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The Radio Amateur's Code

The Radio Amateur is:

CONSIDERATE...He/[She] never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL...He/[She] offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, the IARU Radio Society in his/[her] country, through which Amateur Radio in his/[her] country is represented nationally and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE...He/[She] keeps his/[her] station up to date. It is well-built and efficient. His/[Her] operating practice is above reproach.

FRIENDLY...He/[She] operates slowly and patiently when requested; offers friendly advice and counsel to beginners; kind assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the marks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED...Radio is a hobby, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC...His/[Her] station and skills are always ready for service to country and community.

Adapted from the original Amateur's Code, written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION --------------------------------------- 5

Safety First, Choosing Your First Rig, Antennas for Your

Station, Technical Information, W1AW, Time

BASIC OPERATING ---------------------------------- 17

Listening, Identification, Establishing Contact, Exchanging

Reception Reports, Where, Who?, The Conversation, Ending

The Contact, Want to find out about who you contacted?

Where can I operate?

��

THE PAPER CHASE: LOGGING, QSL’S AND AWARDS --------------------------------------------------14

Logging, QSL Cards, QSLing directly to DX stations, When all else fails,

Awards, Other Certificates and Awards

AMATEUR RADIO AND PUBLIC SERVICE--------------------------------------------------18

Roundtables and Nets, Supporting Community Events, SKYWARN®, A.R.E.S®

KCARC Membership Application-------------------------------22

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About Our Club

The Kershaw County Amateur Radio Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at 1020 York Street, Camden 29020. We’re located across the street from Camden High School in the old Jackson School. Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and are generally finished around 7:30, with a training session beginning after the formal meeting concludes.

The club has a website, www.kcarc.com and has a weekly radio net on Monday at 8:00 pm on the Fort Jackson repeater, 146.775 MHz, with a negative offset and a PL tone of 156.7 Hz. Following the net we hold an informal “ragchew” on 146.46 MHz simplex. This time is used to test your equipment and give real time signal reports to folks that are using the session to test their stations or new equipment. The club’s mailing address is the address of the present secretary. You can find it on the roster page at kc4rc.com.

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Introduction

SAFETY FIRST

Ham radio is an extremely safe hobby provided that you common sense as you would working around any electrical or mechanical equipment.

You need to follows simple safety procedures since misuse of radio or other electrical equipment can cause death or permanent injury. Before you install, repair or use any equipment, become familiar with the detailed safety rules in the ARRL Handbook.

Know your equipment. Never work alone on the “innards” of radio equipment, or when erecting antennas or using power tools. Take precautions against prolonged body exposure to radiated radio-frequency energy, particularly in the VHF and UHF bands. Switch to Safety!

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CHOOSING YOUR FIRST RIG

Choosing your first ham station might seem a bit confusing. Should you buy a new radio – with lots of pushbuttons, digital frequency readout and fancy features – or an older, “barebones” rig that still offers good performance? Will a transceiver suit your needs, or can you manage a separate receiver and transmitter? Tubes or solid state? Tune or no-tune? Big, small or in between? Although the questions seem endless, choosing your first rig doesn’t have to be a chore.

In times past, most new Technicians had a radio mentor – an Elmer – who first fired their interest in ham radio and was there at every turn to answer questions and provide assistance. With the help of such an Elmer, choosing a rig is a simple task! Most Elmer’s have operated many different rigs over the years, and they won’t hesitate to recommend several alternatives appropriate for any budget.

If you are fortunate to have such an Elmer, you probably have several possible rigs picked out. If you don’t have a personal ham-radio helper, don’t despair. Most hams love to talk about their equipment, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a few local hams who’ll be more than happy to help you in your search for a first rig. If you’re lucky, you’ll be invited to stop by their shacks and spin the dials on their equipment for yourself. That’s another thing hams like to do – show off their shacks!

Your local radio club is a good place to meet other hams. If you can’t find any in your area, send a SASE$ to the Field Services Department at ARRL HQ, and we’ll send you information on the club’s that meet in your area.

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CHOOSING YOUR FIRST RIG (continued)

If you are fortunate enough to live near a ham radio showroom, you can get a first-hand look at many of the latest rigs. Many dealers have a supply of used gear on hand as well. Don’t let the high prices of today’s new radios scare you away. If your budget won’t allow you to purchase a brand new transceiver, there are plenty of used rigs that will get the job done – at a price you can afford.

