HAM Radio, the next step

[Britt]

Ok, so you studied and passed your license, you went on to get a radio that you researched on the 'net, or followed the advice of a friend, and now you are faced with a radio that's got a plethora of buttons that each have a half dozen features, an owners manual with more pages than the local phone book, and looking at the eye widening number of frequencies available to tune to... what now?

Each radio is different with different settings and button configurations. This post will hopefully describe a generic basic example of what you need to know and are the main functions that you need to look up in your owners manual to get on the air.

Please note that I'm a new HAM and recently on air, but these are the things that I needed to know to operate my radio and get on the air and I wanted to note them to help others while they were fresh in my mind and before they become so common place in my radio activity that they are habit and don't require active thought.

Initial items are for simplex operation (direct communication between two or more radios using their antennas only)

• Charge the battery or connect power safely
• Turn your radio on/off
• Change bands
• Tune to a specific frequency
• PTT (push to talk) button operation/location

For repeater use (VERY BASIC Definition: you communicate with one or more other radio operators thru another radio/antenna that repeats what you transmit/receive)

• Know the repeater frequency and offset (listed w/the repeater information)
• Set your CTCSS (continuous tone coded squelch system) tone if needed by the repeater

The above are pretty much the mechanical steps needed to get on air, and don't cover operator courtesy etc.

Feel free to add any other steps if you felt I've missed any, or you'd like to explain a little better.

Hope it helps some folks and I hope to hear you on the air soon,
Britt