Your transceiver manual is the best source of information on how to properly set up your rig for voice operating. Still, some general rules apply…

• Learn to use your microphone. Start by positioning the microphone about one inch from your lips. Speak in a normal tone of voice.
   
• Most transceivers have an ALC (Automatic Limiting Control) meter. Select this meter and watch it as you speak. If the meter indicates that your voice is bouncing it out of the ALC range, you’ll need to find the microphone gain control and turn it down. Alternatively, try speaking a little softer. A high ALC reading indicates that you are overdriving your radio and possibly distorting your signal.
   
• Hams usually switch their radios from transmit to receive (and back again) by pressing a button on the microphone (known as Push To Talk, or PTT), or by using a foot switch. For hand or desk microphones, avoid stabbing or punching the switch. Not only does this shorten the life of the switch, it can send a loud click at the beginning of your transmission.
   
• Nearly every modern radio has a VOX function—Voice-Operated Switch. When the VOX is on, the sound of your voice will automatically switch the transceiver into the transmit mode. This sounds like a fine thing, and when used properly, it is. However, it is easy to abuse VOX, with annoying consequences. Imagine listening to someone, only to hear their voice abruptly vanish. The noise rushes in and the person starts saying “Ahhh…” to keep the VOX in transmit. It sounds pretty awful! If you must use VOX, speak into the microphone at a normal voice level. When you start speaking, the transmitter should activate automatically. When you finish speaking, the transceiver should return to the receive mode (after a short delay). Sometimes the VOX may trigger in response to background sounds. If so, look for the VOX Gain control. You can adjust this control to eliminate the problem.
   
• You’ll also find speech processing (or speech compression) as a feature on most radios. In a nutshell, this is a method of boosting your average output power when you’re operating SSB. A speech processor takes a normal voice signal, which varies constantly as you speak, and processes the signal to minimize fluctuating power levels. The result is an SSB signal that has consistent power at the highest level possible. Speech processing can work to your advantage when your signal is weak, such as when you are operating at low power, or with a poor antenna. On the other hand, speech processing can distort your signal, sometimes severely. If you use speech processing, keep the processing level set at medium and ask for reports on your signal quality. Turn the level down if other operators tell you that your signal is distorted.

To get a voice chat off the ground, you have two choices: You can call "CQ," or you can answer someone who is calling CQ. A CQ is simply a general call to no one in particular. It is the traditional way of seeking random contacts.

Before calling CQ, it’s important to find a frequency that appears unoccupied by any other station. This may not be easy, particularly in crowded band conditions. No matter what mode you’re operating, always listen before transmitting. Make sure the frequency isn’t being used before you come barging in. If, after a reasonable time, the frequency seems clear, ask if the frequency is in use, followed by your call. “Is the frequency in use? This is NY2EC.” If nobody replies, you’re clear to call. Keep your CQ very short. Longwinded CQs drive most hams crazy. Besides, if no one answers, you can always call again. If you call CQ three or four times and don’t get a response, try another frequency. A typical SSB CQ goes like this: “CQ CQ Calling CQ. This is AD5UAP, Alfa-Delta-Five-Uniform-Alfa-Papa, calling CQ and standing by.” Notice how the call uses standard phonetics, as shown below. A--Alfa B--Bravo C--Charlie D—Delta E--Echo F--Foxtrot G--Golf H--Hotel I--India J--Juliet 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--Whiskey X--X-ray Y--Yankee Z—Zulu We often use phonetics to make it easier for other operators to decipher our call signs. Phonetics are especially helpful when the other station is not hearing you well, or when the operator is not a fluent speaker of English. With this in mind, don’t make up your own phonetics. For example, a ham might say “Alfa-Delta-Five-Up-All-Night.” This is clever and amusing, but it doesn’t help the person who is trying to figure out your call sign. Another bad practice to avoid is the “endless CQ.” You’ll occasionally hear hams stretching a single CQ call to the point where it can last up to a minute or even longer! You’re much better off making many short CQs rather than one very long call. And if you’re answering a CQ, keep the answer short as well. Say the call sign of the station once or twice only, followed by your call repeated twice. “N2EEC N2EEC, this is AB2GD, Alfa-Bravo-Two-Golf-Delta.”

