New Hampshire Wing New Hampshire Wing CAP CommunicationsCAP Communications

Voice Of CommandVoice Of Command

Basic Communications Users Training Basic Communications Users Training CourseCourse

This version of the briefing slides has been purged of referenced to CAP Frequencies. For CAP internal use, the complete briefing is available at http://nhwgcap/comm/secure/BCUTforNHWG.ppt

• Mission and Purpose :

The communications mission of CAP is to organize and maintain a reliable, nationwide, point-to-point, air-to-gound and ground mobile radio capability for use in emergencies and for training communications personnel.

The primary purpose of any CAP communications facility is to provide the Commander with the means for controlling his/her units and their activities.

CAP Radio Operator AuthorizationCAP Radio Operator Authorization

• Basic Communications User Training 3-4 Hour Class on:

» Standard Operating Procedures

» Local Operating Procedures

– Entitles CAP member to operate a CAP Radio

– Issued a CAPF 76, Radio Operator’s Permit by Wing or higher headquarters

• 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

– Required as part of the Communications Specialty Track

National HeadquartersCivil Air Patrol

Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6332

RADIO OPERATOR AUTHORIZATIONName and address of operator:John Doe123 Main StreetMontgomery AL 36112

Card # AL-00123

Expiration: 31 AUG 98

Authorization is done in two phases:

• Part I: Standard Operating Procedures• 1) Calling and Answering

• 2) Types of stations and Tactical Call Signs

• 3) Operating the Radio

• 4) Basic Pro-Words

• 5) Prohibitions

• 6) National Communication Policies

B-CUT Topics:

• Part II Local Operating Practices

• 1) Location and Use of Local Repeaters

• 2) Local Operating Practices

• 3) Types of net and local net schedule

• 4) Basic repeater operation

• 5) Message Construction

• 6) SAR Message Procedures

• 7) Hands-on practice with Radios

• 8) Practical Factors, (Mission Radio Operator Tasks.)

CAP Radio Station LicensingCAP Radio Station Licensing• CAP is a considered a federal agency, thus its

Radio Stations are authorized by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

• Public stations are licensed by the FCC

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

• This excludes the use of Amateur Radio and Citizens Band for CAP business.

The regulation for all CAP Communications is CAPR 100-1 Vol. 1

Types of Stations &Types of Stations &Tactical Call SignsTactical Call Signs

GROUNDAIRMOBILE

Abenaki 265

CAP Flight 2821Ma (19xx)Maine (17xx) Vermont (41xx)( first two digitsare Wing Num.)

Abenaki 405

MOBILE

NEW HAMPSHIRE WING CALL SIGN EXAMPLES

• Northeast Region CAP Stone

• New Hampshire Abenaki

• Massachusetts Patriot

• Maine Down East

• Vermont Vermont CAP

• New York White Peak

• Connecticut Charter Oak

• Rhode Island Narragansett

• New Jersey Red Dragon

• Pennsylvania Penn CAP

• National HQ CAP Head CAP

CAP Radio Tactical Call Signs:

• 1) Region/Wing Commander (Abenaki-1 )

• 2) Region/Wing Vice Commander

• 3) Region/Wing Chief of Staff

• 4) Region/Wing Director of Communications

• 5) Region/Wing Chaplain

• The Call Signs 1 thru 20 are Issued to Wing Directors.

Region / Wing Tactical Call Signs:

PROWORDSPROWORDS

• 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

Prowords are a special set of words used for clarity and brevity in communications.

Some of the most commonly used prowords are:

Reference: 100-1

Phonetic AlphabetPhonetic AlphabetA AlphaB BravoC CharlieD DeltaE EchoF FoxtrotG GolfH HotelI IndiaJ JulietK KiloL LimaM Mike

N NovemberO OscarP PapaQ QuebecR RomeoS SierraT TangoU UniformV VictorW WhiskeyX X-RayY YankeeZ Zulu

NumbersNumbersPronunciation

1 WUN

2 TOO

3 TREE

4 FO-WER

5 FIFE

6 SIX

7 SEVEN

8 ATE

9 NINER

0 ZERO

When writing the numbers, do not write them down the way they are pronounced.

For example, do not write “one” as “wun” or “five” as “fife.” Write them as “one” and “five.”

I SPELL / FIGURES / INITIALSI SPELL / FIGURES / INITIALS• Use “I SPELL” for pronounceable words

– PIZZA

» “I SPELL PIZZA PAPA INDIA ZULU ZULU ALPHA PIZZA”

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

» “INITIAL NOVEMBER FIGURES FIVE ONE SIX INTIAL FOXTROT”

CORRECTIONSCORRECTIONS

Use proword “CORRECTION” to correct a mistakeExample:

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

SENDING NUMBERSSENDING NUMBERS• Use 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”

ZULU TimeZULU Time• AKA Greenwich Mean Time or Universal

Coordinated Time.

• Refers to the current time in Greenwich, United Kingdom. Also known as UTC.

• Zulu time is a system of timekeeping that refers to the same time, no matter what time zone you are in.

• Note: If the local time is 2100 hours, with a conversion to UTC of + 5 hours, then UTC or Zulu time is 0100 the next day.