A good way to become familiar with the features (and drawbacks) of used and new rigs alike is the Product Review Column in QST. Many, many rigs have been reviewed there over the years. The reviews detail performance specifications, features and controls, as well as provide comments about the rig’s on-air performance. Look in the QST annual index, located at the end of each December issue to see which rigs were reviewed that year. A cumulative Product Review index going back to 1976 is available from ARRL. Radio clubs and your local library often have back issues of QST. Two ARRL publications address the question of choosing a first rig in greater detail. One is The ARRL Operating Manual; the other is a bi-monthly magazine tailored to new operators, On the Air Magazine. Both publications explore these subjects in detail: solid state and older tube-type rigs; transceivers and separate transmitters and receivers; digital and analog displays; and features and accessories such as audio filters, speech processors, among others.

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CHOOSING YOUR FIRST RIG (continued)

When you’ve sorted out all the alternatives and finally decided on which rig (or rigs) to buy, the question of where to buy still remains. Some possibilities include local hams, local dealers, flea markets, mail order, Ham Ads in QST, classified ads in other publication or ham-related websites. Your local dealer will probably offer the best service, although the prices may be higher than at comparable mail-order outlets. Gear usually costs less if it is obtained through flea markets, local hams and classified ads rather from an established dealer. There’s usually no guarantee as to the condition of the equipment, though, Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) still applies. – even in ham radio. And, you generally get what you pay for. Something relatively new to the hobby are the soft-ware defined radios (SDR).

All this means is that 1’s and 0’s are now doing the jobs that were relegated to electronic circuitry that make up the majority of all radios. Do not confuse this with Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), while still using the 1’s and 0’s, this is a mode of communication using Wi-Fi/internet to connect you to the world.

As you gain experience in Amateur Radio, the process of choosing a radio will become less mysterious – but no less intense. New models are introduced every year, and their feature are hotly debated, on the air and off. Because of the, most hams will trade their gear in several times throughout the course of their ham radio career. You probably will too.

If you stay with Amateur Radio long enough, some day you’ll be somebody’s Elmer – helping a ham newcomer to find that first rig… “I’ve got an old rig that I use as a backup – it’s certainly not new, but I’ it’ll work fine if you’d like to try….”

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ANTENNAS FOR YOUR STATION

The subject of antennas holds a great deal of mystery for an inexperienced ham (and many experienced ones as well). There seems to be an endless string of questions about these magic devices. How long should an antenna be? How high does it have to be? What kind of feedline should I use? What do I use to hold the antenna up in the air? What if the SWR is too high? What size wire should I use to build the antenna? Should the wire be insulated or not? What if I can’t put up an outside antenna? What can I do if my yard isn’t big enough to stretch a dipole out straight?

Before you become too worried about all these antenna questions you need to understand the basic fundamental operating principle of all antennas. Any antenna at all will work much better than no antenna!

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ANTENNAS FOR YOUR STATION (continued)

So now you know: Put up anything at all, no matter how significantly different it is from the “ideal, theoretical antenna.” You will have far5 more fun using it than you will have sitting there worrying about what kind of antenna to try. While you are enjoying ham radio by contacting other hams on the air, you may wonder what antenna to try next, or how to improve the system you have now, but don’t fret so much about what to put up that you never try any antenna. During your on-the-air operating, you can ask other hams for some new antenna ideas.

What is the simplest antenna for an inexperienced ham to put up? You might be tempted to buy a commercial antenna, thinking you will be incapable of building your own. Resist that temptation, and try building a dipole antenna. Build your antenna from materials you have available. Just about any type of wire will do, as long as it is strong enough to keep from breaking with the weight of the wire, feed line and insulators.

For supports you can use whatever is convenient. A couple of tall trees should work well. You can run one end to a corner of your house or garage. You can support the center of the antenna in a tall tree, with both ends sloping toward the ground. The forms an inverted V antenna. You can also tie one end in a tall tree and slope the entire antenna toward the ground. If you don’t have enough room to put up a dipole straight, try bending the ends to form a Z. If you can’t get the antenna outside, you can even put it up in your attic (or in another room in your house).

