SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-answer-cq

How should you answer a station calling CQ?

Say their call sign, then yours.

  1. Your call sign, then their call sign
  2. CQ, then their call sign
  3. Their call sign, then your call sign ✔

Why: Say the other station's call sign first so they know you mean them, then give your own. CQ means calling any station.

Huh, didn't know that: To call a specific station on a repeater, say their call sign, then identify with yours.

The dad joke
Why did the ham answer CQ so fast? He did not want to seek you later.
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Sources

  1. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (Element 2), errata Feb 19, 2026 https://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf

Test yourself in the game

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That's stuff everyone should know.