-up
days with HUGE echo volumes... It's still very handy for when things
get too in Real Life busy, and one has to put aside packets for a few
days... as I end up doing... ;)

Same here...especially with all the thunderstorms we've had lately.

And I'm working through packets today.... ;)

þ OLX 1.53 þ Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?

Groan....

ttyl neb

... As easy as 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939

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Nancy,

... Blackened chicken: (1) put chicken in oven (2) go check Facebook.

See the tagline below.

Daryl

===
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05-11-19 21:17 NANCY BACKUS wrote to KURT WEISKE about Re: Callsigns & BBS
as:
Howdy! Nancy, Kurt and ALL,

@MSGID: <5CD7B6B5.21785.memoryln@capitolcityonline.net>

Quoting Kurt Weiske to Nancy Backus on 05-09-19 10:02 <=-
NANCY BACKUS wrote to DARYL STOUT <=-

The FCC normally issues callsigns in a sequential format...such as
N5VLX, N5VLY, N5VLZ (which was my first callsign), N5VMA, N5VMB,
N5VMC, etc. The 1x3 calls (1 letter, a number (the callsign district)
and 3 letters) have all been used

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to
others...

Nancy, the W9ODR Call Sign issued to Me was held by someone earlier.
When I got the license change in the mid 1970's I looked in the Amateur
Radio Callbook and saw the previous owner lived in Illinois.
I wouldn't know if the Ham Moved away from the 9th district to one of the
other districts (0 - 8) or if He passed away.

I always thought the shorter the call sign, the more senior the
operator. Phil Karn wrote a great TCP/IP stack for DOS back in the day that he called KA9Q - that was apparently his callsign.

Kurt, I looked for KA9Q in some Amateur Radio Callbooks.
The Last edition I have was dated 1980 and didn't see that Call in it.
The KA9Q Call Sign could be a Vanity Call Sign that Phil requested from
the F.C.C.

I saw some Call Signs with just a single letter suffix after the district number in the 1980 Callbook.
Back as far as the 1961 Edition there were a few listings with two letters after the district number but I didn't spot any one letter suffix when I thumbed through that old book, but someone may have had a really short
Call Sign back then.

Ttbomk, Ham Radio Call Signs started with a W in a Wx3 letter series as
Daryl wrote.
In later years when tke F.C.C. didn't have any Wx3 series Calls to assign
they started the Kx3 series (KNx3 for Novice Licensees).

As I wrote previously in the late 1950's the suffix's in the 4th district
where I lived were already in the Zxx and my license then was KN4ZIQ.

When the ZZZ license were all issued in the 4th district, the F.C.C. began assignning new calls beginning with Axx as there were a lot of people who fialied to upgrade their License after the One Year Novice License expired.

Around 1959 (1960+???) the 6th district (in California Only) WN6xxx and
WA6xxx calls were being issued.
Some Years later Hams in the 4th district were getting the WN or WA prefix
when they were licensed.

In the 1980 Callbook I saw some Call Signs with the A prefix (A#xxx),
I don't know if any of those are still being given out or not.

After I upgraded my Ham license my call was K4ZIQ, when I moved to Indiana
but was still near my old neighborhood I wanted to keep my call letters since everyone knew me by that Call Sign but I felt I wanted to be LEGAL since I moved to Indiana (9th district) I applied for a Secondary Station License
and was issued WA9WSB which is a 2x3 Call.

Years later I learned the F.C.C. relaxed the district number requirement when someone moved out of the district their Call was issued in, and I heard a
Ham who has a W1xxx Call living in Kentucky,
AND
someone told me I could Get a 1x3 Call if I turned in my K4ZIQ callsign.
There wasn't any of my family living at the place my K4ZIQ license was addressed to so I submitted a request to get a 1x3 license in the 9th
district where I lived. (I also had the WA9WSB call cancelled)

I thought I'd get a K9 call but was issued W9ODR which to me sounds like
I've been a Ham for MANY YEARS (a Old Timer).

I'm not at all up to date with that sort of thing, never having been a radio ham operator, or even done CB.... so it's all been just from following conversations either in person or here on echoes... ;)

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Ed,

In later years when tke F.C.C. didn't have any Wx3 series Calls to assign EV>they started the Kx3 series (KNx3 for Novice Licensees).

In some call districts, they are now using the "Novice Calls", such as
those starting with KN, then the callsign district, and the suffix. The
FCC stopped issuing Novice and Advanced Class licenses on April 15,
2000...and also dropped the 13 and 20 WPM Morse Code Test that day as
well. On Feb. 23, 2007, the 5 WPM Morse Code test was dropped as well.

When the ZZZ license were all issued in the 4th district, the F.C.C. began EV>assignning new calls beginning with Axx as there were a lot of people who EV>fialied to upgrade their License after the One Year Novice License expired.

Yeah, the Novice was originally only good for one year...you upgraded,
or left the air. Now, even though no new Novice or Advanced licenses are issued, those holding them can renew them at the appropriate time.

In the 1980 Callbook I saw some Call Signs with the A prefix (A#xxx),
I don't know if any of those are still being given out or not.

I think now that callsigns starting with an A, are for Amateur Extra
Class hams. AA-AG, plus AI-AK -- I believe AH is for Extra Class Hams in Hawaii, and AL is for Extra Class Hams in Alaska. The AM-AZ prefixes are
for countries outside the U.S. and its territories.

Daryl, WX4QZ

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Quoting Ed Vance to Nancy Backus on 05-13-19 00:53 <=-

I'd guess that as operators either change their signs (by choice or
move) or die off, those original signs would become available to
others...

Nancy, the W9ODR Call Sign issued to Me was held by someone earlier.
When I got the license change in the mid 1970's I looked in the
Amateur Radio Callbook and saw the previous owner lived in Illinois.
I wouldn't know if the Ham Moved away from the 9th district to one of
the other districts (0 - 8) or if He passed away.

Ah, so I was right in my surmise.... :)

ttyl neb

... If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?

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