The 7th December 2022 I passed my foundation exam online. My invigilator, Bob G0OCB, would also become my full exam invigilator. I had done the Essex ham foundation course in August/September but then put off the exam for a while. I actually only just passed, and probably should’ve just read the manual instead of doing the course. I’d told a friend I was going to do it, and he ended up passing his exam first, so that spurred me on to take mine.

So what have I done in this time? Well my licence didn’t actually arrive until the beginning of January due to the Christmas holidays and also the postal strikes at the time. That didn’t really matter as other than my Boafeng handheld, I didn’t get a radio until April. I was also mic shy and put off speaking to anyone on the handheld, think I listened once or twice to the local nets, but often couldn’t hear them that well.

I eventually picked up a Xiegu G90 from the ham radio deals forum, and a 40m EFHW antenna kit, set it up in the garden and overcame my mic shyness to speak with GB2CC, a special event station for HQ Coastal Command. Although looking it up now on QRZ, I see it’s a new special event for something else. I was just another entry in his log and nothing of significance, whereas for me this was an incredible experience of all these pieces coming together and successfully speaking to someone else. I only managed a since QSO that lunchtime as was meant to be looking after the kids and had left them watching TV for hours. Later that evening I went back on the radio and my second QSO was with Croatia, 9A1CCY, and then my third of the day with someone in England. My first day on the air!

I then proceeded to go on the air every evening for the following week, even managing a contact with Canada with my 10W. The G90 could tune up the EFHW to any band from 160-10m, and I tried them all out.

The following week, I figured out how to get ft8 working on the G90 and all the software and found it interesting seeing who could hear me around the world, even if we didn’t have a QSO. Although did get some good countries like Angola and Brazil.

Things continued in a similar fashion as I upgraded to my intermediate. I remember the first few days of getting my callsign all mixed up, between foundation (MM7RVP) and Intermediate (2M0RVM). Around this time I did visit the local club, Aberdeen amateur radio soceity, and knew a very seasoned ham (Allan, GM4ZUK) via a work colleague. The club is…okay…mostly it’s tricky for me to go to the sessions and the few events they do have, so it’s hard to break in if you’re not present. I’ve renewed my membership for 2024 and will see how it goes. I invited myself around to Allan’s house and he showed me his setup and lovely tower he’d just had installed. We chatted for a long time and enjoyed the sunny day in his garden in mid-June.

He convinced me to get a Diamond V-2000 white stick which does 2m/70cm and also 6m. It was the RSGB 50 MHz Trophy competition the following weekend and Allan was going up the mountain with his trailer mast and big yagis and suggested I have a go. I managed to make four contacts, Allan, plus two Portgual and one Spain. This actually won me the Leading Intermediate Station in the competition, but I think there were only two or three others in the category! My first contest prize!

I’ve taken part in other contests, mostly just dipping in and out for an hour or so at a time, as I never really had the availability to be there for hours. It’s quite the endurance activity though, and those operators who do 1000+ QSOs are very impressive.

Somewhere about this time, I found the ham radio matrix group and have been learning a lot and making new friends via this group. I also joined the OARC Discord and met several great people that way. Whilst I do still want to connect with the local radio enthusiasts, it is just so much easier to do it online.

It was only about 2 months of operating as an intermediate before I upgraded to full. I just pushed on and studied for it as I knew I’d forget some of the things if I didn’t. I actually found the full exam easier than the intermediate, but maybe the step between the stages isn’t quite as much, or I was just lucky with the questions. I spent quite a while debating what my final callsign should be, and ended up going with what I first thought of…my name!

After some more HF operation, I became intrigued with QO-100, and eventually pulled the trigger on all the parts to build a station for it. That was my first real project, and it was quite involved! Took me a few months to put it together, mount the dish and get the software going (I’m still to write up the software setup as part of my blog series on it). However, it’s been very enjoyable to use and I’m glad I did it. Although it opened the doors to more potential projects and builds that I want to do!

This whole time my radio was setup in the kitchen, with the coax through the window. This was fine during the summer but by about September/October, it was getting too cold to have this setup. I setup a workbench in the garage and now have the radio sat through there with a computer as well. The coax runs around the side of the house and goes in via an air vent. Whilst the beanbag in the corner of the kitchen was quite nice, this proper setup is much better. Although if it’s windy or very cold outside, the garage can get down to about 8-10°C.

I had started to try and do LEO satellite operation, and got the radio and handheld yagi setup, but now that it’s winter, I’ve eased off really doing much outside. I’ve not managed to make a contact this way yet but maybe in the new year.

