What does “THREE ALPHA in Virginia” mean?What bands and modes will give me voice at 3,000 miles?What would letter T mean in this radio beacon message?What is the process of making a voice contact?What are contests? What do I need to know about them being new to ham radio?How does contesting benefit Amateur Radio and its community?What does sending SK after calling CQ mean?What is a CQ contest and what is the proper way to respond to a CQ contest call?What exactly is field day, and do I need equipment?Digital modes on Field DayIs there a convention for SSB frequency selection?
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What does “THREE ALPHA in Virginia” mean?
What bands and modes will give me voice at 3,000 miles?What would letter T mean in this radio beacon message?What is the process of making a voice contact?What are contests? What do I need to know about them being new to ham radio?How does contesting benefit Amateur Radio and its community?What does sending SK after calling CQ mean?What is a CQ contest and what is the proper way to respond to a CQ contest call?What exactly is field day, and do I need equipment?Digital modes on Field DayIs there a convention for SSB frequency selection?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
$begingroup$
I'm listening to the 40m band during Field Day and I keep hearing things like "You are THREE ALPHA in Virginia," or "do you hold me ONE ALPHA in Eastern Pennsylvania?", or "you are TWO ALPHA Maine."
I have no idea what they're talking about, can someone please explain?
procedure contest phone field-day
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm listening to the 40m band during Field Day and I keep hearing things like "You are THREE ALPHA in Virginia," or "do you hold me ONE ALPHA in Eastern Pennsylvania?", or "you are TWO ALPHA Maine."
I have no idea what they're talking about, can someone please explain?
procedure contest phone field-day
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/1_6-2019%20Rules.pdf
$endgroup$
– Cecil - W5DXP
7 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm listening to the 40m band during Field Day and I keep hearing things like "You are THREE ALPHA in Virginia," or "do you hold me ONE ALPHA in Eastern Pennsylvania?", or "you are TWO ALPHA Maine."
I have no idea what they're talking about, can someone please explain?
procedure contest phone field-day
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
$endgroup$
I'm listening to the 40m band during Field Day and I keep hearing things like "You are THREE ALPHA in Virginia," or "do you hold me ONE ALPHA in Eastern Pennsylvania?", or "you are TWO ALPHA Maine."
I have no idea what they're talking about, can someone please explain?
procedure contest phone field-day
procedure contest phone field-day
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
SandPiperSandPiper
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
3121 gold badge2 silver badges11 bronze badges
2
$begingroup$
arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/1_6-2019%20Rules.pdf
$endgroup$
– Cecil - W5DXP
7 hours ago
add a comment |
2
$begingroup$
arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/1_6-2019%20Rules.pdf
$endgroup$
– Cecil - W5DXP
7 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/1_6-2019%20Rules.pdf
$endgroup$
– Cecil - W5DXP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/1_6-2019%20Rules.pdf
$endgroup$
– Cecil - W5DXP
7 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
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$begingroup$
First, some background on general amateur radio procedure:
Field Day "is not a contest", but acts a lot like one. In any contest contact, the "exchange" is whatever information is communicated, beyond the call signs of the participants and the procedure of making and confirming the contact.
In many contests, but not Field Day, the exchange is a signal report — telling the other station how well it is being received by the station sending the report. Standard signal reports have 2 digits, or 3 for CW; the best possible report is "59" or "599", respectively.
This is where the phrase "You are", which is appropriate for a signal report but rather backwards in the case of Field Day, comes from — contest operators sticking to their practiced phrases.
In Field Day, the exchange consists of two pieces of information (per rule 5):
The operating class (entry category) of the station transmitting, which consists of:
- the number of simultaneous transmissions the station is using (essentially the number of radios/operators), and
- a letter denoting the type of station as defined in the rules.
For example, "3A" ("three alpha") means that the station has three radios (and probably three or more operators) and that it was set up specifically for Field Day ("must be located in places that are not regular station locations and must not use facilities installed for permanent station use").
The "ARRL / RAC section" in which the station transmitting is located. Here is a list of them; they are generally no bigger than a US state but in many cases subdivide a state. The section is given either as its full name or its abbreviation in the list.
In your examples, Virginia is one section, but Pennsylvania has two, hence specifying "Eastern Pennsylvania".
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
First, some background on general amateur radio procedure:
Field Day "is not a contest", but acts a lot like one. In any contest contact, the "exchange" is whatever information is communicated, beyond the call signs of the participants and the procedure of making and confirming the contact.
In many contests, but not Field Day, the exchange is a signal report — telling the other station how well it is being received by the station sending the report. Standard signal reports have 2 digits, or 3 for CW; the best possible report is "59" or "599", respectively.
This is where the phrase "You are", which is appropriate for a signal report but rather backwards in the case of Field Day, comes from — contest operators sticking to their practiced phrases.
In Field Day, the exchange consists of two pieces of information (per rule 5):
The operating class (entry category) of the station transmitting, which consists of:
- the number of simultaneous transmissions the station is using (essentially the number of radios/operators), and
- a letter denoting the type of station as defined in the rules.
