HF Operations for You (047)

Are you new to Amateur Radio?
Did you just get your General Class license and are wondering what to do next?
Maybe you've been inactive for a long time and need a leg up to get back into the game.

Then this is the video for you!
We talk about activities, bands and band-plans, split operation, equipment, operating etiquette, where to find help, contesting vs awards and more.

Here are a bunch of very helpful links for you:
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The A.R.R.L.'s website
https://www.arrl.org

FCC Part 97 Regulations
http://arrl.org/part-97-text

A.R.R.L. Bandplan
https://www.arrl.org/band-plan

The graphical frequency allocations chart
http://www.arrl.org/graphical-frequency-allocations

The ARRL's "Considerate Operators Frequency Guide":
https://www.arrl.org/considerate-operator
https://www.arrl.org/files/file/conop.pdf

Maritime Mobile Service Network
https://www.mmsn.org/about-us/about-us.html

International Telecommunication Union Phonetic Alphabet
http://www.arrl.org/quick-reference-operating-aids

DX Summit Website
http://www.dxsummit.fi/#/

DX Watch Website
https://www.dxwatch.com/

Explanation of the "Grayline Effect"
https://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/grayline.html

Sun Spot Cycle Information
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression

Time Markers for Your Convenience
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00:05 Introductory Comments
00:56 Dave's Story (AF5DM)
02:04 What IS HF radio?
02:44 What kinds of things can we do in HF?
02:49 Why bother with HF communications?
03:47 What is "rag-chewing?"
04:45 What is "contesting?"
05:07 "Contesting" vs "AWARDS"
05:43 Awards
05:44 Worked All States (WAS)
06:16 DX Century Club (DXCC)
06:46 Contesting Rules ... more explanation
07:52 Radio Equipment
07:57 General discussion
09:38 Absolute minimum equipment ...
13:07 Operating in an Apartment
15:33 Getting your station up and running
17:31 HF Operations
17:35 HF Bands & Their Use
17:43 The most common bands (10m-160m)
22:32 Non-contesting Bands (W.A.R.C.)
23:41 Does time of Day matter?
24:27 The Effects of Sunspots
25:20 Band Plans & different parts of the bands used for different things
28:21 Operating Etiquette
28:32 "Custom" phonetics
30:17 Things we should ALWAYS do....
32:48 What should I NEVER do?
35:03 What to do when someone tries to provoke people.
36:15 Going on the air: A typical scenario
38:49 Split Operation: What is it and how do I do it?
41:28 Other important tips ...
42:47 What to do when folks violate good operating practices
43:25 How to find help when you need it
46:22 The five top tips for HF Operations
51:29 Final comments and toodle-oots
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