What should you do before calling CQ?

Being a courteous and legal operator requires a specific sequence of actions before making a general call (CQ) to establish contact. First, you must always ensure you are actually authorized by your license class to transmit on the chosen frequency. Next, you must listen carefully to see if an ongoing conversation is already happening. Even if the frequency sounds quiet, you might only be in range to hear one side of a distant contact. To be absolutely sure, you must explicitly ask "Is the frequency in use?" (or send "QRL?" in Morse code) before proceeding. Because all of these steps are essential to avoid causing harmful interference, the correct answer includes all of the provided choices.