What IS Proper Radiotelephone Practice?

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What are we talking about here? Radiotelephone operation of any kind by an amateur radio station. Is there a need to define what is "best practice"? Do amateur ops get to make up their own operating lingo? After all, traditionally correct phone operation is meant to maximize readability. One example of improved readability is the adoption of the NATO phonetic alphabet by amateurs. Yet, hams still think it is clever to find catchy phrases to represent their call signs. I want to mention a couple of commonly heard mistakes (?) that detract from expected, traditional and professional phone practice.

The most aggregious example in my opinion is the use of the phrase, "will station X please come now"? I guess this expression is viewed as cute, fuzzy or somehow more friendly than the correct and perfectly understandable statement, "will station X please go ahead". "Go ahead" has high readability. "Come now", well...what kind of videos are you watching? How did this expression sneak into proper phone practice? CB radio, I suppose. But, I hold amateur operators to a higher standard. At least, there are still those operators that know the difference. There is just no reason for hundreds of net control operators to be using "come now".

My second gripe of the day is the method for ending a transmission. The easy way, and the most understandable way, is simply to give your call sign and let go of the microphone button. Instead, we constantly hear this kind of drivel, "...so this is W7VWXYZ signing off, over off and clear. Hey, that reminds me, my dad used to take me fishing at that exact spot years ago, isn't it a small world? Oh yes, and I discovered that the letters of my call sign stand for this cute song I heard. Well, it has been a wonderful day....etc. etc." Here's the deal, fellow hams. Say something understandable, give your call, and step away from the microphone. Give the rest of us a break!

Thank you!
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K7PHX

 

[ko6jw_2]

First of all ham radio is not "professional" that's why it's called amateur.

The main issue I see is that when we are called upon to help in an emergency these sloppy methods are a problem. Some hams just don't know how to send and receive traffic.

The use of "come now" instead of "go ahead" is nitpicking. Cute? Fuzzy? Give me a break.

My pet peeve are people who get on a repeater and say "K6XYZ listening." I like to point out that you are not "listening" you're actually talking. When I first had my license I did things like that until an old ham friend said, "If you want to talk to someone CALL THEM."

Individualized phonetics are as old as phone transmissions. I don't use them myself, but many people do. Again, get over it.

As regards to your last point, many hams don't know when to stop talking and sign off. Some people seem to need to always have the last word. People do that on telephone calls too. It took me five minutes to get rid of a caller yesterday. I said I really had to go. He kept on talking and talking. I hung up. Turn off the radio.

By the way, even professional dispatchers get sloppy. I once heard a local sheriff dispatcher say "ten-twenty-three for a ten-twenty-one, ten-four?" It has been shown that plain language is often more efficient and uses less air time. I used to visit Seattle frequently. The SPD does not use ten codes. They would say "call radio" instead of ten-twenty-one. Fewer syllables. Our local county fire department always includes the phrase "respond to ..." in their dispatches. What did they think the engines were going to do? Ignore the call?

Amateurs can be frustrating, long winded and unprofessional, I agree. But, it's a hobby and, while we may help out in emergencies, it is not an emergency radio service. Idiosyncrasies are part of the fun. I did draw the line with one woman who signed off with "bye-bye."

 

[popnokick]

Among professional dispatchers and communicators it amazes me the overuse of the completely wasteful... and in most cases meaningless ... use of the phrase, "Be advised....". Is this the short version of this example: "Unit 21 this transmission is directed to you via radio and assuming that you are receiving my transmission to advise you that Route 12 is closed due to an accident.' Instead, you'll hear "Be advised Route 12 is closed due to an accident."
What happens if you leave off the words, "Be advised"? NOTHING. You simply say "Unit 21, Route 12 is closed due to an accident." How did the phrase "Be advised" contribute to the meaning or importance of that transmission, and why was it necessary for the dispatcher to say that?

 

[sallen07]

My pet peeve are people who get on a repeater and say "K6XYZ listening." I like to point out that you are not "listening" you're actually talking. When I first had my license I did things like that until an old ham friend said, "If you want to talk to someone CALL THEM."

How is that any different than calling "CQ" on HF?

 

[msj23195]

Among professional dispatchers and communicators it amazes me the overuse of the completely wasteful... and in most cases meaningless ... use of the phrase, "Be advised....". Is this the short version of this example: "Unit 21 this transmission is directed to you via radio and assuming that you are receiving my transmission to advise you that Route 12 is closed due to an accident.' Instead, you'll hear "Be advised Route 12 is closed due to an accident."
What happens if you leave off the words, "Be advised"? NOTHING. You simply say "Unit 21, Route 12 is closed due to an accident." How did the phrase "Be advised" contribute to the meaning or importance of that transmission, and why was it necessary for the dispatcher to say that?

As a dispatcher, I can tell you I use the "be advised" because some of my units are really bad (and I mean REALLY bad) at interpreting information.

"Unit 21, route 12 is closed due to an accident"
"Unit 21, umm, ok? Do you need me to attend that accident?"

Same reason we'll say things like "respond to..." (clarifies they are actually needed on the call, not just being informed of it)

I'll admit we add a lot of fluff to transmissions, frequently unnecessary. But some of it does play a role.

