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GOOD OPERATING
PROCEDURES,TIPS, HINTS,
KINKS, TRICKS AND SOME GOOD INFO FOR HAM
RADIO OPERATORS NEW TO HF! Good
reading for us old timers in Ham
Radio too! by N4UJW,
Hamuniverse.com
Getting on the HF bands for the first time is one of the
most exciting times for anyone that holds an Amateur Radio
Operator license, especially for the ham operators who are brand new
to HF or will soon be getting on HF with the new "HF"
privileges using voice on 10 meters and CW privileges on 80, 40, 15,
and 10 meters. This article is especially written and
tailored for the new operators using their new found privileges
authorized by the FCC on February 23, 2007 on 10 meter
voice and newly upgrading General class hams.
Exciting Times Ahead and
What to Expect!
For me, earning the privilege of
HF operating was......well beyond words to describe! But here
are two or three that will help you!
Operating on HF is very
different from the 2 meter, 6 meter, 440 and bands higher. You
won't be using repeaters on HF like on 2 meters and the other bands
you are accustomed to if you are a Technician class ham. General class hams have this privilege! You
will strictly be in direct contact with the station on the other
end, much like simplex on 2 meters. Your contact may be on the other
side of the town you live in or on the other side of the world or in
between using HF frequencies.
Depending on the time of day,
propagation, the band you have selected, the mode you're using, (CW
or SSB), and many other variables, your contacts may be "loud
and clear" or almost down in the noise. You will have to
accept major interference from Mother Nature's lightning crashes,
solar storms, power line and other man made device noise and
sometimes just too many stations on or near your
frequency.
The HF ham bands are CROWDED! Let's face it,
worldwide, there are several million Amateur Radio Operators using
the same bands and modes and most probably, the same frequencies
although they may not hear all of the other stations on the
frequency. This is just the nature of propagation, antennas,
differences in power levels and other variables.
HF ham radio
operating can be a challenging adventure at times when all of those
variables are working against you so don't expect crystal clear FM
quality as if your operating on a repeater on the 2 meter ham band
all of the time. It's kind of like going fishing, sometimes
you have a great catch with strong signals, and other times, not a
nibble! Don't give up, you will make contacts!
Helpful Suggestions for the "Newbie" on HF Read this first: If you're new to Ham radio,
you need to know that ham bands have "Official Observers" listening
on all bands! They are ham radio operators just like you and I.
You could be communicating with one and never know
it. Their responsibility is to observe infractions of the Part 97
rules and regulations and to get these infractions reported to the
proper authority. Don't give them a chance to complete their
responsibilities! They really don't want to.....but they will and
do all the
time!
probably the most important thing you need to remember
is: ID! Transmit your call sign CLEARLY! FCC
Rules and Regulations Part 97 Sec.
97.119 Station
identification.
(a) Each
amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station,
must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel
at the end of each communication, and at least every 10 minutes
during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the
source of the transmissions from the station known to those
receiving the transmissions. No station may transmit
unidentified communications or signals, or transmit as the
station call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.
(SOURCE PART 97)
DON'T GIVE YOUR CALL SIGN AND THEN SAY, "FOR
ID"!!!! YOUR CALL SIGN IS YOUR ID! OTHER HAMS KNOW
THIS AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO DEFINE WHAT YOUR CALL SIGN WAS
FOR!
1. LISTEN, LISTEN,
LISTEN! Hey...wait a minute...I thought ham radio was
about "talking"! It is....but you will be surprised at how much
you can learn about operating and ham radio by just listening around
the ham bands! If you're bored with that video game, the
internet or whatever, get on any active ham band and tune around
until you hear an interesting conversation. Listen to the
conversation and try to pick out ham terms, topics or phrases
you don't know the meaning of......then, if your privileges, (and
your station equipment), allow you to transmit on that band and
frequency....wait for a pause between their transmissions and throw
in your callsign.....most operators will acknowledge you and welcome
you into the conversation....ask them to help you understand what
they were talking about. Don't be bashful, tell them you are new to
HF and would certainly appreciate their help! Most will welcome
you!
2. Be Patient Making a contact on HF usually
requires that you use the term "CQ" repeated at least 3 times in a
row along with your call sign on the end and waiting for a
reply...if none...repeat it over again....then try the third time
and hope for an answer to your call. If still none, don't get
discouraged!
If you have called CQ a multitude of times and
still get no answer, try to figure out why....is it our old
friend/enemy propagation, your equipment, your antenna type or
setup? Do you have power out to the antenna? How do you know? Do you
show output on the power meter. How is the
SWR?
Check your complete station setup including all
controls, functions, cables, etc....is your antenna still up!
Contact a local ham on the phone or via email and set up a time and
frequency to check out your station on the air. If your trying to
make a contact, any contact, on 10 meters and can't, then chances
are that propagation is against you.
3. Using phonetics on
HF One of the major causes for voice communication errors is the
misunderstanding of the spoken word on HF especially when operating
under noisy conditions. Using the SSB mode under the assumption that
it is a high fidelity mode like FM will surely disappoint you.There
are many "accents" to the human voice and being in the sideband mode
causes some words at times to be very unclear if the sending station
is having technical problems with his microphone or audio circuits
in his transceiver or you are operating under high noise levels.
