CAP Communications Orientation Class

CAP Basic Communications Orientation Course (Feb 2006) 1

CAP Communications

Orientation Class

Voice of CommandDeveloped by:LTC Bruce BreamOhio Wing/Eagle SquadronFebruary 2006

Note:This presentation does NOT contain any For Official Use Only (FOUO) information.


• Licensing• Operators and Radio Stations• Call Signs

• Radio Communications Systems• Equipment Familiarization• Use of Repeaters

• Radiotelephone Operating Procedures• Timekeeping and Date-Time Groups • Prowords• Phonetic Alphabet• Radio Nets• Message Forms

• Distress and Emergency Communications• Radio Communication Practice

Basic Communications Course Overview


CAP Radio Operator Licensing

Communications Orientation• 2-3 Hour Class on:

– Standard Operating Procedures

– Local Operating Procedures

• Entitles CAP member to operate a CAP Radio

• Issued a Radio Operator Authorization (ROA) by Ohio Wing

TWO Levels of Operator Licensing:

The regulation for all CAP Communications is CAPR 100-1

Advanced Communications User Training• 4-5 Hour Class• Pass the Advanced Communications User Test, CAPF 119• Entitles CAP member to be assigned a call sign for their radio• Required as part of the Communications Specialty Track

National HeadquartersCivil Air Patrol

Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6332

RADIO OPERATOR AUTHORIZATION

Name and address of operator:

JOHN E. DOECHARTER SER-AL-001ISSUED: 05-03-95

Card No.: AL-00123

Expiration:ON MEMBERSHIP


Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Licenses Public radio stations

• TV, FM, AM commercial broadcasters

• Amateur Radio, FRS, Citizens band

CAP Radio Station Licensing

• CAP is a considered a federal agency for radio licensing

• Federal agencies are not allowed to use services allocated exclusively to the public sector for their business

• Amateur Radio and Citizens Band cannot be used for CAP business

• Family Radio Service (FRS)

– On ES missions: limited to communication with victims to expedite a rescue

– May be used for all non-ES mission activities on a non-interference basis

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Licenses Federal agencies• Department of Defense• Department of Homeland Security• Civil Air Patrol• FEMA, NASA, EPA, USPS, Etc.


Types of Stations & Tactical Call Signs

GROUND & MOBILE AIRMOBILE

Columbus 104

CAPFLIGHT 3421

Columbus 401

Ohio Wing Call Sign Examples

First two digits are Wing number

Ground & Mobile Reserved Call signsLast digit assigned to command staff:..1 Commander (C 101)..2 Deputy (C 302)..3 Chief of Staff (C 1003)..4 Communications (C 4)..5 Chaplain (C 705)

Airmobile Call Signs• CAP Corporate Aircraft are always

CAPFLIGHT except,• CAPFLIGHT RESCUE used only during

actual missions

Member-owned aircraft• Use assigned CAPFLIGHT for reimbursable

missions• Otherwise, use tail number


CAP Communications Systems

CAP FrequenciesHF - Long-range (50-1000+ miles)

Voice is the primary means of communication

FAA Aeronautical Frequencies

ISR (Intra Squad Radios)

•Short range (2-3 miles)

•Similar to FRS radios

Satellite Digital Imaging System (SDIS)

•Used for digital imaging

•Data relayed through satellite

•Uses FAA frequencies

•Communicate with all radio equipped aircraft

VHF - Short-range (5-50 miles)

Range determined by time of day, frequency, and sunspot cycle

Range determined by “radio horizon”

HF Static

Capabilities

HF SSBSounds


F1F2

Voice Operating Modes

SIMPLEX

REPEATER

Single Frequency - One Station at a Time

R TInput Output

Two Frequencies - One Station at a Time

Your radio switches to Frequency 2 when you press the PTT switch

Frequency 1

Frequency 2

F1

F1


Repeater Operational Advantage

Input

Output

Repeaters increase the range of mobilestations due to the high profile locationtypically covering a 20-50 mile radius


