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HF Newbies Return to the main Handiham website
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High-Frequency Operation for Beginners Listen to this lecture in audio format Download this lecture in MP3 for listening later Welcome to the wonderful world of high-frequency radio operation! We are offering this minicourse because so many new HF operators are on the air right now or will be on the air very soon due to changes in FCC rules and regulations. 40 years ago, when I first got my ham radio license, new hams began their ham radio careers on the shortwave bands with Novice class licenses. Today, things are quite different. New hams get to start out on the VHF and UHF bands, usually preferring to begin with 2 m repeater operation. The first radio for many new hams is a handheld 2 m transceiver which is used to access several local repeaters. As a result, the kind of operation new hams are most familiar with is repeater operation in a local area. Of course things are always changing. EchoLink and IRLP, both of which connect local repeaters to the Internet and make worldwide operation possible, are now available to Technician Class amateur radio operators. As you might expect, although EchoLink operation has many similarities with repeater operation, there are some differences. Worldwide operation, even through EchoLink, is certainly not the same as working stations only on RF in our local area. And here's something else: with the new rules changes, all Technician class operators now have some HF privileges. These are the same privileges that were available only to so-called "tech plus" licensees in the past. That means if you are a Technician, you now have some phone privileges on the 10 m band. If you are a Technician class operator who has recently upgraded to General, you may never have been on the HF bands in the past and now you find that the world is open to you via HF. It is important to consider how you are going to make your first appearance on the HF bands. You don't want to embarrass yourself by using incorrect procedures, and you want to make plenty of contacts and have lots of fun. We are going to help you accomplish this during this "High-Frequency Operation for Beginners" minicourse. If you have any questions, we want you to e-mail us right away and get them cleared up. Remember, this is "amateur" radio... we are not professionals and most of us have made a mistake or two in our amateur radio careers. Well, actually, I have made a lot more than that but I am not going to reveal the true number or I would have to walk around with a paper bag over my head to conceal my embarrassment! Let's start out with some of the basic basics. These are some of the things that you are going to use right away or at least very soon as you get on the air on the world wide shortwave bands. Our top 10 suggestions for having a great HF experience on the air: 1. Know how to identify your station and the other station properly. 2. Learn the standard phonetic alphabet and use it regularly. 3. Know how to call CQ and how to answer a CQ. 4. Learn the art of listening before transmitting. 5. Know what is in a typical contact and how to efficiently exchange information with other stations. 6. Have operating aids, such as frequency charts and your phonetic alphabet "cheat sheet" at your fingertips. 7. Keep a log book. 8. Know your radio -- controls and settings, microphone positioning, and any other basics specific to your equipment. 9. Start with domestic contacts before trying to work DX. 10. If something isn't working right, or you are not making contacts and you don't know why, be sure to ask us or a member of your local radio club for some help. We will handle all of the above topics in turn, giving you some ideas about how to get on the air and have fun while still sticking to tried and true procedures that have come to be the best practices in amateur radio operation over the years. You will enjoy operating on the HF bands, which open up a world of shortwave fun and excitement for you. Yes, HF is a lot different than 2 m repeater operation. You will notice that I didn't say it is better or worse -- it is simply different. And because it is different, we have to learn a few different things about how to operate. Now, just a word about how I will structure this minicourse. First of all, the Handiham staff are available to help you with any questions you might have about this material. Since this is an online course, my preference is that you e-mail me with your questions or comments. Sometimes I will answer your question directly, and other times I will pass the question on to one of the other staff members who might have more expertise in that particular area. I will try to do a lecture every Friday, but sometimes I am simply not available because I have pesky things like meetings to go to our other office work to get finished. Also, I may be out of the office from time to time. Even so, I will try my best to stick to the once a week lecture plan. At the end of every lecture, I am going to ask you a few questions about the material to help you find out if you are understanding the concepts we are talking about. After I ask the questions, I will give you the correct answers, sometimes along with further explanation when I feel it is necessary. Some of you may feel that we are not covering the material in enough depth. Please, by all means, let me know about what you want to have covered and we will move the lectures in that direction as much as possible. None of this stuff is set in stone and, just as if you were sitting in a real classroom instead of in front of your computer, you can interact with the teacher (me) and we can tailor the course to our specific needs. At this time, I am not suggesting any specific study materials to go along with this minicourse. However, as we go through the specific topics, I will be making some suggestions about where you can read more and link you to some outside resources. Other handiham staff members who may be helping you out are Jerry Kloss, N0VOE, and Avery Finn, K0HLA. Of course those of you who have listened to my lectures before know that I am Patrick (Pat) Tice, WA0TDA. To save confusion, when you have a question to submit by e-mail, please submit it to me and I will direct it as necessary to either Avery or Jerry if I don't answer it myself. My e-mail address is wa0tda@arrl.net. Well, that brings us to the end of this lecture. Remember what I said would be at the end of every lecture? That's right; a quiz: 1. HF stands for: a. Highfalutin b. High Five c. High-Frequency d. Home Frequencies 2. Questions from those of you who are taking this course should be submitted by: a. Calling on the phone b. Writing a letter and sending it through the post office c. Sending an e-mail d. Sending a fax 3. Which of these license classes have HF privileges? a. Special b. Beginner c. Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, and Extra d. None of the above 4. Which of these are good reasons to take this course in the first place? a. To avoid making embarrassing mistakes on the air b. To learn how to identify and operate properly c. To learn established procedures and best practices d. All of the above are good reasons -- sign me up right now! Until next time, 73 from Courage Handiham University. |
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