Why THAT call sign?

[k0jjm]

I changed to a vanity call sign late last year. Originally I received KCØIUW as a Technician. #I moved up to General. #In August of last year, my mother died of West Nile. #I decided to honor her memory by getting the vanity call sign KØJJM. #All of the letters have meaning: "K" is for Kansas where I live. #The "JJM" are her initials. #Another reason for the "M" is that everyone (except for her mother!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif called her "Mike" so the "M" at the end was perfect. #This way I can keep her constantly in mind when I am on the air. #Do you have a story as to why you picked the vanity call sign that you did?

[N0PU]

Yep...
Read all about it right here...
http://www.qrz.com/callsign/n0pu

[K9STH]

Very simple: K9STH was my original call from 1959. When the FCC did away with additional call signs in the mid-1970s, and you had to have a call from the district in which you lived, I was "awarded" W5UOJ. That call had been used by at least 3 different people before me. Although I had W5UOJ for over 20 years, when the FCC allowed one to reacquire their original call sign (phase 1 of the vanity license program), I "jumped" on board. No one else had ever had K9STH.

Besides, on CW it is very easy to send.

Glen, K9STH

[WA2ZDY]

You can read all about it on my qrz.com callsign lookup page. This was my original General class call (as a Novice I was WN2ZDY), issued in Dec 1975. After 23 years of screwing around with other calls, I got this back. I will now keep WA2ZDY for the rest of my days. I should have never let it go back in 1980. Lesson learned.

[N5CTI]

N: I'm retired from the US Navy, and many Navy callsigns have traditionally started with "N"

5: Although I now live in Virginia, I'm a Texan, which is in "5"-land. Also, when I go home to visit, I don't sound like a "furriner" just based on my call http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

CTI: My rating (job) in the Navy

[n0xu]

My original call sign was KCØFXU. For lack of my initials being available, and not having any more creativity, I requested NØXU.

[K3UD]

Through the 60s and 70s I dreamed of some day having a 1X2 callsign with a W or K as the prefix. Why K3UD? My wife trains and we show Shetland Sheepdogs in AKC obedience competition and UD is the abbreviation for the title Utility Dog, which is kind of like an advanced degree in dog obedience work.

(however, if W3GM ever comes open.........)

73
George
K3UD

[k3sam]

I haven't thought of a 1x2 or 2x1 that I would like, however I did have trouble remembering my name. #Now it is easier for me.

k3 SAM

-Ralph

[Phineas]

I always wanted to call letters of my favorite club

Phineas
K0KMA

[K0RGR]

This is the suffix of my original callsign WN6RGR - WB6RGR. When I got my Extra, I 'upgraded' to a 1X2 - N6FF, which was a great call on CW, but horrid on SSB- those 'F's are real hard to get through a pileup. When I moved to the 0 district, I wanted an appropriate call, so the FCC issued me WF0H. Now, I had a call with a darned "F" in it, and a character that usually got misread as 'S' on CW except when I sent it as a '5' which happened more than I wanted it to. None of the real old timers could understand the 2X1 format, either. So, after explaining it for 10,000th time, I went with this call. Now, everybody thinks I'm a new Technician, so if I get a real good excuse, another change may be in the works. Maybe I'll get WB6RGR back.

[AG3Y]

My Call, AG3Y, is not a real "Vanity" call , but an actual FCC issued 2X1 that I received when I passed my Extra Class exam about 25 years ago. The only reason I am mentioning this in this discussion string is because when I first got it, I was considered to be about as rare as a DX country. Either that, or I would be ( sometimes not so politely ) asked if I was "for real" , or a "bootlegger" . About that time, I would switch to 25 wpm CW and let them know the truth ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I would not trade my call for any other call in the world. I consider it to be as unique as my birth-name and a true indication that I am as much of an O.F. as can be ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Thanks for letting me have a little fun ! After all, that is one of the reasons for being in Ham Radio!

73 from Jim AG3Y

[w3sy]

When I took and passed Extra in 1977, the FCC had just made a few rule changes:

1) License exam fees were reduced from $9 to NOTHING.

2) Fee for a 2-letter call was reduced from $25 to NOTHING.

3) The waiting period for getting a 2-letter call was reduced from 25 years (I think) to NONE.

There was a real rush on Extra Class licenses because of the lack of "financial risk" and the prospect of getting a free 2-letter call.

In fact, the opportunity to pick one of your choice existed back then too, but without Web access, you really had to do some research to see what was available. (Flip through a Callbook?)

