Technician Licensing Class “Chapter 6”

1. Technician Licensing Class“Chapter 6” Communicating With Other Hams Valid dates: July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2014

2. Chapter 6 Contents • Contact Basics • Band Plans • Making Contacts • Using Repeaters • Nets • Emergency Communications • Special Activities, Modes and Techniques

3. Contact Basics • Always listen first • Identify regularly • End of contact • Every ten minutes during contacts • Speak clearly and slowly • Use International Phonetic Alphabet

4. Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey X-Ray Yankee Zulu Phonetic Alphabet • Juliet • Kilo • Lima • Mike • November • Oscar • Papa • Quebec • Romeo

5. Signal Reports • RST System • Readability 1 - 5 • Strength 1 - 9 • Tone 1 - 9 • Tone only used for CW usually 9 • RST 599 (CW) Voice 5 by 9

6. Using a Frequency • No one “owns” a frequency • Courtesy is paramount • Listen/ask to make sure frequency is clear • Nets Traditionally one should make way and move for a net if asked

7. Power Level • FCC rules state one should use minimum power to make a given contact • Common sense – don’t use 1 kW for local contact • Some specialize in QRP – low power • QRP station getting 599 signal report is an “accomplishment”

8. Locators • Usually City and State or province • Sometimes county • Latitude and Longitude • 10 X 20 Grid Squares FN31pq DN17oq • Location referred to as QTH

9. T8C:Grid Locators T8C5A grid locator is a letter-number designator assigned to a geographic location. 9

10. Appropriate Topics • Avoid controversial • Politics, sex, religion, foul language, ethnic references • Eventually you will hear everything on the air

11. Signing Off • Final • QRU • QRT • 73 • 88 • Clear • Standing By • Monitoring

12. Q- Signals • Developed early in ham radio to reduce character count in transmissions • List of most common Q Signals on Manual Page 6-5 • Also series of QNx signals for nets and traffic handling on page 6 - 22

13. Advising and Assisting • Be patient, courteous, and tactful • Everyone was newly licensed at one time • Don’t talk down • Be helpful

14. Radio and Antenna Checks • Use a dummy load to test transmitter whenever possible • Us low power to adjust antenna tuner • Always identify with your call sign • General call for signal report is okay • Antenna comparison requesst very common • Test counts or series of “V” on CW

15. Noting Violations • Hams largely self regulating • Ok to address issues etc • Be tactful • Don’t violate regulations yourself • Log what you hear and observe for future collaboration with others • ARRL OO program

16. Logging and Confirming Contacts • FCC no longer requires log • Still a good idea to maintain log • Paper log is fine • Lots of Logging Software available • LOTW (Log Book Of The World) • Long info – Date, Times, call signs of stations worked, power, emission • Name QTH, other informaton • QSL Cards

17. T2B10 What is the "Q" signal used to indicate that you are receiving interference from other stations? • QRM • QRN • QTH • QSB

18. T2B11 What is the "Q" signal used to indicate that you are changing frequency? • QRU • QSY • QSL • QRZ

19. T8C05 What is a grid locator? • A letter-number designator assigned to a geographic location • A letter-number designator assigned to an azimuth and elevation • An instrument for neutralizing a final amplifier • An instrument for radio direction finding

20. Band Plans • See Table 6-4 on Page 6-9 • Concentrate compatible modes and uses in various portions of the band • Reduces interference and allows for planning etc. • Voluntary, but very advisable and strongly encouraged by ARRL and FCC • By tradition and general use – Published by ARRL and other organizations

21. Calling Frequencies & Beacons • Most bands have one or more calling freq • Used to establish initial contact • Then QSY to another frequency • 2 Meters • SSB Calling Frequency 144.2 MHz • National FM Simplex Calling Frequency 146.52 MHz • Beacons – automated transmissions used to tell if a band is open to and area of the world where the beacon is located

22. HF Beacons

23. Beacons • Other beacons besides those shown • Numerous beacons on 10 and 6 meters • Also beacons on VHF and UHF bands • Beacons on satellites

24. Why Band Plans? • Keep compatible operations together to reduce interference • Voluntary, but strongly encouraged • Determined by tradition • Published by ARRL and others • FCC considers band plans “good practice” • Amateur service not restricted to channels or spot assignments. Plans make sense

25. T2B01 What is the term used to describe an amateur station that is transmitting and receiving on the same frequency? • Full duplex communication • Diplex communication • Simplex communication • Half duplex communication

