ACMA Amateur Radio Regulations Exam key terms

A standing permission granted by the regulator that lets any person who meets the conditions operate amateur radio equipment, without each operator applying for an individual licence.

A rule attached to the class licence that an operator must follow, such as only transmitting on authorised frequencies, using permitted power, and identifying the station correctly.

A qualification issued after passing the required theory and practical assessments, showing the holder has the knowledge and skill to operate an amateur station safely and lawfully.

A person who holds a current amateur operator certificate of the appropriate grade and is therefore entitled to operate under the class licence, either alone or while supervising others.

Direct control of an unqualified or less-qualified person's transmissions by a qualified operator who is present, responsible for the station's compliance, and able to stop operation immediately.

A unique identifier assigned to an amateur station, made up of letters and numbers, used to identify the station at the start and end of transmissions and at intervals during them.

The leading part of an amateur call sign, usually letters and a numeral, that indicates the country or administration issuing the licence, for example the letters identifying Australia.

The final letters of an amateur call sign that distinguish one station from another within the same prefix and numeral group, typically two or three letters.

The required practice of announcing the station's call sign clearly at the beginning and end of each communication, and at reasonable intervals during a long transmission.

A general invitation transmitted to any station that may be listening, asking for a contact, usually given as the letters CQ repeated with the caller's call sign.

A two-way communication between amateur stations, in which operators exchange call signs, signal reports and other information according to accepted operating practice.

A short assessment of a received signal's readability and strength, commonly using the RST system, exchanged between stations to describe how well each is being heard.

A standard three-part code for reporting readability, signal strength and tone, with readability and strength each scored from one to five and tone from one to nine.

A set of three-letter abbreviations beginning with Q, used in amateur and other radio services to convey common messages such as frequency, location or interference concisely.

The Q code meaning change frequency, used to tell another station to move to a different frequency, either as a question or as an instruction.

The Q code for man-made interference, such as signals from other stations or electrical equipment, that disrupts reception of a wanted transmission.

The Q code for natural or atmospheric noise, such as static from lightning or weather, that makes a received signal harder to copy.

The Q code asking who is calling the station, often used after a CQ call to invite the responding station to give its call sign.

A frequency designated or commonly used for making initial contact, which operators should use briefly and then leave clear by moving the contact elsewhere.

A voluntary or recommended arrangement that divides an amateur band into segments for particular modes or activities, helping operators avoid interference and find like-minded contacts.

A defined range of radio frequencies allocated to the amateur service, such as a band around 144 MHz, within which operators may transmit subject to licence conditions.

The highest transmitter output power a licensee may use under the class licence, often stated in watts and sometimes varied according to band or licence grade.

Interference that seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts another radio service, which amateurs must avoid causing and must help resolve when reported.

A message passed by an amateur station on behalf of someone other than the operator, subject to restrictions on who may be involved and what may be communicated.

Transmitting information intended for the general public rather than for a specific amateur station, which is generally not permitted under the amateur class licence.

A transmission whose meaning is deliberately obscured, such as by cipher, which amateurs may not send except for specific permitted control or identification purposes.

An automatically controlled station that receives signals on one frequency and retransmits them on another, extending the range of low-power or handheld amateur stations.

Communication in which both stations transmit and receive on the same frequency, as opposed to using a repeater with separate input and output frequencies.

A standard set of words used to spell out letters clearly over radio, such as Alpha, Bravo and Charlie, reducing errors when call signs are spoken.

A transmission mode in which the carrier's frequency varies with the audio signal, widely used for voice contacts on amateur bands above about 29 MHz.

A form of amplitude modulation that transmits one sideband and suppresses the carrier, saving power and bandwidth and commonly used for long-distance voice contacts.

A signalling method using short and long elements to represent letters, numbers and punctuation, still used in amateur communication and often tested in operator assessments.

A record of a station's contacts, usually listing date, time, frequency, mode and the other station's call sign, kept for reference and sometimes required by the licence.

One of the levels of amateur operator qualification, such as foundation, standard or advanced, each carrying different operating privileges and assessment requirements.

Operating an amateur station from a temporary location away from its registered address, with the call sign often followed by an indicator showing the station is portable.

An amateur operator who has died, a term often used respectfully on air and in club communications when referring to a deceased licensee.