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Index : A : Amateur Radio & DX Encyclopedia FunTrivia

Structure

Interesting Questions, Facts and Information

  • There are a total of 20 general entries.

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

  • There are 30 user-asked question matches ( goto )


Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

    Amateur Radio & DX

    You identify your station with a handle that the operator makes up just like the C.B. ?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      f. The F.C.C. issuses the licensee a call sign. You must use that call sign to identify your station. My call sign is KG4VOB.

    You can use foul or obscene language on the ham radio?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      f. That is a BIG no-no. The F.C.C. will revoke your license if you are caught using obscenities. Good rule of thumb: if you don't know if it's okay, don't say it.

    Which best matches what the term "QSL" means in ham radio talk?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      a card confirming a contact. There are many Q-signals employed by radio amateurs and the original meanings are often stretched in daily use. Technically, they should only be used during Morse code communications, but they have become part of the general vocabulary. "QSL" means to confirm or acknowledge something (similar to "roger" in voice communications). Quite often it means specifically a card confirming a contact (these cards are often highly sought for awards). A "QSO" is a contact; "QRO" means to turn up the power and can also mean operation with an amplifier; "QTH" means location.

    When radio amateurs discuss a "Yagi", what are they talking about?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      antenna. "Yagi" is the shortened name for a "Yagi-Uda Antenna". In 1926, Shintaro Uda of Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, with the collaboration of Hidetsugu Yagi developed the antenna. Mr. Yagi published the first English-language article about it in 1928 so his name got associated with it, though he was always quick to credit Mr. Uda.

    When radio amateurs are trying to solicit a new contact, what two-letter phrase do they use?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      CQ. CQ sounds like "Seek You" - get it? WX means "weather" DE means "from" CX is the common callsign prefix for hams in Uruguay.

    What organization is the ultimate authority for radio amateurs in the United States?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      FCC. The Federal Communications Commission, FCC regulates amateur radio in the USA. The ARRL is the American Radio Relay League - the national organization for radio amateurs in the US. http://www.arrl.org The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have little to do with ham radio!

    What is a "radio contest"?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      an operating event. Radio contesting is a highly popular sub-hobby in which amateurs, during some predetermined time period (like a weekend) try to make as many contacts with a variety of places as quickly as possible. It can cause a bit of chaos on the bands.

    What is a "lid" in ham radio lingo? Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      a poor operator. No one can really say from where the term originated but to be called a lid is generally the ultimate insult. An unlicensed operator is called a variety of things - pirate, bootlegger, slim, but he may operate respectfully otherwise so not qualify as a true "lid".

    What does "73" mean in radio lingo?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      Best regards. "73" means "best regards". So, technically, "73's" or "73s" means "best regardses" - some sticklers get worked up about that kind of grammar. "88" means "love (or hugs) and kisses".

    What do radio amateurs mean by a "silent key"?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      a deceased radio amateur. A "telegraph key" (or simply "key") is a device used to send Morse code. A key goes silent when its owner has passed on.

    Operating your radio "barefoot" means to operate it...?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      without an amplifier. Generally, barefoot operating means using 10 watts to 100 watts. An amplifier would typically boost that to approximately 1000W.

    In amateur radio parlance, what does the two-letter phrase "DX" stand for?Amateur (Ham) Radio Jargon (mike32768)

      distance. DX is often used to indicate a station in a country outside one's own, regardless of "distance".

    How many classes of amateur radio license are there?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      4. Technician, Technician Plus, General and Extra. New hams usually start with technician. I apologize to those who have missed this in the past. I am a new ham and was using an old book to make my quiz.

    How long is your license valid? Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      10 years. You license is good for 10 years from time of issuance. At that time you must renew your license to keep your privileges.

    Ham radio operators are licensed by the F.C.C. ?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      t. The F.C.C. regulates all amateur frequencies. To be a primary station operator you must be licensed.

    Do you have to know Morse code to get your amateur license?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      No. As of February 14, 1991, the F.C.C. made it possible to enter into amateur radio without having to learn Morse code. You take a written test to recieve your Technician class license.

    Do you have to identify your station at the beginning of transmission?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      No. You must identify within 10 minutes of the beginning of transmission, every ten minutes after that, and at the end of transmission.

    Can an unlicensed person talk on the amateur radio?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      Yes. If a licensed operator is at the station control point, an unlicensed person may talk under the operator's license. This is called third party communications. A licensed operator must be there to begin transmission, monitor the transmission, and end transmission.

    Any licensed amateur can transmit voice over all amateur frequencies?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      f. With each class of operator you have certain frequencies you are allowed to transmit on. An Extra class operator can transmit voice on all voice frequencies. Some frequencies are only for Morse code.

    Amateur radio operators are referred to as hams?Welcome to Amateur Radio (prichason)

      t. Amateur radio is often called 'ham radio', so its operators are called hams.

Frequently Asked Questions about Amateur Radio & DX

    • Who was in DX the first time? ( goto )


    • Who was the last amateur men's tennis player to win the US Open? ( goto )


    • Who invented the radio? ( goto )


    • On October 18, 1988 this Albuquerque Amateur got his name in the Guinness Book of World Records by playing golf non-stop for 60 hours and 17 minutes, what is his name? ( goto )


    • What radio wave broadcasts at 21 centimeters? ( goto )


    • I do not understand the situation regarding amateur and professional athletes in the Olympics. Why do I hear some athletes are not turning pro to continue to play in the Olympics, yet I see NBA millionaires playing in the Olympics. Why the double standard? ( goto )


    • In what city is radio station KBZT located? ( goto )


    • Who wrote the world's first radio play? ( goto )


    • When and where was the first car radio invented? ( goto )


    • Who was the original 'Front Page Farrell' on the radio? ( goto )


    • On what date was the 'first public radio broadcast?' We are looking for the first radio broadcast before a public audience, not the first National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast. ( goto )


    • Which British radio show had a signature tune that started 'Hello again, I'm on the radio again'? ( goto )


    • What was the first commercial radio station in the United States? ( goto )


    • Who was the first president to have a radio in the White House? ( goto )


    • On the old radio show, what did 'The Shadow' know? ( goto )


    • What was the first entertainment program broadcast on radio and when was it? ( goto )


    • What is the international radio code word for the letter Z? ( goto )


    • Who is, or maybe was "Crabby Appleton" a radio or TV character? ( goto )


    • How do they determine the most popular radio stations? ( goto )


    • What is the link between Pembroke Castle and BBC Radio 2? ( goto )


    • For which radio station does Alan Partridge work? ( goto )


    • What was the first record to be banned from the radio by the BBC? ( goto )


    • Where did the first Massachusetts radio station operate? ( goto )


    • Who introduced the first ever record on British radio? ( goto )


    • On radio, what did the A stand for in the programme known as "ITMA"? ( goto )


    • Who devised the radio serial "Story by Five Authors"? ( goto )


    • What song lyric or word could not be sung on the radio in the 1930's? ( goto )


    • How did the first radio created by Tesla work? ( goto )


    • What radio "first" can be claimed by Glenda Jackson in the 1980s? ( goto )


    • Who were the panelists on BBC Radio's "What's My Line"? ( goto )


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