The hobby
What amateur radio is, how licensing works, and the language of the air.
The amateur radio service
What it is, where it came from, and how to join in.
What is amateur radio?A licensed radio service for self-training, experimentation and public service, never for money.A short history of amateur radioFrom spark gaps and the first licenses to repeaters, satellites and software.Ways to get on the airA map of what operators actually do, from rag chewing to moonbounce.Clubs, Elmers and communityHow to find mentors, clubs, nets, hamfests and learning groups.
Licenses, call signs and rules
Who may transmit, on what, and under which rules.
License classes and privilegesTechnician, General and Extra: what each adds and how upgrading works.Call signs and what they meanPrefixes, numbers, suffixes and how a call is assigned.Vanity and special-event callsChoosing your own call, and temporary event call signs.Part 97 in plain wordsThe FCC rules every amateur operates under, organised by what you want to do.Control operators and control pointsWho is responsible for a station, and how remote and automatic control fit in.Operating abroadITU regions, reciprocal licensing and CEPT.
Speaking the language of the air
The shared vocabulary that makes weak signals understandable.
The phonetic alphabetWhy we say "Whiskey" for W, and how to spell a call so it gets through.Q-codesThree-letter shorthand like QTH, QSL and QRM, and what each means.Ham abbreviations and numbers73, 88, CQ, DX, QSO and other jargon, decoded.Signal reports: RS, RST and the S-meterHow to tell someone how well you hear them, in numbers.On-air etiquetteListening first, calling CQ, taking turns, and being a good neighbour on the band.Logging and QSL confirmationsKeeping a log, paper cards, Logbook of the World and eQSL.