K, W, X, C starting call letters

[RadioFan2J3]

Germany was assigned the entire D-block until they lost WW2. The Philippines were assigned DU-DZ and 4D-4I after independence from the US in 1946. Germany lost, then regained some of the D-block later on. They currently are assigned DA-DR.

I had a DU2 ham call quite a few years back.

From the NTC web site:
The NTC assigns prefixes depending on the privileges of the amateur license or for special events:

• Class A (Extra Class) – DU, 4F, 4E
• Class B (General Class) – DV, 4I
• Class C (Technician Class) – DW, 4G
• Class D (Foundation Class) – DY, 4H
• Club Stations - DX, DZ

Typically the prefix is followed by the region and then the three letters of the call.

The former VOA MW transmitter at Poro Point had the call DWVA, but that call was not used on the air.

If there were any call signs assigned to the HF transmitters, I am not aware of them.

 

[Gregg.]

>>>Many don't realize that before WW II there were stations with "American" call letters in the Philippines.<<<

In American territories in the Pacific: American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and at one time the Philippines, nearly all the stations had/have K---- call signs, just like Hawaii. They may not be states but they are American soil. There is an exception I just learned about thanks to Radio-Locator.com and Wikipedia.

There is one W station in American Samoa. It is WVUV-FM 103.1 Fagaitua. In WWII, the U.S. Armed Forces set up an AM station in Pago Pago to entertain American GIs, WVUV on 648 kHz. This was before American Samoa became a U.S. territory. In the middle of WWII, I suppose the military wasn't concerned that the station in Samoa should have gotten K call letters. Today's WVUV-FM is the successor to that station, keeping its unusual call sign.

 

[davideduardo]

>>>Many don't realize that before WW II there were stations with "American" call letters in the Philippines.<<<

In American territories in the Pacific: American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and at one time the Philippines, nearly all the stations had/have K---- call signs, just like Hawaii. They may not be states but they are American soil. There is an exception I just learned about thanks to Radio-Locator.com and Wikipedia.

And both Puerto Rico and the USVI are part of the USA, and have "W" call letters.

 

[CTListener]

And both Puerto Rico and the USVI are part of the USA, and have "W" call letters.

Used to be that amateur radio calls in the possessions all began with K -- KG for Guam, KP for Puerto Rico, KV for USVI, KZ for the Canal Zone, etc. W calls were eventually introduced for all but the Canal Zone, which had been turned over to Panama (HP) before the new prefixes were authorized. Same goes for Alaska and Hawaii, where WL and WH supplement KL and KH.

 

[KeithE4]

Used to be that amateur radio calls in the possessions all began with K -- KG for Guam, KP for Puerto Rico, KV for USVI, KZ for the Canal Zone, etc. W calls were eventually introduced for all but the Canal Zone, which had been turned over to Panama (HP) before the new prefixes were authorized. Same goes for Alaska and Hawaii, where WL and WH supplement KL and KH.

Before the war, all Pacific hams save for the Philippines used the K6 prefix, Alaska used K7, and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands used K4. The Philippines used KA.

The system you're talking about was set up after the war ended and hams were allowed back on the air. All Pacific hams had the number 6 as their "call area," with the second letter designating the island(s): KH6 for Hawaii, KG6 for Guam, KS6 for American Samoa, KW6 for Wake Island, and so forth. Alaska had KL7, Puerto Rico used KP4, the Virgin Islands had KV4, and the Canal Zone used KZ5. The reason for that was that they were considered extensions of the closest Mainland call areas (4 for the Southeast, 5 for the Gulf Coast, 6 for California, and 7 for the Pacific NW). The KA prefix was moved from the Philippines to US forces in Japan upon the former's independence in 1946.

When the Novice license was established in the early 1950s, the first letter of their calls was W, changing to a K upon upgrade to Technician or General/Conditional.

 

[RadioFan2J3]

When the Novice license was established in the early 1950s, the first letter of their calls was W, changing to a K upon upgrade to Technician or General/Conditional.

I don't remember it working quite that way. My recollection is that all ham calls in that era was that the calls were W#, at least until the W# calls ran out, with W#ZZZ being the last one in the sequence. I will say that you might be correct regards to the novice call signs in the early 1950s, but that is before I got into ham radio.

If the call was issued to a novice, it was WN# and when the novice upgraded, the N was removed.

After all the W# calls were issued, then the FCC went to K# calls, with the N included for the novice call. Upgrading removed the N.

After all the K# calls were issued, the next increment was WA#, with the similar WN# for novices. Upgrading changed the N to an A.

In 4 land, when I was first licensed as a ham in the early 1960s, the FCC was already at the middle of the WA4 sequence. The summer 1963 ham call book has me as WN4 and when I upgraded, it became WA4.

At some point, well in 4 land, to the best of my recollection, after all the W4, K4 and WA4 calls were issued, I think the FCC went to N4 calls and then there were WB4 calls. Vanity calls and reissue of older calls to family members has changed the attempt to correlate call sign with sequence of issuance.

 

[vchimpanzee]

In St. John's, Newfoundland, there are four stations still using V for their call letters: 590 VOCM (Talk and Oldies)

Wait, that's real? That's where the father works on "Son of a Critch".

 

[ContinuousWave]

I don't remember it working quite that way. My recollection is that all ham calls in that era was that the calls were W#, at least until the W# calls ran out, with W#ZZZ being the last one in the sequence. I will say that you might be correct regards to the novice call signs in the early 1950s, but that is before I got into ham radio.

If the call was issued to a novice, it was WN# and when the novice upgraded, the N was removed.

After all the W# calls were issued, then the FCC went to K# calls, with the N included for the novice call. Upgrading removed the N.

After all the K# calls were issued, the next increment was WA#, with the similar WN# for novices. Upgrading changed the N to an A.

In 4 land, when I was first licensed as a ham in the early 1960s, the FCC was already at the middle of the WA4 sequence. The summer 1963 ham call book has me as WN4 and when I upgraded, it became WA4.

At some point, well in 4 land, to the best of my recollection, after all the W4, K4 and WA4 calls were issued, I think the FCC went to N4 calls and then there were WB4 calls. Vanity calls and reissue of older calls to family members has changed the attempt to correlate call sign with sequence of issuance.

Novice History - 1950-54

novicehistory.slafetra.org

Novice Historical Society -

novicehistory.slafetra.org

 

[RadioFan2J3]

Novice History - 1950-54

novicehistory.slafetra.org

Novice Historical Society -

novicehistory.slafetra.org

Thanks for the two llinks.

My earlier comment was sparked by the discussion was in regards to Keith's comment:

When the Novice license was established in the early 1950s, the first letter of their calls was W, changing to a K upon upgrade to Technician or General/Conditional.

It appears the only locations where the W as a novice was changed to a K for upgrade were for hams in the US territories.:


Novices in the U.S. territories did not have N call signs. The territories used K prefixes. Novices were given a W prefix. When they upgraded, the W was converted to a K.

Actually, Keith did mention it specially, and I did not catch his comment in my first read of his post, where he was specifically referring to the US territory call signs and not the general call sign structure for hams in the 48 states. Sorry for not catching that earlier.

Thanks.