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ANTENNAS FOR YOUR STATION (continued)

What should you use for feed line? Many hams use 50 coaxial cable, but parallel-conductor line, also known as ladder line, will have less loss. You can buy or build open-wire feed line, or you can even use TV-type twin lead. You will need some type of impedance-matching network, or transmatch if you use parallel-conductor feed line.

The ARRL publishes a number of books that contain plenty of details on basic antennas. You should have one or more of those books as a reference. One such book available as an eReader is Tune in the World with Ham Radio contains complete plans for a number of simple antennas. You only have to type in “homebrew amateur radio antennas” into a search engine and world of building your own antennas opens up. Also, check the DX Zone for hours of antenna projects.

You might also want to try a quarter-wavelength vertical antenna. You can build such an antenna using lightweight aluminum tubing, copper tubing or wire. You’ll need something to support a wire vertical, and that can be a wooden mast, a fiberglass stick or other materials. You can also string a wire along a tall straight tree trunk, and this can be a very effective support for an 80 to 40-meter vertical antenna. You’ll have to construct a system of ground radials under your vertical antenna. How many radials should you use? Remember the fundamental principle of antennas? Start with four radials, and experiment by adding more later. Here is a table of lengths for ½-wavelength ( ) dipole and ¼-wavelength vertical antennas for the 160 to 10-meter amateur bands. Use these lengths as a rough guide to the length for your antenna. It’s a good idea to start with the antenna a bit longer than the length given here. The dipole length is cut in the middle, and the feed-line connection is made there.

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Lengths for ½ - Dipole and ¼ - Vertical Antennas for the Amateur HF Bands Design

BAND (meters)	FREQUENCY (MHz)	DIPOLE (feet)	VERTICAL (feet)
160	1.900	246	123
80	3.700	126	63
40	7.200	65	32.5
30	10.120	48	23
20	14.225	33	16.5
15	21.150	22	11
12	24.940	19	9.5
10	28.300	16.5	8.5

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ANTENNAS FOR YOUR STATION (continued)

When you are ready to put your antenna into the air, there are several things you should be careful about. First, do not put up any antenna where it can fall and come into contact with an electrical power line. Do not attempt to string a dipole over the top of a power wire under no circumstances. Another thing you should be careful about is in regard to climbing trees, towers or ladders to erect any type of antenna. Be sure to take extra safety precautions when working above ground level. Don’t let a careless slip ruin your ham radio fun! Remember our basic antenna fundamentals: Any antenna at all will work much better than no antenna! So put up some type of antenna, and enjoy operating ham radio. Good luck!

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Got a technical question concerning your rig, or antenna? Or, troubled by a nasty interference problem? Well, you’re not alone. Hundreds of old-timers and newcomers alike have questions and problems just like yours.

Good news! There’s help waiting for you right around the corner. The ARRL Technical Information Service is administered through an extensive network of volunteers around the country, in your state, section, county and town. They are League Technical Coordinators (TC) and special Assistants who can help you resolve your problems and answer your questions. They are experts on most technical topics, and have a keen appreciation and understanding of the difficulty of radio frequency interference problems.

Contact them!

You can find the name, and contact info of your local Technical Coordinator by contacting your Section Manager (his or her name and contact info are listed in every issue of QST)

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION (continued)

When contacting your TC, keep the following guidelines in mind:

1. Type or write the question clearly and to the point:; adequately describe the problem, action already taken, and question.

2. Include your name, call and license class and your contact info.

W1AW

The headquarters station of the American Radio Relay League, W1AW transmits daily on-the-air code practice and bulletins of interest to hams. It’s a good habit to copy W1AW CW transmissions to improve your code speed and keep up with the latest happenings in Amateur Radio. The W1AW schedule can be found in every issue of QST.

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TIME

Most reference to time of day in Amateur Radio are in terms of Coordinated Time Universal (UTC). It’s a good idea to have a station clock set to UTC so you don’t have to waste time converting from local time to UTC for log entries.

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Basic Operating____________________________

Standard radio operating procedures make communicating easier and more efficient. Such procedures include the use of Q signals (QRM, QSL, and so on), procedural signals (prosigns used in CW and abbreviations that are used to convey commonly accepted meaning yet save time. A line over the letters used in a message indicates that there is no space between them. Just as in ordinary conversations, there is a general order to radio contacts. For instance you don’t say ‘goodbye” before saying “hello.” Nonstandard use of these signals, or sending things out of order, invariably causes confusion. Amateur are not bound by most of these conventions in any legal way. It just makes good sense to send what will be easily understood by other amateurs. Just like the English language, however, Amateur Radio procedures evolve over time, usually changing by common usage and sometimes by agreement. You may hear wide deviation from the procedures described in this booklet in your on-the-air activities.

