Communications Procedure

I've got to admit, I am an old "commo" man.  Commo is an older military term for communications, much the same way that "ammo" is short for ammunition.

I still think like a commo man when it comes to amateur radio public service communications.   Ham radio public service comms do use some basic structure and terminology taken from military comms.  But I do see some variation between the two, and I believe that hams could benefit by learning, and adopting more practices from military comms.   I believe this because military forces have hammered out their practices and refined them in the forge of combat.

Even though I have only experienced simulated combat, I can tell you that combat is a fluid and chaotic situation.  Change is constant, unpredictable, rapid, and intense.   Sometimes, each second demands a decision that must be made, communicated, and carried out – IMMEDIATELY!   In such situations, using standard commo practices can ease and smooth the flow of information.   Ham radio emergency and disaster comms often take place in similar situations, so we can learn from military comms.

A Word About Words
One of the earliest lessons I learned is that some words are used for directing action, and some are used for communications procedure.   I had asked someone to repeat something they said over the radio that I didn't hear clearly... and I immediately got an earful about why I should NEVER ask anyone on military radio to repeat what they said!

The military reserves the word REPEAT for directing action, such as mortar and artillery strikes.  When someone orders such a strike, they designate where and what kind of rounds to fire.   If the first strike hits the target, but doesn't complete the job, the one who called in the strike will ask the Fire Direction Controller to REPEAT the action.

So, if a military operator doesn't clearly copy what someone said, what do they say if they don't use the word REPEAT?  SAY AGAIN.

Now you might, ask why have two separate terms? Why not just use REPEAT for both meanings?

Consider the case of an infantry platoon leader whose unit is under attack.   Enemy troops are close to overrunning his position, so he orders a mortar strike.   The rounds fall right on top of the approaching enemy troops, and that cuts down their numbers enough that the platoon leader sees that he can end the attack by ordering his own troops to counterattack.   As his soldiers take over the enemy's position, the FDC calls to see if the platoon leader needs another strike.  If the platoon leader didn't copy the FDC's question, should he say REPEAT or SAY AGAIN?

With SAY AGAIN, the FDC knows what to do.   With REPEAT, he doesn't know if the platoon leader wants him to fire rounds again on the same location as the last strike, or to say again his question.   In this situation, miscommunication due to poor practices could lead to highly undesirable consequences.

But, why should we as ham radio operators worry about the distinction between REPEAT and SAY AGAIN?  We are not likely to come under enemy fire like the troops on the battlefield.

The role of comms in combat, or emergencies, or disasters, is the directing of resources to where they are needed.   Poor comm practices in emergencies or disasters can lead to wasted resources, efforts and time.

Let's look at another pair of terms that shows the difference between action directives and commo procedure: STAND BY and WAIT.

To me, STAND BY is an action directive.   It means to prepare for action and continue to monitor comm channels for the call to deploy.  Preparing for action means to check supplies and equipment, stage them for quick mobilization, and review activation procedures.  When the National Weather Service forecasts hazardous weather is for a portion of the state, Oklahoma ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO, will send out a message calling for ARES members in the affected regions to STAND BY.   When he does this, he is responding to a developing situation that might require hams to go into action, and not to a inquiry from any volunteer concerning activation.

I bring this up because someone has established a practice for Net Control Operators to say STAND BY when a volunteer calls in to Net Control, and the NCO is already handling an issue, or the calling station has a question.  When I am in the Net Control seat, I prefer to say WAIT or WAIT ONE.  I am not expecting them to prepare for action, so I have no reason to tell them to STAND BY.  If I need someone to wait before passing traffic, or to wait on an answer to their question, that's what I tell them to do... to WAIT.

Now some might say I'm being picky, but I don't think so.  I'm being clear about people's actions beyond the comms, or comm procedure.

The military has a term for words like SAY AGAIN and WAIT. They call them procedure words, or PROWORDS. Some refer to them as PROSIGNS.

Here are a few of the more common PROWORDS, and their meanings:

ROGER – general affirmation or acknowledgement.

OVER – I'm through talking, and waiting for a response.

OUT – I'm through talking and leaving the net, so I am not waiting for a response.

CLEAR – I'm through talking and clearing the frequency for others to use.

NOTE: OVER and OUT are mutually exclusive! Leave OVER AND OUT to the cartoons and B-movies!

What's Appropriate When
Now, in public service comms, including emergency and disaster comms, we follow the Incident Command System rules, which state that on-air voice comms should use plain text.  This precludes the use of codes.   That includes Q-signals.   I have heard a net control recently use QSL during a net. That does not comply with ICS rules, and needs to stop.

The one exception I see concerning Q-signals is the use of QST to announce a net, because the net has not yet been established.  But once the net has started, we should hold the use of Q-signals until the net closes. Now, this applies only to public service nets.

