VHF/UHF Glossary
Airband: VHF channels for aviation air-to-air and air-to-ground
communications
All-mode: radio that can operate on AM, SSB, CW, digital modes and FM
APRS: Automatic Position Reporting System
ARES(R): Amateur Radio Emergency Service, sponsored by the ARRL's
Field Organization
Attenuate (attenuation): reduce in strength
Auto-patch: connection ("patch") between a radio and the telephone system
Automotive adapter: device that plugs into a vehicle lighter socket and supplies
power to a radio or electronic device
Battery pack: several battery cells connected together to act as a single,
larger battery
Beam: antenna with gain primarily in one direction
Charger: device for recharging batteries
Cloning: duplicating the memory contents of a radio in another radio
Cross-band: receiving on one band and transmitting on another
CW (Continuous-wave): Morse Code
dB (decibels): logarithmic method of comparing two signal strengths
(power, voltage, current)
Digital mode: communication method that exchanges characters instead of
voice or CW
DTMF: Dual-Tone, Multi-Frequency, signaling tones ("TouchTones (R)")
used by telephone systems
Duplex: transmitting on one frequency and receiving on another in the
same band
Emcomm: abbreviation for "emergency communications"
Energy density: amount of energy a battery stores per amount of weight
or volume
Feed line: cable used to transfer radio-frequency energy
FRS: Family Radio Service, short-range handheld radios that can be used
without a license
GMRS: General Mobile Radio Service, a no-test licensed service in the
UHF range for family use
Gain (antenna): antenna's ability to concentrate received or transmitted
energy in a preferred direction
Ground-plane: conductive surface that acts as an electrical mirror.
A ground plane antenna is an antenna that requires a ground plane to
operate
HF: High Frequency (3 to 30 MHz)
Impedance: opposition to ac current flow by a circuit, feed line, or
antenna
IRLP: Internet Repeater Linking Project, a system of accessing and
linking repeaters through the Internet
MARS: Military Affiliate Radio System in which hams communicate with
military stations
Menu: list of selectable control or configuration functions or options
Monitor: listen without transmitting or disable a radio's squelch to
listen for weak signals
Mount (mag, trunk, lip, mirror): a method of attaching an antenna to
a vehicle
Overload: signal so strong that circuits begin to operate improperly
Packet: amateur digital data system that communicates using VHF and UHF
frequencies
Polarization: orientation of radio waves with respect to the surface of
the Earth (vertical, horizontal polarization)
Power supply: device that changes ac power into dc power
Range: distance over which communication can take place
Rotate (batteries): to take in and out of service, preventing continuous
use
Scanning: monitor a range of frequencies or a set of memory channels for
activity
Simplex: transmitting and receiving on the same frequency
Shortwave: see HF
Sub-audible: audio frequencies below the usual communication range of
300 to 3000 Hz
Trunking (trunked) systems: VHF/UHF systems used by commercial and
government agencies, sharing a few channels among many users by using
computers to control the radio's frequencies
UHF: Ultra High Frequency (300 MHz to 3 GHz)
VFO: Variable Frequency Oscillator, refers to a radio's continuous
tuning mechanism
VHF: Very High Frequency (30 MHz to 300 MHz)
Wall wart: light-duty power supply plugged directly into the an ac outlet
Whip: antenna made from a long, thin metal rod
Winlink (Winlink 2000): system for sending and receiving email via
Amateur Radio
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org (57:57/10)
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