Operating practices and procedures, repeaters and satellites

General

The following comments are equally applicable to both telegraphic and telephonic operation.

Honest reports, particularly on tone, should always be given. Do not give a report of RS(T) 59(9) to a station merely because he has just given you 59(9) or because you want his QSL card! S-meter readings should be treated with reserve, ie RST 519 is almost meaningless. (Awards or certificates of operating proficiency require a minimum signal report of RST 339/RS 33 - these represent just about the minimum usable signals).

The present, almost universal, use of reports of 599 (sent as 5NN) or 59 in contests and short 'rubber stamp' contacts should be frowned upon (unless of course the signals really are 59!).

Directional CQ calls should always be respected - G9AA would be considered a poor operator if he is heard calling an Australian station which has just transmitted a 'CQ USA' call.

It is courteous to move off a frequency at the end of a contact if the station contacted was originally operating there.

The long-distance (DX) bands, particularly 14, 21 and 28MHz, should not be used for purely local contacts when these bands are open for long-distance working.

Do not call a station while its operator is in contact with someone else. Similarly, it is considered very poor operating to try to break in to a contact which is already taking place.

The various conditions of the amateur licence should be kept in mind as some of these have a bearing on operation.

The Amateur Radio Station Log

Fig 11.1. A typical section of logbook and log entries

Log keeping

Apart from the fact that a log of all transmissions is required, a well-kept log provides a record of contacts and friendships made, reports, conditions and other information on which applications for operating awards can be made.

The basic requirements of the Radiocommunications Agency with regard to log keeping are defined in the licence conditions as follows:

1. A permanent record must be kept in one book (not loose leaf).
2. The following data must be recorded:
   1. Date
   2. Time of commencement of operation
   3. Class(es) of emission
   4. Transmitter power Frequency band(s)
   5. CQ calls
   6. Callsigns of stations called and with whom communication is established
   7. Time of establishing and ending communication with each station
   8. Tests carried out (eg EMC)
   9. Time of closing the station

No particular method of recording the date is specified but it should be noted that '10/01/01' means '10 January 2001' in the UK and most of the world but '1 October 2001' in the USA. In the "Far East" the date will normally be written in the "largest first" format, ie Year/Month/Date. For example, 10th January 2001 would be written 2001/01/10.

A typical example of a QSL card