+ RepeaterSub-audible Tone

Inside the Repeater

Input ChannelVoice

+ Sub-audible Tone

Receiver

Tone Decoder

Transmitter

“Mike Button”

VoiceOutput Channel

Voice

PTT

Repeater retransmits if it hears one of two sub-audible tones:

1) Universal Access Tone or

2) Repeater site specific tone

Tone Decoder “listens” for either the universal or site

specific tone on the incoming signal

Tone Decoder “presses” the Push To Talk (PTT)

button to turn on the repeater’s transmitter

Radio must be set to the correct 1) transmit channel, and

2) sub-audible tone to use the desired repeater


Ohio Wing Voice RepeatersOperating on CAP VHF-FM

Repeater Locations:• Cambridge• Carey• Cincinnati• Columbus• Dayton• Jackson• Lafayette• Lancaster• Lima• New Philadelphia• Thompson• Wauseon

If you are not sure which repeater to select:Use the Universal Access Tone


• Primary mode of operation should be simplex

• Repeaters can be used if simplex not possible

• Selectively use a repeater through use of its assigned sub-audible access tone

• Use of universal tone is prohibited since this will bring up multiple repeaters

• The key is to limit use to a single repeater

Airmobile use of Repeaters


FAA Aeronautical SAR Stations

• Air-Ground Communications on FAA aircraft frequencies

• Aeronautical Search And Rescue (SAR) ground stations operate on two Aircraft Frequencies:

– 122.9 MHz - TRAINING Only

– 123.1 MHz - ACTUAL Missions Only

• Ground Station Call Signs assigned by geographical location

» “THIS IS Lost Nation Base OVER”

ELTs - Training & Actual

121.775 MHz Training transmitters

121.5 MHz Actual ELTs


Basic Radio Station Operation Summary

Power (On/Off)• Usually part of Volume control• Battery powered radios should be turned off when not being used to conserve the batteries

Volume• Set to easily hear stations but not annoyingly loud• On portable radios the higher the volume, the more battery power is used and the sooner the battery

runs out

Squelch• Adjusts the point where audio and noise (hiss) are suppressed (quiet)• Adjust until noise is heard and then back off to just past the point where the noise stops• Some newer radios do not have a squelch knob

Channel Selector• Selects both receive and transmit frequencies• Unless it is a corporate radio, there is no assurance that the frequencies are set the same on the

channel selector. Know the frequencies in use and how your radio is set up or programmed• Consult the person who furnished the radio for the specific settings for the radio

Microphone• Speak into the microphone using a normal speech level• Don’t yell or whisper; Shouting does not increase intelligibility or range

Push to Talk (PTT) Switch• Press the PTT when talking; Release PTT to listen• Monitor the channel for a few seconds before you transmit to ensure that you don’t interfere with

other traffic prior to pushing the PTT


V S C

1PowerSupply

Basic Radio Station Components

Power Sources• 120VAC Power Supply• 12VDC• Generator• Batteries

Radio Transceiver• Designed for a single or

multiple frequency band and modes

• CAP VHF-FM• CAP HF-SSB• FAA VHF-AM

Antenna• Frequency sets

relative size• VHF-FM

• Magnetic Mount• Fixed vertical

• HF-SSB• 50 foot Dipole• Fixed vertical• Bumper mount

vertical

Antenna Coax•Special cable that connects radio to antenna

120 VACOutlet

Ground•Required for Electrical Safety


Radios you will see in CAP

CAP VHF-FM

FAA Aircraft VHF-AM

E.F. Johnson 5112 portable

E.F. Johnson 5317 “Stealth” mobile

Tait 2020II

Neutec SM-1645

NAT NPX-138

Motorola Micom-2

CAP HF-SSB

Icom IC-4008M

Intra Squad Radio (ISR)

ICOM A-22

Tait T196


Tait T2000IICAP VHF-FM

Direct channel number entry possible with keypad and enter key

Note:• These Tait 2020 radios are factory-modified for CAP• A standard Tait 2020 purchased on your own from other than

