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) simply announce your call sign between their transmissions. You do not say "break" as a means to enter the conversation.

The ARRL originally reserved the Use of Break in Amateur Radio to be used 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."