Frequently Asked Questions

What is CW?

It is "amateur radio speak" for Morse Code.

Why is the membership of FOC limited to 500?

FOC grew slowly to 500 members and limits its membership to 500 active members. In the early days, membership was limited to 100 members. The limit is not about exclusivity, but about practical management limits and the abilities of members. The numbers increased as follows: 1956: 350; 1962: 400; 1966: 500. 500 still reflects upon membership as having that "extra something" in their operating skills. There are no funny handshakes and we do not look down our noses at non-members.

What does wpm mean? What does cps mean?

wpm stands for words per minute. A word is standardised to the same length in time and characters as the word PARIS. If you can copy 12 repeats of PARIS in one minute, then you are "doing" 12 wpm. cps stands for characters per second. This means the number of letters in a second (very fast, normally). 12 wpm is about the same as 1 cps. Most FOC members can do 30+ wpm. Many can do 50 wpm. A few can do 80 wpm!

What does HF/LF mean?

HF = High Frequency, typically the bands from 10.1MHz to 28MHz. LF = Low Frequency, typically the bands from 1.8MHz to 7MHz. MF (medium frequency) is generally not used and, if it is, harks back to the days of it meaning Medium Wave, or 500-1500kHz, the AM Broadcast band.

How can I find out more about FOC?

Please press the Contact Us tab in the menu above and somebody will get back to you as soon as possible.

What is a straight key/bug/el-key/paddle/keyboard?

They all different ways of sending CW. Get more information at our "Morse" menu item.

What is DX? What is a DXpedition?

DX means "rare station" - often far away from you (but not always!). A DXpedition is an expedition or trip that made especially to make a rare location available "on the air". Think of the whole thing as being a bit like Bird watchers chasing rare birds, except the people on DXpeditions are the birds.

How do I find out about amateur radio in general?

Our members are spread throughout the world; about 120 in the UK, 200 in the US and others in 50 countries. You can also visit the ARRL website and find information about your country and its regulations.