Amateur radio glossary

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The purpose of this glossary is to combine all other amateur radio glossaries to simplify lookup

Contents

[edit] Sources

  • definitions marked as (FCC a#) come from (97.3(a)) (terms), and similarly b (technical symbols) or c (emission types); items marked with a * as (FCC a1*) have been abridged for brevity.
  • jargon from various sources
  • (XX) source needs citation
  • (wp) Wikipedia is a detailed source of extended information about many of these terms.
  • http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ (basics explained and glossary)

[edit] definitions

[edit] A-G

Amateur operator
(FCC a1) A person named in an amateur operator/primary license station grant on the ULS consolidated licensee database to be the control operator of an amateur station.
Amateur radio services
(FCC a2) The amateur service, the amateur-satellite service and the radio amateur civil emergency service.
Amateur service
(FCC a4) A radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
Amateur station
(A station in an amateur radio service consisting of the apparatus necessary for carrying on radiocommunications.
Automatic control
(FCC a6) The use of devices and procedures for control of a station when it is transmitting so that compliance with the FCC Rules is achieved without the control operator being present at a control point.
Auxiliary station
(FCC a7) An amateur station, other than in a message forwarding system, that is transmitting communications point-to-point within a system of cooperating amateur stations.
Bandwidth
(FCC a8) The width of a frequency band outside of which the mean power of the transmitted signal is attenuated at least 26 dB below the mean power of the transmitted signal within the band.
Band plan 
(XX) legal limits and gentleman's agreements for mapping use of parts of a frequency spectrum in content, modulation modes, and powers
Beacon
(FCC a9) An amateur station transmitting communications for the purposes of observation of propagation and reception or other related experimental activities.
Broadcasting
(FCC a10) Transmissions intended for reception by the general public, either direct or relayed. (XX) Broadcasting is not allowed in amateur radio (except in emergency conditions); amateur signals are intended for other amateurs or specific allowed third parties
Call sign system
(FCC a11*) The method used to select a call sign for amateur station over-the-air identification purposes. The call sign systems are: Sequential, Vanity, Special event
CEPT radio amateur license
(FCC a12) A license issued by a country belonging to the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) that has adopted Recommendation T/R 61-01 (Nice 1985, Paris 1992, Nicosia 2003).
Control operator
(FCC a13) An amateur operator designated by the licensee of a station to be responsible for the transmissions from that station to assure compliance with the FCC Rules.
Control point
(FCC a14) The location at which the control operator function is performed.
CSCE
(FCC A15) Certificate of successful completion of an examination.
CW
(FCC C1) International Morse code telegraphy emissions having designators with A, C, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the second symbol; A or B as the third symbol; and emissions J2A and J2B.
Data
(FCC c2) Telemetry, telecommand and computer communications emissions having (i) designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol, 1 as the second symbol, and D as the third symbol; (ii) emission J2D; and (iii) emissions A1C, F1C, F2C, J2C, and J3C having an occupied bandwidth of 500 Hz or less when transmitted on an amateur service frequency below 30 MHz. Only a digital code of a type specifically authorized in this part may be transmitted.
Earth station
(FCC a16) An amateur station located on, or within 50 km of the Earth's surface intended for communications with space stations or with other Earth stations by means of one or more other objects in space.
EHF (extremely high frequency)
(FCC b1) The frequency range 30-300 GHz.
EME (Earth Moon Earth
(XX) Communicating by bouncing signals off the Earth; requires equipment with low noise floor, very high gain antennas, and typically high output power, although modern SDR can use DSP to succeed with just low noise floor and high gain
External RF Power Amplifier
(FCC a18) A device capable of increasing power output when used in conjunction with, but not an integral part of, a transmitter.
FAA
(FCC A20) Federal Aviation Administration.
FCC
(FCC A21) Federal Communications Commission.
Frequency coordinator
(FCC a22) An entity, recognized in a local or regional area by amateur operators whose stations are eligible to be auxiliary or repeater stations, that recommends transmit/receive channels and associated operating and technical parameters for such stations in order to avoid or minimize potential interference.
Field strength 
(XX) density of a magnetic or radio frequency spectrum through a cross sectional area

[edit] H-M

Harmful interference
(FCC a23) Interference which endangers the functioning of a radionavigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance with the Radio Regulations.
HF (high frequency)
(FCC b2) The frequency range 3-30 MHz.
Hz
(FCC b3) Hertz.
IARP
(FCC A24) International Amateur Radio Permit. A document issued pursuant to the terms of the Inter-American Convention on an International Amateur Radio Permit by a country signatory to that Convention, other than the United States. Montrouis, Haiti.
Image
(FCC c3) Facsimile and television emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1, 2 or 3 as the second symbol; C or F as the third symbol; and emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second symbol; W as the third symbol.
Indicator
(FCC a25) Words, letters or numerals appended to and separated from the call sign during the station identification.
Information bulletin
(FCC a26) A message directed only to amateur operators consisting solely of subject matter of direct interest to the amateur service.
International Morse code
(FCC a27) A dot-dash code as defined in ITU-T Recommendation F.1 (March, 1998), Division B, I. Morse code.
ITU
(FCC A28) International Telecommunication Union.
Line A
(FCC a29) Begins at Aberdeen, WA, running by great circle arc to the intersection of 48° N, 120° W, thence along parallel 48° N, to the intersection of 95° W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Duluth, MN, thence by great circle arc to 45° N, 85° W, thence southward along meridian 85° W, to its intersection with parallel 41° N, thence along parallel 41° N, to its intersection with meridian 82° W, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Bangor, ME, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Searsport, ME, at which point it terminates.
Local control
(FCC a30) The use of a control operator who directly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
m
(FCC b4) Meters.
MCW
(FCC C4) Tone-modulated international Morse code telegraphy emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H or R as the first symbol; 2 as the second symbol; A or B as the third symbol.
Message forwarding system
(FCC a31) A group of amateur stations participating in a voluntary, cooperative, interactive arrangement where communications are sent from the control operator of an originating station to the control operator of one or more destination stations by one or more forwarding stations.
MF (medium frequency)
(FCC b5) The frequency range 300-3000 kHz.
MPE 
(XX) maximum permissible exposure

