Making your first Contact/QSO on HF
Your initial call:
- Choose a HF band & frequency, then listen for a minute or longer.
- Ask “is this frequency in use” then listen.
- Repeat step 2 at least one time.
- Then call CQ CQ CQ this is [your call sign here]CQ CQ CQ this is [your call sign in phonetics] CQ CQ CQ this is [your call sign in phonetics]
- Wait for a minute and repeat.
Getting a reply:
- Write down their call sign.
- Announce [their call sign] this is [your call sign]. Say; Hello,or Good morning/afternoon/evening, thanks for coming back.
- Your report is [example;5 9 see charts below]. My name is [your name].
- The QTH / location here is [you home area]. So how do you copy? [their call sign] this is [your call sign].
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In reply, the other station should give their information and your signal report. When finished with their side of the conversation they will transmit [your call sign],this is [their call sign] and over.
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The QSO will continue back and forth and will typically conclude with you saying [their call sign] this is [your call sign] signing off and standing by for further calls.
- Remember to identify your station once every 10 minutes during any conversation.
Readability
- 1–Unreadable
- 2–Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable.
- 3–Readable with considerable difficulty.
- 4–Readable with practically no difficulty.
- 5–Perfectly readable.
Signal Strength
- 1–Faint signals, barely perceptible.
- 2–Very weak signals.
- 3–Weak signals.
- 4–Fair signals.
- 5–Fairly good signals.
- 6–Good signals.
- 7–Moderately strong signals.
- 8–Strong signals.
- 9–Extremely strong signals.