03-07-14 11:37 Roy Witt wrote to Ed Vance about Resurrected   
      
    RW> @MSGID: <531A51CD.281.amtradio@capcity2.synchro.net>   
    RW>  Brer Ed Vance wrote to Brer Roy Witt about Re: Resurrected:   
      
    RW>  ----snip----   
      
    EV>> Back then to pass the CW Exam IIRC 65 characters straight had to   
    EV>> be written on the paper.   
      
    RW>> 6as5d4d54as65das5d4fad65d4fa5s44f34sd534asf4sdf44s5df454f5s3sa4f   
      
    RW>> But, what did it say?   
      
    EV> IIRC, it was Words not garbage.   
      
    RW> I know, but if you write it down, its going to look like the   
    RW> line above, unless you can copy words and not characters. You   
    RW> know as well as I that when you jump to warp speed, things go   
    RW> by faster than you can write them down. Well, maybe not at   
    RW> 13wpm, but you know what I mean.   
      
   Brer Roy,   
      
   I always Hand Print when I took the CW Test hopeing the FCC Examiner   
   could read what I scratched on the test paper.   
   My YF says I should had been a Doctor because no one can read what I   
   write down, and sometimes if it has been a long while I can't read it   
   myself.   .... ..   
      
    RW>> I really never aspired to have a EXTRA class license, since   
    RW>> there's no advantage to having one if you're not at all   
    RW>> interested in using CW ... The only advantage I've found is   
    RW>> that you could get a 1x2 or 2x1 call sign, but then after   
    RW>> running out of those, they began to issue 2x2 calls, which I   
    RW>> already had with my Advanced call - KB6PI...   
      
   There wasn't any INCENTATIVE when I took the Amateur Extra exam,   
   such as getting a preferred type Call Sign.   
      
   What I saw on the Extra Class Written test was way above my head and   
   was about a lot of Ham Radio things that didn't even interest me then.   
      
   Such as: Ham TV on the 432 Mc/s Band and OSCAR communications.   
      
   Really those Deep Technical Subjects asked on the Extra exam, IMNSHO,   
   ought to be the privilages Given to the Higher Calss Operators to use,   
   instead of Polarizing the lower Classe Hams by not allowing General   
   Class Hams, Conditional Class Hams and Advanced Class Hams to   
   enjoy QSOing on all the frequencies on all of the Ham Bands with the   
   Amateur Extra Class Hams so everyone can learn from the Extras about   
   the more involved Modes the higher Class OPS can use because they know   
   that kind of stuff.   
      
   And Yes I am saying that Amateur Extras should be the ONLY CLASS   
   ALLOWED TO USE SSB because they know enough to be able to service that   
   kind of Ham Gear, everbody else Licensed for HF Phone use should still   
   be using AM.   
      
   I have one SSB rig and I have the Service Manual for it, but I've only   
   used it twice.   
      
   Once to install a CW Filter in it, and once to help another Ham   
   Neutralize the new 6146 he put in his radio which was the same as what   
   I have.   
      
   I used my Heath-Kit VTVM and RF Probe and the Service Manual when we   
   worked on his rig.   
      
    EV> I checked for my two old call signs on the FCC pages and the search   
    EV> comes up empty. I guess the FCC hasn't issued either one of them   
    EV> since I became W9ODR.   
      
    RW> Try the callsign database at qrz.com instead. When I enter one   
    RW> of my old callsigns there, it takes me to my present callsign   
    RW> with the old callsign in (callsign) brackets.   
      
   I just tried the FCC site and none of my old calls were shown.   
      
    RW> PS - I just ran your KN4ZIQ callsign thru there and got no   
    RW> results. Your previous callsign, WA9WSB does. My first   
    RW> callsign, WN6ABE issued in 1970. refers back to my K5RXT call.   
      
   I entered my WA9WSB call sign on my W9ODR page when I joined QRZ,   
   I'd think, is the reason it redirects a search for that old call to my   
   current call.   
      
      
    RW> -- snip --   
      
    EV> I knew a Radarman in the Navy frm South Dakota who told me of two   
    EV> Hams who both lived one mountain top from the other and tried to blow   
    EV> up each others RX by pointing their beam towards them while running   
    EV> at Illegal Power levels to out do the other guy. -snip-   
      
    RW> That was a trick that feuding CBers used to use on each other,   
    RW> but with the xmtr sitting outside of the other CBers house.   
    RW> That doesn't work, btw.   
      
   This was two Ham Radio Operators not CBers the Radarman told me about.   
      
    RW> It's better to pin your enemies' antenna coax...   
      
   I know of one case of that being done to a Ham that I went to high   
   school with. It was done to him by two other students.   
   ---snip-   
    EV>> In the 1970's or 1980's when I learned that I could exchange my WA9   
    EV>> license for a One by Three license without paying anything, I asked   
    EV>> the FCC for a 1X3 Call Sign figuring I'd get a K9 call and they gave   
    EV>> me the W9 call I have now.   
      
    RW>> Beginning in the 90s sometime, they began to issue 'vanity'   
    RW>> calls of your choice. This is how I got licensed as K6RXT and a   
    RW>> few years after I moved to Texas, K5RXT was available, so I   
    RW>> applied for that one and got it. The former licensee lived in   
    RW>> Louisiana and went silent key.   
      
    EV> I'm a cheap LID, if I couldn't have swapped the Call for free I   
    EV> wouldn't of done it.   
      
    RW> Waddaya gonna do when it comes time to renew your present call?   
      
   I haven't heard any news about License Fees for Amateur Radio Licenses.   
   I think the FCC did have Fees some time in the past but IIRC the Fees   
   were discontinued before my ticket came up for renewal.   
   I'm not really sure about that last sentence, but I can't remember   
   paying a Fee to the FCC, probably Old Age Syndrome keeps me from   
   remembering doing it. ???????   
      
    EV> W9ODR was owned by someone in Illinois before it was issued to me.   
    EV> I was the Original Owner of my other two Call Signs.   
      
    RW> I guess none of my old call signs are wanted by anyone. They're   
    RW> still available.   
      
   Same here, I don't know why the FCC hasn't given those calls to someone   
   by now, I renewed the W9 call 6 years ago, that seems like long enuf   
   time for them to issue the call to someone who didn't want a Vanity   
   Call Sign.   
      
   IIRC Daryl Stout use to post a message about what Call Areas that all   
   of the calls were taken.   
   Why the two calls I had aren't listed in a Search on the FCC and QRZ   
   pages come up blank says to me that whoever Daryl gets that listing   
   from doesn't know my two old calls are still missing. ????   
      
   But I do appreciate Him, You and Mark posting Ham Radio related   
   messages to the BBS echos so I can read and learn what's happening.   
      
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