David Pruett
Portland, Oregon
Follow my HAM radio adventures on YouTube!
Welcome to the exciting world of amateur radio!
Where do I start?
The first step is to study and get your operator’s license. On February 23, 2007, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) eliminated Morse Code testing. The Morse Code requirement was a major stumbling
block for many interested in amateur radio. While no longer required for licensing, Morse Code or CW
remains an interesting and effective mode of communication by many amateur radio operators.
New amateur radio operators typically enter the hobby by obtaining a Technician Class later advancing to the
General Class or Extra Class. Volunteer Examiners (VEs) prepare and administer written examinations from
published question pools publicly available. Helpful study guides, training courses and online resources are
widely available.
• Technician Class (Element 2)
The privileges of a Technician Class operator license include operating an amateur station that may transmit
on channels in any of 17 frequency bands above 50 MHz with up to 1,500 watts of power. Technician Class
licensees also have privileges in four amateur service bands in the HF range. To pass the Technician Class
examination, at least 26 questions from a 35 question written examination must be answered correctly.
• General Class (Element 3)
The General Class operator license authorizes privileges in all 27 amateur service bands. In addition to the
above written examination, the requirement for a General Class operator license includes answering correctly
at least 26 questions on a 35 question written examination.
• Extra Class (Element 4)
Operating privileges of an Extra Class operator license include additional spectrum in the HF bands. In
addition to the two above written examinations, the requirement for an Amateur Extra Class operator license
includes correctly answering at least 37 questions on a 50 question written examination.
Always check that you are studying the most current question pool for each element.
Practice Tests & Question Pool Resources
QRZ Practice Test Center
QRZ Practice Test Center (large print)
http://www.qrz.com/xtest2.html
http://www.qrz.com/xtestxl.html
eHAM Practice Exams
http://www.eham.net/exams/
HamExam Practice Exams & Flash Cards
http://hamexam.org/
ARRL - Test Question Pools
http://www.arrl.org/question-pools
ARRL - Find a Local License Exam
http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session
The HamWhisperer
http://www.hamwhisperer.com/
What can I do with a Ham License?
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. . . Better to Ask “What Can’t I Do with HAM!”
Amateur radio is the doorway to the world! Talk to people in foreign countries . . . DX'ing is a favorite
activity of many hams.
Talk to people both local & distant while driving to work or someone on those sleepless late nights!
Public assistance by providing communications during emergencies, natural disasters, parades, bike
races, marathons and other public events
Help other people become hams . . . also called "Elmering"
Hook your computer to your radio and communicate "computer-to-computer"
Collect QSL Cards . . . collect cards from other hams, from all over the world
o Wikipedia on QSL Cards - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QSL
Participate in radio contests or ARRL Field Day events
o ARRL Field Day is held the fourth full weekend of June, beginning at 1800 UTC Saturday and
running through 2059 UTC Sunday. The goal of Field Day is to “work” (i.e. contact) as many
stations as possible using any and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12- meter
bands) while learning and practicing operations in less than optimal conditions. Field Day also
places a premium on developing skills to meet the unique challenges of emergency
preparedness and communications in an austere environment. Additionally, Field Day exposes
the general public to the diverse capabilities and benefits of Amateur Radio.
o ARRL Field Day - http://www.arrl.org/field-day
Provide radio communication services to your local Civil Defense organization
o ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services)
 http://www.arrl.org/ares/
o RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service)
 http://www.usraces.org/
o CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
 http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/
o FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
 http://www.fema.gov/
Aid members of the U.S. military by joining the Army, Air Force or Navy/Marine MARS
o MARS - Military Affiliate Radio System
o Navy / Marine Corps MARS - http://www.navymars.org/
o Army MARS - http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars/
o Air Force MARS – http://www.usafmars.org/index.html
o Wikipedia on the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Auxiliary_Radio_System
Participate in “Fox Hunts” or radio direction finding and hidden transmitter hunt games
o http://www.homingin.com/
Receive weather satellites pictures
Build radios, antennas, direction-finding equipment
Learn electronics & radio theory
Use the moon to bounce signals to talk with people on Earth
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Operate low power (QRP) from remote locations
o SOTA – Summits On The Air - http://www.sota.org.uk/
o Steve • WGØAT - http://www.youtube.com/user/goathiker
o WGØAT Blog - http://n0tu.blogspot.com/
o Andrew • K2FR – First SOTA Activation!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea3ScC7vlMY
Talk to astronauts in space!
