International Phonetic Alphabet
A Alfa
H Hotel
B Bravo
I India
C Charlie
J Juliet
D Delta
K Kilo
E Echo
L Lima
F Foxtrot
M Mike
G Golf
N November U Uniform
Assessing reception quality
In order to be able to tell the respective conversation partner how loud and clear you are
receiving him/her, the numbers of the R/S code are used. The R value ("Radio") stands for
readability and the S value ("Santiago") stands for the reception and volume of the outstation.
The letters R and S are abbreviations for the terms "readability" and "signal strength".
R/S code
R = readability
1 Unreadable, unintelligible
2 Barely readable, occasional words
distinguishable
3 Readable with considerable difficulty
4 Readable with practically no difficulty
5 Perfectly readable
Abbreviations
CB radio also has its own "specialist language" which features numerous specialist terms
which are derived from amateur radio and professional radio communication, for instance.
They are mostly used for relaying messages quickly and clearly, even in cases in which
transmission is difficult or subject to interference. The following is a list of common
abbreviations and their meanings, as they are usually used in CB radio:
Break:
Please wait a moment, I would like to join the conversation
Cheerio:
Goodbye
CQ:
General call
CL:
End of radio communication, station being switched off
DX:
Long-distance radio connection
Fading:
Signal is fluctuating
Hl:
I'm laughing
Mike:
Microphone
QRM/QRN:
Interferences
Negative:
No, I did not understand
OK:
Understood, correct, okay
Roger:
I understood, everything perfectly received
Handle:
Radio nickname
Standby:
Remain in receive mode
Stereo:
Two stations transmitting simultaneously
TVI:
Television interference
O Oscar
V Victor
P Papa
W Whiskey
Q Quebec
X X-ray
R Romeo
Y Yankee
S Sierra
Z Zulu
T Tango
S = signal level
1 Faint – signals barely perceptible
2 Very weak signals
3 Weak signals
4 Fair signals
5 Fairly good signals
6 Good signals
7 Moderately strong signals
8 Strong signals
9 Extremely strong signals
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