[Boatanchors] Why The Letter "Q" And Who Invented The Code?

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

As a very active NCS for three Nets, "Break" is heard about one time out of 
thirty. "Contact" is heard 27 out of the remaining 29. The call sign is 
heard the last two out of thirty.

Since I have heard some 'older' Hams strongly criticize some younger and/or 
less experienced Hams for saying "Break", and for not saying "Contact" if 
they wanted to talk with some station already participating in their radio 
roundtable, I began to wonder what the proper term was if one did not wish 
to engage a particular station participating in a roundtable, or Net, but 
simply desired to join in.

So far, nobody has been able to tell me what this mystery term is.

As already mentioned, saying "Break" does have CB days sewage and scent 
still following it around, but does have applications in Ham Radio anyhow. 
The term "Contact" is often heard now if a station wants to join a 
roundtable, or Net, in progress. It is also heard, but not very often, if 
one wishes to join a roundtable, or Net, in progress and QSO with a 
particular station already active in said roundtable, or Net.

Once when I had a General class license I made the accidental mistake of 
making a call on 14.227 MHZ usb. Wow! Three Hams immediately appeared out of 
the ethers to inform me that I was operating illegally. Did I get my license 
out of a box of corn flakes or what? I was in violation of the +/-3 factor, 
since I could not transmit below 14.225 being only a General, and since I 
was transmitting on 14.227, and since 14.227 minus 14.225 = 2, etc.

They were correct. I was in violation of a rule. These three Hams, all with 
Extra class tickets, had a routine of sitting there on or about 14.227 just 
waiting for someone like I to make such a mistake. Then they ran our call 
sign through the on-line version of QRZ.COM, checked out license class and 
got right down to their joy in life of polishing their egos and insulting 
others! I am sure most of you have run into some Hams just like these three. 
Maybe we should take up a collection, have some "Get A Life!" boxer shorts 
printed up and mail them a gift!

Duane W8DBF


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Wilhite" <w5jo at brightok.net>
Cc: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Why The Letter "Q" And Who Invented The Code?


> Back when I licensed Break was the proper way to enter into an ongoing 
> QSO.  Contact was used when you heard a station in a net of some sort and 
> you wanted to pass information that only applied to that station.
>
> No one uses Break much anymore because of the CB lingo but I still hear 
> Contact from time to time.
>
> Jim/W5JO
>
>>
>
>> From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
>>
>>
>>> Hi Jim,
>>>
>>> Which raises another somewhat related question.
>>>
>>> Suppose a QSO between two or more Hams is in progress. Suppose a new
>> arrival
>>> on the frequency wants to get a station signal/audio report. How is 
>>> he/she
>>> supposed to make contact? Does he/she say "Contact", or "Break", just 
>>> give
>>> his/her call sign or?
>>>
>>> Some say that "Contact" is only used when the new party desires to make
>>> contact with a specific station among those having the ongoing QSO. 
>>> Others
>>> say that "Break" is a Citizens Band term, which is true, and is not to 
>>> be
>>> used on Ham Radio. Not that it is illegal, just not proper Ham
>> termonology.
>>> Then others say it is proper to simply give your call sign over the air
>> and
>>> wait to be called by one of the stations having the QSO.
>>>
>>> So Jim, or whomever, what is the proper way to ask for a station signal
>>> quality check when one encounters a QSO in progress among two or more
>> Hams?
>>>
>>> Additionally, does the means differ if said QSO in progress is a
>> structured
>>> Net?
>>>
>>> Thanks guys!
>
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