o International Space Station (ISS) Fan Club - http://www.issfanclub.com/
o ISS on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station
o KF7ETX • International Space Station Contact! (YouTube video)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSIAi-t0OQI
o K2FR • International Space Station Contact! (YouTube video)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmcV6xKSaSI
Experiment with Amateur TV (ATV), Slow-Scan TV (SSTV), or send still-frame pictures by facsimile
Connect your ham radio to the public telephone system & call friends toll free . . . “auto patching”
Communicate using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites
o AMSAT - http://www.amsat.org/
o AMSAT “Working the Easy Sats”
 http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/easysat.pdf
o AMSAT “Working Your First Amateur Satellite”
 http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/langdon.php
o Andrew • K2FR – First Sat Contact!
 http://www.youtube.com/user/KC2UOO#p/u/43/aXCNqvim2MU
Some Basic HAM Terminology
ELMER
DX
CW
VHF
UHF
HF
73
CQ
QSO
QSL
QTH
QRP
Experienced HAM who teaches and nurtures the neophyte ham radio operator
Hobby of tuning in and identifying distant radio stations
Continuous Wave (Morse code)
Very High Frequency
Ultra High Frequency
High Frequency
Best Regards
Invitation for any operators listening on that frequency to respond
Contact
Acknowledge receipt
Station Location
Low Power
The Amateur Radio Bands (click to download your own copy!)
My First Station
A great place to start as a new HAM is with a 2 meter / 70 centimeter dual band hand held radio. This will get
you active on the local repeaters and nets, as well as, the amateur satellites and the International Space
Station. Additionally, 2m / 70cm are the bands used by local emergency radio services such as ARES, RACES
and CERT Teams. These radios are small, compact and very portable. They can be used with a “rubber duck”
antenna, a magnet mount antenna on your car or portable antenna with a coax feed line.
A handheld 5-watt handheld radio can be found used at very reasonable prices on eBay or the online QRZ
Swap Meet.
http://forums.qrz.com/forumdisplay.php?f=3
Ultimately you will be tempted to get a base station, upgrade your license and start making long distance
contacts. A great resource for setting up your first station can be found at Ham Universe.
http://www.hamuniverse.com/setuphamstation.html
Station Identification
Whenever you transmit on an amateur radio, you are required to identify your transmissions by giving your
amateur callsign. Below are some helpful tips:
• While common practice, you are NOT required to identify at the beginning of your transmission
• You are required to identify with your callsign at least every 10 minutes
• When you end your contact you are required to identify with your callsign
• While not required, it is common practice for each station to identify themselves and the station(s)
they are in contact (exception: international third party traffic)
Time
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the time standard used by amateur radio operators to avoid confusion
related to time zones and daylight savings time. UTC uses 24-hour (military) time notation and is based on the
local standard time on the 0° longitude meridian which runs through Greenwich, England. For example,
midnight in Greenwich corresponds to 00:00 UTC and noon corresponds to 12:00 UTC.
For Mac and iPhone users there are some useful applications to consider:
• For the iPhone take a look at the HamClock App (99¢)
• For a Mac computer consider UTC Clock by Northern Software
http://www.northernsoftworks.com/utcclock.html
What is my “Grid Square”?
Grid squares are an easy to communicate shorthand for describing your general location anywhere on the
Earth. A grid square measures 1° latitude by 2° longitude and measures an area of approximately 70 × 100
miles in the continental Unites States. Grid square notation comprises two letters, the field, and two numbers,
the square. For instance, my grid square in the Pacific Northwest is CN85.
Grid Square Calculator by David K2DSL
http://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php
Grid Square Locator and Lookup by callsign on HamCall.net
http://hamcall.net/divisions_by_callsign.html
Grid Square Locator on Google Maps by F6FVY
http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/fullScreen.php
Wikipedia on the Maidenhead Locator System (Grid Square)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maidenhead_Locator_System
What is a Repeater?
