After what seemed like an interminable wait, the FCC finally processed and issued my license grant for the K6KNX call sign!
As I mentioned in a previous post, I chose this callsign for a couple reasons. Primarily, it’s easy to say both phonetically and non-phonetically with letters that are pretty distinctive and difficult to misunderstand. (Note: after a few months of using it, the “X” does occasionally get mistaken for an “S”, but I attribute that more to my poor enunciation than anything else.)
I also appreciate that there was only one prior holder, and that the call was first used in the 1950’s. It’s not the oldest call around, but it goes back for a while and was renewed by the previous holder for several decades. I’m always interested in learning about, and preserving history, so I wrote to the family of the prior holder, to see if they’re willing to provide any insight into the previous holder’s amateur radio activities and history, so that I can include it in my station records. Who knows? Maybe when I kick the bucket, the next holder of the callsign will make a similar inquiry of my kids, and there will be a nice package of historical information for them dating back to the initial issuance.
I’m trying to decide what radio to buy first, and frankly, the choices are overwhelming. I’ve spent weeks reading articles, product reviews, considering what my needs are, and I’ve learned a few things. I’ll outline the information that was helpful to me, and then give the factors that went into my decision and the radio I chose.
Manufacturers:
There are three major players in the amateur radio game: Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu. All three make great products. If you stick with one of the major manufacturers, the decision of which is going to be largely stylistic and personal. I’ve never used a Yaesu product. I’ve used Kenwood radios at work as a “professional land mobile radio user” and found them to be boringly predictable and useful, but with uninspired feature sets and utilitarian interfaces. I’ve only played with Icom products, I really like the look and interface of their products, particularly the newer base and mobile radios.
There are a few budget players in the game too, notably Alinco, Baofeng, and Wouxoun. I don’t know much about Alinco, and the Baofeng and Wouxoun devices have reputations for being cheap, with corresponding feature sets and durability. My budget isn’t huge, but I’m also not on a shoestring. I’d prefer to spend money on a quality product that will last for a while, so I’m only going to look at the three major players.
Right now my amateur radio interests are all over the map — basically, I want a chance to try out everything: digital modes, APRS, satellites, you-name-it. And as a volunteer firefighter in a rural community, emergency communications is a top priority. So I’m looking for a pretty full featured device. Specifically, I know that I want the following:
Dual band for both the 2m (144MHz) and 70cm (440MHz) bands
An integrated TNC (terminal node controller) for packet modes
GPS and APRS (automatic packet reporting system)
Full duplex for satellite contacts
Front panel programmable
Plenty of memory for tons of stored frequencies/tones/etc
I’m pretty enamored with the Icom mobile and base station radios, so I looked first at the Icom handhelds, but none of them had the feature set I was looking for. I have literally zero experience with Yaesu, so that took me to Kenwood.
Kenwood offers three amateur portables: the K20, D72, and D74. I knocked the K20 out of consideration right off the bat, because it’s a monobander for the 2 meter (144MHz) band. That left the D74 and D72. The D74 is a tribander that handles the 144MHz, 220MHz, and 440MHz bands with a really nice, color display with most of the features I wanted, except full duplex capability. This is really only important for working amateur satellites, where the uplink and downlink occur on different bands, and it’s useful to be able to hear, in real time, whether or not your voice is being re-transmitted on the downlink. You can accomplish this with two radios, but why use two radios when you can do it with one?
That left me with the Kenwood TH-D72. The display is simple but functional, and it fulfills all my requirements. I found it for $399 (not including shipping) from GigaParts. So while it’s one of the more expensive handhelds on the market, it gets high marks for overall build quality, features, and reliability. I read a few reviews that indicated the durability leaves something to be desired, but we’ll see.
As I started my trip down the rabbit hole that is amateur radio, I was confounded by the callsigns. They seemed so random and nonsensical! In case they seem that way to you, too, here’s a quick breakdown:
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) designates a prefix (or several) for each country. In the United States, we have several: “W”, “K”, “N”, and “AA” through “AL.” The prefix can be one or two letters (ex: “K” or “KN,” “W” or “WA” etc.)
After the prefix is the numerical call district. In the U.S., we have ten call districts, numbered 0 through 9, which correspond to a geographic part of the country. For example, California is call district 6. Here’s the official map, produced by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL):
While call district numbers indicate where the license holder lived when the callsign was issued, we are not required to change call signs when moving. And after getting your first call sign, you can request a change to a “vanity” call, which can be from any call district.
The part after the call district number is the suffix. This is often random, though some hams choose a suffix with personal meaning, like their initials.
There’s a lot of history to radio call signs, which I’ll delve into another time. It’s interesting … if you’re into stuff like that. For now, let’s just get a handle on the basics for practical ham radio use.
Each class of ham radio license is entitled to a different format, and the higher the license class, the shorter the callsign format. I am going to mention two other license classes that we didn’t talk about earlier – Novice and Advanced. Neither of these licenses are issued anymore, but anyone who held one was allowed to keep it. You’ll see them below just for context.
Here’s a quick guide to the shortest callsign formats available to each license class:
Though, since the FCC issues callsigns sequentially and does not go backward, all new Technician and General-class licensees are being issued 2×3 call signs, despite there being plenty of 1×3’s available.
