How do hams talk?
 

Hey guys,

This has been bugging me and my searches have left me empty handed.

When Hams use there radios and ID themselves how do they say there signs?

I sent time in the Army, and am now a police officer. Each uses totally different phonetic alphabets.

When a ham does a net call do the use the military alphabet ( Alpha Bravo Charlie... etc) or LE phonetics (Adam Boy Charles.. etc) or do they just say it as the read it ( A B C... etc)

Thanks in advance

Stay safe

Grey Wolf

Ham talk
 

If you were to listen on the bands, you would hear different practices that people use to identify their station. The most accepted way is Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. However, you'll hear America, Brazil, etc. A few just say the letters. It can help in poor conditions between a good contact or not if you know a couple of ways to identify your station.

it's not Military alphabet..it's referred to as the International Alphabet (or something similar....my books in the car, and I'm not going out to get it ;f I know that it's International, just not sure if it's alphabet )

it's recommended that you use the International alphabet, but not required. most hams (in the short time I've been one) that I've heard, just say the letters, then if someone has trouble understanding them, they spell it out using the IA

Also, people just make things up. My former suffix was "-VCW", so I was Vatican City Wideband; another guy is "-WBL" and he is World's Biggest Liar. But this is just using 2 meters on a repeater, not long distance stuff.

best regards

Kilo India 4 Foxtrot Kilo Whiskey
 

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
X-ray
Yankee
Zulu

Thanks guys.

I figured the FCC mandated it, but guess not. From the few responses I have gotten it appearers everything goes, as long as the receiving end understands what you mean! ;)

Thanks for the help.

I would gladly listen to some radio traffic, but I can not afford a cert test, let alone a radio right now! :( But patience grass hopper, all comes in due time.

Thanks again

Stay safe

Grey Wolf

Kilowatt, Bolivia, Quatro, Italia, Francia, Santiago...for those trying to contact over 1/3 of the world that speak Spanish:)

Even the Spanish speaking world uses the official ICAO phonetic alphabet. It is not mandated by the FCC, but both the FCC and ITU encourage its use worldwide, and the ICAO does, indeed, mandate its use.

Remember, English is the official international telecommunications language, just like French is the international postal language.

I did quite a bit of research on this years ago, and was amazed to find out that English is used in telecommunications around the planet.

Got into more than one pileup using those phonetics.:) Whatever works.

One normal voice bands, like 2-meters, we just use the letters. If someone needs clarification, or if I am talking to someone with a less-than-clear signal, I will use phonetics.

Exactly. Saying your callsign in English is all that is required. Phonetics are used only when needed for understanding, as in poor signal conditions.

Oh my.............remember the "old days".........

J-o-h-n was:

Jig
Oboe
How
Nan

:)

When using voice (phone), the English language must be used and the use of a phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct station identification is encouraged. Phonetics are not required and when used, no specific set is required - 97.119 (b)(2) FCC Part 97 Rules

Larry
WA4CQZ