The purpose of a repeater is to allow its users a greater coverage area than that afforded by "simplex" or
single channel operation. A repeater is generally located on the highest area in the locale or region to provide
the best service to those who use it. Repeaters have separate input and output frequencies that are published
in the ARRL Repeater Directory.
The RST Reporting System
. . . sometimes “Loud & Clear” says it all!
The RST System of Signal Reporting is a quick method of reporting Readability, Signal Strength and the Tone.
For voice contacts only the "R" and "S" components are used, the "T" component is added for a CW contact.
There is a good deal of subjective "averaging all factors" when giving a signal report to another station. As with
all things accurate RST reporting requires practice!
NOTE: the "S" component is typically not the same as an S-Meter reading as most S-Meters aren't calibrated
to track the RST System.
R = READABILITY (1-5)
1 Unreadable
2 Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable
3 Readable with considerable difficulty
4 Readable with practically no difficulty
5 Perfectly readable
S = SIGNAL STRENGTH (1-9)
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
T = TONE (1-9)
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
Q-Code
. . . what does QSL mean?
The International Q-Code is an abbreviated method to exchange a great deal of information with a simple
easily communicated three-letter group code. The Q-code was initially developed for commercial
radiotelegraph communications and later adopted by amateur radio service. In amateur radio, Q-codes were
originally used in CW (Morse code) transmissions to shorten lengthy phrases. Q-codes are also commonly
used in voice communications as shorthand nouns, verbs, and adjectives making up phrases.
Some Common Q-Codes
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CQ
QSO
QSL
QTH
QRP
Invitation for any operators listening on that frequency to respond
Contact
Acknowledge receipt
Station Location
Low Power
Portland Amateur Radio Club • Q-Code Reference
http://www.portland-amateur-radio-club.org.uk/resources/q-codes.pdf
The Amateur Radio Q-Code
Source: Wikipedia • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_code
CODE
QUSTION
ANSWER
QRA
What is the name (or call sign) of your station?
QRG
Will you tell me my exact frequency (or that of ...)?
QRH
Does my frequency vary?
QRI
How is the tone of my transmission?
QRK
What is the readability of my signals (or those of ...)?
QRL
Are you busy?
QRM
Do you have interference?
I have interference.
QRN
Are you troubled by static?
I am troubled by static.
QRO
Shall I increase power?
Increase power
QRP
Shall I decrease power?
Decrease power
QRQ
Shall I send faster?
Send faster (... wpm)
QRS
Shall I send slower?
Send slower (... wpm)
QRT
Shall I stop sending?
Stop sending.
QRU
Have you anything for me?
I have nothing for you.
QRV
Are you ready?
I am ready.
Shall I inform ... that you are calling him on ... kHz (or
Please inform ... that I am calling him on ... kHz (or
MHz)?
MHz).
QRX
When will you call me again?
I will call you again at ... (hours) on ... kHz (or MHz)
QRZ
Who is calling me?
You are being called by ... on ... kHz (or MHz)
QSA
What is the strength of my signals (or those of ... )?
QSB
Are my signals fading?
Your signals are fading.
QSD
Is my keying defective?
Your keying is defective.
QSG
Shall I send ... messages at a time?
Send ... telegrams at a time.
QSK
Can you hear me between your signals?
I can hear you between my signals.
QSL
Can you acknowledge receipt?
I am acknowledging receipt.
Shall I repeat the last telegram (message) which I sent
Repeat the last telegram (message) which you sent me
you, or some previous telegram (message)?
(or telegram(s) (message(s)) numbers(s) ...).
QRW
QSM
The name (or call sign) of my station is ...
Your exact frequency (or that of ... ) is ... kHz (or
MHz).
Your frequency varies.
The tone of your transmission is (1. Good; 2. Variable;
3. Bad)
The readability of your signals (or those of ...) is ... (1
to 5).
I am busy. (or I am busy with ... ) Please do not
interfere.
The strength of your signals (or those of ...) is ... (1 to
5).
QSN
Did you hear me (or ... (call sign)) on .. kHz (or MHz)?
QSO
Can you communicate with ... direct or by relay?
QSR
Do you want me to repeat my call?
Please repeat your call; I did not hear you.
QSS
What working frequency will you use?
I will use the working frequency ... kHz (or MHz).
