This section is about what you need to know to get on the air and talk to other radio operators.
About 10% of the exam questions will be from section B-002 in the question bank. There are about 100 questions to review.
Chapter 12 in the Study Guide covers the material in 32 pages. It should will take beginners about 2 hours to read through this. After reading the material try all the questions in Section B-002 of the question bank. Keep track of the questions you got wrong and go back to Chapter 12 again.
Your instructor will demonstrate some of these procedures in the class room
The Phonetic Alphabet
The Study Guide has a table for 26 letters. The exam bank has questions for 11 letters. Find out what they are and memorize them for the exam (B-002-2). When you have time, go back and learn the rest.
You will use the whole alphabet in the course of operating a radio. Other classes of radio operator licences (marine, air, emergency operations) also require knowledge of the phonetic alphabet. When you start using your radio you will hear other operators making up other phonetic letters. Sometimes the words they use make sense, sometimes they don't. If you are communicating internationly use the standard phonetic alphabet. Everyone will understand you.
Hints - to remember quicker and longer - write your own table on paper several times, practice out loud (e.g. "a" - alpha, "b" - bravo, etc.), read out loud a line in phonetics, make "flip cards" (a letter on the front and the phonetic on the back) and practice with these.
Voice Operating Proceedures for VHF, UHF, & HF
This section has a mixed bag, but the procedures are easy to understand and you will use them in Yukon. There are 11 questions in the question bank (B-002-3).
Voice Operating Proceedures for VHF, Using Repeaters
These procedures are used throughout Yukon on the 2 meter band. Learn this section for both the exam and the real world. There are 11 questions in section B-002-1 of the question bank.
Q-Codes
The Study Guide lists 32 q-codes, the exam bank calls for 10. Find out what they are and memorize them (B-002-7). When you have time, go back and learn more. You will hear other q-codes when you listen to operators on the radio. You should look these up and memorize them after you pass your exam. Hint - same as for phonetic alphabet.
"RST" Signal Reports
You will hear these reports more often on HF communications than on VHF. The reports are more than chit-chat. This information helps the other operator know how their signal is being received by you. The Study Guide provides a short table with an explanation. The exam bank (B-002-6) lists 6 signal reports. Memorize these 6 first. Hint - same as for phonetic alphabet.
Tune Up Proceedures
This proceedures are primarily used with old tube radios and with high-powered ampliphers, but there are some common sense procedures for transmitting with newer radios on all frequencies. There are 11 questions in the question bank. (B-002-4)
Moorse Code Operating Proceedures
Many of you will not use Moorse code or CW. The proceedures are similar to with voice, but you will hear several common "procedural codes". There are several tables in the Study Guide. Learn the ones in the question bank. There are 11 questions for this section in the question bank (B-002-5).
Emergency Operating Proceedures
Emergency Communications can be the subject of a completely separated workshop. As an amateur radio operator, however, you may be called upon for assistance in an emergency. The question bank (B-002-8) has eleven questions - three of them concerning distress calls. These are important!
Records and other stuff
There are a variety of topics in the 11 questions question bank (B-002-9). There is nothing technical here - just review the questions in the short sections in the Study Guide.
Next Section: Math Skills Refresher