The Anatomy of a Contact

What information makes up a QSO

Every QSOA contact or conversation between two amateur radio stations. consists of information that both stations exchange and record.

The Basics

Callsigns

Every contact involves two CallsignA unique identifier assigned to a licensed amateur radio operator (e.g., W1AW, K6TEST). s — yours and theirs. US callsigns start with W, K, N, or AA-AL; Canadian calls start with VE; Japanese with JA. When you type a callsign into Carrier Wave, the app looks it up and fills in the operator’s name and location automatically.

Date and Time

Contacts are always logged in UTCCoordinated Universal Time - the standard time zone used for logging amateur radio contacts. (Coordinated Universal Time), not local time. This prevents confusion when stations in different time zones log the same contact. Carrier Wave records UTC automatically.

Frequency and Band

The BandA range of radio frequencies allocated for amateur radio use (e.g., 20 meters, 40 meters, 2 meters). is which part of the radio spectrum you’re using — think of bands as neighborhoods on the dial:

  • HF: 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m — long-distance bands that can reach around the world
  • VHF: 6m, 2m — regional range, great for repeaters
  • UHF: 70cm — local range, common for handhelds

The frequency is more specific — for example, 14.250 MHz on the 20 meter band.

Mode

The ModeThe type of transmission used (e.g., SSB, CW, FM, FT8). describes how you’re communicating:

  • SSB (Single Sideband) — Voice on HF
  • FM — Voice on VHF/UHF, the mode your handheld probably uses
  • CW — Morse code (yes, people still love it!)
  • FT8 — A digital mode where your computer sends encoded messages. Works with incredibly weak signals. Carrier Wave has built-in FT8 support.

Signal Reports (RST)

Stations exchange signal reports using the RSTReadability, Signal Strength, Tone - a system for reporting signal quality during a contact. system:

  • R (Readability): 1-5, how clearly you understand them
  • S (Signal Strength): 1-9, how strong their signal is
  • T (Tone): 1-9, Morse code tone quality (CW only)

A typical voice report is “59” (perfectly readable, very strong). A CW report might be “599.”

The 59 Convention
In contests and quick contacts, many operators exchange “59” regardless of actual signal quality. For casual conversations, listen carefully and report what you actually hear.

Optional Information

Beyond the basics, you can also log:

  • Name — Often filled in automatically from QRZ lookups
  • QTH — Their location (ham code for “What is your location?”)
  • Grid Square — A precise location code based on a worldwide grid system
  • State/Province — Useful for Worked All States (WAS) awards
  • Notes — Anything memorable (“First DX contact!” or “Great antenna discussion”)
  • Park or Summit Reference — If the other station is activating a park (POTA) or summit (SOTA), log the reference so both of you get credit
  • Photos — Attach photos to sessions for remembering where you operated

Equipment

Carrier Wave tracks the gear you used for each session — radio, antenna, key, and microphone. This helps you compare how different setups perform.

What’s Next?

Now that you know what goes in a log entry, let’s explore why you might want to sync your log to the cloud .