PA8E

After eight years I applied for a new call: PA8E. For some time I was in doubt about my old call. PA1JIM doesn’t key well in CW. It’s too long and I didn’t like the combination 1-J. A few weeks ago one of my HAM-buddies, Gerald PA9G changed his call from PE1PQW to PA9G. A while back I did played with the idea to change my call but with the call-change of Gerald this came back to life. But then the big question: what new call should I apply for?

Prefix

It had to be a call which is nice to sign in morse code! First the prefix. In The Netherlands we are able to choose any combination in the range PA – PG. Except for PD which is reserved for starting amateurs (Novice license). I doubted between PA or PC. But after some thinking PA is shorter in morse code and more familiar outside Europe. So PA it is. Then the number. We can pick any number between 1 and 9 (zero is a reserved range for the old folks). But without the 4 and 6, I don’t know why (repeaters?).
When doing morse code, 8 is a interesting number. It has one more dah then a dit but it is great to sign it with a side swiper. So I guess it had to be a 8. PA8.

Suffix

Well that leaves the suffix. I always kind of hated my old suffix, which was my name (Jim). I don’t know why, but it felt wrong. So no more personal stuff in my suffix. And since we are changing callsigns especially for morse code it had to short! Which is the shortest suffix possible? Indeed, the E! Well, that wasn’t too hard; a new call PA8E. And I was in luck because that callsign wasn’t taken yet!