Of course, you’re always welcome to request a vanity callsign from any “lower” (or longer format) group, and many hams simply maintain their original callsign.
Vanity call signs
After the FCC issues your initial call sign, you’re welcome to apply for a “vanity” call sign of your choosing. This can be any available call sign from any group that you’re entitled to. So, as a General, I can choose any available 1×3 or 2×3.
How do you find available call signs, you ask? Well, the most accurate way is to search the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) for possible calls you’re interested it. That’ll tell you pretty definitively if it’s available. There are also a lot of other resources like the AE7Q website or RadioQTH.net. I really like the “available call” feature on RadioQTH (click here), which lets you select a format, prefix, call district, and even partial suffix, and it’ll show you a list of calls that are available now, or in the (semi) near future that match your criteria.
There is a ton more to selecting an amateur radio callsign, but I think that’s enough for now. Delving into ham radio is a lot like trying to drink from a fire hose. Check back later for more on picking a radio and to see how my first forays into the airwaves go.
I mentioned before that I was searching for a shorter, 1×3 format callsign to replace my initial sequential callsign issued by the FCC. I finally settled on one and put in my application on the ULS. I settled on K6KNX. Here’s how I arrived at my decision, and a few factors for you to consider when deciding on your own vanity callsign.
Choosing the right amateur radio vanity call sign
There are a ton of factors that can go into choosing the right call sign. Once you’ve identified the format(s) available to you, based on your license class, you need to figure out what’s important to you.
How are you going to operate primarily? On VHF/UHF, call signs are often stated non-phonetically, whereas on HF, they’re usually spoken phonetically due to higher amounts of noise. Some letters are pretty “wordy” when spoken phonetically.
Do you plan on learning Morse code and doing a lot of CW (continuous wave) operation? If so, you might want to listen to how your callsign sounds in Morse, and how complex the letters are to send. (Here’s a Morse code translator!) (And here’s an example in .wav format of my call, K6KNX in Morse code:
Do you want something that is personalized or unique to you, such as your initials, or the prior callsign of a family member?
How does the callsign look? Are you going to be happy seeing it on QSL cards, in digital modes, etc?
Do you want a callsign with some history? In decades past, callbooks were published with the callsigns, names, and addresses of radio amateurs. You can look through digital scans of these old callbooks to see when your prospective callsign was issued and who held it, even pre-ULS. I searched the old call books until I found that K6KNX was first issued in 1955, and that it was held by its’ first caretaker until his death a few years ago. Here’s the link to the old amateur radio callbooks on the Internet Archive.
Does the callsign just feel and sound good to you? Your call sign is more unique than your name, and hams often get known more by their callsign than their given name. Is the call something you’re going to be happy being associated with? Are you going to be happy saying it on the radio?
A little general advice
Once you’ve answered the questions above, make a list of possible calls. Then search the ULS, or one of the other online resources, to figure out which ones are available. Then say them to yourself, both in normal pronunciation and standard NATO phonetics. How does it sound? Listen to it in Morse code, or try tapping it out on your table. Is it easy to hear and easy to send? Does it make you happy? This is a hobby, after all, and your call is going to be something you use every day, so it ought to bring you a little happiness every time you say it or hear it.
Applying for that perfect vanity call
You can apply directly via the FCC on the ULS (Universal Licensing System) for free or you can pay a third party (such as WY5I) to submit the app on your behalf, usually for some cost. I submitted directly thru the FCC without problem. It was a painless process, and now I’m just waiting the 18 day FCC-imposed waiting period for my new call to issue. It’s a 1×3 that has been available for some time, so I’m not expecting any competition. With any luck, my 18 days will come and go and I’ll have a new call sign of my choosing.
I’m in the mandatory waiting period, so I’ll let you know how it goes. If there are no hiccups, my new license and call should issue on June 23rd, 2020. Check back then to see how it went!
The FCC maintains a database of licenses in the ULS, or Universal License System. Apparently they no longer mail out paper copies of amateur radio licenses, so the fastest way to check a license (including seeing if yours has posted yet!) is to simply check the ULS database. So, of course I’ve been checking the ULS daily (sometimes twice a day) to see if my license posted and what my first callsign will be.
Amateur radio callsigns are issued sequentially, according to license class. They do not go back and “fill in the gaps” by finding previously issued, but now available callsigns. In typical U.S. government fashion, they just charge on ahead. I saw a few days ago that new Technician and General class callsigns in California were in the “KN6XXX” range. As a 2×3 (two digit prefix, then the district number, followed by a three digit suffix), it’ll be a little “wordy”, but depending on the suffix, it might not be too bad.
Well, it posted yesterday!
The Federal Communications Commission decreed that henceforth on the airwaves, I shall be known as … KN6JDY. Kilo-November-Six-Juliet-Delta-Yankee.
I’m officially licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate a radio station per the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Part 97. Sounds super important, huh?
It’s not the worst, but not the best, either. As a General-class licensee, I can apply for a “vanity callsign” of the 1×3 variety, which would be a little shorter. At least three syllables shorter phonetically. I’m in the process of finding one that resonates with me, but more on that later.
For now, I’m going to add some frequencies to a my Kenwood portable (more on that, too!) and at least get on some of the local repeater nets to exercise my newly-granted access to the RF (radio frequency) spectrum.