26. MAKING CONTACTS • Repeater Contacts • Listening Most Important • SSB, CW and Digital Contacts • Taking Turns and Breaking in • Simplex Channels

27. Using Repeaters • Finding Repeaters • Repeater Offset or Shift • Repeater Access tones • Accessing a Repeater • ID and Control Topics • Repeater Systems • Autopatch • Open, special us and private repeaters • Digital Repeaters

28. Finding Repeaters • Directories • ARRL Web Site • Local Club Listings • Other local amateurs • Internet searches • Scan band and listen

29. Repeater Offset or Shift • 10 Meters -100 KHz • 6 Meters Varies –500 kHz –1Mhz –1.7MHz • 2 Meters + or – 600 kHz • 1.25 Meters -1.6MHz • 70cm + or – 5 MHz • 902 MHz 12 MHz • 1296 MHz 12 MHz

30. Repeater Access Tones • Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) aka PL (Private Line) or Privacy Codes • Newer Technology Digitally Coded Squelch (DCS)

31. Typical CTCSS Tones

32. Accessing A Repeater • Radios differ between brands and models • Select Frequency • Normally Repeater referenced by its OUTPUT frequency that you listen on • Set offset if necessary • Set in correct CTCSS tone if required • Set for ENC (Encode if necessary) • Press to talk

33. ID and Control Topics • Time Out • Courtesy Tone • Autopatch • Time • Weather • Other control operator functions

34. Repeater Systems • Control links • Multiple receivers • Auxiliary stations • Networks and Systems

35. Evergreen Intertie & KBARA

36. Autopatch • Automatic Phone Patch • Repeater connected to phone line • Activated by DTMF tone code • User hears Dial Tone • User can then dial phone call • Not as popular since cell phones • Some repeaters with autopatch in areas that do not have good cell coverage

37. Open, Special use & Private • Closed - not available for public use • Open – Available for public use • Special Use – Emergency Use etc.

38. Digital Repeater Systems • Ham Radio and Internet complementary • IRLP -Internet Radio Linking Project • Echolink • WIRES II – proprietary Yaesu system • D-Star based on public D-STAR Standard

39. Digital Repeater Systems • Ham Radio and Internet complementary • IRLP -Internet Radio Linking Project • Echolink • WIRES II – proprietary Yaesu system • D-Star based on public D-STAR Standard

40. Digital Repeater related • ILRP & Echo Link most common • Must know ON code for your repeater • Must know code for distant repeater • Entering both codes connects you to distant repeater

41. T1A11 Which of the following stations transmits signals over the air from a remote receive site to a repeater for retransmission? • Beacon station • Relay station • Auxiliary station • Message forwarding station

42. T2A01 What is the most common repeater frequency offset in the 2 meter band? • Plus 500 kHz • Plus or minus 600 kHz • Minus 500 kHz • Only plus 600 kHz

43. T2A03 What is a common repeater frequency offset in the 70 cm band? • Plus or minus 5 MHz • Plus or minus 600 kHz • Minus 600 kHz • Plus 600 kHz

44. T2B02 What is the term used to describe the use of a sub-audible tone transmitted with normal voice audio to open the squelch of a receiver? • Carrier squelch • Tone burst • DTMF • CTCSS

45. T2B04 Which of the following common problems might cause you to be able to hear but not access a repeater even when transmitting with the proper offset? • The repeater receiver requires audio tone burst for access • The repeater receiver requires a CTCSS tone for access • The repeater receiver may require a DCS tone sequence for access • All of these choices are correct

46. T4B11 Which of the following describes the common meaning of the term “repeater offset”? • The distance between the repeater’s transmit and receive antennas • The time delay before the repeater timer resets • The difference between the repeater’s transmit and receive frequencies • The maximum frequency deviation permitted on the repeater’s input signal

47. T8C09 How might you obtain a list of active nodes that use VoIP? • From the FCC Rulebook • From your local emergency coordinator • From a repeater directory • From the local repeater frequency coordinator

48. T8C10 How do you select a specific IRLP node when using a portable transceiver? • Choose a specific CTCSS tone • Choose the correct DSC tone • Access the repeater autopatch • Use the keypad to transmit the IRLP node ID

49. NETS • TYPES – Social, Traffic, Emergency and Public Service • Net Structure & Participation • NTS National Traffic System • Other • Emergency or Priority Traffic can always be sent. Break into net by saying Emergency or Priority • Emergency Nets

50. Traffic Handling • Most important job during emergencies and disasters • Radiogram has three parts • Preamble (including Address) • Body (Text) • Signature