The Basic lessons · Operating and procedures · B-002-009

Logging, Maps, and Time for Radio Operators

Learn how to prove your contacts, use maps to find directions, and convert time zones for global communication. This lesson explains the tools and records that keep amateur radio organized and reliable.

This lesson is part of SignalPrep Pro. The subsection's 11 exam questions are free to practise: practise B-002-009.

What this subsection asks

• What is a "QSL card"?
• What is an azimuthal map?
• While making a contact in a VHF contest, the other operator asks for your grid square. What information is requested?
• A directional antenna pointed in the long-path direction to another station is generally oriented how many degrees from its short-path heading?
• What method is used by amateur radio operators to provide proof of communication with another station?
• Local stations are in contact with New Zealand, yet you cannot hear the New Zealand amateur radio operators with your antenna pointed in that direction. What other antenna direction could you try to hear them?
• Which statement about recording all contacts and unanswered CQ calls in a paper or computer-based station logbook is NOT correct?
• What is the most useful function of an azimuthal world map centred on your location?
• Activity schedules, time entries in logbooks and contact confirmations usually refer to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). What is the location of the meridian from which this time is measured?
• Your time zone is UTC minus 6 hours. You want to join a net scheduled for 19:00 UTC. What is the local scheduled time?
• What is the usefulness of stations CHU, WWV and WWVH to amateur radio operators?