“Rag chewing” is ham lingo for a long, enjoyable conversation. Just start with the basic facts: your name, location, his signal report, and possible a brief summary of your station (how much power you’re running and the kind of antenna you’re using). Once you’re beyond the preamble, the topic choice is yours. The tried and true formula for success is to get the other person to talk about himself. Any life worth living has at least one interesting aspect. You may have to dig this aspect out of your palaver partner, but it’s often worth the effort. If all else fails, make the following request: “Look out the window and tell me, in detail, exactly what you see.” You’ll definitely throw the other person off guard – that much is guaranteed! If they’re in a room without a window, don’t let them off the hook. “What would you see if you did have a window?” Hams can talk about anything, but there are some topics we try to avoid. Discussions of politics and religion tend to attract controversy and start arguments on the air. If it looks like your rag chew is heading in those directions, use good judgment. Does the other operator agree with your views? If not, will you be offended? Will he (or others) be offended? If you have doubts, it is best to change the subject. Conduct yourself as though anyone in the world might be listening at any time. Whenever you transmit, you’re representing all of Amateur Radio.

Hams love to talk, but there are times when you should keep the conversation short. For instance, you may run into a DX operator who doesn’t have a good command of English. He may be reading from a “script” of standard English sentences and may not be able to carry on a complete conversation. Listen before you call. If he seems to be making short contacts (signal report and “good-bye”), it is best to do the same. This is especially true if the DX station is working a pileup where many stations are calling at once. Suffice to say that this is a situation where the DX station is trying to contact as many people as possible, as rapidly as possible. You’ll hear a torrent of signals as other hams try to make quick contacts. If you are lucky enough to be heard by the DX station, only give the information he is looking for – usually a signal report and your location. Do not attempt to engage him in conversation. This will make you very unpopular with the DX operator, as well as your fellow hams! You may occasionally hear hams operating special event stations. These are temporary stations set up at events throughout the country. Hams establish special event stations at county fairs, boat races, or just about any event or occasion you can think of. (You can do this too, by the way!) Special event stations are fun to contact and many offer special certificates or contact confirmation cards (known as QSLs). But unless the special event operator sounds like he or she wants to indulge in chit-chat, keep the conversation short. This gives everyone else a chance to make their contacts. If you happen to hear stations making calls like this… “CQ Contest! CQ Contest! This is W1AW. Contest!” … you’ve stumbled across an on-the-air contest. The idea is simple: contact as many stations as possible during the contest period. You don’t have to be involved in the contest to participate; your contact will count regardless. Just listen to the contest station and determine what he is looking for. Contest contacts require the exchange of specific information such as your state, county, etc. Find out what he needs before you call and make the contact short. Time is essential when it comes to a contest!

If you don’t want to call CQ to start a conversation, the alternative is to join a conversation that is already in progress. Remember that private conversations don’t exist in Amateur Radio. Anyone can join a two-way chat and make it a three-way. The key to joining a conversation is to use proper technique. Listen carefully to the operators. Are they having an animated, involved discussion? If so, it may be a bit rude to interrupt unless you have something important to offer. For example, if they are talking about a problem they are having with a particular radio and you can offer helpful advice, by all means join in! If the chat seems casual and rambling, the operators may not mind someone else joining the roundtable. Sometimes a good conversationalist – such as yourself! – is quite welcome. So how do you politely interrupt? The best approach is to wait for one station to stop transmitting and then quickly announce your call sign. “Yes, Charlie, I hope to get the dipole soldered together this weekend if the weather holds up.” “N1RL.” “Ah…we have a breaking station. N1RL, go ahead!” Do not use the word “break.” You’ll hear other hams doing this, but it is bad operating practice. You should only say “break” when you need to interrupt because of an emergency.