Shall I send or reply on this frequency (or on ... kHz
Send or reply on this frequency (or on ... kHz (or
(or MHz))?
MHz)).
Will you send on this frequency (or on ... kHz (or
I am going to send on this frequency (or on ... kHz (or
MHz))?
MHz)).
QSX
Will you listen to ... (call sign(s) on ... kHz (or MHz))?
I am listening to ... (call sign(s) on ... kHz (or MHz))
QSY
Shall I change to transmission on another frequency?
QSZ
Shall I send each word or group more than once?
Send each word or group twice (or ... times).
Shall I cancel telegram (message) No. ... as if it had not
Cancel telegram (message) No. ... as if it had not been
been sent?
sent.
How many telegrams (messages) have you to send?
I have ... telegrams (messages) for you (or for ...).
QSU
QSW
QTA
QTC
QTH
What is your position in latitude and longitude (or
according to any other indication)?
I did hear you (or ... (call sign)) on ... kHz (or MHz).
I can communicate with ... direct (or by relay through
...).
Change to transmission on another frequency (or on
... kHz (or MHz)).
My position is ... latitude...longitude
QTR
What is the correct time?
The correct time is ... hours
QTU
At what times are you operating?
I am operating from ... to ... hours.
What is the number (or other indication) of the last
The number (or other indication) of the last message I
message you received from me (or from ... (call sign))?
received from you (or from ... (call sign)) is ...
Have you received the urgency signal sent by ... (call
I have received the urgency signal sent by ... (call sign
sign of mobile station)?
of mobile station) at ... hours.
QUC
QUD
QUE
QUF
Can you speak in ... (language), - with interpreter if
necessary; if so, on what frequencies?
I can speak in ... (language) on ... kHz (or MHz). [AP14]
Have you received the distress signal sent by ... (call
I have received the distress signal sent by ... (call sign
sign of mobile station)?
of mobile station) at ... hours.
Source: Wikipedia • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code
Anderson Powerpole® Connectors – THE 12 VOLT CONNECTION OF CHOICE!
RACES and ARES organizations, and most HAM radio operators, have now standardized on the
Anderson Powerpole® for DC power connections. Start off in the right direction by adopting this
power connection standard for your station. Anderson Powerpole® connectors offer the advantage of
handling 15, 30 or 45 amps using the same connector (the contact must be matched to the current load). The
connectors are genderless, meaning the supply and load connectors are the same. This reduces the number of
parts required, however, just because Anderson Powerpole® connectors allow you to hook anything to
anything, that does not mean that you can do so without thinking about the potential results! It is always
necessary to know what you are connecting, what is a source and what is a load, and which sources should
not be attached to other sources.
http://www.andersonpower.com/
http://www.powerwerx.com/
ASSMEBLY OF AN ANDERSON POWERPOLE® CONNECTOR
INTERIOR ANATOMY OF AN ANDERSON POWERPOLE® CONNECTOR
Amateur Radio Operating Etiquette
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Do not transmit before first checking that the frequency is clear.
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If more than one station responds to your call and you can hear one call clearly then simply respond to
that station as described.
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If only parts of the call sign is heard (e.g. Foxtrot Whiskey or what ever) then in step it may be wise to
respond by saying "the station with the Foxtrot Whiskey call sign please make your call." When the
complete call sign is established the QSO can continue.
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Be polite at all times rand promote friendship. If not, avoid transmitting.
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Set a good example especially for short wave listeners who may be thinking about becoming an
amateur.
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Be a good listener- make some brief notes to keep track of topics / subjects etc.
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Always reply to CQ calls if possible, and call CQ yourself. It helps keeps amateur radio alive.
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Speak clearly and slowly, especially when giving your call sign to someone you have never worked
before.
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Try to keep track of everyone in the QSO. Hopefully someone has assumed the role of "traffic
director" to make sure everyone has a chance to contribute to the discussion. If not, don't hesitate to
do it yourself.
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Make it clear at the end of each transmission which station is expected to transmit next.
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Operate on frequencies that are in whole KHz (e.g. 14.325 KHz). This alleviates ambiguity and makes it
easier for everyone to be on the same frequency.
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Allow enough separation between your transmission and other transmissions so as not to cause
adjacent channel interference e.g. 3 kHz.