I’ve looked at digital radio on and off over the whole time, and generally decided it wasn’t something I was interested in. However, I do now have a small project ongoing to setup an allstar node but with a tiny Dell Wyse computer and fist mic, so that it’s like using a real radio but minising the computer part. I didn’t want to get a digital handheld and a hotspot as I suspect I’ll get bored of it quickly and then have no use for them. At least this way, I can repurpose the computer and the fist mic is always handy to have as a spare. I need to spend some time to figure out the software and configuration, plus find some groups to listen in to.

Some stats

According to my log…

• I’ve had 1365 QSOs, worked 108 countries
• of which 667 QSOs in 91 countries have been confirmed on LoTW (98 on QRZ.com – so close to the DX 100 award!).
• 72% of my contacts have been via digital modes, the remaining is SSB (just 2 on FM!)
• 20m and 40m are my top two bands, with QO-100 coming in as my fourth most popular band.
• My furthest contact was with ZL3HAM on 40m via FT8, with the distance of 11,453 miles one September morning
• My furthest HF SSB contact was with PY2VM on 10m, at 6,142 miles away in October. A close second was ZS3Y at 6,080 miles, also on 10m.
• I’ve worked 140 stations on QO-100, across 44 DXCCs, including Coco Keeling Island.
• I’m not sure how to find the details, but my europe grid square chasing via FT8 is looking reasonable, picture below

Year Two

Year one has been packed, and I’ve pretty much done nothing else. I think I’d like to take things a little easier and not try and do everything in one go! I’d also like to get back into some of my other hobbies that I’ve left standing!

For 2024, I’d like to get some LEO satellite QSOs, and maybe even give Greencube MEO a go. I’ve recently bought a 3D printer, and so building my own rotator would be fun to do. Recently, I’ve been chasing SOTA activators at the weekend, and would like to do some activations myself. There are a few summits nearby and would give me a good excuse to try out different wire antenna. Speaking of which, I’d still like to try and setup something else at home, perhaps a vertical, or some hexbeam/yagi/moxon arrangement for a few of the higher bands to see if the bit of gain helps get some further contacts via SSB vs. just ft8. This summer, during our holiday away, I did do about 10 days of LCWO, and got up to copying 10 letters of CW. I immediately stopped when I came home again. Learning CW is on my list, will it be in 2024? I suspect not, but we’ll see.

Well that list is already starting to seem like a lot of things, and having some balance is already starting to tip towards amateur radio! Not that it’s a bad thing.

If you pass your full licence today, you can apply online to get a M0 callsign but you can also apply and get any previously issued prefix. Well, nearly every one. However, it’s not entirely obvious how to do this. In fact, when I spoke to ofcom about reserving a call or putting a hold on it, the guy said “oh don’t worry about it, hardly anyone knows how to apply for a G callsign anyway”.

You can get all the G# except G2, and they also no longer give out 2 letter callsigns, e.g. G3DX¹. You can only get a two letter callsign one is given to you. This is typically if a relative of the original holder (who is now sk) writes a letter or does something that convinces ofcom to give it to you. The original holder doesn’t necessarily need to be a relative of yours, but perhaps the story has to be somewhat more convincing.

The process is fairly simple, but it will cost you a one off fee of £20 (compared to free if you get a M0). You fill in the form, email ofcom, wait for a reply in which an invoice is added to your ofcom account (that you’ll have as you’d have needed it for foundation and intermediate….unless you never bothered getting those or you did the direct to full exam). You pay the invoice online and your licence is generated immediately! This method can also be used if you want a club callsign that doesn’t start M0.

The form is pretty self-explanatory, but an important thing to note is that you only get to enter three choices of callsign, with the order of preference stated. If those ones aren’t available, then they’ll assign you a M0 callsign randomly. They don’t contact you to say those three aren’t available and would you like to try again. So I’d recommend calling them (020 7981 3131) before you send in your form to check the availability. Surprisingly, there’s virtually no wait and they’re happy to check a few calls, I tried three but sensed more than five and they might get annoyed – depends on who you get. You could of course call back another day and try some more.

The online application for M0 is great as it immediately tells you if the callsign is available or not, whereas the form you have to call to check. Now there are ways you can check yourself to try and screen things out.

What’s available?

Every so often someone does a freedom of information request to ofcom for all the amateur radio licences issued, and they produce a spreadsheet. Searching for this is a quick way to find it, or using the whatdotheyknow website and a search, such as this one against ofcom. This will show you what’s been taken, and then you can see if someone already has the call you want or not. Plus you can use Excel filtering and formula to check or test calls you are thinking of. Personally, I found these lists to be full of errors, so I’d recommend a second way to filter down your list of potential calls.

