What changed
HF operating — edited Aug 31, 2026 by Unknown editor
This is the first recorded version, so every line is shown as added. Note: Imported from content/wiki
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HF is where amateur radio reaches other continents without infrastructure. Signals refract off the
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ionosphere; which band works depends on the time of day, the season and the solar cycle — see
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[propagation](/wiki/technical/propagation).
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## Choosing a band right now
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Rule of thumb: the higher bands (20 m and up) work in daylight, the lower bands (40 m and down)
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work at night. If 20 m is full of signals in the afternoon, that is your answer. Digital tools such
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as PSK Reporter and the DX cluster show live openings.
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## Calling CQ
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*"CQ CQ CQ, this is KX4XYZ, kilo x-ray four x-ray yankee, CQ and standing by."*
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Listen first, then ask *"Is this frequency in use?"* twice before you start. Somebody weak may
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already be there.
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## The exchange
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A casual contact — a "ragchew" — covers signal report, name, location, then station, weather and
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whatever else. A contest or DX contact may be five seconds long and contain a signal report only.
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Match the pace of whoever you are working.
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## Working DX
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- Listen far longer than you transmit.
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- Send **only your call sign**, once, at the right moment.
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- Learn to hear whether the DX station is working split frequency, and where they are listening.
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- Do not call while someone else is completing a contact.
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## Nets and calling frequencies
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Every band has established net times and calling frequencies. Avoid transmitting on a net frequency
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during its scheduled net, and stay clear of recognized emergency and QRP calling frequencies.
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## Antennas matter more than power
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An efficient antenna in the clear beats an amplifier feeding a compromise antenna, every time. See
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[antennas](/wiki/station/antennas).