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 Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending
March 9, 2002 |
 Next: FCC Notification Leads to Shutdown of Uncoordinated
Repeater |
By Rod Vlach, NN0TT
March 15, 2002
The ARRL Operating Manual is a great source of information for hams new to CW. But there's also merit in reading advice from a fellow ham who's been there-done that.
CW is my mode of choice. I don't claim to be an expert on CW operating procedures but I have always tried to follow the practices outlined in ARRL publications such as The ARRL Operating Manual. Although there is no law governing good procedure, it benefits us all to use a set format. The majority of CW operators I have contacted also use the procedures listed here.
CW depends heavily on Q-signals, abbreviations and prosigns. These shortcuts make communicating more efficient. Phone operators have procedures, too--they literally speak the words, but sometimes use abbreviations borrowed from the CW operators' Q-signal list. This article is dedicated to CW operation, where shortcuts are necessary.
The author's modern station, NN0TT, fits nicely into his antique rolltop desk. [Photo by the author] |
Listen First
I include listening as a procedure because it is the expedient thing to do and it enables us to find out what's happening on a particular band. I have heard some hams start a CQ right on top of a QSO in progress. This will happen occasionally with DX signals because the local station or the DX station may actually not hear each other. In many instances a little patience can avoid an interruption. Before calling CQ I will listen up and down a few kilohertz to avoid a frequency that would QRM an operator near my chosen frequency. Usually I will not answer a CQ that is being called on top of a QSO in progress, but answering a CQ near an ongoing QSO is another matter.
The bands are crowded, and especially when propagation is good signals can be coming in from all over the world. Many of us have limited time to be on the air, and if we are to operate at all we are probably going to occasionally, but unintentionally, QRM someone. It's not uncommon for CW hams to be working a QSO and hear two or three other QSOs in progress at the same time on nearby frequencies. Experienced CW operators consider that situation as part of the game. We should avoid choosing a frequency that would obviously impede an established QSO. In that case, we need to make a call judgment (no pun intended).
QRL?
The courteous thing to do is send the Q-signal "QRL?" (The equivalent of "is the frequency in use?"). I've heard some operators send QRL? and then immediately start pounding out a CQ. QRL? is not intended to be an announcement of starting a CQ--rather it is to determine if a CQ will interfere with an ongoing QSO. On the other hand, I have heard some hams send "QRL?" three or more times, which itself may be causing QRM. Sending QRL? once should be sufficient. No matter how hard we try we are bound to step on someone's headphones sooner or later.
CQ
I personally find endless CQs very annoying, and I usually won't reply to a lengthy CQ. I might answer a long CQ from North Korea. Thinking that a long CQ will increase the chances of getting a response is wrong. It actually has the opposite effect. If there is anything I have gleaned from ARRL publications, it is to keep CQs short. Two sets of three or four CQs followed by the call sign is plenty, with a "K" at the end to signal go ahead. You can always send another CQ if there is no response. I prefer to answer CQs rather than send them. Again, listening is the name of the game--especially if you are a DXer. Of course if no one ever sent a CQ, there would be no one to call. But entities with large numbers of Amateur Radio operators--such as the USA and Japan--aren't exactly rare, and their operators should use discretion in sending CQs to obtain DX contacts. I probably use CQ most often when I simply feel like ragchewing.
Initial Contact
My understanding of the FCC rules is that I never need to send the other operator's call sign. But I usually send it at least once--except in a DX pile-up--so the other operator knows I copied the call sign correctly. Sending an "R" (received) is a standard way to acknowledge that you copied the transmission. The proper procedure for answering a CQ is to send your call sign, followed by the prosign AR (end of transmission). Sending K is actually improper, because you don't know if you made contact yet, and K means go ahead. The standard information is then given, and although there is no set rule of order, I usually give the RST first, followed by QTH and name. It's the way I was taught to do it.
