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"So You Changed Your Callsign.  Now What?"
by Colin Cogle, W1DNS


Written Wednesday, December 7, 2022.
Available online at https://colincogle.name/W1DNS


ABSTRACT
In the United States, changing your amateur radio callsign requires you to file
one simple form with the FCC… right?


INTRODUCTION
On a whim, I thought it'd be funny to change my randomly-assigned amateur radio
callsign from KC1HBK to W1DNS. Why that? I live in the northeast United States,
where "W1" is a local prefix.  Also, I work in the IT industry, where we have a
running joke that, "it's always DNS". I decided that getting a one-time chuckle
and/or annoyed groan from people was definitely worth the $35 application fee.

This article is geared toward ham radio operators living in the United States.
For everyone else, requesting and getting a vanity callsign from your country's
licensing authority is left as an exercise to the reader.


FIRST STEP: THE FCC
If you're applying for a vanity callsign, that means that you already have a
valid amateur radio license, and therefore a working relationship with the FCC
and an FCC Registration Number.  (Go find your FRN if you've forgotten it.)

Next, log into the Universal Licensing System and look for the option, "Request
a vanity callsign":
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/narli/applicantquestions.jsp?action=actionVanity&contWErrorInd=Y&radioservice=HV&purposeCode=MD

Now, you will be asked which option you want:  a callsign of your own choosing,
a previous callsign of yours, or a relative's former callsign.  Pick whichever
option is best for you.  In my case, I wanted to make up something, so I chose
the first one, so I provided no more than 25 callsigns that I could potentially
be assigned.

Click through the rest of the application, and don't forget to pay the FCC while
you're here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwDPTThyfYc

The FCC will take several days to process your application. In my case, I filed
the application on November 15, and by Thanksgiving, they had processed it.  As
soon as they do, there is a ten-day waiting period.  On the morning of December
2, I received an email with a link to my new license grant.

Just like when you got your Technician license, you weren't allowed to use your
shiny new callsign until it showed up in the ULS.  This is no different.  Chill
out and wait until you see it live.   Once you do, immediately start using your
new callsign on the air; when your new callsign was formally assigned, your old
callsign was automatically revoked.

Now that you've updated your callsign with the FCC, you're probably realizing
that you've been using your old callsign in a lot of places.  You might have a
long contact list.  You might have a QRZ page.  You might have registered a DMR
hotspot, or you might be using apps such as Winlink 2000 or Echolink.  This is
the part of the process that I'm hoping to unpack and lay out, to save the next
vain ham from a little bit of grief.


NOTIFYING THE ARRL:  SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT
If you are a member of the American Radio Relay League -- and you American hams
should be -- then you'd be surprised to hear that they have no way to update the
callsign that is associated with your membership.

If you are a registered VE with ARRL-VEC, luckily, that portion is much easier.
Simply email [email protected] and they'll update your record immediately. They will
also mail you a new badge with your new callsign.  However, you have no need to
take a break from proctoring exams.  My VEC manager, Maria Somma, AB1FM, let me
know that I can still use my old badge and new callsign on paperwork such as VE
reports, CSCEs and NCVEC forms.


GET (BACK) ON DMR:  BRANDMEISTER, RADIOID, AND MORE
Your DMR ID number will not be changing, thankfully. That being said, you still
need to let the network operators know that your callsign has changed.

RadioID.net is your first stop.  There is no automated way to do this, but it's
easy enough.  Log into your account and click on Support.  Submit a ticket, and
provide your old and new callsigns.  While you wait for your RadioID account to
be updated, fire up your radio's programming software, and update your callsign
in your own radios.
https://radioid.net/support

For Brandmeister,  I'll save you the hassle of signing up for Jira Service Desk
and give you an apple from inside the walled garden: just create a new SelfCare
account.   To expedite things, be sure to use the same DMR ID and email address.