CAPMart will not be NTIA compliant

Up / Down buttons change the channel


E.F. Johnson 5317 “Stealth” CAP VHF-FM

Channel / Group Knob

• Toggles its function each time you press it in

• Turn to select channels or groups

• There are 16 memory groups with 10 channels per group

• Groups and channels are labeled with text names


E.F. Johnson 5112 Portable CAP VHF-FM

On-Off-Volumeand Squelch

Channel Selector

Microphone

PTT


Neutec SM-1645 CAP VHF-FM

Pressing the PRI button gets to a second bank of 16 channels - It is NOT a priority button

The display only shows a number, so you must have a list or card of how it is programmed

Selects one of 16 numbered channels

It is important to note whether the PRI light is on or off

Check channel card attached to

top of radio

Check channel card attached to

top of radio


NAT NPX-138 Radio Operation CAP VHF-FM

Controls:MN Main Volume & On/Off - (Channel activity light to right of MN knob)GD Guard Channel Volume (Leave CCW)SCAN/NORM/GDTX Leave in NORMGD1/GD2 Guard Channel Select GD1=Repeater (Ch 1) GD2=Air/Ground (Ch 4)DISP ID=Channel Name, RX=Receive frequency, TX=Transmit FrequencyCHAN +/- Step up/down through programmed channelsBRIGHT +/- Change display brightnessEDIT Don’t move this switch!SQ Push to open squelch to check volume and weak signals

Operation:Powers up with other radios as shown aboveTurn on (if necessary), Set Channel, Adjust Volume, Check Squelch, Set Audio Panel

Features:• FAA accepted for aircraft use• 100 pre-programmed channels• Same channels in all aircraft• Operates from 138-174 MHz• “Guard” channel monitor• Use with CAP as well as Coast

Guard, State Highway Patrol, and local Police


Motorola MICOM-2CAP HF SSB Radio

• Channels are switched via the up/down buttons

• Function button toggles between various displays including the frequency and the channel number


•Similar to FRS radios but on shared-use federal government frequencies•Designed for ground team use and large functions like encampments and schools

•Not issued to individuals - issued in deployable packages•Won’t talk with CAP VHF-FM radio system•NHQ furnished radios and cases, but no batteries•Cost of ni-cad battery and charger almost equal to cost of radio itself•Ni-cads available run 10 hours before needing recharge•Alkaline AA batteries last 30 hours max before requiring replacement•Commanders, and ES Officers should plan for readily available batteries• Incident Commanders and Mission Coordinators should anticipate battery expenses for actual and practice missions

• ISR battery costs are reimbursable on CAPF108 if mission/SAREX is reimbursed (with receipts, complete forms, etc.)

•Project Officers for encampments and training activities should anticipate and plan for battery costs

•Flight-line supervisor should use VHF-FM (Ch4) to marshal pilots in aircraft

• ISR frequencies are shared with other DOD agencies

Intra Squad Radio (ISR)


Zulu Time is Standard Time

• Known as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) based on an accurate atomic clock

• Similar to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) - based on mean earth rotation

Zulu time is the same, no matter what time

zone you are in

Standard Time Zones:EST Eastern +5 = ZCST Central +6 = ZMST Mountain +7 = ZPST Pacific +8 = Z

1 hour less for Daylight Saving Time

EDT +4 = Z

WWV Time Broadcast



Date-Time Group

16 0218Z APR 01

Date Time Month Year

Date and Time in ZULU

ZULU - Means that time is UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)

Z = EST + 5 hours Z = EDT + 4 hours

A DTG specifies one minute in a

century

Don’t forget to account for

change in day, month or year


Date-Time Group Practice

Practice making a DTG for the following times/events:

• Right Now

• July 7, 1997 3:07 am

• Apollo 11 Moon Landing, 7/20/1969, 4:17 EDT

• April 15, 2001 9:18 pm

• ELT Heard: Feb 28, 2005 7:21 pm

• What local date/time is 010459Z JAN 05?