• Zulu is +4 hours from the first Sunday in april to the last Sunday in October. +5 hours otherwise.

Date-Time Group (DTG )Date-Time Group (DTG )

16 0218Z APR 97

Date Time Month Year

Date and Time in ZULU

The DTG is used to identify (ID) of each message

Only the radio operator can put the DTG on a message

Distress and Emergency Distress and Emergency SignalsSignals

MAYDAY DistressPAN UrgencySECURITE Safety

} Supercedes allPriority orRoutine Traffic

Operator ResponsibilityOperator Responsibility

• LISTEN

• Be Prepared to Assist

• Do NOT Transmit Unless You Have Something to Offer or Contact is Requested

Calling Another StationCalling Another Station• To Establish Contact

– “Abenaki 40 THIS IS Capflight 3421 OVER”

• Response from the Ground Station– “Capflight 3421 THIS IS Abenaki 40 OVER”

• No need to use call signs until communications are complete

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

Calling Another Station cont

• 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 Checks• 1) Signal Strength

• LOUD,

• Good Example: I read you loud and clear.

• Weak

• Very weak

• Fading

• 2) Readability• Clear

• Readable or Unreadable

• Distorted, with interference, Intermittent

Airborne operators:Airborne operators:

• Before transmitting, make sure you are on the correct frequency.

• Before leaving the aircraft at the close of a mission, make sure the ELT is off.

Habits of a Good Radio OperatorHabits of a Good Radio Operator• Read the Msg. If you don’t understand

it, ask the Originator, only the Orig. Can change the message.

• Speak clearly

• Annunciate your words.

• Speak slowly

• Remain calm no matter what happens - Never Panic

• THINK - “Use Your Head”

Prohibited Operating PracticesProhibited Operating Practices

• Violation of Radio Silence

• Personal Conversation

• Transmitting in a Net without permission of NCS

• Lack of identifying call sign

• Excessive tuning and testing

• Use of Amateur Radio or Citizens Band frequencies for CAP business, and Vice-Versa.

• Use of 10 codes or Amateur Radio Q Signals

CAP Communications cont.

• Telephones - Landline and cellular telephones can be used in addition to radio communications.

• Video downlink

• INTERNET - E-mail communications, information web pages, internet phone and other methods of communication over the internet.

• GOAL - To have a readily available and comprehensive communications network using a variety of assets.

NTIA Deviation ChangesNTIA Deviation Changes

• Currently, 25Khz channel spacing and 5Khz deviation

• By January 1, 2008, the NTIA has mandated the Federal government to use radio equipment with 12.5kHz channel spacing and 2.5kHz deviation to allow for more channels and more users.

• If you purchase your own equipment, be sure that the equipment has the new 2.5 kHz deviation and that it is capable of the new channel plan. Make sure that the receiver will be selective enough to ignore stations that are 12.5 kHz away

Voice Operating ModesVoice Operating Modes

SIMPLEX

REPEATER

Single Frequency - One Station at a Time

R T

Two Frequencies - One Station at a Time

Repeater OperationRepeater Operation

Uplink Freq Downlink Freq

100.0 Hz Tone

Note: All CAP Repeaters respond to the 100.0 Hz tone

Repeater increases the range of mobilestations due to its high profile location

Universal Access Tone used by low power stations only

Inside the RepeaterInside the Repeater

Uplink Freq

136.5 Hz Toneor100 Hz Tone

Receiver

100.0 & 136.5 HzTone Decoder

Transmitter

“Mike Button”

Voice Downlink Freq

PTT

Repeater will only turn on its transmitter if it hears one of two tones:

1) Universal access tone (100.0 Hz) or

2) Repeater site specific tone (136.5 Hz for the Derry Repeater)

The Tone Decoder “listens” for either of the two tones on the incoming signal

The Tone Decoder “presses” the Push To Talk (PTT) button to turn on the transmitter.

• Primary mode of operation should be simplex.

• Only use the repeater if simplex is not possible.

• Selectively use a repeater through use of its assigned access tone

• Use of 100 Hz tone is prohibited since this will bring up multiple repeaters

• The objective is to limit use to a single repeater

• Portable radios of 6 watts or less may use 100HZ, if its incapable of using primary tones.

• (Vol.1,8-2,d,(3)(b) )

• Airborne VHF transmitters are limited to a maximum of 10 watts.(Vol.1,8-4 )

Airmobile use of RepeatersAirmobile use of Repeaters

• Abenaki 100: Derry, NH.

• Abenaki 200: Ascutney,VT.

• The net schedules associated with these repeaters starts at 1900 hours and ends at 1930 hours.

