Operating etiquette
| Operating etiquette | |
|---|---|
| First rule | Listen before transmitting |
| Before calling | Ask "Is this frequency in use?" (on CW, "QRL?") |
| Identification | Call sign at least every 10 minutes and at the end of a contact (§97.119) |
| Power | The minimum necessary (§97.313) |
| Key rules | |
| General standards | §97.101 |
| Interference | Willful or malicious interference is prohibited |
| Tuning up | Into a dummy load, or briefly at low power on a clear frequency |
| Priority | Emergency communications always come first |
Operating etiquette is the set of habits, some written into law and some simply customary, that let thousands of amateurs share the same frequencies without getting in one another's way. Part 97 requires stations to identify, to use no more power than necessary and never to interfere deliberately; custom and the band plans cover much of the rest. A newcomer who listens before transmitting, identifies properly and keeps transmissions short will rarely go wrong. The Amateur's Code, written by Paul M. Segal in 1928, sums up the spirit: the radio amateur is considerate, loyal, progressive, friendly, balanced and patriotic. A longer modern guide, Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur, was written in 2008 by John Devoldere, ON4UN, and Mark Demeuleneere, ON4WW. The International Amateur Radio Union's Administrative Council accepted it as setting out its view, and it has been translated into more than 25 languages and is available at no cost.
Listen first
Most good etiquette starts with listening. A frequency that sounds empty may be in use by a station you can't hear, such as the far end of a contact whose signal is skipping over you. Before transmitting, listen for a while, then ask: on voice, "Is this frequency in use? This is W7ABC"; on CW, "QRL?" If anyone answers, move on. Listening also reveals band conditions, scheduled nets, contests and how things are done on that band or repeater.
Identify properly
Under §97.119, a station must transmit its call sign at least every 10 minutes during a contact and at the end of it. Give your full call sign clearly, using the phonetic alphabet on voice when conditions are poor. Never transmit without identifying, including a quick "kerchunk" to test a repeater. Tactical names such as "Net Control" or "Checkpoint 3" are fine at public-service events, as long as the FCC call sign is still given on schedule.
Keep the band clean
- Tune up quietly. Adjust an antenna tuner or amplifier into a dummy load where possible. Otherwise find a clear frequency, listen, ask, and tune briefly at low power. Never tune up on top of a conversation or on a DX station's frequency.
- Use the minimum power necessary. §97.313 requires every station to use the minimum transmitter power needed to carry out the communication. Running full legal power to talk across town breaks both the rule and the custom, and spreads interference far beyond the people you are talking to.
- Follow the band plan. Band plans are mostly voluntary, but they are widely followed. Keep voice out of the CW and digital segments, keep away from the FT8 frequencies when not using FT8, and avoid the frequencies of regular nets at their scheduled times.
- Share the spectrum. §97.101 requires stations to cooperate in choosing frequencies and says no frequency belongs to any one station. By long-standing convention, contests stay off the 30-, 17- and 12-meter bands.
On repeaters
- To join a conversation, give your call sign during a pause. On many repeaters, "break" is reserved for emergency or priority traffic.
- Leave a pause of a second or two between transmissions so others can get in, especially anyone with an emergency.
- Keep transmissions reasonably short; many repeaters have a time-out timer.
- Repeaters are privately owned and maintained by clubs and individuals. Follow the owner's rules, and consider supporting the club that runs a repeater you use often.
- Part 97 prohibits obscene and indecent language, and listeners of every age may be tuned in.
In pileups
A pileup is a crowd of stations calling one rare or popular station at once.
- Listen to the DX station's instructions: where it is listening (often in split mode), and whether it is taking calls by region or call area.
- Don't call while the DX station is working someone else. Wait until it finishes the contact or signals that it is listening.
- Send your full call sign once or twice, then listen. Partial call signs and endless calling slow everyone down.
- If someone transmits on the DX station's own frequency by mistake, don't add to the noise by telling them so on the air.
- Check a DX cluster spot or listen for a while before calling, so you know where the DX station is listening.
Interference and priority
§97.101 prohibits willful or malicious interference with any radio communication. Deliberate jamming does happen; the best response is to ignore it on the air, since attention is usually what the jammer wants, and to report it to the FCC or the ARRL's Volunteer Monitor program. Accidental interference is another matter: if someone says you are interfering, apologize and move.
The same rule section gives priority, at all times and on all frequencies, to stations providing emergency communications. If you hear a station with emergency traffic, stand by or offer help, and clear the frequency if asked.