The Basic lessons · Operating and procedures · B-002-008

Emergency Signals and Distress Procedures

Learn when and how to use distress signals like MAYDAY and SOS to save lives. Understand the correct priorities for emergency communications and how to respond when others are in trouble.

This lesson is part of SignalPrep Pro. The subsection's 11 exam questions are free to practise: practise B-002-008.

What this subsection asks

• When may you use your amateur radio station to transmit an "SOS" or "MAYDAY"?
• You need to summon help while stranded in a remote location, but without immediate risk to life. What priority is your message?
• What voice signal, transmitted three times, signifies distress?
• What is the correct distress signal in Morse code?
• What is the correct way to interrupt a repeater conversation to seek assistance in a distress situation?
• What is the advantage of preparing to operate your station without commercial AC power?
• In an emergency, what additional equipment is crucial to maintaining communications with a hand-held radio?
• Which type of antenna would be a good choice as part of a portable HF station that could be set up in case of an emergency?
• If you are communicating with another station and hear a station in distress break in, what should you do?
• In order of priority, a distress message comes before:
• If you hear distress traffic and are unable to render direct assistance you should: