What is your current list of Amateur Radio pet peves?

My biggest one is operators not returning digital QSLs.

In this day and age, there is no excuse! Most if not all digital log books automatically upload the contact to most of the QSL services. QRZ, LoTW, etc.

Now if you live out in the middle of nowhere, or some such place I understand, however having non returned logged contacts in the US, Europe, Japan, Korea, etc.. There is no excuse!

Second on this list are operators who only do one service but not the others. Come on, I uderstand we all have preferences but in the grand scheme of things, we are supporting each other. Not uploading to QRZ because you "Have to support the ARRL", is fine and dandy from your persepctive, but what about the rest of us?

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On 04 Jan 2026, Rug Rat said the following...

What is your current list of Amateur Radio pet peves?

Second on this list are operators who only do one service but not the others. Come on, I uderstand we all have preferences but in the grand scheme of things, we are supporting each other. Not uploading to QRZ because you "Have to support the ARRL", is fine and dandy from your persepctive, but what about the rest of us?

Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you just finished up a Worked-All-Whatever, only to discover that the other op is NEVER uploading to that logbook.

73!
Randall
WZ8Q

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What is your current list of Amateur Radio pet peeves?

1) Stations not using ITU phonetics at checkin on nets.

2) Stations not following directions of net control.

3) Stations claiming their club is the best.

4) Stations saying "you're not a ham if you don't do CW".

5) Stations who feel that the Part 97 Rules don't apply to them.

6) Stations saying "internet radio is not ham radio". Years ago, an
FCC official noted "We are communicators FIRST, and hams SECOND".
With more and more hams having to go into HOA's, CC&R's, assisted
living or medical facilities...or they have things like a heart condition..."internet radio" still allows them to be a part in a
life long hobby.

I personally don't care if they are a Novice, Technician, General,
Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class licensee...whether or not they took
and passed a Morse Code exam...whether they got licensed in the last
week, or before World War II...or how much they do in the hobby (on
the air and otherwise). If they are licensed, that's all that matters
to me.

All of us were beginners at one time, and we should be Elmering those
new to the hobby. Elmering is the highest compliment that an amateur
radio operator can receive...and it's part of "giving back to the hobby".

I give back to the hobby by doing several traffic nets per week, doing
the audio transcript of the monthly Quarter Century Wireless Association
(QCWA) Journal for visually impaired/blind folks, overseeing amateur
radio license exams as a Volunteer Examiner Team Leader, doing programs
for amateur radio clubs or hamfest forums, and overall promotion of the
hobby. As a Volunteer Examiner Team Leader, my job is to get folks
licensed or upgraded. What they do after they get into the hobby, is
their business.

Ham Radio is a HOBBY, and it should NEVER take priority over things
such as church, health, family, job, honey-do's, and honey-dont's...
even though you, Ham, took Radio, to be your lawfully wedded spouse
(hi hi). Life does get in the way of our hobbies...and without your
health, you have nothing.

73,

Daryl, N5VLZ

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Re: Re: Pet peves
By: Daryl Stout to Rug Rat on Tue Jan 06 2026 17:26:22

1) Stations not using ITU phonetics at checkin on nets.

Agreed. The whole purpose (for those who don't know) of using ITU phonetics is to make it clear (hopefully) what letters make up your callsign. This is especially important when working non-English contacts. Using cutesy words risks muddying the waters.

3) Stations claiming their club is the best.

Nothing wring with being proud of your club, as long as you don't get agressive about it.

4) Stations saying "you're not a ham if you don't do CW".

Also agreed. I do think the hobby has lost some of itself by elimiting the CW testing. Besides being a useful skill, I think it acts as a stop gap for those just wanting to get a mic in their hands (I'm looking at you, CBers.) Learning CW takes time and patience and shows a true desire to become a ham.

6) Stations saying "internet radio is not ham radio".

IMO, it's not. Hame radio is about making contact, radio to radio.
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On 06 Jan 2026, Daryl Stout said the following...

What is your current list of Amateur Radio pet peeves?

1) Stations not using ITU phonetics at checkin on nets.

I forgot about how annoying that was. "I'm sorry, Never Getting Three Meals A Day, I can't copy your callsign." *eyeroll*

2) Stations not following directions of net control.

This one is probably the one that makes me want to turn the rig off most. And it's ALWAYS the same repeat offenders. Kills any momentum you have going.