 

[k6cpo]

This is not the military nor is it first responder communications. It's AMATEUR radio. While some of us have military and law enforcement communications experience, there's no reason we have to sound like we have a stick up our butt when we're engaged in everyday use of amateur radio. It's a different matter when engaged in emergency or event communications. I, for one, am able to fall back on my law enforcement comms experience when working a net during an emergency drill and I have been complimented on it, but otherwise I'm a lot more informal on the bands.

As far as cute phonetics for a call sign, that's fine until someone can't copy your message. I prefer operators use the standard NATO phonetics instead of the cutesy stuff, but that's because it's what i learned both in the military and in law enforcement so it's what' easiest for me to copy.

 

[jhooten]

As a dispatcher, I can tell you I use the "be advised" because some of my units are really bad (and I mean REALLY bad) at interpreting information.

"Unit 21, route 12 is closed due to an accident"
"Unit 21, umm, ok? Do you need me to attend that accident?"

Same reason we'll say things like "respond to..." (clarifies they are actually needed on the call, not just being informed of it)

I'll admit we add a lot of fluff to transmissions, frequently unnecessary. But some of it does play a role.

Especially the graveyard shift. To me "Be Advised" is the radio equivalent of FYI.

 

[cmdrwill]

One problem, NONE of 'operator procedures' IS on the "HAM test".

"b plus to ground, over"

 

[vagrant]

As ko6jw_2 pointed out, this is amateur radio and not dispatching nor military etc. One should not expect/demand professional jargon and yes, amateur operators get to make up their own lingo...we have from the start. It is not a job. It is a fun hobby. Adapting to the situation is prudent. Demanding others abide by a strict protocol may leave a person squelched or talked over into oblivion.

Anyways, designated phonetics are fine. Still, when someone uses Japan, Ocean, etc. when calling CQ, I just go with the flow and use their phonetics. No one was shot or injured during that exchange. People saying goodnight, adios, whatever after their callsign doesn't usually bother me either. We know what is correct, but we all have accents and colloquialisms for a reason...we don't stick to the script.

Also, someone saying their callsign on a repeater may not necessarily intend to call someone specific. For example, just a few minutes prior to that another amateur may have been calling for that person and they were not on the air/monitoring at the time. It is a bit odd to say "listening" or "monitoring" as it is sort of obvious you have your radio on, so I usually just say my callsign as well as what repeater, or system I am on. Many of us scan various frequencies and it is very welcome to know which repeater a person is on when not close enough to see the frequency it stopped on.

 

[majoco]

One example of improved readability is the adoption of the NATO phonetic alphabet by amateurs.

I refuse to call back anyone who uses a cutesy callsign - but I have been known to 'translate' for them when replying, even on the repeater.

 

[Hit_Factor]

It's a hobby, have fun with it. Some of what you hear is tradition, some comes from CW shorthand, some is made up on the fly.

Don't like what you hear - change the freq, talk group, band, mode, volume , or power it off and move on.

The whole EMCOM thing is pretty much over for ham radio operators. There is little to no reason to think that's a reason to have strict rules based on possible EMCOM. Plain language works best when there is a problem.

 

[KD8DVR]

My pet peeve are people who get on a repeater and say "K6XYZ listening." I like to point out that you are not "listening" you're actually talking. When I first had my license I did things like that until an old ham friend said, "If you want to talk to someone CALL THEM."

Well, if you don't know who's listening, it is kind of hard to call them. Would you prefer someone call "CQ" on a *repeater*?

 

[jonwienke]

Using arbitrary random phonetics defeats the purpose of having them. Mango sounds a lot like tango or ankle. George, porridge, course, and so on. Getting "cute" impedes clear communication.

 

[RichardKramer]

I announce my call as N3 Victor Mike Yankee. When I'm on simplex with the locals I'll say N3 Very Mellow Yellow. On International contacts I'll always use the NATO phonetics. BTW made a 20mtr contact on 2/13 around 0845L to YL2SM in Latvia; 17 & 20mtr bands were open. My only pet peeve, even though it's just hobby radio, is when someone gives their id when required then says "for id".

Rich

 

[jonwienke]

A perfect example of cute, but useless phonetics.

 

[jwt873]

I announce my call using the International Telecommunications Union phonetics. - Victor Echo Kartefour Charlie Yankee

Many people don't realize that there is an internationally agreed upon phonetic pronunciation for numbers. https://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/ap14.pdf

 

[Hit_Factor]

Victor Echo Kartefour Charlie Yankee

Repeat Repeat

 

[jwt873]

Repeat Repeat

LOL.. Yea, I've never heard anyone use the ITU number phonetics

 

[Thunderknight]

While I encourage and use the standard phonetics, sometimes in bad conditions they don't cut it. I have an M in my call, so it's "Mike". For whatever reason, stations have a hard time with that letter under poor conditions/QRM. A lot of times I'll do the 2nd or 3rd reading as "Mexico". That usually does it. "Contester's phonetics."

As to the "listening" on a repeater...you are listening when you unkey, you are listening for other stations on the air. If nobody did that...how would know there was someone else on the repeater just driving down the road looking for a nice conversation? Too many repeaters are on the air and dead quiet as it is.

 

[AK9R]

Many people don't realize that there is an internationally agreed upon phonetic pronunciation for numbers. https://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/ap14.pdf

Take note of paragraph 3: "However, stations of the same country, when communicating between themselves, may
use any other table recognized by their administration."