We’ve been talking about SSB conversations so far, but the very first voice transmissions used amplitude modulation, or AM. AM dominated Amateur Radio voice communication until Single Sideband (SSB) started after the end of World War II. The rapid adoption of SSB was easy to understand. SSB packs a great deal of power into a small slice of the radio spectrum, allowing many more conversations to occupy the same band. SSB is also very efficient in terms of transceiver design. Although SSB has a lot to offer, it doesn’t have the audio quality of AM. AM voice transmissions sound rich and natural; they are a pleasure to hear on the air. Nothing rivals AM for audio quality except FM, but FM is only legal when you are operating above 29.500 MHz. AM Amateur Radio has a small, but devoted following. You’ll find AM conversations primarily on 80 and 40 meters, and occasionally on 10 meters just above 29 MHz. Most amateur transceivers have AM capability, so if you hear an AM conversation put your radio into the AM mode and give it a try! You’ll find that AM operators are a friendly and interesting group. Many of them are using old transmitters that they have lovingly restored. They always welcome new operators!

The best way to start a CW chat is to tune around until you hear someone calling CQ. CQ means, “I wish to contact any amateur station.” In time you’ll learn to recognize the sound of a CQ call. It has an unmistakable rhythm! When answering a CQer you should zero beat the other ham's frequency. That means setting your transmit frequency as close to theirs as possible. Not only does this technique conserve space by keeping signals close together, it can also have a big influence on whether the CQer can hear your call. The reason for this is that some stations use narrow receive filters. If the CQer has his narrow filter activated, he may not hear you answer if you are more than a few hundred cycles away from his transmit frequency. So how do you zero beat? One method is to tune down through the other CW signal, the pitch going from high to low, until the other signal disappears. Then, slow tune back up until you hear a pleasant CW note in your receiver (typically 600 Hz). This should put your signal close enough. An alternative is to use the Receiver Incremental Tuning (RIT) feature found on many transceivers. (On some radios this may be called a clarifier.) With the RIT off, tune down into the signal until it disappears. Then, turn the RIT on and adjust until you hear the signal again. The RIT adjusts your receive frequency slightly, but leaves your transmit frequency unchanged. If you can’t find anyone calling CQ, perhaps you should try it yourself. A typical CQ goes like this: CQ CQ CQ DE KD4AEK KD4AEK KD4AEK K. The letter K is an invitation for any station to reply. If there is no answer, pause for 10 or 20 seconds and repeat the call. If your transceiver has narrow CW receive filters, it is a good idea to turn the filter off when calling. Don’t send faster than you can receive. By the same token, don’t respond to a CQ as a speed faster than the other station is sending. If you hear a CQ, wait until the ham finishes transmitting (by ending with the letter K), then call him. Make your call short, like this: K5RC K5RC DE K3YL K3YL AR (AR means “end of message”). Suppose K5RC heard someone calling him, but didn’t quite catch the call because of interference (QRM) or static (QRN). Then he might come back with QRZ? DE K5RC K (Who is calling me?).

Most contacts begin with an exchange of basic information: Names, locations, equipment, signal reports and even weather reports. After that, it’s up to you. Sometimes you’ll find that you have to draw the other person into the conversation. The best way to do that is to ask questions. For example, ask what the person does for a living. She’s a doctor? Okay, ask about her specialty, where she practices and more. In other words, get her to talk about herself. If you ask the right questions, the conversations will unfold on their own.

Don't forget to identify your station periodically. You don’t need to identify yourself and the other station at the beginning and end of every transmission. That wastes time. The FCC only requires you to identify yourself every 10 minutes, and at the end of the conversation.

Chances are, your first FM voice contact will take place through a relay device known as a repeater. These are specially designed transceivers that instantly retransmit signals heard in their receivers. They are typically located on tops of buildings, or at the summits of hills or mountains, and use tower-mounted antennas to provide over wide areas. Most repeaters operate on the 2 meter and 70 cm bands. To use a repeater, you must know one exists. There are various ways to find a repeater. Modern transceivers often include a scan mode that searches for activity. Some transceivers will even place active frequencies in their memories automatically. There are also several very good listings (both written and software based) that can provide you with all the information available for repeaters in your area. The ARRL publishes The ARRL Repeater Directory, an annual, comprehensive listing of repeaters throughout the US, Canada and other parts of the world. The ARRL also publishes TravelPlus, a map-based CD-ROM that allows you to trace your proposed route on a color map and print a list of repeaters along the way. In addition to simply identifying local repeater activity, these directories are perfectly suited for finding repeaters during vacations and business trips. Once you find a repeater to use, take some time to listen and familiarize yourself with its operating procedures.