So forget the 10 codes from CB and the “over” from military service, listening will give you the “normal” way things are sent and let you pick up on-the- air slang on your own! Always remember to say 73 at the close!

Okay, you have your radio now, what’s next? Virtually all modern radios have the ability to be programmed through a USB cable. If your radio did not come with a programming cable, be careful what kind of cable you buy. If you haven’t heard the word “proprietary” used before, it means that the cable/software/driver is developed for a specific brand and generally won’t work on other radio brands. Any cable with a Prolific driver is going to be an issue for programming. Once you have the cable in hand, programming is just a simple spreadsheet. The most popular programming software is CHIRP. Always download from your radio first before trying to upload your programming. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, it may save you a headache or two.

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Basic Operating (continued)____________________________

Understanding how duplex and simplex communications work will make your use of radio much simpler. Repeaters use duplex, the send frequency is different from that of the receive frequency, and that is based on the standardized offset, either positive or negative. An example is you have programmed in a repeater that sends on 146.775 MHz, for that range of the VHF spectrum it is a negative offset, so when you key the mike, the PL tone of 156.7 Hz will wake up the repeater and you will be transmitting on 146.175 MHz. Most repeaters are viable for use within 50 miles, and remember that same combination of frequency, offset and tone are in use in other parts of the country. This is important to remember, just because you’re hitting the repeater near Dubuque, your ragchew buddy is not going to be able to hear you in Tallahassee. If you are traveling around the country the National Calling Frequency for VHF is 146.520 MHz.

Once you have found a contact arrange to meet on another frequency for your QSO. As long as someone is on the same frequency as you communications should be possible for a pretty good distance, it’s all dependent on propagation and your diligence in setting up your station to put the most power to the well-tuned antenna.

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LISTENING

Once you are finished with the frequency, let others know. On phone use the word “clear”; on CW, use the prosign SK.

Skillful radio operators listen about 90% of the time and transmit only 10%. Before you first get on the air, listen 100% of the time, or until you feel you know how the better operators conduct themselves. Copy the best and forget the rest!

A cardinal rule in Amateur Radio is to listen before transmitting on any frequency. At best, transmitting without listening is a rude interruption of someone else’s conversation. At worst, it could interfere with emergency communications in progress.

Listen first, then ask “Is this frequency in use?” if operation phone. If it is use, the response is a simple “Yes.” ON CW, send QRL?; the affirmative response is C.

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IDENTIFICATION Phonetic Alphabet

FCC rules that require each station identify at least every 10 minutes. There is more to the ID rules, so it’s a good idea to read the FCC rules, Part 97 before operating the first time. There is no need for saying “for ID” when identifying.

Most hams practice sending their newly assigned call sign to themselves until they master it on CW and get used to the phonetics for each letter on voice. The International telecommunications Union (ITU) phonetic alphabet is as follows:

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IDENTIFICATION (continued)

On most HF CW and phone contacts, it is customary to send the call signs of both stations in communication at the beginning and end of each transmission. The exceptions are called break-in operation, where call signs are not sent during each transmission. Break-in operation is the norm for contests and ragchewing contacts between experienced operators.

When using an FM repeater, be sure to identify your station during your first transmission. A sure way to have your ear chewed on is to “kerchunk” (key up without identifying) a repeater that has been recently bothered by a frequent “kerchunker”.

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ESTABLISHING CONTACT

At first, rather than calling CQ yourself, it is best to listen patiently until you hear someone calling CQ, and call them. With most modern transceivers, once you have the other station tuned in correctly, the transmitter frequency will be automatically adjusted to the same frequency as the other station.

If you have a separate receiver and transmitter, tune (“spot”) your VFO frequency until you hear the spotting signal on the receiver. Don’t spot your transmitting frequency by putting a signal on the air.

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CALLING CQ

If no one answers, this sequence may be repeated several times. Brief, repeated calls with frequent standbys are preferred. Long drawn-out calls simply clutter up the airwaves and discourage other stations from answering you.