If the other station's audio is extremely distorted, tell
him so. He may have his mic gain cranked wide open, compressor full
blast or a combination of both causing the background noise in his
shack to be as loud as his voice! Or his mic may be
causing the problem and he may not know it. Again, let him know
that you think he has a problem with his audio.
Ask him to talk "across" his mic with it held
close to his mouth
rather than directly into it. You will be surprised at how much
clearer his voice will sound, and yours, to others using this
technique.
Most stock microphones that come with
transceivers are designed for "close talking" and not held a foot
away! Always try to use the "close talking" and "across" when using
voice modes.
Even under the best of conditions, SSB
communications can sometimes be hard to understand and if you have a
hearing problem, even more so, .....enter
Phonetics! Definition: Phonetics - The
study of speech sounds.
The Phonetic Alphabet is used
to spell out letters in place of just saying the letter itself. By
using a word for each letter there is less chance that the person
listening will confuse letters. For instance, some letters that can
easily be confused are "D" and "B". Using the phonetic alphabet,
"Delta" and "Bravo" can be easily distingusihed. The
phonetic alphabet is used primarily in two-way radio communications.
The effects of noise, weak signals, distorted audio, and radio
operator accent are reduced through use of the phonetic alphabet.
This system of pronouncing letters is used around the world by
maritime units, aircraft, amateur radio operators
and the military. This alphabet is recognized by the International
Civil Aviation Organization, Federal Aviation Administration,
International Telecommunication Union and NATO as the standard for
aircraft communications and radio communications.
Many words with certain letters in them or
the beginning of them sound much alike when spoken in the
presence of noise, and there is plenty of it on HF. Some
examples: thunder - sounds like under, lightning - sounds
like heightening, many - sounds like any, rig - sounds
like re, Yaesu - sounds like hayyou, seven like heaven or
eleven, eight like hate or ate and on and on. Using
phonetics can help tremendously in the understanding of the more
difficult sounding words, numbers, etc. It would be hard not to
understand my call sign, N4UJW, using it phonetically
like.....November 4 Uniform Juliet Whiskey!
Here is the
Phonetic alphabet and numbers as used in Ham
Radio
| Letter |
Pronunciation |
Letter |
Pronunciation |
Number |
Pronunciation |
| A |
Alpha (AL fah) |
N |
November (no VEM ber) |
0 |
ZEE row |
| B |
Bravo (BRAH VOH) |
O |
Oscar (OSS cah) |
1 |
WUN |
| C |
Charlie (CHAR lee) |
P |
Papa (pah PAH) |
2 |
TOO |
| D |
Delta (DELL tah) |
Q |
Quebec (keh BECK) |
3 |
TREE |
| E |
Echo (ECK oh) |
R |
Romeo (ROW me oh) |
4 |
FOW er |
| F |
Foxtrot (FOKS trot) |
S |
Sierra (see AIR rah) |
5 |
FIFE |
| G |
Golf (GOLF) |
T |
Tango (TANG go) |
6 |
SIX |
| H |
Hotel (hoh TELL) |
U |
Uniform (YOU nee form) |
7 |
SEVEN |
| I |
India (IN dee ah) |
V |
Victor (VIK tah) |
8 |
AIT |
| J |
Juliet (JEW lee ETT) |
W |
Whiskey (WISS key) |
9 |
NINE er |
| K |
Kilo (KEY loh) |
X |
X Ray (ECKS RAY) |
|
|
| L |
Lima (LEE mah) |
Y |
Yankee (YANG key) |
|
|
| M |
Mike (MIKE) |
Z |
Zulu (ZOO loo) |
|
| Note: The syllables printed in capital
letters are to be stressed as in
the letter "A" , Alpha (AL fah)
Call signs
are routinely spelled using phonetics so there is no
misunderstanding. For instance, the call sign X9XX would be
pronounced, ECKS RAY NINE er
EXKS RAY EXKS
RAY
Memorize the table above....you will use it
often. If you have difficulty memorizing, then just use a very
similar phonetic in it's place.... but
please try to memorize the standard phonetics above! They are
used by most hams worldwide.
4. The RST Reporting
System (Learn
how to give a signal report)
5.Prosigns, Q Signals and CW
Abbreviations (CW
SHORTHAND)
6. Good Operating Practices and Procedures on
Ham Radio An Article
by Tim, AJ4D (A MUST READ FOR ALL CLASSES OF
HAMS)
7.
FCC Rules Part 97
8. "The Amateur's Code" Common Sense Rules for All of
Us! The Radio Amateur is:
CONSIDERATE...never knowingly operates in such a way
as to lessen the pleasure of others.
LOYAL...offers loyalty, encouragement
and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio
Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is
represented nationally and internationally.
PROGRESSIVE...with knowledge abreast of science, a
well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.
FRIENDLY...slow
and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to
the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for
the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur
spirit.
BALANCED...radio
is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job,
school or community.
PATRIOTIC...station and skill always ready for service
to country and community.
The original Amateur's Code was written by
Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928.
Learn
More about SSB - Single Side Band - What it is and how it
works!
10 METER INTRODUCTION AND
MORE
If you "play" be these
helpful suggestions, procedures and tips above, your enjoyment of HF
ham radio will certainly be enhanced and you will be known as a good
operator and not a "LID".
Enjoy your new Bands and WELCOME TO
HF!
73, N4UJW
POWERED BY HAM
RADIO!
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