ARRL

FSD-220: Handy Operating Aid

FSD-220

 

FSD-220

 

Communications Procedures · ITU Phonetic Alphabet

 

R-S-T System · Time Conversion Chart

 

 

ARRL Communications Pocedures 

Voice

 

Code

 

Situation

 

Go ahead

K

Used after calling CQ, or at the end of a transmission, to indicate any station is invited to transmit.

Over

AR

Used after a call to a specific station, before the contact has been established

 

 

KN

Used at the end of any transmission when only the specific station contacted is invited to answer.

Stand by or wait

AS

A temporary interruption of the contact.

Roger

R

Indicates a transmission has been received correctly and in full.

Clear

SK

End of contact. SK is sent before the final identification.

Leaving the air or closing the station

CL

Indicates that a station is going off the air, and will not listen or answer any further calls. CL is sent after the final identification.

 

ITU Phonetic Alphabet

Word list adopted by the International Telecommunication Union 

A             Alfa

B             Bravo

C             Charlie

D             Delta

E              Echo

F              Foxtrot

G             Golf

H             Hotel

I               India

J              Juliett

K             Kilo

L             Lima

M            Mike

N             November

O             Oscar

P             Papa

Q             Quebec

R             Romeo

S             Sierra

T             Tango

U             Uniform

V             Victor

W            Wiskey

X             X-ray

Y             Yankee

Z             Zulu

 
The R-S-T System 

Readability

1              Unreadable

2              Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable.

3              Readable with considerable difficulty.

4              Readable with practically no difficulty.

5              Perfectly readable.

 

Signal Strength

1              Faint signals, barely perceptible.

2              Very weak signals.

3              Weak signals.

4              Fair signals.

5              Fairly good signals.

6              Good signals.

7              Moderately strong signals.

8              Strong signals.

9              Extremely strong signals.


Tone

1              Sixty cycle a.c or less, very rough and broad.

2              Very rough a.c., very harsh and broad.

3              Rough a.c. tone, rectified but not filtered.

4              Rough note, some trace of filtering.

5              Filtered rectified a.c. but strongly ripple-modulated.

6              Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation.

7              Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation.

8              Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation.

9              Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind.

If the signal has the characteristic steadiness of crystal control, add the letter X to the RST report. If there is a chirp, the letter C may be added to so indicate. Similarly for a click, add K. The above reporting system is used on both cw and voice, leaving out the “tone” report on voice. Turn card over for examples.

 

Time Conversion Chart 

UTC

 

EDT/AST

 

CDT/EST

 

MDT/CST

 

PDT/MST

 

PST

0000*

2000

1900

1800

1700

1600

0100

2100

2000

1900

1800

1700

0200

2200

2100

2000

1900

1800

0300

2300

2200

2100

2000

1900

0400

0000*

2300

2200

2100

2000

0500

0100

0000*

2300

2200

2100

0600

0200

0100

0000*

2300

2200

0700

0300

0200

0100

0000*

2300

0800

0400

0300

0200

0100

0000*

0900

0500

0400

0300

0200

0100

1000

0600

0500

0400

0300

0200

1100

0700

0600

0500

0400

0300

1200

0800

0700

0600

0500

0400

1300

0900

0800

0700

0600

0500

1400

1000

0900

0800

0700

0600

1500

1100

1000

0900

0800

0700

1600

1200

1100

1000

0900

0800

1700

1300

1200

1100

1000

0900

1800

1400

1300

1200

1100

1000

1900

1500

1400

1300

1200

1100

2000

1600

1500

1400

1300

1200

2100

1700

1600

1500

1400

1300

2200

1800

1700

1600

1500

1400

2300

1900

1800

1700

1600

1500

2400*

2000

1900

1800

1700

1600

Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) is the time at the zero or reference meridian. Time changes one hour with each change of 15 degrees in longitude. The five time zones in the US proper and Canada roughly follow these lines.

* 0000 and 2400 are interchangeable. (2400 is associated with the date of the day ending, 0000 with the day just starting.)

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