As for me, on my form 610, I just asked for ANY 2-letter call (in the 3 area of course) in the order of preference of W, K, or N. I wanted the FCC to pick it because I always believed that the FCC should give you your call. I always will remember the thrill of getting the envelope and seeing what my call would be.

Got W3SY, and have signed it since.

[W5HTW]

The story is on my web site (see QRZ lookup for the URL). After moving from Colorado to New Mexico kept my old W0RKX for several years, thinking I was going to move back to Colorado, as I had a home up there. Finally realizing I was not, I let go the W0 call and was issued one of the new-fangled ones - AB5HK. Odd call. And I didn't really think it sounded like a ham call.

So, not knowing the future, and realizing I could now use the vanity program to get my old call back, I got my W0RKX back. But now it was a vanity license!! Ha!

After a couple of years of that I realized I didn't like being a zero in five land (too many years of 'the old way' ingrained in my blood) so it was time to get a five call -- again. And it dawned on me -- I could take whatever they issued, and who knows what that would be? Or I could go vanity (again) and get the AB5HK back (which was actually staring to sound appealing) or I could get a different vanity call. After a bit of consideration, I chose this call to honor the fellow who first helped me get on the air after I got my Novice ticket. He was W4HTW, and a high school ham with me.

I guess now I'll stick to this one. Been thinking of moving to Florida, though, and thought I might get my very first ever ham call back -- K4JSG. And then I learned it is re-issued -- for the third time! - so that is out of the question. Guess I'll stay in New Mexico!

Oh, boy, though, do I ever wish we would go back to district numbers having meaning. But I have learned in ham radio, "there ain't no going back."

73
Ed

[ad5st]

I just got whatever was next on the FCC's list ten years ago, and KC5ECO it was. #I always wanted to change it a bit -- never liked the "KC" part; "KB" or "KD" or "K anything else" seemed to sound better. #If I had the choice back then, I'd make it start with a "W" -- that just sounds even better.

On the flip side of things, I was talking with my dad the other day while we were working on his station (WA5NJG, first licensed in 1965 as WN5NJG), and he said he always prefered the sound of the "K" calls to the "W" calls. #So the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

As far as changing my call sign through the vanity system -- or even through upgrading -- I probably won't, partly because I've grown attached to it not unlike a name, partly because I've been saying this one for ten years and you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and partly because I've written it on many things and it would just be too bothersome to change all of them.

But if I were to choose a new callsign, I would have to choose K5ECO; I like the sound of it pretty well, and it's close enough to what I've had for ten years. #Perhaps I will consider 'upgrading' my callsign when I finally get around to passing the General exam, which I hope will be in about a month.

With that, I'll be QRT while I put on the headphones and listen to CW.


73,

Wayne KC5ECO
Arlington, TX

[WC4J]

N8FK

I always wanted a 1x2 after getting my extra. Many things drove this biggest being the 2x3 was just to long for contesting. After many days of considerations I decided I really liked my suffix NFK so that was to be my 1x2 first problem no 1x2's in 4 land hummmmmmm.
time to pick a number well 8 was ths first choice as I lived near the va wv lines. so I kept my call but yet got a new one maybe I lost my mind but oh well

73 Brian N8FK
www.qsl.net/n8fk

[N5CTI]

Yes Brian, you have lost your mind. Your efforts during the MMT100 prove that. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[WC4J]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N5CTI @ May 29 2003,12:05)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Yes Brian, you have lost your mind. Your efforts during the MMT100 prove that. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
For sure what was I thinking on site 7 am in the rain saturda and didnt leave for home untill 3am on sunday morning?http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

dazed and confused

&quot;dunlap&quot; my belly done lapped over my belt!!!!!

N8FK

I didn't really like my issued call KB7WAI (What An Idiot) so to honor the rise and fall of the Seattle area I decided on something COM. It also can mean communications. Both K and W were available and it took me a while to decide. Since then I've had the chance to talk to the guy that took K7COM and also talk to VE6COM often. And, of course, I had to get w7com.com too http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

-Joe

[KB5U]

I have had several calls the short time I have been a ham my current one KB5U sounds a works the best I might hang on to this one for some time but who knows.


David
KB5U

ex KD5NYJ,K5WDW,AD5IO,WS5H,AA5AC

[W1NCH]

I was originally licensed more than ten years ago in Cleveland. I had been studying for the Novice, but the codeless Tech had just been created so I went for that and I was assigned N8UBD. That was while I was in college, married, with a child. I never got on the air and never ended up using my license.

