I. Operating a Radio Station

A. LISTENING

The first rule states that “if you don’t hear them, you don’t work them.” Therefor you must LISTEN!

The primary reason for listening is so that you don’t interfere with someone already using the frequency.

The second reason for listening is that it can tell you a great deal about the state of the bands. Although a band may be “dead” by popular consent at a particular time, frequent openings will occur, which you can take advantage of if you are around at the right time.

The third reason for listening is that the good operator takes after the elephant (“big ears, little mouth”) rather than the alligator (“big mouth, little ears”). Several short calls interspersed with listening spells will net you more contacts than a single long call.

B. KEEP IT SHORT

Of course, if we all listened and never called, the bands will be even deader than they are now. So, if after listening you have not made a single contact, call CQ.

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Rules for calling CQ are:

Ø use your call sign frequently

Ø keep your call short, listening often

If replying to someone else’s CQ, the rules are:

Ø Use call sign frequently, the station you are talking to knows his call already, he wants to know yours

Ø Keep it short, other stations would also like to contact him

C. THE GOLDEN RULE

“Do unto others…”

Don’t interfere with another station for any reason whatever (except in dire emergency).

Don’t use full power to tune your aerial to resonance - don’t tune the transmitter on air at all. Use a dummy load.

Keep your power down to the minimum required to make the contact.