PROWORDS

• THIS IS Preface to your call sign

• ROGER Last transmission received OK

• OVER I’m done, go ahead

• OUT I’m done, bye

• WAIT I will be back in a few seconds

• SAY AGAIN Say that again

• CORRECTION Oops! I really meant to say

• WILCO ROGER and I will comply

• AFFIRMATIVE Yes

Special words used for Clarity and Brevity in communications

Most commonly used prowords:


Phonetic Alphabet & Numbers

A Alpha (Al fah)

B Bravo (Brah voh)

C Charlie (Char lee)

D Delta (Dell tah)

E Echo (Eck-oh)

F Foxtrot (Foks trot)

G Golf (Golf)

H Hotel (Hoh tell)

I India (In dee ah)

J Juliet (Ju lee ett)

K Kilo (Kee loh)

L Lima (Lee mah)

M Mike (Mike)

N November (No vem ber)

O Oscar (Oss cah)

P Papa (Pah pah)

Q Quebec (Keh beck)

R Romeo (Row me oh)

S Sierra (See air rah)

T Tango (Tang go)

U Uniform (U nee form)

V Victor (Vik tah)

W Whiskey (Wiss kee)

X X-Ray (Ecks ray)

Y Yankee (Yang kee)

Z Zulu (Zoo loo)

Pronunciationof Numbers

1 Wun

2 Too

3 Tree

4 Fo-wer

5 Fife

6 Six

7 Seven

8 Ate

9 Niner

0 Zero


Contacting Another Station

• To Establish Contact– “Columbus 40 THIS IS CAPFLIGHT 3421 OVER”

• Response from the Ground Station– “CAPFLIGHT 3421 THIS IS Columbus 40 OVER”

• No need to use call signs until communications are complete

• Say “OVER” before releasing PTT on mike

• On Closing the Contact– “… CAPFLIGHT 3421 OUT”

Always end a transmission with OVER or OUT - NOT BOTH!

Do not use “Roger Wilco” instead of Wilco. “Roger Wilco” means “Last transmission received OK last transmission received OK and I will comply.”


Radio Net Operation

• Net Control Station (NCS)– Maintains net discipline by controlling who is talking

– Must be contacted first for permission to contact another station:

“Columbus 10 THIS IS Columbus 404 with a Priority message for Columbus 710 OVER”

• Sample Net Check-in (C10 is the NCS):“Columbus 10, THIS IS Columbus 404 with no traffic, OVER”

• Acknowledging readiness to receive traffic:"THIS IS Columbus 710, GO AHEAD with your traffic OVER"

• Acknowledging receipt of a message:"THIS IS Columbus 710, ROGER your message OUT"

A Formal Net controls flow of traffic on a single radio channel


All transmissions must receive permission from the Net Control Station (NCS)

Radio Nets - Contacting another Station

C 401

C 10NCS

C 404

1st

2nd

3rd

“Columbus 401,Contact Columbus 404 with your traffic, OUT”

“Columbus 10,THIS IS Columbus 401 with traffic for Columbus 404 OVER”

“Columbus 404,THIS IS Columbus 401, OVER”


I SPELL / FIGURES / INITIALS

• Use “I SPELL” for pronounceable words– Example: LODI

» “I SPELL LODI LIMA OSCAR DELTA INDIA LODI”

• Use “FIGURE(S)” AND “INITIAL(S)” for non-words– Example: N516F

» “INITIAL NOVEMBER FIGURES FIVE ONE SIX INTIAL FOXTROT”

CORRECTIONS

Use proword “CORRECTION”

Example:“… Turn right at next corner … CORRECTION Turn left at next corner…”


SENDING NUMBERS

Prowords: “FIGURES”, “DECIMAL”, “TIME”, “INITIALS”

Digit-by-Digit Not“Seven Fifty” 750 “FIGURES SEVEN FIVE ZERO”

