Radio Grams

Any amateur can originate a radiogram on behalf of other individuals, whether the individual is a licensed amateur or not. It is the responsibility of the originating amateur to see that the message is in proper form before its first transmission, because under most circumstances it is improper for a relaying or delivering station to make changes.

Each radiogram should contain the following parts in the order given:

Radiogram definitions

1. Number--every radiogram should have a number. Keep a sheet with a consecutive list of numbers, beginning at 1, by your radio. When a radiogram is written, complete all parts of the preamble except the number. When you send the radiogram, assign a number to it from the number sheet, crossing out numbers on the sheet as they are used and making a notation, after the number, of the station to whom the radiogram was sent and the date. Most traffic handlers start with number 1at the beginning of each year.

2. Precedence--every radiogram has a precedence, and it is normally "Routine" (R). It is a separate part of the preamble and is transmitted as such, not as part of the number. Other precedence's are "Priority" (P), "Emergency" --never abbreviated, and "Welfare" (W).

3. Handling Instructions (HX)--are used when the writer of the radiogram requires special instructions in how to the handle the radiogram

4. Station of Origin--is the call sign of the radio station from which the radiogram was first sent by Amateur Radio, and is included so that handling stations will be able to communicate with the originator if something interferes with the prompt handling or delivery of the message.

5. Check--is the number of words and numerals in the text of the radiogram. Handling stations should agree on the check before the message is considered handled.

6. Place of Origin--is the name of the town from which the radiogram started, not necessarily the location of the radio station of origin. The preamble of a radiogram written in Dayton, Ohio might read as follows: NR 457 R W1INF 21 DAYTON OHIO 2057Z JUNE 11. If a message is sent to your station by mail or not written in person, the preamble should show the place the radiogram came from. If the radiogram came to Dayton by mail from Auburn, Maine, the preamble would read: NR 457 R W1INF 21AUBURN MAINE 2057Z JUNE 11

7. Time Field--is the time the radiogram is received at the station that it sent. Standard practice is to use Universal Coordinated Time (UTC). This part of the preamble is optional with the originating station.

8. Date--the month and the day (not the year) that the radiogram was filed at the originating station.

9. Address--is the complete name, street and number, city and state to whom the radiogram is going--stress this when accepting a radiogram. The phone number should be part of the address. In transmitting the message by CW, the signal AA is used to separate parts of the address, and the address is followed by BT or "break" before the text is started. Addresses with the words east, west, etc, should be spelled out in full. Don't use suffixes "th," "nd"etc (example: 19 W 19th St should be 19 West 19 St.

10. Text--consists of words in the radiogram. No abbreviations should be used. The text follows the address and is set off from the signature by another BT

11. Signature--is usually the name of the person originating the message. The signature follows the BT or "break" at the end of the text. The abbreviation "sig" is not transmitted. After the signature, say "end" or transmit AR. If more is to follow, say "more." On CW, use the prosign B. If there's no more, say "no more." On CW use the prosign "N."

Counting Words in Radiograms

The amateur radiogram "check" is the number of words in the text only. The count is determined by the spacing used by the operator in sending the text. The first operator to transmit the radiogram enters the check in the preamble; this check should carry through to destination. The relaying operator has no authority to change the check unless it is determined that the check is incorrect. Then it should be confirmed with the transmitting operator before making the change. But the original check should remain in the preamble (example: an original check of 10 corrected to 9 would be sent "10/9". The check allows for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of your copy. It indicates to the receiving operator how many words the radiogram will contain.

Numbers count as one, regardless of length. Don't use punctuation or fractions. "X" or "X-ray" is used in place of a period or semicolon and is counted in the check. Here are examples of word counts:

New York City 3 words

527B 1 word

NYC 1 word

Fifty six 2 words

H O Townsend 3 words

W1YL/4 1 word

The ARRL-recommended procedure for counting the telephone number in the text is to separate the number into groups, with the area code counting as one word, the three-digit exchange one word, and the last four digits one word. (860 594 0301counts as three words and 594 0301 as two words). Separating the phone number into groups minimizes garbling.

A few rules have to be observed in sending words:

Make your spacing methodical and accurate on both phone and CW.
Follow the dictionary.
Do not waste time arguing about "how to count." The purpose of the "check" in amateur work is to confirm the number of words or groups in the text. QTB is a useful signal in confirming check. Once you are sure that you have copied the radiogram correctly, QSL (on CW) or "roger" (on phone) the radiogram and get on with the next one, correcting the check when you relay the radiogram.

In copying traffic by pencil or typewriter, it is quite easy to count the words in the text as you copy. When using pencil, copy five words to a line. At the end of the radiogram, you can easily figure the number of words by the number of lines (plus how many words over) you copied. By typewriter, it is more convenient to copy ten words to a line--this can easily be done by copying five words, hitting the space bar twice instead of once, copying five more words, then line spacing to begin a new ten-word line. At the end of the message a glance at the number of lines will show you how many words you copied. You can then question the sending operator if your figure doesn't agree. When message traffic is heavy, it is not advisable to query a check unless you believe that a mistake was made in sending or copying.

ARL Check

Messages containing ARRL numbered radiogram texts (see form FSD-3) have the same form as any other radiogram, except that the symbol ARL (not ARRL) is used before the check. This symbol indicates that a spelled-out number in the radiogram refers to a complete text on the ARL list. When delivering a message with an ARL text, you must deliver the complete text. It is therefore very necessary that the symbol ARL be included with the check to avoid the possibility of delivery of a meaningless number to the addressee.