CQ CQ CQ, this is MM6PRG calling CQ.

[sophie]

I have my amateur radio callsign now! It's MM6PRG. To break that down:

• M: This is a UK callsign. The letter G is also used in some UK callsigns that were issued a long time ago.
• M: This indicates that I'm in Scotland. This part changes depending on where I'm transmitting from in the UK. If I'm in England, I don't use anything at all for this bit, so I'd just be M6PRG.
• 6: Combined with the first "M", this indicates that the callsign is a Foundation-licence callsign. Apart from M6, a Foundation licence is also indicated by M3 for older Foundation licences. (To my knowledge there are no Foundation callsigns beginning with "G", as the Foundation certification wasn't around then.)
• PRG: These three letters identify the particular callsign within the given prefix (M6, M3, etc). You can either choose these letters yourself, or get the next available one alphabetically. I chose mine as a reference to the fact that I'm a programmer.

I'm looking forward to working the bands. :D

Comments

[hrrunka]

Looking to do Intermediate yet? ;)

I agonised over my choice of M6 callsign, and then just ove a year later it was history, and my 2E0 one never even got used on air...

(Of course, Keris went from none to full in very little time at all...)

[sophie]

I'm interested in it, but I want to have some experience under my belt first. I'm also not really the sort of person to make their own stuff (I hated DT when I was at school), which would likely hinder my general ham radio experience as well as making it difficult for me to do the Intermediate.

Did you want me to reply to the comment you left on LJ here, or over there? (My DW journal is my main one.)

[hrrunka]

The construction element of the Intermediate isn't too difficult, so long as you pick a simple project, and not something hideous with surface-mount devices and lots of fiddly soldering. Once it's out of the may you can stick to the theoretical side easily enough, though being able to make yourself the necessay leads and stuff like that can save a bob or two...

Reply wherever you like. I can cope with seeing answers here to questions there, and vice versa. Over on LJ I think you're f-locked by default, wheras here at least this post is public, and that might affect the detail in my replies, I guess...

[sophie]

Ah yes, I forgot about the lock on LJ.

I'll reply there, then, as I'm assuming that's why you posted there.

[hrrunka]

I tend not to mention my callsign outside of f-lock because it's inevitably tied to my full real name and address by various routes, so keeping it and my DW/LJ IDs apart is good... ;)

[jewelfox]

You couldn't get MM0RPG? ~.^

[sophie]

Oops, I just realised that I never replied to this. Sorry!

While I know this was a joke, the serious answer is that a "0" instead of a "6" means a Full licence, and I only have a Foundation licence.

Someone does already have the callsign M0RPG, too, and if they were transmitting in Scotland, they would identify themselves using the callsign MM0RPG. :) So yeah, already taken.

[xaea]

that sounds so fun! bear and i have talked about getting into ham radio from time to time...