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Operating Aids

Phoenetic Alphabet

    A

Alpha (AL fah)

    N

November (no VEM ber)

    B

Bravo (BRAH voh)

    O

Oscar (OSS cah)

    C

Charlie (CHAR lee)

    P

Papa (pah PAH)

    D

Delta (DELL tah)

    Q

Quebec (keh BECK)

    E

Echo (ECK oh)

    R

Romeo (ROW me oh)

    F

Foxtrot (FOKS trot)

    S

Sierra (see AIR rah)

    G

Golf (GOLF)

    T

Tango (TANG go)

    H

Hotel (hoh TELL)

    U

Uniform YOU nee form)

    I

India (IN dee ah)

    V

Victor (VIK tah)

    J

Juliet (JEW lee ETT)

    W

Whiskey (WISS key)

    K

Kilo (KEY loh)

    X

X-ray (ECKS ray)

    L

Lima (LEE mah)

    Y

Yankee (YANG kee)

    M

Mike(MIKE)

    Z

Zulu (ZOO loo)

Signal Reporting (RST)

Readability 1 – 5 (5 being the best)
Signal Strength 1 - 9
T
one 1 – 9

Tone is used to describe the quality of a CW note.  With modern transmitting equipment rarely will this be less than “9”.

Reading the top scale of this S meter, it shows a received signal strength 30 dB over S-9.  This would be reported as “five nine plus thirty” or “thirty over nine.”

Universal Coordinated Time (UTC)

Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) is the time at the zero or reference meridian.

To calculate UTC add the hours in the chart to your local time.  24 hour format is standard.

Example:
10 AM Eastern Standard Time is 1500 UTC

Be sure to use the correct date if the conversion results after midnight UTC.

Example:
Dec 31, 2007 7 PM Pacific Standard Time is 0300 Jan 1, 2008 UTC

 

Standard Time Zone     Daylight Savings Time
Atlantic
+ 4 hours                  + 3 hours
Eastern + 5 hours                  + 4 hours

Central + 6 hours                   + 5 hours
Mountain + 7 hours                + 6 hours

Pacific + 8 hours                    + 7 hours

Commonly Used Q Signals

A Q signal followed by a ? asks a question. A Q Signal without the ? answers the question affirmatively, unless otherwise indicated.

QRA -- What is the name of your station?

QRG -- What is my exact frequency?

QRH -- Does my frequency vary?

QRL -- Are you busy?

QRM -- Is my transmission being interfered with?

QRN -- Are you troubled by static?

QRO -- Shall I increase transmitter power?

QRP -- Shall I decrease transmitter power?

QRQ -- Shall I send faster?

QRS -- Shall I send slower?

QRT -- Shall I stop sending?

QRU -- Have you anything for me? (Answer in negative)

QRV -- Are you ready?

QRX -- When will you call again?

QRZ -- Who is calling me?

QSA -- What is my signal strength? (1-5)

QSB -- Are my signals fading?

QSK -- Can you work break-in?

QSL -- Can you acknowledge receipt?

QSO -- Can you communicate with..... direct?

QSP -- Will you relay to ..... ?

QSX -- Will you listen for ..... on ..... ?

QSY -- Shall I change frequency?

(Answer negative)

QTC -- How many messages have you to send?

QTH -- What is your location?

QTR -- What is your time?

ARRL Communications Procedure

Voice

Code

Go ahead

K

Over

AR

Over (specific station)

KN

Stand by or wait

AS

Roger (Transmission received in full)

R

Clear

SK

Leaving the air or closing the station

CL

US State Abbreviations

 

Alabama

AL

Montana

MT

Alaska

AK

Nebraska

NE

Arizona

AZ

Nevada

NV

Arkansas

AR

New Hampshire

NH

California

CA

New Jersey

NJ

Colorado

CO

New Mexico

NM

Connecticut

CT

New York

NY

Delaware

DE

North Carolina

NC

Florida

FL

North Dakota

ND

Georgia

GA

Ohio

OH

Hawaii

HI

Oklahoma

OK

Idaho

ID

Oregon

OR

Illinois

IL

Pennsylvania

PA

Indiana

IN

Rhode Island

RI

Iowa

IA

South Carolina

SC

Kansas

KS

South Dakota

SD

Kentucky

KY

Tennessee

TN

Louisiana

LA

Texas

TX

Maine

ME

Utah

UT

Maryland

MD

Vermont

VT

Massachusetts

MA

Virginia

VA

Michigan

MI

Washington

WA

Minnesota

MN

West Virginia

WV

Mississippi

MS

Wisconsin

WI

Missouri

MO

Wyoming

WY

 

Canadian Province Abbreviations

Alberta AB
British Columbia BC
Manitoba MB
New Brunswick NB
Newfoundland and Labrador NL
Nova Scotia NS
Northwest Territories NT
Nunavut NU
Ontario ON
Prince Edward Island PE
Quebec QC
Saskatchewan SK
Yukon YT

 

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