old lapsed license

Posted Wed, 10/23/2024 - 12:52pm by VanCasey

I'm in my 70's, and when I was 11-15 I had a general-class license. I let it lapse when I started getting interested in girls LOL! My call sign was K7VMX-- check the ARRL handbook/directory for 1963 or 64. It should be there and attached to my name (Van Casey). A few days ago I searched by call sign and it returned "not found." Does this mean the call sign is still available, or have those old call signs been discontinued permanently once lapsed? I also searched my deceased dad's call sign and it was similarly "not found."
(W7RKA)

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Tri-band (dual plus 220) Attic Antenna ›

Hello Van-- I replied to your

by admin - 10/23/2024 - 5:16pm

Hello Van-- I replied to your original post in the Chat Room. Now I see the same question here in this forum--

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

Hi! First fone here too, at

by VanCasey - 10/23/2024 - 5:39pm

Hi! First fone here too, at about the same age !!! And I'm 73 too! AND a retired BSEE !!!
I got a very early start in electronics. Knew how to make a crystal detector at about age 7, knew a great deal of electronics a year later, knew code .- - .- -... --- ..- - .- --. - ----. !!! (I had a stuffed rabbit named "Rabbit" and my dad W7RKA had Rabbit teach me one letter per night!)
My dad also let me work with 600 volt power supplies--- that was kind-of crazy! -- but I survived!
I worked 80m, 40m and 20m, strictly CW. I would get up at 4AM to try to contact Russian hams on 20m and then be dead tired at school. 40m was also good for DX at that time of the morning.
My grandfather, W7ZCE, had a Collins receiver and OMG was that crystal filter awesome! I could pick out very weak CW signals on top of several others with the greatest of ease.
My grandfather once heard his CQ CQ come back to him after about 5sec-- moon bounce!
WHAT A TIME IT WAS! Kids these days don't have anything like it!

Is WA7DUH a vanity call sign? It must be!