Posted by: Steve W3HF on October 02, 08 at 19:08:10:

In Reply to: Re[3]:Multiple callsign changing posted by N4FZ Gene on October 01, 08 at 19:47:22:

Gene -

It's a minor correction, but it's not true that all the 1x2s were issued by 1981. There were many 1x2 calls, mostly N prefixes, that were never issued prior to the vanity program. I have proven using old callbooks that many 1x2s issued under the vanity program in 1996 and later were "brand-new" calls--yours may in fact be one of them.

The reason you couldn't get a 1x2 in 1981 was that the FCC had changed the rules, and wasn't issuing ANY 1x2s at all, even ones that were available. Under rules that existed from Incentive Licensing in 1967 until 1976, Extras who had been licensed for 25 years could apply for a 1x2, but they'd be given any 1x2 available. This was replaced in 1976 with a pseudo-vanity program, which allowed Extras to select specific 1x2s. This program was terminated because an FCC employee was taking bribes to preference certain applications. In reaction to that, the FCC implemented a strict sequential callsign system in early 1978, the one that exists today. Three of the callsign groups (A, B, and D) included blocks of calls that had been previously issued, but the FCC chose to only issue the newer blocks of calls. That's why Novices all got K 2x3 calls (and not W 2x3s), Techs and Generals got N 1x3 calls (and not W or K prefixes) and Extras got 2x1s or A-prefixed 2x2s (instead of 1x2s).

This is (almost) all documented in AC6V's amateur radio history web page.

Steve

• AC6V History Page

Follow Ups:

• Re[5]:Multiple callsign changing N4FZ Gene 22:24:16 10/02/08 (0)
• Re[5]:Multiple callsign changing Russ N8FZ 19:37:51 10/02/08 (0)
• Re[5]:Multiple callsign changing Russ N8FZ 19:37:42 10/02/08 (0)