Why do hams say 73?
73 is an old telegraph code that means "best regards". 73, as well as 88 (which means "hugs and kisses") are part of the language of ham radio.
What does the term 33 mean? This is another Morse Code (CW) abbreviation which means "love sealed with friendship and mutual respect between one YL and another YL." It was coined by Clara Reger, W2RUF and adopted officially by YLRL (Young Ladies Radio League) in 1940.
An example RST report for a voice transmission is "59", usually pronounced "five nine" or "five by nine", a report that indicates a perfectly readable and very strong signal. Exceptionally strong signals are designated by the quantitative number of decibels, in excess of "S9", displayed on the receiver's S meter.
88 - Love and kisses, a greeting sent by radio amateurs over the air (to a YL or XYL).
Merchants who receive a chargeback for a transaction placed with a Visa card may encounter reason code 73, which indicates an improperly authorized transaction that the cardholder does not believe they should be responsible for paying.
The AMPRNet (AMateur Packet Radio Network) or Network 44 is used in amateur radio for packet radio and digital communications between computer networks managed by amateur radio operators. Like other amateur radio frequency allocations, an IP range of 44.0.
Informal terminology and slang
The phrase "five by five" can be used informally to mean "good signal strength" or "loud and clear". An early example of this phrase was in 1946, recounting a wartime conversation.
10-4 is an affirmative signal: it means “OK.” The ten-codes are credited to Illinois State Police Communications Director Charles Hopper who created them between 1937–40 for use in radio communications among cops. Ten-Four Day ~ for decades, Oct 4 has been a day to salute radio operators.
The scale may be marked with +10 dB, +20 dB, etc. indicating that the signal strength is that much stronger than S9. You'll hear radio amateurs say something like “you are 5 9 plus 20 dB.” Or they may just say “you are 20 dB over.” It is common for DX and contest stations to give out “rubber stamp” signal reports.
(47) Third party communications. A message from the control operator (first party) of an amateur station to another amateur station control operator (second party) on behalf of another person (third party).
What does 10/20 mean on the radio?
The phrase essentially means, “What is your location?” or “Identify your position,” but is a corrupted phrase from the original “10-20” used by law enforcement to verbally encode their radio transmissions so that non-police listeners would not easily discover police operations, as well as to communicate quicker and ...
Auto accident — with injury. 10-9. Repeat message. 10-53. Auto accident — fatal.

The term 5X5 is rooted in the communications within military forces through WWII to mean "I understand you perfectly." The first number represented the Signal Strength of a radio communication, and the second number represented the signal clarity on a scale from 1-5 -- 1 being the worst; 5 being the best.
The 70-centimeter or 440 MHz band is a portion of the UHF radio spectrum internationally allocated to amateur radio and amateur satellite use. The ITU amateur radio allocation is from 430 to 440 MHz; however, some countries, such as the United States, allocate hams 420 to 450 MHz.
Distance using the most popular frequency bands maxes out around 5 miles, with radio size and battery limiting you.
Merchants who receive a chargeback for a transaction placed with a Visa card may encounter reason code 72, which indicates an improperly authorized transaction that the cardholder does not believe they should be responsible for paying.
10-63 Prepare to copy. 10-64 Found property. 10-65 Missing person. 10-66 Suspicious person. 10-67 Person calling for help.
For example, a signal of "5 9" means that the phone signal is Readability 5, and Strength 9; a perfectly readable and extremely strong signal.
For example, a 25-watt marine radio will roughly have a maximum range of 60 nautical miles (111 km) between antennas mounted on tall ships, but that same radio will only have a range of 5 nautical miles (9 km) between antennas mounted on small boats at sea level.
What are the 10 codes of ham radio?
- 10-1 Receiving Poorly.
- 10-2 Receiving Well.
- 10-3 Stop Transmitting.
- 10-4 Acknowledgement.
- 10-5 Relay.
- 10-6 Busy.
- 10-7 Out of Service.
- 10-8 In Service.
10-73: Speed trap at… (them bears are looking for food!). 10-74: I am not a trucker and am saying 10 followed by a random number. 10-75: You are causing interference (Please stop ruining the airwaves for everyone else).
The most popular is the 144-MHz (2-meter) band. That's where you'll find a lot of ham radio operators as well as local public safety calls. If you want to hear the civilian aircraft frequencies, you'll want to look for a radio that has the 118 to 136 MHz air band.
For ham radio operators, you'll use the frequency range from 420 – 450MHz. Unlike the reliability of VHF radio waves, UHF has a much shorter wavelength and is prone to interference from basically any solid object, whether that's a building blocking your signal or even your body.
They assume a 5 watt handheld, 50 watt mobile, 5/8 wave mobile antenna with 6 dB gain and 5/8 wave, 6dB gain omnidirectional base antenna at 50′. Urban Environment – Around 1/2 – 1 mile from handheld to handheld, up to 2 miles mobile to handheld, and up to 5 miles or more, base to mobile, with base antenna at 50′.
2m is the band for that: slightly better penetration and propagation than 70cm. And there are roughly the same amount of 2m and 70cm repeaters. There are few 6m repeaters and none for 4m.
CB Terminology | Meaning or Translation |
---|---|
Fingerprint | Unloading a trailer yourself. |
Flip-Flop | A U-turn or return trip. |
FM | An AM/FM radio. |
42 | Yes, or OK. |
10-72 Serious alarm.
On VHF frequencies such as 2-meters, antenna height greatly influences how far one can talk. Typical reliable repeater range is about 25 miles (40 km). Some repeaters in unusually high locations, such as skyscrapers or mountain tops, can be usable as far out as 75 miles (121 km).
about 50-60 miles with a 60 foot antenna.
How far can a 5 watt ham radio transmit?
The 5 watt radio can reach up to 12 miles or more. Some handheld radios have 6 watts which can reach up to 20 miles in the right conditions.
Average ranges between two average base station radios: Ham: 18 miles. CB: 14 miles. MURS: 10 miles.
A 13-pound whole ham served for dinner will yield about 22 to 24 servings, while a 16-pound ham can make a wonderful dinner for 28-30.
References
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