This would be via qrz.com. I think the majority of UK amateur radio operators make an account on QRZ. Even if they have absolutely nothing in their profile they probably have one. If you’re registered, then you can use the wildcard search and then look for profiles to see if someone has the call already. You can use a question mark (?) to match a single wildcard character or star (*) to match multiple characters. The thing to remember is the regional locator in the UK, so whilst G5ALX might look available, I actually have that callsign but my profile is under GM5ALX. Also, ofcom make available sk callsigns after two years…assuming they know the person is silent.

Of course, phoning them up and asking is the final test, but it’s best if you’ve got a shortlist prepared already. Assuming they say it’s available, then away goes your form and welcome to the full licence!

Future upgrades to the online system were part of the recent consultation, and so in time this process won’t be necessary and you can select all the prefixes and see immediately if it’s available or not. The consultation also suggested they would let people change their callsigns every so often, so maybe you’ll get another shot at it and you whole amateur radio career won’t all be resting on this decision!

How to pick a callsign?

This is all well and good, but how do you choose a callsign in the first place! In some ways the old style of “you get what you’re given” takes the pain out of it but it’s nice having a choice. It’s a personal preference, but there are a couple of things you might want to consider:

1. How does it sound phonetically?
2. How does it sound and what’s the weight via CW?

Say it out loud a few time, and see if you like the ring of it. There might be some words you don’t like, or you might want to avoid as in your accent they sound like other words. I find people think I’m saying papa when I say alpha, which can get annoying, so I might say “America” instead. Mike and Golf are only one syllable, which might seem good but the point of phonetics is to help the listener understand and one syllable only gives them one chance vs. two/three.

CW wise, I think it’s worth thinking about even if you don’t do CW now. You can’t change you callsign again, and even if we do get the ability later, will you really want to? You get used to things, and sorting out logbooks and QSL cards or even friends you’ve made, all rely on the same callsign. I think it’s worth considering, even if you still pick you call with a “terrible” CW factor.

I picked up that letter that end with dit ( . ) aren’t great as they might get missed, and particularly avoid your callsign ending in B or K or E. If you search about for advice, it seems like there aren’t any letters left that you should use! You can also calculate the weight of a call, such as on FISTs website, which is a measure of how long it takes to send. Given that we’re all G(RSL)# and three letters, I don’t think there’s a huge variation but maybe it helps differentiate some calls for you.

Think about when you’ve been on the air and heard others’ callsigns. I’m sure you’ve come across some that you think sound good. If you can’t remember them now, then try and make a note in your log when you do, and see what it is about them you like. I think repetition of letters makes things easier to copy. I’ve heard the DX call out “the delta delta call”, because it sticks out and instantly memorable.

This guy made some slides and a spreadsheet to help you decide. If you’re an analysis person then you might like it, but try not to spend too long!

1. If you got your full licence between 2018 and 2020 you could’ve got a G2 or a two letter callsign. ︎

It’s both a blessing and a curse that amateur radio has so many different facets and parts…I can’t even begin to list them all: antennas, operating frequencies, circuitry, radios, modes of operation, amplifiers, structures, networks, digital, analog, moon bounce, competitions, prizes, collecting, … and even each of those sections has subsections or intersections of sections It truly is a hobby for life.

This isn’t meant to sound like complaining, more of an expression of overwhelming amazement. The hardest thing for me is to work out what I want to do. I love reading, talking, listening and watching about what others are doing, and every time I do I learn about another facet that sounds really interesting and something I want to do. The fear I have is that I spend forever looking at what I could do but yet never actually do anything for myself! I have to remind myself that I don’t need to do everything immediately. I’ve only had a licence since January this year, and I’ve only been on the air for five months!

I also get daily reminders of how little free time I actually have. I work full time and we have four children ≤ 10 years old. I only really have time for one thing each evening – which includes writing blog posts! – and so I’m going to use my favourite outliner app, Dynalist, to make a list of all the things I want to do, in order to pick and choose what I should do now and next. It also serves as a place to put useful things I find related to it, although that’s too organised for me and I’m more likely to put stuff in my wiki. Actually, I’m more likely to read something and think I should make a note of it but don’t. Anyway, it helps focus and stops me spending forever looking at stuff.

Right now, my tasks are to finish the QO-100 setup, design the garage workshop layout and get it built including the relocation of the shack. But sometimes I’m tired after work and the kids, and just want to sit on the radio and see who’s out there.

Which leaves me with the thought that even if I built or changed nothing ever again, there are always different people out there to speak to, different propagation patterns and the enjoyment of talking to someone else who also enjoys this hobby.

I’ve decided to make a dedicated amateur radio blog. Partially, so I can run WordPress and (in theory) this will mean I make more posts as it’s easier than my current static site blog.

I hope to record contacts I make, things I build, antennas I try out, and generally anything related to amateur radio.

It will be no surprise to anyone that my callsign is GM5ALX. and a .uk domain was much cheaper than a .radio domain, even though .radio is cooler!