Greetings!

The last time I got a message like that it was from the draft board. This was from the FCC and no, it was not a pink ticket.

My application for a vanity call sign was granted today. My new call sign is K5HM.

I first tried to get my old call sign, K2KMA but someone in California had grabbed it.  So I decided, if I was going to get a new call sign, it should have the characteristics I wanted.

I deliberately selected K5HM to have as few phonetic syllables as possible from the available choices at the time.  I did not want to wait more than 6 months for a better call sign to come out of the two year wait.

I wanted something that had a good CW weight too, with as few dah’s as practical. K5HM has only two dah’s at the beginning and end of the call sign. I have been wanting to get proficient in CW again, so I guess I can’t procrastinate any longer. Well, I don‘t even own a key, so I guess that will have to wait a little while.

Did you ever think about all the other things that have to change when your call sign changes? It will take me a while to make all these: QRZ, Club memberships, LOTW, QSL’s, subscriptions. Hats, name badges, e-mail, License Plate, Software configurations . . .etc. All that thinking makes my brain hurt!

See you on the bands!

73,
Ron, K5HM, ex-AE5NO