Callsign Question

[stevp1]

Hello all.... New to GMRS but long time HAM.

Back when I was a new, puny amateur, callsigns started with a W if the station was east of the Mississippi, and K for west.  Just got my GMRS call (WROL479) and see that's changed.

 

Anybody know when?  Is that just a GMRS thing or are they handing out HAM calls with W in the west, too?

 

Nothing important, just curious.

 

Thanks all!

KD6NNV, WROL479

[MichaelLAX]

Your "rule" was for AM broadcast stations, with the exception of KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I was licensed as KN9FKA as a novice in 1961 in Chicago IL.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1965, I became WB6IRN.

[BoxCar]

1 hour ago, MichaelLAX said:

Your "rule" was for AM broadcast stations, with the exception of KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I was licensed as KN9FKA as a novice in 1961 in Chicago IL.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1965, I became WB6IRN.

You forgot WOAI in San Antonio 

[MichaelLAX]

28 minutes ago, BoxCar said:

You forgot WOAI in San Antonio 

Can’t forget what I didn’t know! 

[WyoJoe]

2 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

Your "rule" was for AM broadcast stations, with the exception of KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Was that just for AM broadcast stations, or did it also apply to FM broadcast stations? I'm thinking it applied to both at least as a general rule, since some exceptions existed.

[MichaelLAX]

Frequency Modulation had not yet been invented by Edwin Armstrong when that rule was introduced. 

[WyoJoe]

2 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

Frequency Modulation had not yet been invented by Edwin Armstrong when that rule was introduced. 

I thought that may have been the case, but when FM broadcast came about, the same rule carried over, right?

[MichaelLAX]

It woukd assume so, without actually researching it.