[edit] N-R

National Radio Quiet Zone
(FCC a32) The area in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia bounded by 39° 15' N on the north, 78° 30' W on the east, 37° 30' N on the south and 80° 30' W on the west.
Noise figure 
(wp) The ratio (in decibels) of noise added to a signal by a device to the noise that would be in the signal if none were added; especially applies to amplifiers.
Noise floor 
(wp) The average power of the sum noise from all noise sources. The weakest signal discernible must be above the noise floor.
PEP (peak envelope power)
(FCC b6) The average power supplied to the antenna transmission line by a transmitter during one RF cycle at the crest of the modulation envelope taken under normal operating conditions.
Phone
(FCC c5) Speech and other sound emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1, 2 or 3 as the second symbol; E as the third symbol. Also speech emissions having B as the first symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second symbol; E as the third symbol. MCW for the purpose of performing the station identification procedure, or for providing telegraphy practice interspersed with speech. Incidental tones for the purpose of selective calling or alerting or to control the level of a demodulated signal may also be considered phone.
Physician
(FCC a33) For the purposes of this Part, a person who is licensed to practice in a place where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, as either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO).
Primary allocation 
(XX) attribute of a range of frequencies over which a radio user (amateur or otherwise) is the primary user; secondary users must not interfere with primary users and must accept interferance from primary users
Pulse
(FCC c6) Emissions having designators with K, L, M, P, Q, V or W as the first symbol; 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 or X as the second symbol; A, B, C, D, E, F, N, W or X as the third symbol.
Question pool
(FCC a34) All current examination questions for a designated written examination element.
Question set
(FCC a35) A series of examination questions on a given examination selected from the question pool.
Radio Regulations
(FCC a36) The latest ITU Radio Regulations to which the United States is a party.
RACES (radio amateur civil emergency service)
(FCC a37) A radio service using amateur stations for civil defense communications during periods of local, regional or national civil emergencies.
Remote control
(FCC a38) The use of a control operator who indirectly manipulates the operating adjustments in the station through a control link to achieve compliance with the FCC Rules.
Repeater
(FCC a39) An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or channels.
RF
(FCC B7) Radio frequency.
Secondary allocation 
(XX) attribute of a range of frequencies over which a radio user (amateur or otherwise) shares the band with users of a different license type; secondary users must not interfere with primary users and must accept interferance from primary users
RTTY
(FCC c7) Narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; 1 as the second symbol; B as the third symbol; and emission J2B. Only a digital code of a type specifically authorized in this part may be transmitted.

[edit] S-Z

SHF (super-high frequency)
(FCC b8) The frequency range 3-30 GHz.
Space station
(FCC a40) An amateur station located more than 50 km above the Earth's surface.
Space telemetry
(FCC a41) A one-way transmission from a space station of measurements made from the measuring instruments in a spacecraft, including those relating to the functioning of the spacecraft.
Spurious emission
(FCC a42) An emission, on frequencies outside the necessary bandwidth of a transmission, the level of which may be reduced without affecting the information being transmitted.
SS
(FCC c8) Spread-spectrum emissions using bandwidth-expansion modulation emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; X as the second symbol; X as the third symbol.
SSTV
(wp) Slow Scan Television, a low bandwith modulation mode used in amateur radio for transmitting pictures.
Telecommand
(FCC a43) A one-way transmission to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of a device at a distance.
Telecommand station
(FCC a44) An amateur station that transmits communications to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of a space station.
Telemetry
(FCC a45) A one-way transmission of measurements at a distance from the measuring instrument.
Test
(FCC c9) Emissions containing no information having the designators with N as the third symbol. Test does not include pulse emissions with no information or modulation unless pulse emissions are also authorized in the frequency band.
Third-party communications
(FCC a46) A message from the control operator (first party) of an amateur station to another amateur station control operator (second party) on behalf of another person (third party).
UHF (ultra-high frequency)
(FCC b9) The frequency range 300-3000 MHz.
ULS (Universal Licensing System)
(FCC a47) The consolidated database, application filing system and processing system for all Wireless Telecommunications Services.
VE
(FCC A48) Volunteer examiner.
VEC
(FCC A49) Volunteer-examiner coordinator.
VHF (very-high frequency)
(FCC b10) The frequency range 30-300 MHz.
W
(FCC b11) Watts.
Retrieved from "http://www2.mmae.ucf.edu/wiki/Amateur_radio_glossary"
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