We returned to Massachusetts, time passed and last Christmas my wife gave me a gift certificate to Radio Shack. They had the HTX-202 on sale for $70, so I gave it a second look--figured I might as well do something with my license--and found out it was actually going for $50. At that price, I couldn't refuse, so I was back!

But I figured that everyone would think I was in 8-land; besides, no one knew me as N8UBD. I held off getting on the air until I could get a new callsign.

Since vanity callsigns were now available, I decided to look for something with &quot;meaning&quot;. Something nautical was in order; I have a sailboat that I'm rebuilding. W1NDS was taken, but W1NCH wasn't.

Now it is.

[n5zvp]

I still have my orignal call that I was issued over 11 years ago, but it should change this next week.

http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

After I upgraded over a month ago, I decide that I was tired of folks having troubles remembering the call and wanted a better all around call for HF and other purposes. Plus N5 ZEE VEE PEE doesn't work well on the air. So I looked at all the 80 some odd 2x1s for the 5th call district, and none of them worked for me. Plus, I'm not going to compete for the rare 5th district 1X2s that may pop up in the future. Going out of district doesn't seem quite koser.

I found a 2x2 call sign that even non-hams can easily remember after hearing or seeing once. It's cute, it works on phone, phonetically and is very short and good on CW. That's rare! I also found some good alternatives too.

I caught a little flack from some folks that think that Extra's have to have a 1x2 or 2x1 to key a mike, but the majority of folks that I ran it by like it.

Chris
N5ZVP (soon to be WA5TT)

[WA7KKP]

I've seen many hams change calls just to get a better one for CW sending, or cutesy phoney phonetics. Even the mundane initials.

I'm keeping my original call from 1968 until the cows come home. It is kind of a badge of the era when I was first licenced, like original K and W 1x3 calls were. Now you can't tell the old timers from the new kids on the block.

I've got cutesy phonetics (Knock Kneed Penguin) and it has a nice rhythm for CW, what more do I need?

Gary Hildebrand WA7KKP

35 years and still the same call, Novice to Extra

[K3STX]

I changed mine for 2 reasons. 1. I moved back to 3-land and believe the number being &quot;correct&quot; is a good thing. 2. Most importantly, I really never liked my old call, N4HEK. It was a pain to send on CW and I think I was referred to as &quot;N4SEK&quot; as often as &quot;N4HEK&quot;.

For the new call I picked K3STX. I am a molecular biologist, and I discovered two human genes called syntaxin 5 and syntaxin 11. Our abbreviation for the &quot;syntaxin&quot; is STX, so there you go.

paul

[KD5VHF]

The FCC gave me mine but I like it. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif I had already decided on a few vanity options to do away with what ever goofy call I was awarded but I will stay with this one.

[n8juq]

My story is alittle bit of the opposite. As Tech Plus I was assigned N8JUQ back in the mid 80's. I'm also a private pilot, and being so, when I get my own airplane, 8JUQ will become my aicraft tail number. N is a given for US aircraft. N8JUQ is a keeper until I become a Silent Key.

Rob

[W1IRS]

Until he #passed away, I spent many hours and years listening to my Grandfather work the radio. #While I am not sure that I ever knew his first call, he was issued W1IRS in the fall of 1934. #

I studied for the novice exam as a teenager but for some reason never took it. #This is a recurring theme in my life. #My intention has always been to pass one or another test to get on the air, but I just never did.He passed away on my birthday several years ago and this past year when my interest peaked again, (coinciding with a growing boredom of all things &quot;internet&quot; having been a board user since the late 80's) I discovered that he had paid his fees through the year 2000 and in November of 2002 the two year grace period would run out. #

Never have I been more motivated. #When I found out that I could &quot;claim&quot; his call through the vanity system I took both the written tests for Tech and General. #From start to finish, the process was less than 10 days. I passed both exams and missed only one question on the Tech test. #Two weeks later, I had switched to his old call. #

The call is unforgettable. Whiskey 1 Internal Revenue Service. #No one forgets it and many worked my Grandfather. #I will keep this call until I am an SK.

Lee

[KD7WHQ]

I'm running with what I was handed.. Too bad four people were in front of me though, or I'd have my initials for the last three, lol :)
I did contemplate trying for a variation of my grandfathers call; variation as the call is assigned to the Puget Sound Repeater group, but I decided to see what I'd get.
I think I'll keep it :)

[w0tdh]

KN0PJG was the original Call 1958 @ age 15. Then upgraded to Tech. #We only had a year to upgrade then you know. Calls then were by next in line alpha order by FCC. # Then General.

