I'm in my 70's, and when I was 11 years old I became a Conditional Class ham. My call letters were K7VMX. Check the 1963 or 1964 ARRL handbook/directory. I let my license lapse when I started getting interested in girls LOL! I searched that call sign and it wasn't found. Does this mean it's AVAILABLE STILL ?? -- or is it permanently retired? (Thinking about re-testing and getting my license again, all the way to Extra Class since I'm a retired BSEE.)
Yes, it should be available through the "vanity" call request system (FCC online). I've tried to get a couple 1x2 (extra) calls, but when the FCC gets more than one request for a specific call in the same period, they do a random draw to pick the lucky requester.
You shouldn't have that problem, as the problem usually is those rare 1x2s(ex. N7EE for CW)- as soon as they become available, a flock of eligible hams apply. K7VMX is a great call, but if nobody has picked it up for a long time, I would not expect any competition to your request.
We must be close to the same age, as I got my Tech license (lived too close for Conditional) at age 14 and 1966. Today test questions, compared to when we took the tests are SIMPLE. The Novice test of our era was far more difficult than the Extra of today-- we had to identify different types of oscillators and amplifiers. Now the Extra questions are like "What is the definition of a satellite apogee". The Extra in the 1960's was darn close to the First Class Radiotelephone questions-- I got that at 17 years old.
I also went the EE route, good ol' WSU.
Hope this helps. Look forward to hearing you back on the air.
Comments
old lapsed license
I'm in my 70's, and when I was 11 years old I became a Conditional Class ham. My call letters were K7VMX. Check the 1963 or 1964 ARRL handbook/directory. I let my license lapse when I started getting interested in girls LOL! I searched that call sign and it wasn't found. Does this mean it's AVAILABLE STILL ?? -- or is it permanently retired? (Thinking about re-testing and getting my license again, all the way to Extra Class since I'm a retired BSEE.)
Old Lapsed License
Yes, it should be available through the "vanity" call request system (FCC online). I've tried to get a couple 1x2 (extra) calls, but when the FCC gets more than one request for a specific call in the same period, they do a random draw to pick the lucky requester.
You shouldn't have that problem, as the problem usually is those rare 1x2s(ex. N7EE for CW)- as soon as they become available, a flock of eligible hams apply. K7VMX is a great call, but if nobody has picked it up for a long time, I would not expect any competition to your request.
We must be close to the same age, as I got my Tech license (lived too close for Conditional) at age 14 and 1966. Today test questions, compared to when we took the tests are SIMPLE. The Novice test of our era was far more difficult than the Extra of today-- we had to identify different types of oscillators and amplifiers. Now the Extra questions are like "What is the definition of a satellite apogee". The Extra in the 1960's was darn close to the First Class Radiotelephone questions-- I got that at 17 years old.
I also went the EE route, good ol' WSU.
Hope this helps. Look forward to hearing you back on the air.
73 Steve WA7DUH