What is a W5YI?

[Sunflower]

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I copied this from a club's website: "The ARRL exam fee for 2012 remains at $15.00, and the W5YI exam fee is still $14.00."

What is a W5YI?
As a first time tester, will I be taking the ARRL Technician License Exam?

For my area, having to travel 90 minutes to take an exam is not real bad. This club in Salina, Kansas holds the exams every month.

[WA4STO]

Tess:

W5YI is the amateur radio callsign of a specific person.  In this case, he was the fellow who set up the very first Volunteer Examiner group, once the FCC was allowed by law to let volunteer groups do it.

His group was known as the W5YI Volunteer Examiner Coordinator group.

The ARRL is another group (I used to work for them) that coordinates the volunteer examiners. 

The only way to know which group will be coordinating your exam is to ask when you're verifying the date and time of the session. 

Helpful tip: Whenever you see a ham radio callsign like W5YI, you can go to http://www.qrz.com and in the little box, type in "W5YI" and you'll see a lot about the person, usually.  In this particular case, the callsign is being used by a club station in Texas.

[Sunflower]

Thanks for response.

I did not realize that call signs could be 4 letter/digits long also. Most viewed have been 5 in length. Is there any difference or desigation between call signs that read 4 and 5 in length?

[gil]

Hello,

They can be 3,4,5 or 6 characters long.

3 characters are for special events call signs.
4 are for Extra class operators.
5 is for Generals and recent Extras.
6 is for Technicians.

Gil.

[Sunflower]

Can you pick your own call sign? or is assigned? or can you earn the opportunity to pick your call sign when it is available?

Thank you for the info on the 3,4,5,6 lengths of call signs. The categories/lengths are more informative with this knowledge.

[gil]

It is assigned, but you can pick another one later if it is available and you licensing level allows it. See

http://vanityhq.com

Gil.

[Jonas Parker]

Hello,

4 are for Extra class operators.
5 is for Generals and recent Extras.

Gil.

6 is for us cheap so-and so extras who won't spend the money for a vanity callsign!   

[gil]

I hope I get assigned a 5 character call sign right away 

Gil.

[Sunflower]

I hope I get assigned a 5 character call sign right away 

Gil.

Nice part about passing all three exams on same day is that you can keep one Call Sign for life.

[gil]

Well, you always can keep your call sign for life.. If you like it! We'll see...

Gil

[Mitch]

Keep in mind there is a lot of generalization going on, I have a 6 character call and I'm a general class licensee.

I tested to general at my first sitting if that possibly made any difference.

[White Tiger]

It is assigned, but you can pick another one later if it is available and you licensing level allows it. See

http://vanityhq.com

Gil.

If you have an iPhone - or an iPad - you can download an app called: "Call Sign" - it allows you to type in any call sign, anywhere, and it gives you all the same informaton.

[gil]

I'll try that on my iPod, thanks.

Gil.

[White Tiger]

Also have a general purpose amateur radio program called "Ham I Am" - that new hams might find interesting. It covers: the Phoentic Alphabet (Whiskey, Alpha, 4, Siera, Tango, Oscar - or to figure out how to say any call sign on-air), Q-Signals, Ham Jargon, a Morse Code key, Radio Best Practices, ARRL "stuff", and Electricity.

ARRL also has developed apps that allow you to take actual practice exams and studt guides.

I've downloded a couple of antenna apps (one antenna calculator, and the USMC Antenna Manual)...

..and although I haven't figured it out yet - downloaded something called "PSKer" as I tought I might want to try my hand (eventually) at PSK31 (what was I thinking...)...

[Lamewolf]

Hello,

4 are for Extra class operators.
5 is for Generals and recent Extras.

Gil.

6 is for us cheap so-and so extras who won't spend the money for a vanity callsign!   

Hey, I resemble that remark !  But in my case, I'm a cheap so and so advanced class ! 

In reality, I like my callsign and plan on keeping it - its one of the few letter/number groups I can recognize in CW without thinking about it.