On FM repeaters, most operators don’t call CQ, but say something like “this is W1AW monitoring.” It’s the functional equivalent of calling CQ. There’s nothing wrong with calling CQ on repeaters, but it’s not the custom, and someone may go out of the way to let you know that. Keep calls on repeaters short; there may be others who would like to use the repeater (or “machine” as many hams call them).

Assume that W1AW is calling CQ, meaning “I wish to contact any amateur station. ” W1AW would do so by listening for a clear frequency. If the frequency appears to be clear, W1AW asks “Is the frequency in use?”

On CW, W1AW sends QRL?. If no one is using the frequency,

W1AW then sends:

Phone: CQ CQ CQ THIS IS WHISKEY ONE ALPHA WHISKEY

OR…

CW: CQ CQ CQ W1AW W1AW W1AW K

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ANSWERING CQ

If your call sign is WB9ZZZ, you would answer W1AW’s CQ as follows:

Phone: W1AW W1AW THIS IS WHISKEY BRAVO NINE ZULU ZULU ZULU

CW: W1AW W1AW DE WB9ZZZ WB9ZZZ AR

In answer to your call, W1AW would send:

Phone: WB9ZZZ THIS IS W1AW ROGER…

CW: WB9ZZZ DE W1AW R…

No, W1AW’s name isn’t Roger: “roger” means that W1AW acknowledges receipt of WB9ZZZ’s transmission. After the “R” or “Roger” conversation begins. But what do you do if someone answers but you weren’t able to copy the other station’s call sign? It depends. If you need a simple repeat of the other station’s call sign, then ask “who is calling me?” as follows:

Phone: QRZ, THIS IS WHISKEY BRAVO NINE ZULU ZULUZ ZULU

CW: QRZ? DE WB9ZZZ AR

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ANSWERING CQ (continued)

Phone: QRZ THE W1 STATION, THIS IS WHISKEY BRAVO NINE ZULU ZULU ZULU

CW: QRZ? W1? DE WB9ZZZ AR

Sending the part of the call sign you received correctly is particularly useful whenever you hear more than one station calling you and you want to single out one station to answer you.

On phone, the general rule is to use ordinary English words wherever possible rather than Q signals. There are a few exceptions. For example, you could say “unknown station” but QRZ (using the British pronunciation "zed" which rhymes with red) is commonly used.

If you know that a W1 station called you missed the rest of the call sign, transmit:

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EXCHANGING RECEPTION REPORTS

After both stations have established contact by acknowledging with “Roger” or R, the usual next step is to exchange signal reports. Generally, this is done using the RST system. On FM repeaters, it is customary to describe a strong signal with no noise as “full quieting,” or to mention the amount of noise or fading.

RST stands for readability (a scale of 1 to 5), signal strength (1 to 9), and tone (1 to 9)

On CW, a report of RST 367 would mean “Your signals are readable with considerable difficulty, good strength, and a trace of modulation.” On phone, the tone report is omitted.

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RST SYSTEM (another example with similar results)

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EXCHANGING RECEPTION REPORTS (continued)

The tone report refers only to the purity of the signal and has no connection with its stability or freedom form clicks and chirps. If the signal has the characteristic steadiness of crystal control, an X may be added to the report (for example RST 469X). If it has a chirp (frequency instability during each dot or dash), add a C: if key clicks are present, add a K.

For the most part, the addition of C, K or X has fallen into disuse because of the predominance of newer commercial radios without chirps or clicks when the equipment is working properly. C and K are still used to advise the other operator of an unusual problem.

The RST system has been the subject of misuse and controversy over the years. One problem is that many operators simply give the other station good news and may habitually send RST 599 or 579 to everyone regardless of the signal received. The options for the future of the RST system seem to be: (1) Use it, (2) abuse it, (3) modify it or (4 replace it. Time, discussion and evolving operating practice will tell.

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WHERE? WHO?

After giving the RS(T) report, the next thing is to tell the other operator your location (QTH) and your name. The signal report, location and name can be transmitted quickly by sending something like:

Phone: YOUR 57 IN NEWINGTON, CONNECTICUT, NAME IS PAUL.

CW: RST 579 IN NEWINGTON, CT NAME PAUL.

Note the lack of punctuation on CW. Most CW operators use the double dash (BT) to separate phrases and sentences during longer transmissions or “exchanges.”

