Amateur Radio Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [etiquette]

the customary code of polite behavior while operating within a particular context (mode, band, net, etc)

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Is "just listening" on EchoLink considered bad etiquette?

I was reading about EchoLink and came across this rule under "Access Policies": 2. No "SWL" (listen-only) access is permitted. EchoLink is a two-way system by design, and there is no mechanism to validate listen-only stations. I'm pretty sure…
Seth
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Why do people say, "get a nickel," on repeaters?

Sometimes, I'll hear someone say "wait a moment, I'm getting a nickel," and then drop the carrier only to resume talking. Why?
webmarc
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What's the difference between saying “CQ” or “QRZ” in a contest?

I'm listening to (or let's say I'm trying to participate in) a contest (or perhaps Field Day), using SSB. I noticed that a station would, after completing a contact, sometimes say “CQ” and sometimes say “QRZ”. In either case, other stations then…
Kevin Reid AG6YO
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What is the definition of DX?

I always believed that DX meant out of one’s own country, and in the continental US that can be pretty far. However, tooling around on the bands I’ll often hear people calling DX inside the US receive responses from others also inside the US.…
Adam Davis
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Why say "break" and "over" on walkie-talkies instead of an automatic chirp?

My understanding of why movie characters say "break" and "over" during radio conversations is based on this answer, which says that people using half-duplex devices often will want to let others on the channel interrupt them with something more…
Ryan
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Is calling the Palmer Station (Antarctica) via IRLP without prior arrangements acceptable practice?

Until I can get an HF rig, I've been using my HT through a local repeater IRLP node. I've successfully made a few contacts doing that, but I recently noticed that Palmer Station in Antartica has an IRLP Node (#8838) listed. I tried making a contact,…
penguin359
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What happens if a station did not submit a contest log?

What is the result of a contest station not submitting a log for the contest? Are all the contacts nullified for the other stations that contacted him? Is it bad form for a non-participating station to contact stations that are participating in a…
Joe Cotton
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Getting permission from the master of the vessel

I'm crossing the English channel on a ferry soon and I'd like to do some radio while on it. According to my license (full British Ofcom amateur radio license), to be able to do this, I need permission from the master of the vessel. What should…
Pablo Fernandez
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FT8 etiquette when no reply after responding to CQ?

When you respond to an FT8 CQ and the other side doesn't respond after a couple of your transmissions, what is proper etiquette? (Assuming you're working split and not transmitting on his receive frequency.) Should you keep transmitting so he knows…
QuantumMechanic
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Expected practices for one ham operating under another's privileges?

I understand that in the United States, amateur operators and even non-licensed persons may participate in domestic (and approved international) communications on bands they wouldn't normally be allowed to transmit on, using the privileges of…
natevw - AF7TB
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What's the protocol when making a call on the ISS repeater?

I have mostly only used non-crowded 2 meter repeaters, but recently I tuned my radio to the downlink frequency: 437.8 mhz while the ISS was passing overhead - just to listen. What I heard was people calling out their call signs in phonetic alphabet,…
scm
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Any way to get LOTW "credit" for a paper QSL card?

I have some QSOs with hams who will send paper QSL cards but do not use LOTW. I know that if I manage to get a paper card from them I can submit it to ARRL for DXCC credit. But will that QSL show up in LOTW? Or is there zero integration between…
QuantumMechanic
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What is the etiquette for answering real world, non-contest HF SSB calls?

I'm a new ham (licensed back in the spring) and very new to HF (only a couple of weeks). One thing I've noticed in the phone bands is that things seem to rarely go the way all the articles aimed at new hams say. For example, I don't hear much CQ at…
QuantumMechanic
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Calling in to a contest

Being new to this, am I allowed to call in when hearing a contest? I tx an Italy contact on HF and they asked for my serial number?
MarkW
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How to do physical QSL when not operating from your home QTH?

If you have preprinted QSL cards that have your home address and grid square on them, what's considered the most proper way to do a physical QSL exchange for a contact that was made while you were operating away from home? Do you cross out the…
QuantumMechanic
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