What Use Is An F-call?

What use is an F-call? If you've had a license for a while it becomes harder to remember what it was like just after you received it. Fortunately I get to speak with new comers to the hobby on a regular basis, so my memory of my own experience gets refreshed regularly. Getting on air is as simple as getting a radio, right? I've talked about the process of purchasing a radio in the past, and while it's important, I'll skip past that step today and look at what else needs to happen. There is an assumption that your radio works, that you have an antenna and that you've got it all set-up and working. I realise that this in itself is not a trivial process, but all the puzzle pieces need to be there for this Amateur Radio magic to actually happen. Getting on air is simple, press the push to talk and open your mouth, right? If you have a VHF or UHF radio, the likely spot where you'll do that is a local repeater, a place that will over time attract other Amateurs who use it to talk to each other, to get in touc