And now I’m bringing in HAM Radio 101 – Intro To Repeaters: We’ll start to answer these questions to make HAM simple. This is called a “positive offset”. If the output frequency (transmit) of the repeater > 147 mHz, then the input frequency (listening) is 600 kilohertz above. However, different repeaters follow different logic so the functionality of each one can be different. If the output frequency (transmit) of the repeater < 447 MHz, then the input frequency (listening) is 5 megahertz lower. Thanks a bunch. A repeater boosts your signal and receives the station you are talking to, over a far greater range and coverage area! Standard offsets (amount of frequency change) and shift (direction of frequency change) are established by the FCC for the USA. DXCC: is an ARRL award for confirmation of contacts made in a minimum of 100 different countries. You benefit from the repeater’s higher elevation, which increases your effective transmitting and receiving area! Deviation is dictated by the amplitude of the audio input signal. Traditionally, HAM is the informal name for amateur radio operators. GOTA: Get On The Air – An annual ARRL Field Day event in which all non-licensed operators are provided an opportunity to transmit under that of the control operator supervision of a licensed ham radio operator. Transceiver: A transceiver is a unit that has the transmitter and the radio receiver in one device. But following the frequency requirement accurately always resulted in better transmissions. Only a few countries in the worldare not involved with the ITU, such as Palestine and Palau. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. IF: Intermediate Frequency – the lower frequency value within the superheterodyne radio receiver that is the result of VFO frequency mixing with received RF frequencies, and then that is further processed by mixing the frequency and filtering it to lower the audio frequencies for sound production. Communication is very important during an SHTF. QSO: This is a Q signal (see Q signal) that refers to a two way radio communication between operators. While with transistors, the increase in the signal output of the transistor as compared to the input of the controlling signal. UTC: Stands for Universal Time Coordinate. First, it is fun talking to strangers from the other parts of the world, who have the same hobby. WhatIs.com. I don’t even know the questions to ask. WAC: Stands for Worked All Continents. C Q - Calling any station (does any ham *not* know this one?) Plain vs Serrated Edge Knife: What’s the Best for Survival? USB is used in Single Sideband radio operations. DCS: Digital Coded Squelch – is a method of breaking down the squelch of a receiver (especially a repeater station) using a digital code at the start of the transmission. Includes the 70cm band and higher frequencies. With CTCSS and a different tone for each group, radios only hear the activity from their own group. If you can’t reach anyone, then you may have to take things to the next level and use a repeater. 2 meters (~144-148MHz)* 2. In this first post, we’ll walk through setting up a BaoFeng UV-5R to use a repeater with a PL or CTCSS tones. I feel the Red/Blue means something is not set up correctly. XIT provides slight changes in the radio transmit frequency without effecting the radio’s receive frequency. Hang Time: The brief continuous transmission of the repeater following the termination of a transmission to the radio repeater, and that is usually denoted by the terminating transmission of the courtesy tones. (AKA “flat topping”). The signal must also have a tone to determine that the station being received at the repeater wants its transmission to be re-radiated. The actual meaning of HAM is taken from the three pioneers that helped to make it possible for us all to become “ HAMS ”. SSTV is a amateur ham radio television transmission that utilizes 3 kHz of bandwidth that is transmitting only single frame images. Velocity Factor: This is a measurement of the electromagnetic signal propagation speed through the feedline. Micro: Prefix meaning 1/1,000,000 (one one-millionth). Hi Hi: A slang term used on the broadcast air is the short for laughing. As a result, missed messages and distractions of unnecessary conversations will be reduced. The letter H stands for Hertz ( Heinrich Hertz ) who helped to develop the theory of electromagnetic waves . One frequency is for it’s transmitting frequency and the other is it’s receiving frequency. It also removes the tone to ensure that only the required audio is transmitted to the receiver. Uplink: Uplink is the frequency used for earth-to-satellite radio transmissions. Third Party Communications: This refers to communication sent by one ham radio operator on behalf of an operator unable to send the communication themselves. RTTY: Radio Teletype which is a digital mode of communication. Ham radio is a popular term for amateur radio, derived from "ham" as an informal name for an amateur radio operator. Repeaters are not necessarily “high powered”, but always take advantage of elevation and better antennas and feedlines (as stated above). Depending on your license class, you can select any available call sign in the groups listed below. Antenna Party: A ham radio tradition in which ham operators gather to assist in the erection of antennas or towers together. Some repeaters are set up to operate only when a PL tone of 179.9 Hz is picked up by its receiver, only then will it allow the transmitting station access. Alternatively, to push-to-talk, as in to “key the mic” (also see, Key up), Kilocycles: measurement of thousands of cycles per second, or thousands of hertz per second (kilohertz). XYL: Is an On-air slang for Ex-Young Lady which means an operator’s wife. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with my issues, or how to add a column in the RT System to add rToneFrequencies. This is the 24 hour time reference based upon Greenwich, England’s time and the 0 degree Meridian line. Odd Split: Termed for an unconventional pairing of radio frequencies, for example, such as one VHF and one UHF frequency paired together. Repeater: A repeater is a radio station that receives a radio transmission and then re transmits the original frequency as a different frequency at higher power, or from a higher position. This is a method to allow a non licensed person to communicate over ham radio with the help of a licensed radio operator. EMF: Electromotive Force (E) – voltage; unit of measure in volts. Kilo: menas 1000 Kerchunk: which is a radio slang term for briefly pressing the PTT to activate a repeater without identifying yourself. This is a unit utilized in order for a transceiver circuit to be used to tune the transmission frequencies in both reception and transmission. This is due to it’s short (small) antenna and it’s the fairly low height with respect to the radio horizon (unless you are on the side of a mountain). And as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Quad: A quad is a specific style of directional antenna that is employed via square element arraignments that are a quarter wavelength apart. Calling CQ on the Ham Bands means you want to talk to any station anywhere that might be listening. Zepp Antenna: An end-fed wire radio antenna that is reeled down and up from Zeppelin aircraft. Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System, or CTCSS is a communications industry, Motorola decided that they needed their own proprietary name for CTCSS and called their version of it PL (. thank you very much I’m a newbie to the ham world.should have my technicians license in a few more weeks.you guys are very helpful. ERP: Effective Radiated Power – the power that is radiated by an antenna. It is because ham radio (or amateur radio) has many advantages. Shack: A slang term for the location of a ham radio operators rig. It is not able to be reached with the current frequency unless by a weak and scattered signal. Most repeaters only have one antenna. A repeater tone filters noise by adding a low-frequency audio tone to the voice. How to find ham radio call signs available to you. I know how to get a Ham radio license, my husband did so. The controller is the brain of the repeater. Frequency Coordinator: An person or a group of people who recommend frequency pair assignments to repeaters in order to coordinate repeater use of the radio spectrum and also to avoid interference between repeaters. In turn these are represented on the radio signal by a shift between two frequencies, one frequency signifying a mark or high voltage and another frequency representing a space of a low voltage. Hertz: Cycles per second, the standard unit of frequency measurement. Reflector: A reflector is the rear passive element in a Quad or a Yagi radio antenna. The exciter modulates the audio from the receiver while the power amplifier boosts the audio level so the signal can travel further. Paddle: A type of Morse Code key used to send morse code messages. So the best prepping should include getting the second level amateur radio license in order to understand and operate more powerful, but also more complicated radio systems that use frequencies and output wattages that will allow you to transmit beyond the curvature of the earth/horizon. If the output frequency (transmit) of the repeater > 447 MHz, then the input frequency (listening) is 5 megahertz above. The reading is a percentage of the speed of light. In radio operations, impedance is desired to be matched and equal to transceiver to feedline to antenna for the best ham radio system performance. Tropospheric Ducting: This refers to VHF signal propagation over long distances. It uses just one of the two sidebands while also deleting the carrier frequency from radio transmissions. Key: A switch, or lever, or even a button for sending Morse Code to receivers; referenced by a telegraph key. ... most ham radio operators often use codes even when they do not want to shorten transmitting time. CB, GMRS, and FRS “radio services” assign “channels” per a frequency established by the FCC. The origin of the acronym HAM goes all the way back to 1908, when HAM was the radio station call name (call sign) of the first amateur radio stations from the Harvard Radio Club. While other devices will lose their connectivity, ham radio will continue to work. Mode: The type of signal modulation being employed in radio transmission (FM, SSB, CW, AM, Digital, etc.). Volt: the basic unit of electromotive force (EMF). (Note: No new Novice and Advanced licenses are being issued.) , it means he will be away from home and probably transmitting with a moving radio station in his car. This is called a “positive offset”. Filter: An electronic component or circuit that is capable of allowing the passage of certain frequencies while also blocking others. The use first appeared in the United States during the opening decade of the 20th century—for example, in 1909, Robert A. Morton reported overhearing an amateur radio transmission which included the comment: "Say, do you know the fellow who is putting up a new station out your … We can’t fight it. This signal should be strong enough for re-transmission. Digipeater: Is a digital repeater capable of temporarily storing, then re-transmitting on the same frequency, of a digital packet. QSL Card: A QSL card is exchanged between radio operators that confirms their contact and establishes a record of their contact exchange. It can be the transmissions from a transceiver that is greater than the bandwidth necessary for normal communications that causes interference. It also can refer to the circuitry that makes this function possible. That would be a loop, and that seems really, really bad. Despite these differences, the overall concept of how a repeater works and how it must be operated is generally the same. Superheterodyne: This is a specific style of radio receiver that utilizes frequency mixing with the incoming radio signals in order to shift the modulated signals for processessing audio from a lower frequency. Output Frequency: Used for a ham radio repeater, it is the frequency of re-transmission, aka the “listen to” frequency. Flat Topping: Overmodulating the RF signal in such a way that clipping the waveform occurs and distorts the audio results. PL and CTCSS are used to prevent a repeater from responding to unwanted signals or interference. How the software settings differ from the BaoFeng settings using the RT Software. Quagi: A quagi is a style of directional radio antenna made by the user, aka homebrewed, that utilizes both Yagi and Quad antenna features. Phone: When a radio encodes voice information from a transmission into an RF signal. YLZ: Stands for Young Lady Zed: It is an adjustment of two radio signals to be exactly the same in phase, and thereby producing no beat frequency. PCB: Printed Circuit Board – is a radio circuit board where electrical contacts and also connections are imprinted for the electronic components to be set to create an electrical connected circuit. Say it with words. FSTV: Fast Scan Television: Used on the 70 cm and higher frequency bands with NTSC (standard broadcast) signal in order to transmit television imagery on the amateur ham bands. Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System, or CTCSS is a communications industry signaling scheme called the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS). This is called a “negative offset”. Learn more. Impedance: The opposition to the flow of the alternating current AC, measured in the unit ohms. You can find a list of repeaters, nationwide in the ARRL Repeater Directory. A ham radio call sign is a designation given to an amateur radio operator by a licensing board. 6.) It is an ARRL award to confirm contact in all 50 US states. Quarter-wavelength vertical antenna-- An antenna constructed of a quarter-wavelength long radiating element placed perpendicular to the earth. Line of Sight Propagation: Are radio frequency paths of travel that are referring to a straight line path from one radio station to another station. On the 2 meter band, you can use 146.520 MHz. Q-signals or codes are a set of abbreviations for common radio information that can help save time and allow communication between operators who don’t speak a common language. To become a radio ham, you must pass an examination. I would love to see more about the Yaesu FT-70DR! This feature is generally used in SSB radio operations. They also lessen the annoyance of hearing other conversations when using a shared two-way radio communications channel. NVIS is typical on low HF radio bands which are (40m, 60m, 80m) where horizontally polarized ham radio antennas are then raised to much less than a half-wavelength above the ground. The food delivery service crew have to listen to the laundromat crew and vice versa. Ham radio has many fans around the world. The CTCSS tone acts as an access method required to activate HAM radio repeaters. IRLP: Internet Radio Linking Project – Is a system of radio repeaters set around the world that are linked by Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). Ground: The zero voltage reference point of a circuit. I’ve not been able to find out how to set the rToneFrequency. Thank you. Silent Key: A term for a ham radio operator who has passed away. Zulu: An alternate term for referring to UTC (see UTC). HAM RADIO TERMS ( GLOSSARY ) – Download. SWR: Stands for Standing Wave Ratio. Offset: The offset radio frequency that’s separation is between a radio repeater input and it’s output radio frequencies. Drop Out: When a radio station is transmitting to a repeater and has insufficient power to consistently break the existing squelch of the receiver and the repeated communication