What use is an F-call?

Nothing, nothing at all.

Well, that is, unless you practice.

You're sure to have heard the expression, practice makes perfect. In any environment, learning about the task at hand is only a very small part of the process. The learning part for an f-call for me was spent listening to a very entertaining lecture over a weekend. There was a practical component to be sure - I keyed the microphone a couple of times, adjusted a radio, used a multi-meter and connected a PL259 to it's SO239. The vast majority of time was spent reading, listening and looking at diagrams.

Another weekend and a few exams and I had a foundation license.

My official practical "air-time" could be counted in minutes on the fingers of one hand.

So, why do I sound so confident on air today, if all of my practical time was so short? Well, I've had experience and practice in another area. I've conducted some 1500 radio interviews, lasting from 5 to 30 minutes each, so my "air-time" is a little higher than five minutes. I also have an aviation radio license which forced me to learn my phonetic alphabet. This means that I will sound confident on air, but it doesn't mean that I have lots of practical experience in all of the Amateur Radio field.

I know that this is an issue, so I set out to practice lots. In different situations and environments, different radios, different locations, different people around, different power, antenna, etc. I try to go out of my way learning about the impacts of settings, connectors, etc. I read the user manual of my radio. I read articles on-line, the IARU Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur, you name it, I'll have a go at reading it. I was loaned a copy of the Department of Civil Aviation Technical Training Section on Transmission Lines and Wave Guides and for light reading I plan to at least get the gist of what is being discussed.

While I realise that I'm possibly a little eccentric in my thirst for information, you might want to start your own path towards this.

I started with "Practice makes Perfect" and in a technical hobby such as Amateur Radio, that is the best advice I can give you. Key your mike, terminate a patch-lead, make an antenna, mount a mast, do it all.

If you're not handy, that's you're not really sure of how to crimp a connector, or how to cut a cable, ask another amateur or join an amateur radio club and ask there during practical sessions.

It's easy to sound confident, to look confident, to be confident if you practice. A teenage friend of mine commented recently that they were not sure if they made the right decision. I pointed out that learning is all about making decisions, both good ones and bad ones.

One final comment. While this is Amateur Radio, that doesn't mean that you cannot be professional in your approach. What I mean is that, the Amateur component of Amateur Radio refers to Commercial Use, not the professionalism of the participants. Be prepared, practice and most of all, have fun - this is a hobby after all.

I'm Onno, vk6flab