Two-Way Radio Etiquette

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Basic Radio Etiquette Rules

• The international radio language is English, except in cases where you are licensed to speak in some other language.

• When using a two-way radio, you cannot speak and listen at the same time, as you can with a phone.

• Don't interrupt if you hear other people talking.  Wait until their conversation is finished unless it is an emergency. If it is an emergency, inform the other parties that you have an urgent emergency message.

• Do not respond if you aren't sure the call is for you.  Wait until you hear your call sign to respond.

• Never transmit sensitive, confidential, financial or military information.  Unless you are certain your conversations are secured with the proper level of encryption for the level of sensitivity, assume others can hear your conversations.

Perform radio checks to ensure your radio is in good working condition.

• Ensure the battery is charged and the power is on.

• Keep the volume high enough to be able to hear calls.

• Regularly make radio checks to make sure everything is working and that you are still in range to receive signals.

Memorize call signs, locations and persons you communicate with regularly.

• In radio communication you are not called by your name. Everybody has his or her own unique call sign. 

Think before you speak.

• Decide what you are going say and to whom it is meant for.

• Make your conversations as concise, precise, and clear as possible.

• Avoid long and complicated sentences. If your message is long, divide it into separate shorter messages.

• Do not use abbreviations unless they are well understood by your group.

To watch a short video with more complete details: https://tcnrw.com/2023/11/18/two-way-ra ... beginners/