4) Stations saying "you're not a ham if you don't do CW".
6) Stations saying "internet radio is not ham radio".

This ties into your commentary below, and I'll get to it (eventually).

"We are communicators FIRST, and hams SECOND".

I just recently saw this for the first time about a week ago. I instantly fell in love with it.

I personally don't care if they are a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class licensee...whether or not they took
and passed a Morse Code exam...whether they got licensed in the last
week, or before World War II...or how much they do in the hobby (on
the air and otherwise). If they are licensed, that's all that matters
to me.

I couldn't have put this any better myself. Amateur radio is a collection of hobbies that make a bigger hobby. There's absolutely something in it for everyone, and not everything amateur radio is "radio." There's nothing wrong with being a "purist" (whatever that might mean), but calculating the best way to dull someone else's shine isn't a test question I remember.

Cheers, and 73!
Randall
WZ8Q

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On Tue 6-Jan-2026 5:26p, Daryl Stout@1:19/33.0 said to Rug Rat:

What is your current list of Amateur Radio pet peeves?

Thank you for your detailed and thought provoking response.

1) Stations not using ITU phonetics at checkin on nets.

Doesn't necessarily bother me, unless someone is waaaay out in left field. I know my ITU phonetics backwards and forwards, and several other local public safety phonetics..

Funny basic training story about that. In the early days of training, I was so stressed with everything being thrown at me, I was relieved I was asked a question I could actually answer! "What is the phonetic alphabet from A - some middle stopping point.)... However for some inexplicable reason my brain settled on what the California Highway Patrol uses.. "Adam. Baker. Charles.." "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF GIRL SCOUT PHONETICS IS THAT?!!!!... GET DOWN!!!!"

MOTHER !(*#! You had this!!!

2) Stations not following directions of net control.

Yeah, that can get a little awkward, especially when someone breaks in and directs something at YOU... "Ummm. I will pass that back for NET CONTROL TO ANSWER..."

3) Stations claiming their club is the best.

But.... My club IS the best!, because I'm in it! (My BBS is the best too!)...

4) Stations saying "you're not a ham if you don't do CW".

"Funny.. Sounds like you are using phone to me." I stop by all the code key displays at conventions and sit there tapping out "CW SUCKS...."

5) Stations who feel that the Part 97 Rules don't apply to them.

Yeah, people on the local repeater talking about using their modified radios out of band comes to mind, especially to new hams. Them when you chime in and explain that while you can modify a type accepted radio to transmit on amateur frequencies, doing the reverse is illegal because our radios are not type accepted, and you are told to pound sand.

6) Stations saying "internet radio is not ham radio". Years ago, an
FCC official noted "We are communicators FIRST, and hams SECOND".
With more and more hams having to go into HOA's, CC&R's, assisted
living or medical facilities...or they have things like a heart condition..."internet radio" still allows them to be a part in a
life long hobby.

I was one of the early adopters of IRLP and ECHOLINK when they first came out, at the time I was dating a girl in Thailand I met on Yahoo Chat (Aged myself with both comments..). I began using the local repater that had an EchoLink node to meet the local hams in Thailand. Ended up having dinner with a group of the RAST (Radio Amateur Society of Thailand) on a couple of visits. A group of angry hams in Thailand pushed the governing body to suspend the use of VOIP on 2 meters there. (2 meters 144 - 146) being the only freq. above 30Mhz they could use..). I was very vocal at one of the dinners that they HAD to get that reversed! (Precocious American...).. Shortly after they were successful the Boxing Day Tsunami struck Southern Thailand. Guess what was used as the primary means of passing traffic from Phuket and the outer islands to pass traffic back to Bangkok? Too many people believe the ONLY way to pass emergency traffic is the bands and modes they use, or that HAM radio is only effective way to pass traffic in an emergency. While the agencies involved correctly see it as use the most convient first (IE.. If cell phones work, by all means use them..).

I personally don't care if they are a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class licensee...whether or not they took
and passed a Morse Code exam...whether they got licensed in the last
week, or before World War II...or how much they do in the hobby (on
the air and otherwise). If they are licensed, that's all that matters
to me.

Novice..... Advanced? What are those?

Again.. Thanks for the great response, and the opportunity to throw more than my 2 cents in.

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On Tue 6-Jan-2026 11:41p, Mortar M.@1:124/5016.0 said to Daryl Stout:

6) Stations saying "internet radio is not ham radio".

