No idea how many stations I worked, and sent cards to over 50+ years
before I finally got one back from Bolivia! I was beginning to think they
had no postal service there, but CP6UA finally came thru for a PSK QSO.

Bill  W4XK

Still waiting......................any of them still coming through?

Bill W4XK

Not yet, but 7P8D arrived today.

Bill  W4XK

The FCC opened up the X suffixes at the same time they started the N prefixes and the KA, KB, etc. prefixes for
U.S. stations. January, 1977. Don't recall the exact date, but I applied at that time, and mine was issued 01/27/77.
Hope this narrows it a bit for you.

As others have said, the X's were used to identify experimental stations and I have run across references to calls
like W#XA  or such back to the early days of licensing. The regular issue of X's in the amateur service....1977.

Bill,  W4XK

Your son will be assigned a sequential callsign when he passes the exam. After he receives his original call, he can apply
for ANY unassigned call that he is qualified for with the vanity callsign program. If he is a Technician he can apply for any
unassigned 2 by 3 or 1 by 3 call.

Bill W4XK

1969....A friend called me on the landline to tell me that K4IA/KC4 on Navassa was working 20 CW split. I didn't have
split capability on the Drake TR-3. I think that was the rig at the time, or maybe an SR-150. Anyhow, Charlie put his
phone near the receiver, I put the rig on the pileup frequency, and soon had him in the log. Then we went to 15 and
did it again. Not an ATNO, already had KC4AF from 1958, but fun to improvise and see what you can do.

Bill  W4XK

Yep! A nice surprise when it showed up in LOTW. Hope the real paper one shows up soon.
OQRS works.

By the way, sent a QSL, SAE, and IRC to a Russian manager some months ago for club
station QSL. Never did get a card, but it showed up in LOTW soon after I requested the QSL.
Anyone else getting only LOTW confirmation for your IRCs and GSs??

Bill W4XK

Three weeks later, they're still coming thru. Mine (OQRS + donation)
finally arrived today!

Bill, W4XK

Should I put my extra Navassa cards on ebay before they lose
their value?

Bill W4XK

Bob K6UJ,

That's what I do with my extra Navassa cards! (1958 & 1969)

Bill  W4XK

Peter,

Look again at that 5s 25 receiver. Could it possibly say Sx 25? A 1940 vintage
Hallicrafters receiver.

Bill W4XK

I'll bet you are remembering the Vocaline series of VHF/UHF business ,CB, etc. transceivers.
Don't recall if they made any amateur rigs, but I remember a local dealer having those
"lunchbox" style radios in stock back in the mid-late '50s.

Bill W4XK

Google Alpha Clock, a neat little digital display you can put anywhere on the desktop. It displays your PC clock, and I think you can set it for a time zone different from your computer,
such as UTC. Then Google Dimension 4 V5.0. It will update your PC clock every 15 min. if you are connected to the internet. I keep a UTC display at the bottom of the desktop all the time.
Try it! You'll like it!

Bill W4XK

My 2009 CW contact got me the "low tech" paper QSL from
AI4U. His QRZ info says he is 403A QSL manager for U.S. calls.
Good Luck!

Bill W4XK

Drop the door to the horizontal position, not fully down, and
pull straight toward you. Should come off easily. DO SO AT YOUR
OWN RISK! Most IC-735s lost their doors years ago. You might
even be able to sell it on e-bay if you decide to keep it off, hi.

Bill W4XK