Vanity Callsigns

[kt2t_radio]

> How do most operators feel about vanity callsigns? Are most people 
> indifferent to them or do they annoy?

I am not annoyed by them, but I have one so it would be quite silly if I were annoyed.

> Does anyone think they are practical because it makes it easier to 
> recognize and remember somebody because the callsign has their initials 
> in it? Or, maybe because they're quicker to pronounce?

I acquired my vanity call solely for the ease of use in CW. I am by no means a CW expert, and in fact I am quite a novice with little improvement due to lack of time for study, but given the opportunity one day I *will* spend a lot more time with this mode and when I do my call will be fun and easy to use.

> Is it better to wait and become established before getting one or is it 
> better to get one early so that you're not switching once other people 
> have memorized your callsign?

The group of call available to you will depend on your license class (see http://www.arrl.org/vanity-call-signs under "Choosing a Vanity Call Sign"). If you want to get a 1x2 or 2x1 call then in my opinion it's best to wait until you've reached your license class goal and then seek a vanity call from the groups available for your license class. If you get a vanity call while a Tech, then another as a General, and yet another as Extra then there will be people who will just give up on trying to remember what call you have and when.

Aside from that, it can become expensive to acquire QSL cards and other "stuff" that is emblazoned with your call every time you change, so again my suggestion is that you achieve your goal for the license class and then begin your vanity call search within the available groups for that given license class.

Also, if you are from southern region and pick a vanity call from a northern region then there will be some folk who give you a good ribbing about it but it's all in good fun. Personally, I gave up after many attempts to acquire a 1x2 or 2x1 in region 4 because the demand is insane. When I finally threw in the towel and searched other regions I found KT2T just sitting out there idle with no applications. I liked the call a lot from the start, and after calculating the CW score/burden, I just had to have it. Yeah, getting a region 4 call would have been nice, but the high demand coupled with the FCC's lottery system makes it extremely difficult to win a short region 4 call.

Good luck & 73,
Mike, KT2T