Tips for New Hams

So you've got your Tech license and you're new to Ham Radio. Here's some tips to working repeaters, simplex, and general practice.

Don't call CQ on the Repeater

This is a greenhorn mistake that will most likely result in you being lectured by repeater users or ignored altogether. You can call CQ on a simplex frequency such as VHF 146.520 or working SSB as a couple examples, however, CQ is not used on repeaters, not even during a band opening!

Monitoring a Repeater

The ARRL advises that you announce your presence on a repeater by saying, "A0NEW Monitoring." (replace A0NEW with your call sign.) However, it is much more useful if you indicate which repeater you're on because some operators listening have a radio that scans though a number of repeaters. They'll hear you but might not know what repeater you are on, especially if they're driving and can't look down to see where the scan stopped momentarily.

It is more useful to say, "A0NEW, Monitoring 147.000." (replace A0NEW with your call sign and 147.000 with the repeater frequency or repeater name."

Now any hams that are scanning through repeaters know where you are. Furthermore, experienced hams sometimes drop the "monitoring" and simply state their call sign and what repeater they are on.

Don't Ever Say "Break"

To attempt to enter an active QSO (other hams talking) by saying "BREAK." It is obnoxious and makes you sound ignorant. Simply announce your call sign between their transmissions. You do not say "break" as a means to enter the conversation. For example, two hams or talking and you want to add to the conversation, you wait for a pause when no one is transmitting and say, "A0NEW" (use your call sign) and then wait to be acknowledged. If you're acknowledged then you've been invited into the conversation.

The ARRL originally reserved the Use of Break in Amateur Radio to be spoken as a double break, as in "break break" and only for an emergency. Since then the ARRL has decided that since "break" has no universal standard meaning Internationally they would prefer the term was never used in any context in amateur radio. Just don't say "break" or "breaker breaker good buddy."

Learn how to Release to Listen

Our handy talkies have a PPT or Press to Talk button. Some hams forget to Release to Listen. You'll known em when you come across them, they key down and start talking meanwhile you go to the restroom, then pour yourself a cup of coffee, return and they're still blathering on. Three minutes is a very long transmission on a repeater. Try to keep it pithy and let the next operator have a turn.

Hand it off

Especially when there's more than one person in a QSO (conversation) you want to say the call sign of the next person in turn to speak at the end of your transmission. For example, "... and that's the weather today, over to A0NEW." This prevents incidents of "doubling" which occurs when two or more ham operators start to transmit at the same time not aware of the other.