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Author Topic: 1X2, 2X3, etc.  (Read 5155 times)

KD5QPF

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« on: December 24, 2001, 08:37:03 AM »

Putting the license requirements aside for the moment, what are the reasons one might want a (say) 2X1 versus a 1X3 callsign versus a 2X2 (etc)?

I'm primarily interested in CW and I'm considering a vanity callsign mainly just to reduce the number of 'dits/dahs' in my current one (I think there are more dits/dahs in my callsign than in the morse test I took ;) and/or to lend it some bit of 'personalization'.

Are there any particular advantages to having an 1 or 2 (or 3) number letter district/suffix callsign? i.e. contesting, readibility, etc.? Or is the choice just basically based on some intangible individual personal preference?
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WA7KPK

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2001, 11:48:33 PM »

From what I can tell there are three reasons to get a vanity call:

1. To get a shorter call for use in contests, pileups and the like.

2. To honor the memory of a deceased relative or Elmer.  

3. To advertise your license status to the world (or, alternatively, because you can).

I'm very undecided about getting a vanity call. On the one hand, I've always thought a 1x2 call would be cool, and the 1x3 call sign of the club station where I made my first QSOs is available. On the other hand, I've had WA7KPK in one form or another for many, many years and changing my call would be like changing my name. Besides, I like the way WA7KPK sounds on CW, and there's that whole thing right now with the vanity processing. So I think I'll keep it for at least a little while longer.

73, Creede

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AD5GR

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2001, 12:50:53 PM »

First of all, the call is driven by license class. The vanity link on QRZ's site has all the info. You have already gotten the "official" reasons for vanity calls but many do it for vanity or because their original call was horrible. I just opted for a new sequential call sign to be issued when I upgraded. Granted, it is taking a chance but I figured I had nothing to loose. I could always apply for a vanity call if the new call was bad too. W5YI posts end of month sequentials in their newsletter if you want to find out what you could be looking at for your district if a sequential call change is a possibility. 73 de Jim, AD5GR
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K3VO

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2002, 08:47:24 PM »

I wish more US Hams would take advantage of the vanity calls. I would like to see more More 1X2 or1X3 starting with K or W. The alphabet soup of prefixs we are using are hard to remeber, catch quickly in a pile up, and sound like rare DX. Why confuse the rest of the world. Especially get rid of those 2X calls.
Ed
K3VO
PS My ex calls  K2IVJ, W1EGM, W3HIK are all available
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K3VO

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2002, 08:48:19 PM »

I wish more US Hams would take advantage of the vanity calls. I would like to see more More 1X2 or1X3 starting with K or W. The alphabet soup of prefixs we are using are hard to remeber, catch quickly in a pile up, and sound like rare DX. Why confuse the rest of the world. Especially get rid of those 2X calls.
Ed
K3VO
PS My ex calls  K2IVJ, W1EGM, W3HIK are all available
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K3VO

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2002, 08:49:18 PM »

I wish more US Hams would take advantage of the vanity calls. I would like to see more More 1X2 or1X3 starting with K or W. The alphabet soup of prefixs we are using are hard to remeber, catch quickly in a pile up, and sound like rare DX. Why confuse the rest of the world. Especially get rid of those 2X calls.
Ed
K3VO
PS My ex calls  K2IVJ, W1EGM, W3HIK are all available
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AD7DB

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2002, 10:36:02 PM »

I had my original call of WB6WKB for 24 years. When I upgraded to where I could pick out a new, shorter one I jumped at the chance. Saying 10 syllables (8 if Texan - grin - dub ya bee six dub ya kay bee) couldn't cut it before; now, "87 dB" does!

My final choice of AD7DB was not without serious consideration. I wanted one that was shorter to say, and not too ambiguous: d,b,c,z,e's all tend to sound alike, as do f & s, etc. However, when I checked to see what suffixes were available, I found my initials, and a good variety of prefixes. Then, there it was: AD7DB jumped right out of the list at me.

Now, why not a 6 instead of the 7? Because, someone else already has AD6DB, and, I don't plan on living in California forever, and expect I'll eventually be moving to some other western state such as Nevada or Arizona for the drier climate (health reasons). So, my call will fit right in then. Besides, 7 isn't far away from 6-land, nobody can really complain. (If I had a 1-land call in California I can understand some people getting annoyed that they didn't get a cross country contact.)

The suffix of "db" is still somewhat ambiguous on phone on occasion, but I don't have too much trouble with it. I generally use phonetics on HF anyway.

As I said, I had no hesitation about giving up nearly a quarter-century of WB6WKB for my new call. Some people have a harder choice because they're too well known for the old callsign. My brother really had to think carefully about changing his from WB6SAN. (I'd think that suffix would be particularly desirable for a California ham, with all those city names that start with SAN.)

Some people want a really short callsign to send on CW and don't care about what it'll sound like in voice modes; thus, E,T,I's are good. One tip I've heard from around is that a callsign with a dash instead of a dot at the end seems to work better in getting through pileups.

Anyway... consider your selections well and enjoy the custom callsign you get!

Dave AD7DB
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N3PM

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1X2, 2X3, etc.
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2002, 10:20:36 PM »

The two calls I held previous to AD1OS came in the regular order of issuance by the FCC. With KA1VT, most thought I was in Vermont. Then, KV1M was frequently mistaken for K4JM on CW, and in the early days, DX on SSB. So, I decided something unique was in order. Then it appeared, in traffic, on an Isuzu, ADIOS. Bingo.
Now, "you're not in Vermont" and "you're not DX", have been replaced by "hey, your call spells A Dios. Besides, it looks good on a license plate.
 
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