Brandmeister is similar.  SelfCare doesn't let you update your callsign, sadly,
so you'll have to log a ticket with them, which involves the maddening steps of
signing up for their Jira Service Desk instance.   How I wish they would simply
make this information public.
https://support.brandmeister.network/servicedesk/customer/user/login?destination=portals

Once you've gone through all the steps, then you will have a brand-new account.
This means you will need to set the hotspot security password again.

Speaking of hotspots, you will need to put your new information into yours, too.
I have a Pi-Star MMDVM hotspot, and all I needed to do was update my callsign.
Update your Brandmeister hotspot security password if that got changed, too.
How you do this will vary depending on your hardware and software.

Now for the bad news. DMR radios have a user-supplied contact list that doesn't
update automatically.  Your old callsign will show up on every single DMR radio
on the planet, until the operator manually updates their contact list.   That's
just how it goes, sadly. Still, you are expected to identify yourself with your
callsign on DMR, just like you have to do in analog modes, so this will only be
a minor annoyance.   (Speaking of which, when is the last time you updated your
contact lists?)


FIXING ECHOLINK
Ah, the VoIP of the amateur radio world.  I use the open-source qTel app for my
day-to-day Echolink usage. To change your callsign, you will need to make a new
account,  which means you will need to install the proprietary Windows Echolink
client; the official app contains some account management functions that aren't
present in the FOSS alternatives.   Begrudgingly, I fired up my Windows virtual
machine and got the app installed, then I logged in with my former callsign and
password.  The next step was to click on Tools > Setup, and change my callsign.

Once that's all done, and they've validated your new callsign, go to the Change
Callsign page.  Supply your old and new callsigns and Echolink passwords.
https://www.echolink.org/validation/call_change.jsp


RELINKING WINLINK
I'll lead with this: your callsign is your email, ergo you will get a new email
address, and forwarding is no longer supported.  Let your contacts know.

Just like with Echolink, you're going to create a new account.   If you already
use Winlink Express like I do (via WINE), then this is easy.  Open the app, and
add a new callsign.  Complete the form and click on Update.

Finally, if you've paid the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation to register Winlink
Express, you'll notice the registration nagging is back.  Simply email W3QA and
let them know that they need to transfer your registration to your new callsign.
(Or pay for Winlink Express again.  ARSFI could always use the money.)

If you use another app besides Winlink Express, consult its documentation.  The
Winlink Book of Knowledge contains general instructions.
https://winlink.org/content/how_change_your_callsign_account


QRZ, E-Z.
You'll be glad to hear that all you need to do is wait. They will get a list of
license changes from the FCC on the next business day.   QRZ will email you and
let you know that they've updated your record. No action is needed on your part,
though you might want to mention in your bio that you had a former callsign.


ALL ABOUT APRS
If you have any automated scripts (for example, a device or script that uses an
aprs-weather-submit command line) or anything else that has your callsign saved,
be sure to update them.

As far as the website APRS.fi is concerned, you can simply update your callsign
under My Account.  If you've used your callsign as your username, though, you'd
have to delete your account and create a new one. If you use APRS.fi's API keys,
deleting your account means you'll need to replace them all.
https://aprs.fi/account/


SEVENTY-THREE FOR NOW
This was everything I could think of.  Naturally, I'm sure I've forgotten a few
things, so I will update this article as needed.  Changing your callsign should
be a once-in-a-lifetime thing (unless you're indecisive). Hopefully, this guide
made this task a little bit easier.


WORKS CONSULTED
Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, Inc.  "How to Change Your Callsign (Account)."
   Winlink Global Radio Email, Book of Knowledge, August 2021,
   winlink.org/content/how_change_your_callsign_account.  Accessed 2 December
   2022.
EchoLink.org. "Change Callsign." 2002, echolink.org/validation/call_change.jsp.
   Accessed 2 December 2022.
EchoLink.org. "Download EchoLink." 2002, echolink.org/download.htm.  Accessed
   2 December 2022.
RadioID Inc. "RadioID - Support." radioid.net/support. Accessed 2 December 2022.

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