Well, I am currently on a simplex EchoLink node with an HT. The majority of the stations on the other end are coming into their local repeaters with their radios.

How the single gets to the other end is of no concern to me.

I try to use RF whenever possible, however being able to keep in touch with people on the radio with a PC or phone client is sometimes necessary, and doesn't take away from anything.

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Doesn't necessarily bother me, unless someone is waaaay out in
left field. I know my ITU phonetics backwards and forwards,
and several other local public safety phonetics..

I've noticed in the police chase videos, that they use a different
set of phonetics for the vehicle license plate.

Funny basic training story about that. In the early days of
training, I was so stressed with everything being thrown at me,
I was relieved I was asked a question I could actually answer!

Thank you for your service.

"What is the phonetic alphabet from A - some middle stopping
point.)... However for some inexplicable reason my brain
settled on what the California Highway Patrol uses.. "Adam.
Baker. Charles.." "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF GIRL SCOUT PHONETICS
IS THAT?!!!!... GET DOWN!!!!"

Reminds me of the old Adam-12 and Dragnet series years ago.

Yeah, that can get a little awkward, especially when someone
breaks in and directs something at YOU... "Ummm. I will pass
that back for NET CONTROL TO ANSWER..."

There is one net where the station says "station 1 will pass it to
station 2, station 2 will pass it to station 3, etc.", and noting "the
last station will pass it back to me". The thing is, if you have a bad connection, you have no idea where they are in that rotation. I don't
check into that net when that person is net control.

But.... My club IS the best!, because I'm in it! (My BBS is the
best too!)...

I can understand being proud of your club, but it's not the only one
out there...the same for the BBS. I want folks to check into my nets,
or logon to my BBS because they WANT to, and NOT because they HAVE to.

"Funny.. Sounds like you are using phone to me." I stop by
all the code key displays at conventions and sit there tapping
out "CW SUCKS...."

LOL. For the OM and XYL, where he is Ham and she is radio, CW stands
for "continous whoopee" (hi hi). It's like anything else in the hobby...
you either love it, or you loathe it.

Yeah, people on the local repeater talking about using their
modified radios out of band comes to mind, especially to new
hams. Them when you chime in and explain that while you can
modify a type accepted radio to transmit on amateur
frequencies, doing the reverse is illegal because our radios
are not type accepted, and you are told to pound sand.

I was never into electronics (I guess I should've sweet talked to
Violet (hi hi)). However, I joke that my ham radio girl friend is
named "Annette", because "I do her every night" (hi hi).

I was one of the early adopters of IRLP and ECHOLINK when they
first came out, at the time I was dating a girl in Thailand I
met on Yahoo Chat (Aged myself with both comments..). I began
using the local repater that had an EchoLink node to meet the
local hams in Thailand. Ended up having dinner with a group of
the RAST (Radio Amateur Society of Thailand) on a couple of
visits. A group of angry hams in Thailand pushed the governing
body to suspend the use of VOIP on 2 meters there. (2 meters
144 - 146) being the only freq. above 30Mhz they could use..).

When the nearly EF-4 tornado blasted through central Arkansas on
March 31, 2023 (much of west Little Rock, North Little Rock, and
Jacksonville were hard hit), they were using whatever means they
could to relay the location of the tornado, damage, etc. Nearly
60 people were injured, but there was a fatality (heart attack)
not related to the tornado.

What got me was that so many people had no idea the tornado was
coming. If they had purchased a Midland WR-120 NOAA Weather Radio,
they would've had plenty of warning.

Novice..... Advanced? What are those?

One time US Amateur Radio License Classes. The FCC stopped issuing
them on April 15, 2000...the same day they dropped the 13 and 20 WPM
CW exams for US Amateur Radio Licenses. However, holders of these can
renew their licenses at the appropriate time, or ugprade to either
Technician or Amateur Extra. The only US Amateur Radio licenses now
are Technician, General, and Amateur Extra.

On Feb. 23, 2007, the FCC removed the CW requirement entirely for US
amateur radio licenses. Vibroplex, the company that makes a wide variety
of Morse Code keyers, had their phones "ringing off the wall" from early February through early March, as folks wanted CW keyers. Many folks
discovered that "CW is fun!!". Now, folks are learning CW because they
WANT to, and NOT because they HAVE to.