• Frequencies FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY available in separate document

New Hampshire CAP Repeater Sites:

CAP Radio Frequencies - FOUOCAP Radio Frequencies - FOUO

• HF-SSB– National Calling Frequency– National Calling Frequency– Northeast Region primary

• HF-AM– Short range communications - Not often used

• VHF-FM– Alternate Repeater Input– Primary Repeater Input– Alternate Repeater Output– Alternate Simplex– Primary Repeater Output & Simplex– Air-Ground– Packet

Aeronautical SAR StationsAeronautical SAR Stations

• Aeronautical Search And Rescue Stations (SAR) Operate on two Aircraft Frequencies

– TRAINING Only

– ACTUAL Missions Only

• Contact ground teams by using VHF-FM

– Air-to-Ground Simplex

• Base Call Signs assigned by geographical location

– “THIS IS Concord Mission Base OVER”

Radio Operation SummaryRadio Operation SummaryCommon Controls: Volume Squelch (not adjusted the same way on all radios). Channel Selector Mike with Push to Talk Switch (Release to Listen)

Radio Setup Radio Transceiver (VHF-FM, HF-SSB, Airband) Power Supply (110 VAC or 12 Volt DC) Antenna (Vertical, Magnetic Mount, Dipole)

V S

1PowerSupply

• Personnel and equipment safety

• 1) All equipment must have good grounds

• 2) Don’t touch antennas, especially HF ants.

• 3) Disconnect and don’t operate during Lightning storm

• 4) Don’t open radios

• 5) First Aid kit

• 6) wooden cane or rope

• 7) Fire extinguisher Co2 ( Not water )

• 8) Fuses of correct size

COMMUNICATIONS SAFETY:

Radio Net OperationRadio Net Operation

• A Formal Net is established to control the flow of traffic on a single radio channel

• The Net Control Station (NCS) maintains net discipline by controlling who is talking

• Break Ins to the Net should be done only if you have emergency traffic

• The NCS must be contacted first for permission to contact another station

• Sample Net Check-in (Abenaki 10 is the NCS):– “Abenaki 10, THIS IS Abenaki 404 with no traffic, over”

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

Radio Nets - Contacting another StationRadio Nets - Contacting another Station

Abenaki 401

Abenaki 10NCS

Abenaki 404

1

23

1 - “Abenaki 10, THIS IS Abenaki 401 with traffic for Abenaki 404 OVER”2 - “Abenaki 401, Contact Abenaki 404 with your traffic, OUT”3 - “Abenaki 404, THIS IS Abenaki 401, OVER”

NET STATION CHECK IN ANDNET STATION CHECK IN ANDOPERATING EXAMPLESOPERATING EXAMPLES

• Checking into a Net with no traffic during roll call:“This is <YOUR CALL SIGN> with no traffic OVER"

• Requesting permission from NCS to send a message:" <NCS CALL SIGN> this is <YOUR CALL SIGN> with a <PRIORITY> message for <ADDRESSEE CALL SIGN> OVER"

• Acknowledging readiness to receive traffic:"This is <ADDRESSEE CALL SIGN>, go ahead with your traffic OVER"

• Acknowledging receipt of a message:"This is <ADDRESSEE CALL SIGN>, roger your message OUT"

• There are two kinds of message traffic, Formal (written) and Informal (conversation).

• The message format may take several forms.

• Form 4 is no longer used. It appears that the new ICS form 213 described in CAPR 60-4 is the replacement form for general messages.

• ICS form 213 will be discussed in the A-CUT.

• 99 % of time the radio operator will be using the SAR message format, so this the area we will concentrate on.

• Vol.3,3-2, and 3-5 state that CAPF 105 will be used.

TYPES OF MESSAGE TRAFFIC: (Vol.3,3-6)

Message ConstructionMessage Construction• MESSAGE HEADING

– The Originator (From)

– The Addressee (To)

– Precedence (Urgency)

– Date and Time Group

• TEXT– Information being sent.

– Separated from the heading and ending by the proword “BREAK” (may not be part of the text being passed)

• ENDING– Reserved for the Radio Operator’s Notes

Levels of PrecedenceLevels of Precedence• FLASH - Not used in CAP Messages

– HIGHEST PRIORITY

– HANDLED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, AHEAD OF OTHER MESSAGES

• IMMEDIATE – MESSAGES RELATED TO SITUATIONS GRAVELY

AFFECTING THE SECURITY OF THE NATION.

– REQUIRES IMMEDIATE DELIVERY

• PRIORITY– USED FOR MESSAGES WHERE “ROUTINE” ISN’T FAST

ENOUGH

– PROCESSED AHEAD OF ROUTINE MESSAGES

• ROUTINE– MOST USED. DELIVERED IN ORDER RECEIVED.

• Locally generated forms are used for SAR Locally generated forms are used for SAR communications.communications.

• The instructor will hand out the “Pink and Blue “ The instructor will hand out the “Pink and Blue “ SAR message forms and a point-to-point log. SAR message forms and a point-to-point log. CAPF 110.CAPF 110.

• The class will practice sending and receiving a few The class will practice sending and receiving a few SAR messages, and will fill out the appropriate SAR messages, and will fill out the appropriate forms and logs.forms and logs.

The SAR message:The SAR message:

Practice generating and sending the following messages.

1. opening and closing station2. radio checks and position rpt. 3. take-off / landing rpt.4. pit stops / lunch break.5. reporting a find.6. passing information or direction.

• Practical Factors:

• Mission Radio Operator Tasks

• L-0001 to L-0010