Entered the police academy in St. Louis, Mo. 1964. Does not seem very interesting til you remember they did not issue KN0PIG or K0PIG on purpose. They skipped over that to issue me KN0PJG.....

Any other Calls out there isssued by chance from FCC that have seeming significance ?

Tom - K0PJG

[W0LPQ]

JUQ: You probably will not get N8JUQ for an aircraft. Only 2 letters allowed in the USA. Could be N8JQ or JU or UQ....or whatever, but no three letter suffixes. N8 is ok, if available.

73

Bill, WØLPQ
Collins Avionics Field Service, Retired

[AA7EJ7]

My &quot;given&quot; callsign was WB7CGO. It was OK for me until Glenn W7 Young Sweet Potato called me &quot;Can't Get Out&quot;.
Now it's Double A 7 Echo Juliet - sometimes called Echo Japan or Double A Second EJ. Never tought how easy it is to make &quot;Second&quot; out of Seven. Don't like &quot;cute&quot; callsigns - they confuse me - especially in contests. I guess &quot;easy job&quot; would sound OK. Too bad I need one (job) , soon.
73 AA7EJ Vaclav

[KC8QMU]

Yep, this call came in the mail when I recieved my old tech license back in Feb. 2001...... I think it's a keeper.... it's nice to have your own Q-signal..... some of the locals have interesting ideas what the Q-signal QMU should mean though...... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[K3DAV]

I was first issued KB3JTM. But I wanted a call sign that represented ME. Who I am. Actually, my choice was driven by ego alone. Why do you think they are called, &quot;VANITY&quot;?

My choice was an easy one.

K3DAV
DAVE. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[K5USS]

MY original call was KD5USS assigned to me in Dec. 02. #I thought the USS at the end of it was great and decided that a vanity was out of the question. #That is until I began praticing my code. #I wanted something a bit more cw friendly but liked my call, so I just decided to just drop the D. #Made a little difference and I got to keep my suffix.

Now I have a lot of people asking me if I am retired Navy, or a Star Trek fan....

Charlie
K5USS

[WB2GOF]

I returned to Amateur Radio around License Restructuring, after a 20+ year absence from the hobby. My new call sign assigned at that time was KC2GNR, but I wasn't impressed. Applied for a vanity and requested my old call back from 1976. GOT IT!!!

[w5alt]

My first call was WN5CLS, but it lapsed when I lost the use of my right hand. (I couldn't pass the CW sending test, which was required back then.) The doctors finally sewed my hand back on and connected my fingers back up, I took the exams a#short time later and was issued WB5YLC. (Actually I was first issued WB5XAC, but the FCC had scewed up and reissued WB5YLC. XAC was reserved for experimental stations, but I still have the actually ticket they mistakenly issued.) WB5YLC was too long on CW, so I finally requested an Advanced call and got KE5WJ, much better, but still lots of dahs at the end.

Eventually I decided to look for a vanity call a little shorter on CW and with a better rhythm. W5ALT was available, fit my criteria and bore a resemblance to my name.

73,

[KC0PTO]

I am a recently new Ham, and was issued what I feel is a keeper. #I'm an old geezer, and believe that your call should represent your correct region. #The KC prefix is fine, as I live in a &quot;Kansas City&quot;, the 0 is correct for the region, and PTO becomes &quot;Power Take Off&quot;, which is easy to say and should be easily recognizable in spite of the QRM or QRN. #I also live in a small farming community, and anyone who has used a farm tractor knows what a power take off is. #I doubt that I will want to change to a 1X2 even when (not if!!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif) I upgrade to Extra class. #If people mistake me for a lower class licensee, that's their problem. #Thank you, FCC, for a good first callsign. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

73 de

KC0PTO #Kansas City zero Power Take Off # # #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[W2BDN]

I chose my callsign because of the way it sounded in CW. I found out the last time my callsign was used was 1953, whereabouts the holder fell off the face of the earth. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Whereas my first call (UK class B) 'G1UVP' (uncle victor pip) was allocated for me, my recent class A acquisition 'M0WSB' was a spur of the moment decision. Although an avid armchair fanatic I could not quote the full grid line-up of 'world super bikes'. What I do know however, is our boy Neil Hodgson is currently kicking ass at every track this year #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif Also, my claim to fame is racing MX with WSB rider Chris Walker. He well and truly put 110% into every race he rode and long may it continue!!!