I knew one ham who studied CW long enough to upgrade his license to
Advanced (he was fine with that). Once he passed the exam, he never messed with CW again. Tragically, he was killed in a motorcycle accident by a
driver who failed to yield on the freeway access road. With several of
those incidents, many service roads next to the freeways in central
Arkansas are "one way traffic"...and they've added things to make it
safer for traffic exiting the freeway to get onto the service road.

Again.. Thanks for the great response, and the opportunity to
throw more than my 2 cents in.

It's a dollar 2 ninety eight with inflation (hi hi).

73,

Daryl, N5VLZ

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Randy,

I forgot about how annoying that was. "I'm sorry, Never Getting
Three Meals A Day, I can't copy your callsign." *eyeroll*

One local ham, KG5YZP, said his "Friends" gave him the suffix of
"Your Zipper Protruding". His reply: "Well played, sir" (hi hi).

2) Stations not following directions of net control.

This one is probably the one that makes me want to turn the rig
off most. And it's ALWAYS the same repeat offenders. Kills any
momentum you have going.

I flunked handwriting in grade school, and I had trouble following directions. Confession is good for the soul, so that way, I won't get
a lump of coal next Christmas (hi hi).

4) Stations saying "you're not a ham if you don't do CW".
6) Stations saying "internet radio is not ham radio".

This ties into your commentary below, and I'll get to it
(eventually).

"We are communicators FIRST, and hams SECOND".

I just recently saw this for the first time about a week ago. I
instantly fell in love with it.

That was from an article years ago in QST, that highlighted "The
Six Meter Millennium Net", based out of New York State. The net is
no more, and most of the hams involved with it, have gotten out of
the hobby, or are silent keys. What that FCC official stuck with me
as well. The net operated on 6 meters RF, and on Echolink.

I couldn't have put this any better myself. Amateur radio is a
collection of hobbies that make a bigger hobby. There's
absolutely something in it for everyone, and not everything
amateur radio is "radio." There's nothing wrong with being a
"purist" (whatever that might mean), but calculating the best
way to dull someone else's shine isn't a test question I
remember.

Exactly. Besides, if you can't get on the air, why bother to get
licensed in the first place??

A few years ago, I was on the air (internet radio, but I don't recall
which mode I was on), and there was this elderly gentleman who was so distraught. He had been a ham much of his life, RF all the way. However,
due to health and other issues, he had to move into an assisted living
center, and thought he'd have to quit a hobby that he loved so much.

I got into a QSO with him, and told him that you can still get on the
air with certain smartphone apps, or devices, and all you need is a copy
of your license to the mode administrators, and a Wi-fi connection. The
tears of despair turned to tears of joy, and he was thanking me profusely.
I told him that I was basically in the same boat, so I understood the
dilemma he was in.

At the ham radio license exam sessions that I do, I tell the examinees
that "If you have the monetary and property resources to purchase and put
up a dream RF station, chat with these other Volunteer Examiners (VE's).
But, if you are on a fixed income, in an area where you can NOT have the ultimate antenna farm and ham radio station, or you are where RF is NOT
allowed (i.e. medical/assisted living facility), or you have a medical
device that could be negatively impacted by RF, then *I* am the person
you need to talk to".

I have prepared both a PowerPoint Presentation, and a PDF file on
"Operating Internet Radio". I cover modes such as:

1) Echolink and Echolink Web - originally done by Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD,
it's a desktop app for your computer, laptop, or tablet...or an app for
your smartphone. Echolink Web uses your web browser to access a proxy
server (just as the smartphone app does). You have the following types
of stations:

A) Single User Nodes (noted by callsign only)
B) Simplex Links (noted by a -L after the callsign)
C) Repeater Links (noted by a -R after the callsign)
D) Conference Servers (noted with an asterisk on either side of the name.
The latter allows for a much larger group of connections.

2) CQ200 - developed by Doug Cormac, VE3EFC, originally CQ100, this works
via a link on your web browser for your desktop, laptop, tablet, or your smartphone. It simulates operation of voice and digital (CW, PSK31, etc.)
on portions of 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters, in a "virtual ionosphere".
Usage is $39 per year, and is FREE from 0000 to 2359 UTC on Sunday. First
time users get a 90 day free trial.

3) Blue DV - Developed by David Grootendorst, PA7LIM, with either a ThumbDV from Northwest Digital Radio, or a DV Megastick 30 from Gigaparts, you can access D-Star, DMR, Fusion, and NXDN, as well as send/receive APRS messages.

