Sean,

SD>It may not make complete sense to you but we hams consider our callsign a th
SD>of pride and we normally identify each other by our callsigns rather than ou
SD>names.  Daryl will frequently address me as "COL"; that is common amongst ha

  And, as hams, our first name is our first name, and our surname is our
callsign. We have no clue (in most cases) what the hams' surname is.
However, if the ham with us is our spouse or girlfriend (obviously
speaking from the male person here), we had BETTER know the surname.
Plus, we wear name badges at hamfests, so we can make like we've known
everyone for years. Yet, we don't know most from Adam and Eve. 

SD>(who's a ham in more ways than one)

  I was, too...involved in theatre arts in high school and college, long
before I got into amateur radio. But, I used those talents one year at
the ARRL Delta Division Convention, in playing 2 of the characters in
the initiation ceremony for The Royal Order Of the Wouff Hong. I got a
standing ovation for my efforts.

  Ironically, the head of the Radio/TV/Film Department at the time, and
one of the other individuals, are both licensed hams, and are husband
and wife (or as hams term them, OM (for old man, generic for the men),
and XYL (or as hams term them, Ex-Young Lady (more appopriately, wife).
For the non-hams, YL, can stand for young lady or girlfriend.

  Just like any other hobby, ham radio has its own lingo. I have a door
on the BBS, with a bunch of these ham radio terms.

Daryl, WX4QZ


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