Operating instructions

Choosing a Ham Radio 5
VhF/uhF GlossaRy
Airband: VHF channels for aviation air-to-air and air-to-ground communications
All-mode: radio that can operate on AM, SSB, CW, digital modes and FM
APRS: Automatic Position Reporting System
ARES
®
: Amateur Radio Emergency Service, sponsored by the ARRL’s Field Organization
Attenuate (attenuation): reduce in strength
Auto-patch: connection (“patch”) between a radio and the telephone system
Automotive adapter: device that plugs into a vehicle lighter socket and supplies power
to a radio or electronic device
Battery pack: several battery cells connected together to act as a single, larger battery
Beam: antenna with gain primarily in one direction
Charger: device for recharging batteries
Cloning: duplicating the memory contents of a radio in another radio
Cross-band: receiving on one band and transmitting on another
CW (Continuous-wave): Morse Code
dB (decibels): logarithmic method of comparing two signal strengths (power, voltage,
current)
Digital mode: communication method that exchanges characters instead of voice or CW
DTMF: Dual-Tone, Multi-Frequency, signaling tones (“TouchTones
®
”) used by tele-
phone systems
Duplex: transmitting on one frequency and receiving on another in the same band
Emcomm: abbreviation for “emergency communications”
Energy density: amount of energy a battery stores per amount of weight or volume
Feed line: cable used to transfer radio-frequency energy
FRS: Family Radio Service, short-range handheld radios that can be used without a
license
GMRS: General Mobile Radio Service, a no-test licensed service in the UHF range for
family use
Gain (antenna): antenna’s ability to concentrate received or transmitted energy in a
preferred direction
Ground-plane: conductive surface that acts as an electrical mirror. A ground plane an-
tenna is an antenna that requires a ground plane to operate
HF: High Frequency (3- 30 MHz)
Impedance: opposition to ac current flow by a circuit, feed line, or antenna
IRLP: Internet Repeater Linking Project, a system of accessing and linking repeaters
through the Internet
MARS: Military Affiliate Radio System in which hams communicate with military sta-
tions
Menu: list of selectable control or configuration functions or options
Monitor: listen without transmitting or disable a radio’s squelch to listen for weak signals
Mount (mag, trunk, lip, mirror): a method of attaching an antenna to a vehicle
Overload: signal so strong that circuits begin to operate improperly
Packet: amateur digital data system that communicates using VHF and UHF frequencies
Polarization: orientation of radio waves with respect to the surface of the Earth (vertical,
horizontal polarization)
Power supply: device that changes ac power into dc power
Range: distance over which communication can take place
Rotate (batteries): to take in and out of service, preventing continuous use
Scanning: monitor a range of frequencies or a set of memory channels for activity
Simplex: transmitting and receiving on the same frequency
Shortwave: see HF