I took my novice examination at the FCC Office in the Federal Building in St. Paul, MN shortly after the its introduction July 1, 1951. Several weeks later, I received my Novice permit with the call sign WN0DYF. Based on your article indicating WN0DVX as the first for the zero call district, mine must have been issued around the same time or very shortly afterwards. I was never listed in the Callbook as a Novice because in the early fall of 1951 I attempted to pass the General Class examination. Failing the code exam, I took the written examination and was issued a Technician Class license co-existing with my Novice permit. Because of this, the fall and later editions of the Callbook never carried me as a Novice and showed my call sign as W0DYF. After failing the code examinations a couple more times, I obtained my General Class license in early 1952. Interestingly, when I obtained my upgrade (as it is called now), the RI stamped my Novice permit cancelled and endorsed my Technician License on the spot to General Class allowing me full privileges immediately.
I retained the W0DYF call sign until relocation to California when my call sign was involuntarily changed to WB6JSS in 1964. I subsequently upgraded to Advance in 1969 a year after it was reintroduced. Later, I applied for and received the call sign KE6VB in 1982.
I upgraded to Extra in 1986 and was immediately recruited as a VE with the San Diego Amateur Radio Council (SANDARC) VEC. Over the years I have also been certified by the W5YI VEC and the ARRL VEC with whom I currently serve as a VE.
After relocating to the Alabama Gulf Coast in 1998 and considering that I would never return to the West Coast I applied for, and received my present call sign through the vanity call program.
I currently operate an elderly YAESU FT-757GX that I bought new in 1986 usually on 30 meters. My primary interest is CW ragchewing.
