Operating your new station
Making contacts via amateur radio is fun!
Getting your station set up and knowing what to expect on the bands are the first two steps in becoming an active radio amateur.
First, take some time to listen on the bands to find out how contacts are made.
The best apprenticeship for anyone wanting to use the HF (or indeed VHF/UHF) bands is to spend some time as a short wave listener.
In this way you can learn all the procedures necessary and the way contacts are made.
Many contacts on the HF bands tend to be rather short and tend to follow a straightforward pattern. Nevertheless, it can be quite daunting when you first pick up the microphone so a little preparation can go a long way.
- Read more about:
- Making your first QSO
- Operating procedures and etiquette
- HF DXing – how to do it
- LF and HF propagation
- Beginner’s Guide to Contesting
- VHF/UHF Propagation
- How to send and receive QSL cards
- Morse code is still worth learning – but why?
- PSK31 – work the world with low power
- The NCDXF International Beacon Project
