Why I Changed My Call Sign After 28 Years

Up until last month, I’ve used my original Novice-class call sign since it came in the mail in 1988.

When I upgraded to Technician, I didn’t change it because the FCC had run out of 1-by-3 call signs in the South and were issuing 2-by-3 call signs.

I would have moved from KC4 to KD4, which didn’t make any sense to me.

I also left my call alone when I passed Advance because I didn’t like the AC-series 2-by-2 calls at the time. Since the Commission had long run out of 2-by-1 call signs for Extra Class, I decided that KC4LMD would be my radio nom de plume.

At least you could roughly date how long I have been licensed, in the world before Vanity Call Signs.

The straw finally broke the camel’s back came last year when I was in the middle of a pile-up trying to work a station in the Yukon Territory. I was already out-gunned by stations with kilowatt amplifiers and multi-element Yagi antennas. But it was the length of my call sign in Morse code that kept me from getting a VY1 in my log book.

With a Morse code weight of 72, it takes about 4 seconds to send KC4LMD at 20 words per minute. Even then, the fellow in the Yukon was already in the middle of sending his signal report by the time I sent my call sign once. The guys with shorter calls were killing me.

That’s when I started to consider a change.

If I did make a change by applying for a Vanity Call Sign, I set some criteria.

  • Any new call sign had to be in the 1-by-2 format,
  • It had to be in the Four call district (because I am sentimental that way), and
  • It had to have a Morse code weight lower than 42.

Not as critical, I wanted a “W” call sign because that was the letter on the first Amateur Radio call signs. My grandfather, uncle, and dad all held W4 calls.

It took me about a year. I applied for about ten call signs before finally winning N4AE in the lottery.

My favorite call sign that I did not get was N4TT. I just loved the way it sounded on Morse code.

Dah-dit Di-di-di-di-dah Daaaah Daaaah.

I also like the phonetics: November Four Tango Tango.

Unfortunately, someone renewed the call sign a week before it went to the lottery.

I think the most challenging aspect of having a new call sign after almost 30 years, it using it.  My old call sign was like my name; I didn’t have to think about it. Now, I do.

I’m sure in a few months, N4AE will roll off my tongue (and my key) like second nature.

Until then, I’m looking forward to the next All Canada contest so I can nab a YV1.

You may also like...

5 Responses

  1. Colin Hall says:

    Brian, I can empathise with your frustration in pileups with a long CW call. Try mine (GM4JPZ) and you’ll know how long it takes to send. My US call, N6OET, was much shorter, but I’m stuck with this one in the UK until the rules change. Good luck with that new call: it’s a good one!
    73,
    Colin
    GM4JPZ/N6OET

  2. David says:

    I went through a similar discernment and recently made the jump from N4FSI to AA3II. I sketched my thoughts here: https://aa3ii.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/from-n4fsi-to-aa3ii/