For example, "3A" ("three alpha") means that the station has three radios (and probably three or more operators) and that it was set up specifically for Field Day ("must be located in places that are not regular station locations and must not use facilities installed for permanent station use").
The "ARRL / RAC section" in which the station transmitting is located. Here is a list of them; they are generally no bigger than a US state but in many cases subdivide a state. The section is given either as its full name or its abbreviation in the list.
In your examples, Virginia is one section, but Pennsylvania has two, hence specifying "Eastern Pennsylvania".
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
First, some background on general amateur radio procedure:
Field Day "is not a contest", but acts a lot like one. In any contest contact, the "exchange" is whatever information is communicated, beyond the call signs of the participants and the procedure of making and confirming the contact.
In many contests, but not Field Day, the exchange is a signal report — telling the other station how well it is being received by the station sending the report. Standard signal reports have 2 digits, or 3 for CW; the best possible report is "59" or "599", respectively.
This is where the phrase "You are", which is appropriate for a signal report but rather backwards in the case of Field Day, comes from — contest operators sticking to their practiced phrases.
In Field Day, the exchange consists of two pieces of information (per rule 5):
The operating class (entry category) of the station transmitting, which consists of:
- the number of simultaneous transmissions the station is using (essentially the number of radios/operators), and
- a letter denoting the type of station as defined in the rules.
For example, "3A" ("three alpha") means that the station has three radios (and probably three or more operators) and that it was set up specifically for Field Day ("must be located in places that are not regular station locations and must not use facilities installed for permanent station use").
The "ARRL / RAC section" in which the station transmitting is located. Here is a list of them; they are generally no bigger than a US state but in many cases subdivide a state. The section is given either as its full name or its abbreviation in the list.
In your examples, Virginia is one section, but Pennsylvania has two, hence specifying "Eastern Pennsylvania".
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
First, some background on general amateur radio procedure:
Field Day "is not a contest", but acts a lot like one. In any contest contact, the "exchange" is whatever information is communicated, beyond the call signs of the participants and the procedure of making and confirming the contact.
In many contests, but not Field Day, the exchange is a signal report — telling the other station how well it is being received by the station sending the report. Standard signal reports have 2 digits, or 3 for CW; the best possible report is "59" or "599", respectively.
This is where the phrase "You are", which is appropriate for a signal report but rather backwards in the case of Field Day, comes from — contest operators sticking to their practiced phrases.
In Field Day, the exchange consists of two pieces of information (per rule 5):
The operating class (entry category) of the station transmitting, which consists of:
- the number of simultaneous transmissions the station is using (essentially the number of radios/operators), and
- a letter denoting the type of station as defined in the rules.
For example, "3A" ("three alpha") means that the station has three radios (and probably three or more operators) and that it was set up specifically for Field Day ("must be located in places that are not regular station locations and must not use facilities installed for permanent station use").
The "ARRL / RAC section" in which the station transmitting is located. Here is a list of them; they are generally no bigger than a US state but in many cases subdivide a state. The section is given either as its full name or its abbreviation in the list.
In your examples, Virginia is one section, but Pennsylvania has two, hence specifying "Eastern Pennsylvania".
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
$endgroup$
First, some background on general amateur radio procedure:
Field Day "is not a contest", but acts a lot like one. In any contest contact, the "exchange" is whatever information is communicated, beyond the call signs of the participants and the procedure of making and confirming the contact.
In many contests, but not Field Day, the exchange is a signal report — telling the other station how well it is being received by the station sending the report. Standard signal reports have 2 digits, or 3 for CW; the best possible report is "59" or "599", respectively.
This is where the phrase "You are", which is appropriate for a signal report but rather backwards in the case of Field Day, comes from — contest operators sticking to their practiced phrases.
In Field Day, the exchange consists of two pieces of information (per rule 5):
The operating class (entry category) of the station transmitting, which consists of:
- the number of simultaneous transmissions the station is using (essentially the number of radios/operators), and
- a letter denoting the type of station as defined in the rules.
For example, "3A" ("three alpha") means that the station has three radios (and probably three or more operators) and that it was set up specifically for Field Day ("must be located in places that are not regular station locations and must not use facilities installed for permanent station use").
The "ARRL / RAC section" in which the station transmitting is located. Here is a list of them; they are generally no bigger than a US state but in many cases subdivide a state. The section is given either as its full name or its abbreviation in the list.
In your examples, Virginia is one section, but Pennsylvania has two, hence specifying "Eastern Pennsylvania".
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
answered 6 hours ago
Kevin Reid AG6YO♦Kevin Reid AG6YO
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
17k4 gold badges33 silver badges74 bronze badges
add a comment |
add a comment |
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2
$begingroup$
arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2019/1_6-2019%20Rules.pdf
$endgroup$
– Cecil - W5DXP
7 hours ago