(Adapted from HamSphere text)
SOURCE: http://www.mds975.co.uk/Content/amateur_radio_information.html#etiquette
Another great etiquette and operating procedural reference:
“Good Amateur Radio Etiquette: Operating Procedures and Amateur Radio Ethics”
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/Eth-operating-ENarrl-SITE-1jul2008.pdf
The Amateur's Code
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
Adopted by the ARRL from the original version of “The Amateur's Code”
written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA in 1928
Amateur Radio on YouTube
Randy • K7AGE
http://www.youtube.com/user/K7AGE
Wil • AI4QT
http://www.youtube.com/user/AI4QT
John • W5CYF
http://www.youtube.com/user/johnrob281
Steve • WGØAT
Steve’s Blog
http://www.youtube.com/user/goathiker
http://n0tu.blogspot.com/
Andrew • K2FR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLgiaydnN3o
Mark • M0SVT
http://www.youtube.com/user/markbeermonster
David • KF7ETX
http://www.youtube.com/user/USNERDOC
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR THE HAM RADIO OPERATOR
ORGANIZATIONS
ARRL
ARES
RACES
CERT
Amateur Radio Relay League
Amateur Radio Emergency Services
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
Civilian Emergency Response Team
http://www.arrl.org/
http://www.ares.org/
http://www.usraces.org/
http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/
AMATEUR RADIO MANUFACTURES / EQUIPMENT
Yaesu
iCOM
Kenwood
Ten Tec
http://www.yaesu.com/
http://www.icomamerica.com/en/
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Communications/Amateur_Radio/
http://www.tentec.com/
Ham Radio Outlet
Amateur Electronics Supply
PowerWerkx
Anderson Power Pole
West Mountain Radio
LDG Electronics
MFJ Industries
W4RT Electronics
http://www.hamradio.com/
http://www.aesham.com/
http://www.powerwerx.com/
http://www.andersonpower.com/products/singlepole-connectors.html
http://www.westmountainradio.com/
http://www.ldgelectronics.com/
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/
http://www.w4rt.com/
Nifty Mini-Manuals
http://www.niftyaccessories.com/
BuddiPole
Arrow Antenna
S-9 Antennas
Elk Antennas
http://www.buddipole.com/
http://www.arrowantennas.com/
http://www.s9antennas.com/
http://www.elkantennas.com/
INTERESTING & USEFUL AMATEUR RADIO LINKS
QRZ
http://www.qrz.com/
Gordon West
W5YI – VEC
http://www.gordonwestradioschool.com/
http://www.w5yi-vec.org/
ARRL Question Pools
Study Guides
http://www.arrl.org/question-pools
http://www.hamradioinstructor.com/guides.html
Ham Universe
HamCall.net
http://www.hamuniverse.com/setuphamstation.html
http://hamcall.net/
FCC Part 97
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Part97_SinglePage.pdf
Summits On The Air
http://www.sota.org.uk/
ISS Fan Club
http://www.issfanclub.com/
Great Grounding Primer
Antenna Basics
http://www.hamuniverse.com/groundingbypolyphaser.pdf
http://www.hamuniverse.com/basicantennas.pdf
iPhone / iPad Applications for the HAM Radio Operator
HamClock
Local and UTC time
MaidenHead
Get your LAT / LONG / GRID for contests & satellite communications
GoSatWatch
Satellite / International Space Station / Shuttle tracking
EchoLink
Access to ECHOLINK for validated Echolink users & licensed Amateurs
PocketPacket
APRS client for iPhone / iPad . . . receive, view & send packet data
PacketPAD
View packet transmissions on iPhone / iPad
Open APRS
APRS client for iPhone / iPad
QRZ
Look up HAM radio callsigns on your iPhone / iPad
Clinometer
Great for estimating angle above horizon for satellite communications
While no single document will ever be absolutely complete, I do hope this general primer is useful for those
interested in getting involved with amateur radio operations. I am interested in correcting, updating and
expanding this reference.
Please email me with dead links, new & updated links, corrections, suggestions and updates.
Welcome to a fascinating hobby with many areas to explore.
See you on the airwaves!
73!
David Pruett – KF7ETX
Portland, Oregon
usnerdoc@mac.com
OCT 2010 (rev 27DEC10)