If the repeater is quiet, pick up your microphone, press the switch, and transmit your call sign. For example, “This is W1VT monitoring.” This advises others on frequency that you have joined the system and are available to talk. After you stop transmitting, the repeater sends an unmodulated carrier for a couple of seconds to let you know it is working. Chances are that if anyone wishes to make contact they will call you at this time. Some repeaters have specific rules for making yourself heard, but usually your call sign is all you need. It’s not good repeater etiquette to call CQ. Efficient communication is the goal. You’re not trying to attract the attention of someone who is casually tuning his receiver across the band. Except for scanner operation, there just isn’t much tuning through the repeater bands—only listening to the machine. If you want to join a conversation already in progress, transmit your call sign during a break between transmissions. The station that transmits next should acknowledge you. Don’t use the word BREAK to join a conversation. BREAK generally suggests an emergency and indicates that all stations should stand by for the station with emergency traffic. If you want to see if your buddy across town is on the air, call him like this: “N1ND this is W1VT.” If the repeater is active, but the conversation in progress sounds as though it’s about to end, be patient and wait until it’s over before calling another station. If the conversation sounds like it’s going to continue for a while, transmit your call sign between transmissions. After one of the other hams acknowledges you, politely ask to make a quick call on the repeater. Usually, the other stations will allow you this brief interruption. Make your call short. If your friend responds to your call, ask him to move to a simplex frequency or another repeater, or to stand by until the present conversation is over. Thank the other users for letting you interrupt them to place your call.

Always try to keep transmissions as short as possible. Short transmissions permit more people to use the repeater. All repeaters promote this practice by having timers that shut down the repeater temporarily whenever the length of a transmission exceeds a preset time limit. With this in the back of their minds, most users keep their transmissions brief. When a long-winded ham causes a repeater to shut down, this is known as timing out the repeater and it is usually embarrassing. Learn the length of the repeater’s timer and stay well within its limits. The length may vary with each repeater; some are as short as 15 seconds and others are as long as three minutes. Some repeaters vary their timer length depending on the amount of traffic on frequency: the more traffic, the shorter the timer. Another purpose of a repeater timer is to prevent extraneous signals (or someone accidentally sitting on the PTT button on their mobile microphone) from holding the repeater on the air continuously. This could potentially cause damage to the repeater’s transmitter. Because of the nature of FM radio, if more than one signal is on the same frequency at one time, it creates a muffled buzz or an unnerving squawk. If two hams try to talk on a repeater at once, the resulting noise is known as a double. If you’re in a roundtable conversation, it’s easy to lose track of which station is next in line to talk. There’s one simple solution to eradicate this problem forever: Always pass off to another ham by name or call sign. Saying, “What do you think, Jennifer?” or “Go ahead, N1TDY” will eliminate confusion and help avoid doubling. Try to hand off to whoever is next in the queue, although picking out anyone in the roundtable is better than just tossing the repeater up for grabs and inviting chaos! The key to professional-sounding FM repeater operation is to be brisk and to the point, and to leave plenty of room for others. That’s why some repeaters include a courtesy tone or courtesy beep. You’ll hear it when a station stops transmitting—the repeater pauses slightly, and then beeps. You are not supposed to begin talking until you hear the beep. This forces everyone to pause between transmissions to allow another station to break in. If you do transmit before hearing the courtesy tone, the repeater’s timer won’t reset. The result can be an embarrassing time out!

What do you understand by the word ‘phonetics’ in amateur radio communication?

If we listen to a two-way amateur wireless conversation for the first time in our life, we would come across certain words, which perhaps we never heard before! There is every possibility that we mistake those words to be some kind of secret codes! These words in fact are internationally used to do plain language (conversation in secret code language is not allowed in amateur radio communication) conversation and known as phonetics (the list is given below).  A ham radio operator has to face different types of hurdles during an ongoing communication. There may be static noise, accents of the other operator, improper pronunciation of words. During these and many other difficulties, it has been found that use of phonetics improves the intelligibility in communication. For example, the letter ‘D’ is represented by the word ‘Delta’ in phonetics while the letter ‘B’ is represented by ‘Bravo.’ To distinguish ‘M’ from ‘N’, hams use the words ‘Mike’ and ‘Nancy’ respectively.