Subj : Todays New Gear Tip
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Wed Oct 18 2017 12:05 am

HF Glossary 

All-mode: radio that can operate on AM, SSB, CW, Digital, and FM

Attenuate (attenuation): reduce in strength

Balun: stands for "balanced-to-unbalanced", provides a transition from
parallel wire feed lines or antennas to coaxial feed lines.

Beam: antenna with gain primarily in one direction

Crystal filter: filters that use quartz crystals to reject unwanted
signals in receivers

CW (continuous wave): Morse Code

dB (decibels): logarithmic method of comparing two signal strengths
(power, voltage, current)

Data interface: a device for connecting a computer to a radio

Digital mode: communication method that exchanges characters instead
of voice or Morse Code

Dipole: a simple wire antenna 1/2-wavelength long with feed line
attached in the middle

Directional wattmeter: a wattmeter that can measure power flowing in
both directions

Emcomm: abbreviation for "emergency communications"

Feed line (transmission line): cable used to transfer radio-frequency
energy

Gain (antenna): antenna's ability to receive or transmit energy in a
preferred direction

Ground plane: (1) conductive surface that acts as an electrical mirror;
(2) an antenna that requires a ground plane to create an electrical image

Half-wave: 1/2 wavelength

HF: High Frequency (3 MHz to 30 MHz) 

Impedance: a measure of how easily power can be transferred into a load
or through a feed line

Keyer: an electronic device that generates Morse code elements. 

Linear: an amplifier that boosts the power output from a radio without
distorting the signal 

Menu: list of selectable control or configuration functions or options
to select from

Overload: a signal so strong that circuits begin to operate improperly

Paddle: used with a keyer to send Morse code 

Power supply: device that changes ac power into dc power

QRP: very low-power operating (less than 5 watts on CW and 10 watts (peak)
on phone)

Quarter-wave: 1/4 wavelength

Range: distance over which communication can take place

Scanning: monitor a range of frequencies or a set of memory channels for
activity

Screwdriver: a tunable mobile whip, refers to electric screwdriver motors
used on early models 

Selectivity: a receiver's ability to receive only the desired signal and
reject all others

Sensitivity: a receiver's ability to detect weak signals

Signal-to-noise ratio: a comparison of a signal's strength compared to
background noise

Strong-signal performance: the ability to withstand overload and
distortion from strong signal

SWR: Standing Wave Ratio, indicates how much power is transferred to a
load or antenna 

VFO: Variable Frequency Oscillator, refers to a radio's continuous
tuning mechanism

WARC: World Administrative Radio Conference at which frequency allocations
are determined

Weak-signal: making long-distance SSB and CW contacts with low
signal-to-noise ratios 

Whip: antenna made from a long, thin metal rod


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