Communicating with Other Hams Contact Basics: Good Amateur Practices
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Communicating with Other Hams Contact Basics: Good Amateur Practices Q-Signals Q-signals are a system of radio shorthand as old as wireless and developed from even older telegraphy codes. Q-signals are a set of abbreviations for common information that save time and allow communication between operators who don’t speak a common language. Modern ham radio uses them extensively. The table below lists the most common Q-signals used by hams. While Q-signals were developed for use by Morse operators, their use is common on phone, as well. You will often hear, “QRZed?” as someone asks “Who is calling me?” or “I’m getting a little QRM” from an operator receiving some interference or “Let’s QSY to 146.55” as two operators change from a repeater frequency to a nearby simplex communications frequency. Q-Signals ITU Phonetic Alphabet Abbr. Questions Letter Word Pronunciation QRG Your exact frequency (or that of ______) is _________kHz. A Alfa AL FAH Will you tell me my exact frequency (or that of __________)? BBravo BRAH VOH QRL I am busy (or I am busy with _________). Are you busy? C Charlie CHAR LEE Usually used to see if a frequency is busy. D Delta DELL TAH QRM Your transmission is being interfered with _________ E Echo ECK OH (1. Nil; 2. Slightly; 3. Moderately; 4. Severely; 5. Extremely.) F Foxtrot FOKS TROT Is my transmission being interfered with? G Golf GOLF QRN I am troubled by static _________. (1 to 5 as under QRM.) Are you troubled by static? H Hotel HOH TELL I India IN DEE AH QRO Increase power. Shall I increase power? J Juliet JEW LEE ETT QRP Decrease power. Shall I decrease power? K Kilo KEY LOH QRQ Send faster (_________wpm). Shall I send faster? L Lima LEE MAH QRS Send more slowly (_________wpm). Shall I send more slowly? M Mike MIKE QRT Stop sending. Shall I stop sending? N November NO VEM BER QRU I have nothing for you. Have you anything for me? O Oscar OSS CAH QRV I am ready. Are you ready? P Papa PAH PAH QRX I will call you again at ______hours (on ______kHz). When will you call me again? Minutes are usually implied rather than hours. Q Quebec KEH BECK R Romeo ROW ME OH QRZ You are being called by _________ (on ______kHz). Who is calling me? S Sierra SEE AIR RAH QSB Your signals are fading. Are my signals fading? T Tango TANG GO QSK I can hear you between signals; break in on my transmission. U Uniform YOU NEE FORM Can you hear me between your signals and if so can I break in on your transmission? V Victor VIK TAH QSL I am acknowledging receipt. W Whiskey WISS KEY Can you acknowledge receipt (of a message or transmission)? X X-Ray ECKS RAY QSO I can communicate with _________ direct (or relay through ______). Y Yankee YANG KEY Can you communicate with ______ direct or by relay? Z Zulu ZOO LOO QSP I will relay to ______. Will you relay to ______? Note: The boldfaced syllables are QST General call preceding a message addressed to all amateurs and ARRL members. emphasized. The pronunciations shown in This is in effect “CQ ARRL.” this table were designed for those who speak any of the international languages. The QSX I am listening to ______ on ______kHz. Will you listen to ______on ______kHz? pronunciations given for “Oscar” and “Victor” QSY Change to transmission on another frequency (or on ______kHz). may seem awkward to English-speaking people in the US. Shall I change to transmission on another frequency (or on ______kHz)? QTC I have ______messages for you (or for ______). These QHow signals many are messages the ones usedhave mostyou to often send? on the air. (Q abbreviations take the form of questions only when they are sent followed by a question mark.) QTH My location is _________. What is your location? QTR The time is _________. What is the correct time? Project #580 US Amateur Radio Technician Privileges This chart shows privileges and band plan recommendations for each of the frequencies, as granted by the FCC to the Technician licensee. It is good amateur practice to follow the band plan established by the Published by: Amateur Radio community. The band plan is developed so that spectrum allocated for our use is used ® most effectively. You’ll find a complete description of the band plan online at wwww.arrl.org/band-plan. www.arrl.org Effective Date March 5, 2012 UHF (1500 Watts PEP maximum) 1240 MHz 1300 MHz 23 cm SSB, AM, FM, TV, (1240-1300 MHz) CW, Digital 902 MHz 928 MHz 33 cm SSB, FM, TV, (902-928 MHz) CW, Digital 420 MHz 430 450 