Give the other station a chance to send similar information and copy it into your station log for future references. If you are a bit absent minded the log can be a handy reference during the contact.

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THE CONVERSATION

After the exchanges mentioned in the previous section, QSOs are a free art form. It’s the same challenge as face to face communication: What do I say after hello? Maybe just good-bye? As strange as that may sound, that sort of thing happens by necessity in Amateur Radio QSOs during contests or when working a rare DX station in a pileup.

Enter the gentle art of ragchewing. Some operators break the ice by describing their radio equipment, antenna and weather (WX). That’s fairly usual stuff and not apt to engage the operator in meaningful conversation. You’ll be surprised at how ell some foreign stations speak English even though it’s not their native tongue. The key to good ragchewing

is to discover shared interests. Chess? Family? Job? Horses? Travel?

Be sensitive to restriction regarding freedom of speech in some countries. For this reason, and simply because it’s good manners when talking to someone you don’t know very well, it’s best to avoid politics and religion when working foreign stations.

There are prohibitions against exchange of third-party traffic with other countries. What’s a third party? The definition varies by country from “any other than the operator you are talking to” to “someone other than a ham.” Just to be on the safe side, before asking someone to say “Hi” to you Aunt Minnie (that’s third-party traffic) check whether that’s legal. Check The ARRL Operating Manual or the latest QST Mini-Directory. QST prints up-to-date listings of countries with which third-party traffic is permitted.

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ENDING THE CONTACT

All good things must come to an end, including ham radio contacts. You may want to contact some different stations or perhaps you are going to end this particular operating session. On CW, the operator who want to end the contact sends the Q signal “QRU” (I have nothing more for you) just before identifying. On phone this can be the statement “thanks for the QSO.” If you want to go on and make more contacts you send:

CW: W1AW DE WB9ZZZ SK

Phone: W1AW THIS IS WHISKEY BRAVO NINE ZLU ZULU ZULU CLEAR.

SK on CW means end of contact. Sometimes on phone the final phrase is ‘Clear and QRZ,” or “Clear and listening for other calls.” But if you are closing your station after this operating session (CL on CW means “closing down station”):

CW: W1AW DE WB9ZZZ CL

Phone: W1AW THIS IS WB9ZZZ CLEAR AND LEAVING THE AIR

Listen to or copy a few QSOs on the air and soon you will have a good feeling for how things are said ham radio style.

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WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT

WHO YOU CONTACTED?

Which takes you to the next topic, logging.

The same website you used to obtain your Federal Registration Number (FRN) can be used to lookup individuals using names or call signs. Another popular way is to register as a user on QRZ.com, that site has search option. It also has many valuable resources for amateurs, even a swap meet. Many hams use the testing resources for taking the next level license.

Tech Band Plan (Links to ARRL page)

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The Paper Chase: Logging, QSL’s and Awards

LOGGING

Most of us keep a log which is a journal of our ham radio doings. Even though logs are longer required by the FCC, it’s important to keep a log for other reasons. Logs keep track of who we talked to when and provide the information we need to confirm contacts with other stations in order to qualify for challenging operating awards. The basic information is simple: date, time, frequency, mode, signal reports (sent and received) and “notes.” The ARRL Log Book is set up with preprinted columns for this information, and it contains basic operating information and country prefix list as well.

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QSL CARDS

A QSL card serves as proof that you have contacted a particular station. Sending QSL’s is a tradition in ham radio.

Whether you want the other station’s QSL’s as a memento of an enjoyable QSO or for your collection of the cards necessary to apply for some ham radio operating award, it’s a good idea to have your own and know how to fill them out. You can make you own cards and have them printed locally, or you can check “HAM Ads” in QST where you’ll find a couple dozen QSL printers listed – many of whom will send your free samples. Most hams have their call, name, location (city, state, ZIP or postal code, and country) printed directly on their cards. Other information such as county, grid square and equipment is often printed on cards. The rest of the information is normally written in the appropriate spaces on the card. Be neat. The standard size is 3 ½ inches high by 5 ½ inches long. Anything smaller cannot be mailed (except in an envelope); anything larger than 4 inches by 6 inches and they’re tough to file.

