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.