MHz 70 cm Not available north of line A, SSB, AM, FM, TV, near the Canadian border (420-450 MHz) CW, Digital SeeSee FCCFCC Parts 97.3(a) and 97.303(m) VHF (1500 Watts PEP maximum) 219 MHz 220 222 225 MHz Point to Point Amateur SSB, AM, FM, TV, 1.25 m operation (219-220 and Digital Links only not allowed 222- 224 MHz) CW, Digital See FCC Part 97.303(l) 144 MHz 144.1 148 MHz SSB, AM, FM, TV, 2 m CW only (144-148 MHz) CW, Digital 50 MHz 50.1 54 MHz SSB, AM, FM, TV, 6 m CW only (50-54 MHz) CW, Digital HF (200 Watts PEP maximum) 28 MHz 28.30028.300 28.50028.500 229.79.7 MMHzHz CW, RTTY,RTTY, 10 m SSBSSB and CWCW DataData (28.0-29.7 MHz) 21 MHz 2121.025.025 21 21.200.200 221.4501.450 MHMHzz 15 m CW onlyy (21.0-21.45 MHz) 7.07.0 MHzMHz 7.7.025025 7.1 7.12525 77.3.3 MHMHzz 40 m CW onlyonly (7.0-7.3 MHz) 3.5 MHz 33.525.525 3.600 4.0 MHMHzz 80 m CW only (3.5-4.0 MHz) These frequencies are not available to Technician licensees Notes: Technician Licenses may use up to 1500 Watts PEP on the VHF and higher bands, but are limited to 200 Watts on the HF bands. You also have privileges to explore these microwave bands with CW, Digital, SSB, AM, FM and TV: 2300-2310 MHz 2390-2450 MHz 3300-3500 MHz 5650-5925 MHz 10.0-10.5 GHz 24.0-24.25 GHz 47.0-47.2 GHz 76.0-81.0 GHz 122.25-123.0 GHz 134-141 GHz 241-250 GHz All above 275 GHz rev. 10-24-12 The Considerate Operator’s Frequency Guide A guide to where on the HF bands various modes and activities are generally found. All frequencies are in MHz. The following frequencies are generally recognized for certain modes or activities (all frequencies are in MHz). Nothing in the rules recognizes a net’s, group’s or any individual’s special privilege to any specific frequency. Section 97.101(b) of the Rules states that “Each station licensee and each control operator must cooperate in selecting transmitting channels and in making the most effective use of the amateur service frequencies. No frequency will be assigned for the exclusive use of any station.” No one “owns” a frequency. It’s good practice — and plain old common sense — for any operator, regardless of mode, to check to see if the frequency is in use prior to engaging operating. If you are there first, other operators should make an effort to protect you from interference to the extent possible, given that 100% interference-free operation is an unrealistic expectation in today’s congested bands. Frequencies Modes/Activities Frequencies Modes/Activities 1.800-2.000 CW 14.100 IBP/NCDXF beacons 1.800-1.810 Digital 14.1005-14.112 Automatically controlled data stations 1.810 QRP CW calling frequency 14.230 SSTV 1.843-2.000 SSB, SSTV and other wideband modes 14.285 QRP SSB calling frequency 1.910 SSB QRP 14.286 AM calling frequency 1.995-2.000 Experimental 1.999-2.000 Beacons 18.100-18.105 RTTY /Data 18.105-18.110 Automatically controlled data stations 3.500-3.510 CW DX window 18.110 IBP/NCDXF beacons 3.560 QRP CW calling frequency 3.570-3.600 RTTY/Data 21.060 QRP CW calling frequency 3.585-3.600 Automatically controlled data stations 21.070-21.110 RTTY/Data 3.590 RTTY/Data DX 21.090-21.100 Automatically controlled data stations 3.790-3.800 DX window 21.150 IBP/NCDXF beacons 3.845 SSTV 21.340 SSTV 3.885 AM calling frequency 21.385 QRP SSB calling frequency 3.985 QRP SSB calling frequency 24.920-24.925 RTTY/Data 7.030 QRP CW calling frequency 24.925-24.930 Automatically controlled data stations 7.040 RTTY/Data DX 24.930 IBP/NCDXF beacons 7.080-7.125 RTTY/Data 7.100-7.105 Automatically controlled data stations 28.060 QRP CW calling frequency 7.171 SSTV 28.070-28.120 RTTY/Data 7.285 QRP SSB calling frequency 28.120-28.189 Automatically controlled data stations 7.290 AM calling frequency 28.190-28.225 Beacons 28.200 IBP/NCDXF beacons 10.106 QRP CW calling frequency 28.385 QRP SSB calling frequency 10.130-10.140 RTTY/Data 28.680 SSTV 10.140-10.150 Automatically controlled data stations 29.000-29.200 AM 29.300-29.510 Satellite downlinks 14.060 QRP CW calling frequency 29.520-29.580 Repeater inputs 14.070-14.095 RTTY/Data 29.600 FM simplex 14.095-14.0995 Automatically controlled data stations 29.620-29.680 Repeater outputs Ham Radio DXpedition, Calling & Simplex Frequencies http://ac6v.com/callfreq.htm Check Here If You Want To Open Links In A New Window Compiled By AC6V QUICK FIND 160M TO 6 METERS VHF IOTA COUNTY HUNTERS CONSIDERATE OPERATOR FREQ GUIDE HF PORTABLE PSK31 QSO FREQUENCIES FISTS CALLING FREQUENCIES, NETS, AND ACTIVITIES Note: By tradition, 20M and up is Upper Sideband, 40M and below is Lower Sideband.