For most awards in general – and ARRL awards in particular – cards that have written-in information that is altered in any way or crossed out (and not initialed by the writer) won’t be counted. The information that you fill in on your QSL to another station is basically an extract of the information recorded in the station log. Suppose WB9ZZZ is sending a QSL to W1AW. The information the WB9ZZZ hand prints on the card is shown on the sample card. Practically all domestic cards are sent “direct,“ which means back and forth through the mail. For domestic QSLing it’s a good thing to obtain. The ARRL has many awards for eligible members; Worked all States (WAS), Worked all Continents (WAC), DX Century Club (DXCC), and VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) are a few of the most popular. The website www.arrl.org/awards will give you all the details and forms for submission.

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WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

Remember that there are some hams who never QSL, and there is more than one ham who doesn’t have a card from their first DX QSO despite all efforts to obtain it. A ploy that sometimes works is to send a filled out card that just requires the signature of the station worked. Send an SASE, of course.

IT’S SAID THAT QSLing is the final courtesy of the QSO and it’s fun to exchange cards. Going through your QSL collection can bring back memories of “special” QSO’s, and QSL’s are worth collecting for operating awards too.

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QSLing DIRECTLY to DX STATIONS

You can also send QSL’s for foreign contacts “direct.” Remember that the foreign ham cannot use US postage to mail a card back to you. Rates for postage to foreign entities varies by country and should always be purchased through a USPS provider.

Many QSL card directions from foreign stations are to ask for ‘green stamp” (a US dollar bill) to cover postage, but beware” possession of US currency in some countries is illegal. Sending a dollar to a station in such a country could get the DX operator in trouble. Never send a “green stamp” unless the CX operator requests it or you are absolutely sure that it will cause problems for the DX station. Although it’s never wise to send currency through the mails, sometimes that’s the only way to get a card from a rare station.

An alternative is to buy foreign postage from a stamp dealer to put in the return envelope.

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AWARDS

One of the most exciting aspects of Amateur Radio is awards chasing. There are hundreds of beautiful certificates and plaques available to hang on your ham shack wall. Some awards take little effort; other take years of operating skill and diligence to obtain. The ARRL has many awards for eligible members; Worked all States (WAS), Worked all Continents (WAC), DX Century Club (DXCC), and VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) are a few of the most popular. The website www.arrl.org/awards will give you all the details and forms for submission.

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WAS - Worked All States

Talk to (“work” in ham radio lingo) other hams in all 50 states, get their QSL’s verified by QSL cards or by using Logbook of the World (LoTW). And submit for the Worked all States award. Besides the basic award for any combination of bands/modes worked, specialty certificates are available for a variety of different bands and modes such as satellite,, 160 meters, and each VHF band.

Endorsement stickers are available for SSB, CW, moonbounce, packet, QRP (low power) and for eachsingle band. The 5-Band WAS award (a certificate and plaque) is available for working all states on five amateur bands (except 10/18/24 MHz)

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WAC - Worked All Continents

The Worked All Continents award is sponsored by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) for working and confirming all six continents (Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania) on a variety of different bands and modes.

A 5-Band WAC certificate and a 6-band sticker are also available. For US amateurs, cards are checked through card checkers at ARRL convention/hamfests or LoTW on behalf of the IARU.

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DXCC

DX is Amateur Radio shorthand for long distance. It’s also universally understand by hams that a “DX” is one in a foreign country. If you can work and confirm at least 100 countries and the ARRL DXCC Countries List, you can qualify for the premier operating award in all of Amateur Radio; The DX Century Club. All cards are checked by the DXCC Desk at ARRL HQ, electronically if submitted though LoTW. After working the first 100 countries, you can qualify for endorsements in certain increments on up through the coveted DXCC Honor Roll for those at or near working them all.

The basic certificate is available in these categories: mixed modes, phone, CW, RTTY, 160 meters, 80 meters, 40 meters, 10 meters, 6 meters, 2 meters and satellite. The 5-Band DXCC is available as a certificate or a plaque for working 100 countries on each of five bands (except 10/18/24 MHz).

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VUCC

Here’s an award for the VHF/UHF operator. It’s issued for Working and confirming contacts in a 2 degree by 1 degree grid Square locators on bands above 50 MHz to 47 GHz. Individual certificates are issued per band to those meeting initial qualifying levels, and there is an extensive endorsement program.

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CODE PROFICIENCY

This award is not based on collecting QSL cards, but on your ability to copy Morse Code.Copy one of W1AW’s weekly scheduled (www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule enclose a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) if you are serious about getting a card.www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule).

