Category: Regulation & Law

Vanity callsign issued!

~ Josh, K6KNX ~ Leave a comment

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 applied for my amateur radio “vanity” call sign!

~ Josh, K6KNX ~ Leave a comment

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!

License issued! Callsign KN6JDY

~ Josh, K6KNX ~ Leave a comment

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!

Bitmoji - "Woot!"

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.

License exam(s) passed!

~ Josh, K6KNX ~ Leave a comment

I took my amateur radio license exams for the Technician and General class licenses today through the W5YI Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) organization. It was about as painless as taking a test could be. The coordinator emailed me ahead of time wth the exact procedures to be followed, Zoom meeting info, and so forth.

At the appointed hour, I logged into the Zoom meeting and waited. They schedule several examinees for the same time period, but each is handled in turn, so I waited for about 15-20 minutes until it was my turn. Once the VEs let me into the Zoom virtual conference room, I was asked to pan and tilt my laptop around the room I was in (I used my living room) to prove that there were no study materials, other people, etc that could compromise the test. The guys were thorough, even asking me to show them a few areas a second time, so they could be sure there were no relevant materials in view.

I then screen shared my desktop, so the VEs could verify that I had no exam materials or other windows open on my desktop. They then got me logged in to the ExamTools website and authorized the exam.

I studied with HamStudy.org, which is associated with ExamTools, so the interface looked pretty much identical. Taking the actual exam felt just like the dozen or so practice exams I took on HamStudy. I passed the Technician exam with ease. As with all ham radio exams, passing one element allows you take the next element at no additional cost. studied for the General class test, so I happily had the VEs load up that exam. Fortunately, I also passed that one with relative ease. After a brief round of congratulations from the VEs, I logged off.

A couple hours later, I received my Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) from the coordinating VE:

Now the waiting games begins. W5YI VEC will electronically send the successful examination to the FCC for my license to be issued, but I can’t operate until it posts on the FCC’s Universal Licensing System, or ULS.

Waiting, waiting… More to come.

How licensing works

~ Josh, K6KNX ~ Leave a comment

License classes

In the United States, amateur radio licenses are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. There are currently three classes of license available, which grant progressively greater privileges on more of the amateur radio spectrum. The current license classes are Technician, General, and Extra. Each license class requires a separate test, anywhere from 30 to 50 random questions from a pool of several hundred possible.

Technician-class licenses grant privileges on the VHF (very high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) bands, but only very limited privileges on the HF (high frequency) bands, which are usually used for long distance communication. VHF/UHF frequencies are pretty local, but a Technician-class license gets you access to a whole network of amateur radio repeaters, which allow for longer-distance communication (more on repeaters later.) Interestly, the amateur radio satellites use the VHF/UHF frequencies, so any Technician can use satellites to communicate with others, often thousands of miles away!

General-class licenses grant the operator access to all modes, on some portion of all bands. This is the first step to long distance communication via HF radio waves. (Yeah, fellow radio nerds, I know Techs get some privileges on 10 meters, but it’s limited in spectrum and power.)

Extra-class licenses just add a bit of extra spectrum on some bands. And bragging rights, since the Extra-class exam is significantly more technical and detailed, and longer, than the General exam. (I have a General, and I’m studying for my Extra, but it is definitely a lot to learn for someone without a background in either telecom or electrical engineering!)

Testing

“Ok, ok! I’m convinced. How do I get one of these fancy government permission slips?”

It’s really not all that hard. Just study, make an appointment with a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC), and go take the test! Back in the dark old days, you had to walk uphill both ways, through the snow, to an imposing FCC field office to take the test in front of a cranky, tenured FCC examiner. Old hams still tell tales of those days, usually as they’re lamenting the fact that you no longer have to pass a Morse code test and how FT8 is going to be the death of ham radio.

Those days are over.

Amateur radio is one part of the world where the participants actually do a pretty good job of policing themselves, so the FCC farmed out testing to organizations called Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, or VECs. These VECs accredit Volunteer Examiners (VEs) who are just licensed hams who have agreed to proctor license exams. The VEs run the tests and submit passing tests to the FCC to get licenses issued.

Obviously, this being May of 2020, we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and pretty much everything in person is closed, so most VEs haven’t been doing in person testing. Fortunately, the resourceful and dedicated people at both the Anchorage VEC and W5YI VEC have taken to administering tests remotely or in the case of W5YI, completely online. As of right now, Anchorage still requires an in person proctor, who doesn’t need to be a licensed ham, but they can’t be related to you, and must have one of several occupations (firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, and a few others) that are licensed, background checked, or otherwise generally considered “trusted.” Obviously, given the shelter-in-place orders, this could still be tough.

It looks like I’ll be taking my exam through the W5YI VEC. The test is administered through a combination of a Zoom call for monitoring and an online testing platform called Exam Tools, so no in person proctor is necessary. I’m going to try to pass both the Tech and General exams in one sitting. I’ll let you know how it goes!