Why are signal reports typically exchanged at the beginning of an HF contact?
To allow each station to operate according to conditions✓Correct answer
To be sure the contact will count for award programs
To follow standard radiogram structure
To allow each station to calibrate their frequency display
Explanation
The signal report tells each operator how well they are actually getting through, and that drives every later choice in the contact: power, antenna, speed, mode, and whether information needs repeating. It comes first because those decisions are needed first.