Rules of the Air

Things You Must Do

• Always identify with your callsign (start, end, and every 10 minutes)
• Use minimum power necessary for communication
• Give way to emergency traffic — if you hear a distress call, stop transmitting and listen
• Keep a log (recommended but not strictly required for routine contacts)
• Operate within your license privileges — correct bands, modes, and power

Things You Must NOT Do

• No broadcasting — amateur radio is for two-way communication, not one-way broadcasting
• No business or commercial traffic — you can't use amateur radio for business purposes
• No obscene or offensive language
• No transmitting without a license
• No transmitting on frequencies you're not allowed to use
• No deliberately interfering with other stations
• No encrypted communications (with limited exceptions) — amateur radio must be open and unencoded
• No music — you cannot play music over amateur radio

Emergency Communications

If there is an immediate threat to life or property:

• Use any frequency to call for help
• Say "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY" followed by your callsign and the nature of the emergency
• All stations hearing a MAYDAY must stop transmitting and listen
• In a genuine emergency, normal rules about frequency and power are suspended