Ham radio codes and jargon explained

You don't need to know ANY ham radio codes or jargon to get on your local repeaters and start in the hobby. I do explain some basic codes and where they come from. I also share the meaning of more advance codes and jargon used on different modes.

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[TJ-wpyz]

I've been a ham for 30+ years, this was a good reminder of Q codes I'd forgotten.

[elmikatv]

Today I will attend to first lesson on ham radio license and I am excited!

73

[qinteractive]

Brian, thanks for all your effort on these videos. Just last weekend while camping way back in the woods with no phone signal I thought it would be great to be able to check in with home to let them know all is well. I remembered as a kid having a CB radio and a home "base station" which was sporadic, but sometimes worked within about 30 miles or so. I remembered hearing about ham radio along the way and when I returned home last Sunday night I started researching and found your YouTube channel. I subscribed and watched several of your videos and got the definite sense of how much meaningful fun you are having.

Long story short, I studied, set up my online test and just yesterday (one week from initial thought to taking the test) I passed both tests and now have a General License. TODAY, (18 hours later) I received my License (KJ7RBP). Funny thing is, I don't even have a radio to use to make a first contact, haha. I ordered a Kenwood TH-D74A today and when it arrives I look forward to calling out for my first "CQ"! Then trying it from way out in the mountains of Utah to see if and whom I can reach. Eventually, I hope my wife will get licensed to close the loop on the original thought that sparked all this sudden excitement.

Thanks again for being a positive inspiration! Life is so busy and I've been entrenched for decades on just the narrow grind that is life. The tone and style of your videos are so authentic and you see a grown man experiencing joy and wonder -- it is inspiring! Sorry if that sounds "sappy", but watching your channel also reminded and awakened me to becoming excited about these boyhood toys again, and I look forward to being on the airwaves calling QRZs, enjoying Rag Chews, and wishing 73s to new friends. Please keep the videos coming!

[EvolveVi]

Thank you. I appreciate the calm you bring to us new HAMs.

[TheMancaveDweller]

QRT (going off the air) & QSY (changing to a different frequency) are pretty popular Q codes. Very nice and informative video.

[tradedate]

Thank you! This a great refresher. I just passed my technician exam and I'm waiting on my call sign. I've learned some of these listening to guys like you on YouTube. Thanks for bringing the textbook material to life.
73

[Buttonmushroom]

Great video. Very interesting for those who aren’t familiar with the jargon.

[NathanMazanec]

I am studying for the General License. My book says DX when operating in the contiguous 48 states is a communication outside the 48.

[kdwilkening]

Some net jargon that took me a moment to understand. Short-time: Checking-in will not be around for the whole net. Traffic/No-traffic: Message/no message to communicate.

Fellow Greater ATL ham (KO4ESP). Great video - shared with my dad who was licensed last month.

[hamradiojim]

WONDERFUL piece! So useful for the new op. Just two comments: 1) "full quieting" is used on repeaters because they are normally operating in the FM mode...you'd never hear this on HF, where the normal operating modes are CW, SSB, AM, digital, etc. and 2) LID usually carries with it "intention" that is, someone is purposely operating badly. It is not used when a newbie makes an "honest mistake." You might also refer people to "The Radio Amateur's Code" originally written by W9EEA in 1928 for some operating principles. THANKS AGAIN for the great piece! 73, Jim, W2NSF

[michaelcorby]

Great information for us new guys. The intimidating part of this hobby has very little to do with what I learned in the amateur license process and more about the complexity of the DMR programming as well as the jargon. Thanks for making a video that doesn't intimidate me and really explains it more in layman's terms because very few others use this logic. I typed all the points in a word file and have that in front of me when attempting to make a new contact. Awesome video!

[joygonzalez]

Love the YL, for those of us ladies who are not so young, it’s great to be referred to as YL 😂. My local repeater has a YL Net every week, it’s great.

[ivandubinsky]

I've always preferred using plain English on the air plus long established radio procedure terms such as "over" to end a transmission and "roger" to acknowledge that you received a transmission. Hams have long used Q-code signals such as QTH, QRM, QRN etc., but "Q" abbreviations were originally devised and intended to be used during CQ (morse code) traffic handling to speed up proceedings. One trend in the past few years has been to say "QSL?" instead "over" or "go ahead" at the end of a transmission. More often than not, the answering station will reply with "QSL" instead of "roger" which drives me up the wall. This began with CBers a number of years ago and gradually crept into ham radio. Sorry about the rant but I'm an old curmudgeon who, besides being a long time radio amateur, also used radios professionally for most of my working life with the Coast Guard, forest service, and for 21 years as a lighthouse keeper. Just because we're known as the amateur radio service does not mean we should sound like amateurs on the air. End of rant.

[rmccombs]

There used to be an old timer that would get on the repeater and say something followed by "Hi", and it meant what he was saying was supposed to be funny but didn't think it was. By the way, the ARRL recommends that on FM especially on repeaters that operators stick to plain language. I noticed in this area after 9/11 most fired departments switched to plain language so that they are understand by other departments and agencies.

[ajc]

I heard a couple of hams on a local repeater a few days ago talking about operating barefoot and had to wonder why they were barefoot while talking. LOL!! Now I know what they actually meant. :~)

I like the idea of a YL net. Nothing like that here in the Chicago area.

[RandomlySelectedUserName]

Thank you for nice explanation, i was really struggling about how i had to use Q codes correctly, especially /P and /MM.

[JosephAnthonyJosefius]

I just finished QSO practice in CW for the past 30 minutes :) I've been a ham since late May. **Edit** I use QRM as interference from an other person, QRN is static.. also I use QSB when the signal is fading. I use CQ on the repeater, HF and Digital. 73 de KI5JCO

[ellisc.foleyjr]

Thanks Brian for a very informative video for newcomers. Two items I would like to stress. 1. please use phonetics when delivering your callsign. lots of us old timers have "selective hearing" so lots of letters sound the same to old ears. ( e, b, c, d, t, z, all sound the same. So Wa1zbe cud be wa1eeb, dze, vzv, ?? but phonetically they get said plainly enough to decipher Whiskeyj Alfa, one, zulu Bravo Echo. is definitive. and so on. 2nd thing that I hear a lot of new ops doing when Calling "CQ" they call once and again no phonetics. "CQ wa1rks." thats it.?? again the suffex cud be full of zz's c's e's so use phonetics, and use a "3x3 call. call CQ CQ CQ, de (from) WA1RKS, WA1RKS, WA1RKS, K) all phonetically. this serves multiple purposes it gives a listener time to turn a beam antenna in your direction to improve your signal, and more time to get your call correctily. saves a lot of time and invites more qso's I can't count the amount of "short"CQ I walked away from because I didn't get their call on just one go a round. but the ones that use the 3x3 I can and do get the calls and return them. Ok food for thought. hope it helps. de 73 gud dx de Ellis WA1RKS.

[andygrew]

Always an enjoyable video, thank you.

[dafyddr]

Great insight and wish my local fully qualified would help out more with beginners. Sometimes it feels like once fully licenced they just support the top tier.