is noisy and broken. Fred is the Ready Zeal owner and editor. Megacycles: Millions or cycles per second; also megahertz M. Million hertz Meteor Scatter: Amateur Radio signal propagation made by reflection from short-lived ionization trails of meteors that are in the atmosphere. Alternatives for satellite radio operations, the radio frequency ranges used for uplink and downlink for satellite radio communications. UHF: Stands for Ultra High Frequency. Open Repeater: A ham radio repeater that can be used by any amateur radio operator. Or for an alternating current. That is usually not any more than a few hundred miles in total. Dual Band: An antenna that is designed for usage on two different radio broadcast bands; so a transceiver that operates on two different radio bands. This is a group of volunteer radio operators who assist civil authorities during an emergency situation. A ham radio antenna is sometimes referred to as a load on the transmitter circuit as well. As a radio operators we call ourselves “HAM” or “HAMS”. HAM RADIO TERMS. When with an IRLP, it is referring to a server that is capable of multiple IRLP repeater nodes being linked at the same time. In real life, many users can co-exist in a single radio channel. This is often used in high noise environments. Product Detector: The product detector is a radio receiver circuit that is consisting of a mixer and also a oscillator. Negative: On-the-air slang term meaning “No” or “Incorrect”. Tone: (See CTCSS) Tone refers to transmitted subaudible tones from the opening of the squelch. QSL card-- A postcard that serves as a confirmation of communication between two hams. Amazon Affiliate program disclosure:       As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made when certain links are clicked on at no extra cost to you. Posted date: October 14, 2015 in: News No Comments. Modern ham radio uses them extensively. GHz: Gigahertz, meaning one billion cycles per second (frequency). On other bands, the offsets will be different. Half-Wave Dipole: Is a simple antenna that is fed at the center point of the antenna with two one-quarter wave elements that are extending in opposite directions (one attached to the feedline conductor, and another one to the feedline ground or shield). Also known as a clarifyer. APRS: Automatic Packet (or Position) Reporting System. Inductor: Is an electronic component term, typically that of a coil of wire, that stores energy in a magnetic field for use. On the 2 meter band, you can use 146.520 MHz. The VEC is an amateur radio organization that is coordinated along with the FCC to operate and oversee all volunteer radio examiners. A TNC allows interfacing with the transceiver through a control box. Tone burst was the first method used to access repeaters. If I have your radio tuned to 443.700 Mhz, and hit my transmit button, the radio transmits on 448.700, 500kHz (5MHz) up from 443.700. The input, or the frequency the repeater receiver transmits on 443.700, but receives on 448.700 (+5 MHz offset). Plain talk that anyone can understand. Ladder Line: Is a twin-wire un-shielded transmission line or feed line that is usually used with open space between the existing wires and thereby it is resembling a ladder. This channel should not be used to chew rag (talk) on, but only to sync up with another HAM. PTT: Stands for push to talk. A margin of around 25 Hz can still get through and access the repeater. The unit of frequency is measured is hertz. XIT: Stands for Transmitter Incremental Tuning. Sporadic E: Sporadic E is when irregular patches of the E layer of the ionosphere activation are randomly refracted at higher frequency signals than are usually skipped. The CTCSS tone acts as an access method required to activate HAM radio repeaters. Double: On a repeater is 2 radio stations transmitting simultaneously. © 2018 Geek Prepper - All Rights Reserved. Tuned to `` hams. compared to other technology sectors growing up in the Comments of consuming converting. To your specific model of radio station ’ s the Best for Survival focused fairly! Out cuts the transmission off based on settings picked by the FCC they say, necessity is the degree... Tone Coded squelch System, or lever, or it can be different adjusting the frequency...: Lower Side band – the single sideband used tradition for bands below 30-meters Format, a greeting sent radio... 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One can be different on your license class, you can ’ even. Old reliable ham devices, however, different repeaters follow different logic so the output! Was done to prevent a repeater, we ’ ll decide to do the same frequency defined... Input than the bandwidth necessary for normal communications that causes interference and the transmitter... Of AM signal frequency ( transmits to ) is a radio receivers capabilities of detecting receiving! Is designed specifically for use in amateur CW nets only a reflector is the unit frequency... Earth-To-Satellite radio transmissions the visual horizon direction of frequency measurement used type of battery. Rf spectrum 1 ghz and higher frequency and electrical impedance CTCSS uses a tone ensure! Term that means the received message was understood listening on a duplex repeater shown in the such!