How do I make my first contact?

Ask an Elmer
1

I live in Sunland Park NM. What frequency can I try to make my first contact on when calling CQ? Or what frequency’s are best to at least try on? I have the band plan which show many frequency’s but what frequency’s are HAM radio operators on in my area? In other words I just want to make contact with anyone for my first try since I am newly registered. I don’t mean to sound confusing but I just want a couple of frequency’s to start on and I can’t seem to find activity on any frequency.Thanks.

2

Hi Michael

  1. Call CQ or listen-n-wait on the calling frequencies, see my answer in the other thread you started.

  2. Check the homepages of ham clubs on your aera: Some have defined a club frequency , e.g. on 70cm. If so, call CQ there.

73 Pepe

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3

I was the same and had no idea what frequency to use. You just have to scroll through the frequencies from the start on the band to the end and look for your waterfall to show activity. you can also look at DXSummit.fi to see SPOTs of active operators. Best of Luck,

4

You also could try looking on RepeaterBook.com or in the Repeater Book app for your local area. Also, as suggested, consider searching the ARRL Club Finder website at http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club

Just entering New Mexico on the Club Finder site shows 37 clubs in your state. RepeaterBook shows 5 repeaters in your area,

  1. W7FED 147.100 +6 offset, 162.2hz PL tone
  2. W7FED UHF, 445.875 -5 offset, 114.8hz pl tone
  3. K5ELP 146.880 -6 offset, 88.5 hz Tone
  4. WX5ELP 145.410 -6 offset, 88.5 PL Tone
  5. W7FED Airport 146.960 -6 offset 162.2 PL Tone
5

I am realizing my answer was incomplete. I forgot to mention what WV1DAD added (Thanks to @WV1DAD) . So my recommendation is:

  1. (Only) for some bands there is a calling frequency defined. If yes, I recommend to first check this frequency (listening for upcoming CQ calls or call CQ yourself).
    You will find information about activity centers and calling frequencies in the official IARU Region 2 bandplan (which – in USA – supplements but does not override the ARRL band plan).

  2. If no reaction on the calling frequency (or if it is a short wave band with no calling frequency), then scroll through the frequencies from the start on the band to the end.

  3. Check also a cluster to get information about the frequencies on which stations that have called CQ recently have been heard.: e.g.
    – the spotting cluster in the WRL logbook
    – or “DX Summit” (as mentioned by WV1DAD in the message above)
    – or “DX Head”

  4. In addition, get to know and observe the repeater frequencies in your area as well as the club frequencies in your area. See for both futher details in the message above from N9KBV (Thanks to Jerrod @N9KBV)

The watefall shows you only the stronger signals. To find also the weaker signals you still have to scroll through th frequencies from start to the end of the band (for CW the CW section of the band; for SSB in the SSB section of the band).

BTW: If you see absolutely no activity in the waterfall, this indicates not that the strong signals are missing (because they never sleep) but that the band is “closed”.
So if I have a transceiver with waterfall I check firstt if I see signals on the waterfall. If yes, the band seems to be open and I start scrolling through the frequencies to find a station calling CQ or to find a frequency which seems being empty where I could start calling CQ myself (after asking first, if the “frequency is in use”).

73 de HB9EVT

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