Q-Signals
I'm annoyed when I hear an operator turn a CW abbreviation into a longer sentence than the one it was designed to shorten. For example, QTH means "my location is...." But some hams may send "My QTH here is ..." Q-signals were designed to eliminate words--not add to them. All that's needed is "QTH Willmar, MN," or in the case of DX--"QTH Minnesota." The same applies for your name. Use "name Rod" rather than "my name here is...." Send a signal report like "RST 579" rather than "ur sig here is RST...." When describing your rig, send: "rig Knwd 570" instead of "the rig hr is ....."
Many hams seem to over-use words like 'about.' "My antenna is 'about' 30 feet high." No one expects that you know the height of your antenna to the exact fraction of an inch. Sending "ant up 30 ft" is close enough. And you can simply send "age 51" instead of "my age here is...." After sending the standard nuts and bolts of a QSO, you can talk on just about anything and be less formal.
One thing I love about CW is its efficiency and brevity--most of the time. I think many of us fall into the trap of using longer sentences and unnecessary words as filler rather than sticking to essential QSO information. I find that, with practice, I can eliminate a lot of irrelevant words--especially in the basic information that begins all QSOs.
Although the prosign KN (specific station only) should be used if you don't want anyone to break into your QSO when returning it to the other ham, I just use K. I have yet to experience someone cutting into one of my CW QSOs. Actually, I would like to see it happen sometime. Remember, it's only necessary to give your call sign every ten minutes and at the end of the QSO. Some hams use both calls on every exchange. This can make a QSO tedious, and wastes time--especially when QSB (signal fading) and other negative factors are present. Using BK (back) is a quick way to return the QSO to the other operator.
Ending the QSO
When it's time to pull the plug on a QSO, give a cordial send-off and end it. I've heard some hams actually give two or three exchanges of goodbye before finally stopping the QSO. I'm sure I have done similar things on occasion but I try to be conscious of it. Don't send best 73's (which, when translated, would read "best best regards-es.") Simply send 73 (best regards.) The prosign SK should not be used until the end of your final transmission, and then send it before your call sign. If you're leaving the air, you can add CL (clear).
Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits
In 1965--when I was a Novice--it was common for CW operators to tap out the old musical phrase "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits" (dit-di-di-dit-dit, dit-dit) at the very end of a QSO. When I got back on the air in 1998, I rarely heard the whole musical phrase, but it's now common to send the last two dits (as would be typical of CW hams trying to save time). There are no specific rules or laws for the format of a QSO--except for station identification--so I see no harm in this. I think di-dit has become a symbol of friendliness and thanks worldwide--known only to the fraternity of CW operators. It probably has attained the unofficial stature of 73 or GL (good luck).
Good Fist
An article on CW operating procedures would not be complete without mention of the fist (quality of sending) of an operator. I think we have all heard some operators sending code so fast that they make mistakes. Their transmission is very difficult to copy. Having an electronic keyer is not a license to go nuts. We all suffer from sticky fingers sometimes, no matter how hard we are trying. But we should endeavor to send accurate, clear code that is easily understood.
The motto of the FISTS club is: Accuracy Transcends Speed. I could not agree more. I think the old practice of sending CW at a speed near that of the other operator is a good one. An alternative practice, if you don't want to set your keyer to a lower speed, is to leave longer spaces between letters. No one has ever asked me to QRQ (send faster). I am not a high-speed operator but if anyone asks me to QRS (send slower) I immediately do so. One of the things I enjoy about Amateur Radio is the cooperative spirit of most hams. That makes it a special hobby.
None of us is a perfect CW operator all the time, and usually no two QSOs are exactly the same. We don't always have to use a rigid format. Even I don't always follow the above formats to the letter. But in general, I do try. We can develop--or keep--good fists, use well-known Q-signals and abbreviations, stop using redundant phrases and filler, and always be courteous to our fellow Amateur Radio operators.
ARRL member Rod Vlach, NN0TT, lives in Willmar, Minnesota, where he and
his wife Diane are property managers. He's earned DXCC, DXCC Y2K, WAC, WAS and
WAZ certificates, all on CW--which he says is the "original" digital mode. You
can contact Rod at nn0tt@arrl.net.
| Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending
March 9, 2002 |
Next: FCC Notification Leads to Shutdown of Uncoordinated
Repeater |