NinerNot Nine

849 “FIGURES EIGHT FOUR NINER”

DecimalPoint

14.5 “FIGURES ONE FOUR DECIMAL FIVE”

Z Time 1635Z “TIME ONE SIX THREE FIVE ZULU”

Initial AndFigures E21 “INITIAL ECHO FIGURES TWO ONE”

One Figureand Initial 3-A “FIGURE THREE DASH INITIAL ALPHA”


CAP RADIO MESSAGE FORMAT (CAPF 105)

Message Heading• Precedence (Urgency)• Date-Time Group (DTG)• From (Originator)• To (Addressee)• Info (Other Addressees)

Message Text• When read, separate from

heading and end by the proword “BREAK”

Receipt Block• FROM or TO Call Sign• DTG received or sent• Initials of radio operator


PRIORITY (P)• Used For Messages Where “Routine”

Isn’t Fast Enough

• Processed Ahead Of Routine Messages, not to exceed 6 hours

ROUTINE (R)• Most Used; Delivered In Order

Received, no later than beginning of next duty day

Message Precedence

Other Precedence you may hear but not used by CAP. Both are handled before Priority or Routine Traffic.

FLASH• Highest Priority• Handled as fast as possible, ahead of All other messages

IMMEDIATE (O)• Messages related to situations gravely affecting the security of the Nation

• Requires immediate delivery not to exceed 60 minutes


Distress and Emergency Signals

MAYDAY DistressPAN UrgencySECURITE Safety

Operator Responsibility

#1 LISTEN#2 Be Prepared to Assist

Do NOT Transmitunless your services are neededor contact is requested

} Supercedes allPriority orRoutine Traffic


PROHIBITED Operating Practices

• Violation of Radio Silence

• Personal Conversation

• Use of given names or nicknames in place of call sign

• Excessive tuning and testing

• Profane, indecent, or obscene language

• Interruption of scheduled net activities in progress

• Transmitting in a Net without permission of NCS

• Leaving a directed net without the permission of the NCS, except in emergency situations or equipment failure

Other discouraged practices

• Use of 10 codes or Amateur Radio Q Signals

• Transmitting radio frequency info over the air (FOUO)

• Use of Amateur Radio or Citizens Band frequencies for CAP business


• Always listen before transmitting

• Listen for your callsign; Other stations may have traffic for you

• Speak clearly and slowly

• Annunciate your words

• Speak clearly and in a normal voice when transmitting

• Remain calm no matter what happens -- “Don’t Panic”

• THINK -- “Use Your Head”

• Read the message as written

– If you don’t understand it, ask the Originator

– ONLY the Originator can change the message

• Keep your traffic short and succinct

Good Radio Operator Habits


Radio Signal Reports

Signal StrengthLOUD Your signal is very strong

GOOD Your signal strength is good

WEAK Your signal strength is weak

VERY WEAK Your signal strength is very weak

FADING At times your signal strength fades to such an extent that continuous reception cannot be relied on

ReadabilityCLEAR The quality of your transmission is excellent

READABLE The quality of your transmission is satisfactory

UNREADABLE The quality of your transmission is so bad that I cannot understand you

DISTORTED Having trouble understanding you because your signal is distorted

WITH INTERFERENCE Having trouble understanding you due to interference

INTERMITTENT Having trouble understanding you because your signal is intermittent

Example: “Loud and Clear, Over” Reports such as:“Four By Four”“Five By Five”“20 Over S9”

will NOT be used


Radio Operation Practice Messages

• Mission sortie assignment

• Mission status report

• Radio signal report

• Ground Team position report

• Takeoff / Landing time and airport report

• Reporting a clue or find

• Passing information or directions

• Request relay to regain communications

"I am often asked how radio works. Well, you see, wire telegraphy is like a very long cat. You yank his tail in New York and he meows in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? Now, radio is exactly the same, except that there is no cat.“Attributed to Albert Einstein

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CAP Communications Orientation Class

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