Speeds vary, to get a certificate copy one minute of solid copy and submit. Your submission will be checked against the date/time you copied, if you pass, you’ll get your initial Code Proficiency certificate. Endorsement stickers are issued for speeds up to 40WPM.

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Other Certificates and Awards

A-1 Operator Club – For recognizing the best operators.

Triple Play Award – WAS on Voice, CW and Digital modes

Elmer Award – To honor that person who has helped you get started or further in the excitement of the hobby.

First Contact - To commemorate your First Contact.

Extra Class – To recognize those who have earned this level of operator.

QRP DXCC- This award is for 100 DXCC contacts using 5 watts or less.

The Hiram Percy Maxim Award- recognized an ARRL member younger than the age of 21, whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most exemplary nature within the framework of amateur radio.

The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award honors a volunteer amateur radio instructor or ARRL professional classroom teacher who uses creative instructional approaches and reflects the highest values of the amateur radio community.

The ARRL Microwave Development Award pays tribute to a radio amateur or group of radio amateurs who contribute to the development of amateur radio microwave bands.�Other awards are found on the ARRL website.

This one is for your first contact:

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AMATEUR RADIO AND PUBLIC SERVICE

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ROUNDTABLES AND NETS

Most hams start out by getting making contacts at random by calling or answering CQ’s. This makes for fun and enjoyment. You might, after a period of time, start talking to the same station on the same frequency every day (or week) on a regular schedule. This organized activity is known as a “sked”. Suppose you ask a third and maybe a fourth station to join you on a regular basis. Then you have what is known as a roundtable. A formal roundtable with a “master of ceremonies” which is organized for s specific purpose is called a net. The “MC” is called the net control station (NCS on CW). There are all sorts of nets: nets organized just for ragchewing, emergency nets, weather nets, DX nets, nets where contesters gather, and slow-speed CW nets for beginners.

National Traffic System (NTS) Nets and Packet Radio Bulletin Boards are covered in a separate section later.

With all these nets Why not put out a directory of them? Well there is an ARRL website at http://www.arrl.org/arrl-net-directory-search. Volunteering to be a Net Control on a rotating schedule is a great way to work up your operating skills. Listening is the hardest part, and catching the call of that station way down in the noise, adds to your contact count. Local nets are generally your friends and neighbors getting together to discuss what’ s going on around the area; listen upcoming events, swap meets and general interest stuff, like the Saturday morning coffee klatch down at the clubhouse.

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SUPPORTING COMMUNITY EVENTS

SKYWARN National Weather Service Storm Spotter Program

There are many events that occur on a regular basis that are enhanced by the use of amateur radio operators. Hams provide progress reports, accident/incident reports for foot races or walks, bicycle tours, and auto rally’s. Events where our participation would help to guarantee the safety of the participants also increases public exposure to amateur radio.

In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning

cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and billions in

property and crop damages. To obtain critical weather

information, the National Weather Service (NWS)

established SKYWARN® with partner organizations.

SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with between

350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters.

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SKYWARN®

These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the focus is reporting on severe local thunderstorms. In an average year, the United States experiences more than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

SKYWARN® storm spotters form the nation's first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given your family and neighbors the precious gift of time--minutes that can help save lives.

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SKYWARN® - Who is eligible?

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter. Ready to learn more? Go to https://www.weather.gov/skywarn/wfo_links. Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours.

YOU’LL LEARN:

Basics of thunderstorm development�
Fundamentals of storm structure�
Identifying potential severe weather features�
Information to report�
How to report information�
Basic severe weather safety

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ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Services

The Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, whether or not a member of the ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in the ARES. This program has undergone changes over the years, these changes were to better align the ARES operators with served agency under the Incident Command System at the federal level. Since ARES is an amateur-provided service, only amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.

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ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Services

The website http://www.arrl.org/ares has all the links for the new ARES members to get information on the mandatory training and skills required to meet the skills to reach level 1, 2 or 3. As standards for planning and reacting to a disaster have evolved since the creation of FEMA and Homeland Security, The good news is the basic training requirements are web-based, online classes. As you gain experience and want to move up to the next skill level, you will have to search for open seats in classes offered by the state Emergency Management Division (EMD) and SC Fire Academy.

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