4) SharkRF - The OpenSpot 4 Pro, and the M1KE do basically the same thing, except the M1KE allows Allstar and Echolink Connections.

5) RMS Express - a desktop application (shareware) to send a receive
email messages via Winlink 2000.

6) D-Rats - originally developed by Dan Smith, KK7DS, this allows real time chat on "ratflectors" and sending of emails or other items to users when
they connect.

7) Packet - Via the Outpost program, developed by Jim Obenhofer, KN6PE, it allows you to send and receive messages via packet, either via RF or telnet.
I have prepared a separate PDF file on how to connect to the NS2B BBS in Penfield, New York, along with "The PCL Net" most Monday evenings. It offers both RF and telnet access.

8) APRS -- using the APRSIS32 program for Windows, or the APRSDroid app for smartphones, you can send/receive messages via APRS. While the programs are free, they're no longer being developed. However, you have to request a key
to send/receive messages. Note that sometimes, the APRSIS32 program won't receive or send traffic from certain stations. This is where the BlueDV
program comes in...with your callsign, followed by the SSID of "G" (my APRS options are at N5VLZ-10 or N5VLZ-G). Your data will show up on aprs.fi

These are available at http://www.wx4qz.net/elk.htm -- the hyperlink off of
my QRZ bio. While that has a former callsign, and my main email has a former callsign...I couldn't justify the time and the cost to manually change over 1000 HTML and other files, never mind coughing up new security and website domain fees.

73,

Daryl, N5VLZ

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Ohhh. Trust me.. I know ALLLL about the Advanced license. Failed that test 4 times at a convention. I just could NOT get past the MATH.. The way the ARRL book tried to explain it to me just was getting passed my skull.

I finally got past it with the Extra, by the great W4EEY (May be mispelling his callsign) video classes, which not only walk you through how to do it all on a calculator step by step, but only shows you the relavent formulae for the question. Whereas the ARRL book just throws it out there. You use this formula to get this, then take this ansewr and use this formula, then take this and do this and here if your answer. By the time I got to the single fomula I needed to use (Since the other values were already provided in the question.), my brain was MUSH!

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On 07 Jan 2026, Daryl Stout said the following...

I flunked handwriting in grade school, and I had trouble following directions. Confession is good for the soul, so that way, I won't get
a lump of coal next Christmas (hi hi).

This is a good reminder that we're all human, built different, and have different strengths and obstacles to deal with. I struggle to remember that sometimes. Thank you for that.

A couple regulars on my club net are blind, and I have to constantly remind myself that certain weekly topics are pretty exclusionary, so have to make adjustments.

Exactly. Besides, if you can't get on the air, why bother to get licensed in the first place??

Very fair point!

I got into a QSO with him, and told him that you can still get on the air with certain smartphone apps, or devices, and all you need is a copy of your license to the mode administrators, and a Wi-fi connection. The tears of despair turned to tears of joy, and he was thanking me
profusely. I told him that I was basically in the same boat, so I understood the dilemma he was in.

This is fantastic! Love it!

I remember working a fella a year or so ago who was operating in the parking lot adjacent to the long-term care facility he resided in. Loved radio, but obviously couldn't have his gear inside, so his family had set up his gear for him and wheeled him across the street. The pure joy in that voice was incredible.

I have prepared both a PowerPoint Presentation, and a PDF file on "Operating Internet Radio". I cover modes such as:

This is a fantastic list! A few I've never heard of in there. Will have to scrub through it more thoroughly when I get a little more time. (I really shouldn't be doing echomail while I'm on the clock.) :)

73!
Randall
QZ8Q

... My life's an open book, but it's poorly written and I die in the end.

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On 07 Jan 2026, Daryl Stout said the following...

Reminds me of the old Adam-12 and Dragnet series years ago.

Man, I love those old shows!

There is one net where the station says "station 1 will pass it to station 2, station 2 will pass it to station 3, etc.", and noting "the last station will pass it back to me". The thing is, if you have a bad connection, you have no idea where they are in that rotation. I don't check into that net when that person is net control.

There's a YSF net out of the UK I check into on occasion that operates this way. It's an incredibly conversational/social net, and I can't think of many that I've enjoyed more. That said, if you don't have a notepad, you'll definitely struggle to keep up. :)

73!
Randall
WZ8Q

... I wasn't lying... I was just writing fiction with my mouth.

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