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Chuck Reti · March 25th 07, 05:25 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors

In article ,
(Geoffrey S. Mendelson) wrote:

Then they started allowing
temporary call signs ("K" your initials and your zip code) so mine would
have been at the time "KGSM19120",

When the service started up in 1959 or so, FCC issued callsigns that
began with the number of the FCC District where the licensee was, a "W"
or a "K," and 4 digits, for example, the TV shop in Detroit I worked at
as a kid had a base station callsign of something like 19W3091, and our
trucks ID'd with that call, plus Unit 1, 2, etc. I don't remember if
there was any restriction on the number of "units" that could go with a
base license. They had to scrap that callsign system as it did not
comply with ITU convention- US calls have to begin with W, K, N, AA-AL,
and not a number. This was an issue as someone apparently didn't
consider that propagation could carry CB signals across international
borders, so the ITU regs applied. The radios came with the FCC license
application form that carried a warning to not use the rig until the
license had been received. Later on, before they finally gave up on CB
entirely, the FCC issued licenses with 4 letters (properly US-prefixed)
plus 4 digits, like KBNF2675.

Chuck WV8A Detroit MI