During club and ragchew nets, Q-signals are okay. So are easy phonetics. Remember, ham radio is a hobby, and hobbies are supposed to be fun. As long as you are not violating FCC regulations, I see no problem with easy phonetics.

BTW, my easy phonetics, along with my first name, comes out as a sentence: Doug Keeps Chasing 5 Zippy Quick Mobiles.   And I haven't caught them yet!

Go-Kit Philosophy?

Not many people would ever get philosophical about go-kits, but I have. I don't really have a go-kit, so maybe that's why I've taken the time to think about one.

Eventually, I will have one, and I will probably need some time to put it together.  As I build the kit, I will follow the philosophy presented here.

But first a word about go-kit lists.  Most hams know that ARES has a list. I was an Emergency Management volunteer at one time, and they had a list. I'm sure CERT has a list, SAR has a list, Red Cross has a list, Salvation Army has a list, every group that responds to emergencies and disasters has a list.

If you belong to more that one group, you could drive yourself crazy and broke trying to put together a go-kit for every group.  Crazy is bad enough, but crazy and broke is worse!

What to do, what to do???

Well, how about one kit?  You will probably notice that most lists are similar, with many common items.  And the lists are mostly suggestions anyway, with only a few items required by the group that issued the list.

Create your own list, one customized to your own needs as well as the needs dictated by the situation and environment you will be operating in.

As you draw up this list, classify everything by 3 categories: radio needs, operator needs, and human needs.

Radio needs are, of course, what you need to make the radio work,  The radio and mode you plan on using will determine those needs.

For a handheld, your needs should be simple: aftermarket antenna, speaker mic or headset, extended battery pack, with backups for the antenna and battery.

For a mobile or base used as a portable station, the needs will be more complex.   Think of these needs as systems: power system, antenna system, operating accessories.

The power system is the power source (battery, generator, solar panel, etc.), and the cords and connectors needed to get the power from the source into the radio.

The antenna system is the antenna, antenna support, and feedline.

Operating accessories are things that attach to the radio to make it work in the chosen mode: mic or headset for voice mode; code key, paddles, or bug for CW; computer, TNC, patch cords, and possibly adapters for data modes not using a sound card modem or SDR.

Now, don't confuse operating accessories with operator needs. Operator needs are things you need to function as an operator; notepad, writing instruments, ICS forms, flashlight, ARES vest and badge, etc.

Human needs are things you need as a HUMAN: food, water, prescription and over-the-counter meds, spare eyeglasses, hearing aids, change of clothes, toiletries, grooming aids, etc.

One important factor I haven't mentioned yet is time, that is, the duration of the event, or the length of one shift for longer activations.  The longer the event, the more consumable items you will need – food, water, medicines, batteries, etc.  You might also need to add items that could need replacement without being consumed, such as clothing.  At the very least, I recommend at least one change of underwear and socks for every day beyond a one-day event..

Also, for longer activations, you might consider adding items for give-aways. The bigger the event, the more likely that someone will show up without a flashlight, or they find that theirs is broken. If you stock your kit with a few extra flashlights, even cheap ones like the ones you can find two on a card for a couple of dollars, then you could give them one. It might not last too long, but it means they can spend their time helping, instead of looking for a working flashlight, or leaving. It also means that you don't have to lend them your good flashlight, that you might not get back, or you wind up doing the work they couldn't do because they didn't have a flashlight.

The usual recommendation is to have a one-day bag, and a three-day bag.

I've also thought of a “ready kit.”   It would be enough to get you through an eight to twelve hour shift, in case of immediate activation at a moment's notice.  You would keep it in your car at all times, so that you can respond immediately if you receive an activation call while out driving to work, to school, to church, to the store, or home, and you don't have time to go home to get your full kit.  You should be able to stay on the job until relieved.

Now, I'll mention an item you should have in your kit, but you won't find it on any of the other lists: a copy of the list.   Why include a copy of the list in your kit?   Because, during a long activation you will probably remove items from your kit as you use them, and have to put them back.   The longer the activation, the items you are likely to remove and use.  The more items you remove, the more likely you are to forget something.  If you wait until you get home to check your kit and you find you forgot to pack something, you will probably have to buy a replacement.

One final word about consumables: keep them fresh.  Use them up and replace them on a regular basis.  You should check your kit anyway once a month or so, and that would be a good time to use and refresh consumable items.

Happy go-kit building!

Why Amateur Radio?

This is an excerpt from the TRO Signal Bulletin for 02 SEP 12:

As ham radio leaders are fond of reminding us, amateur radio is a hobby.  Most people that become hams do so because they enjoy doing things with radios.  Ham radio offers many opportunities to have fun, as well as chances for education, personal development, and fellowship.  But why should the government continue to allow ham radio to exist?

Much of what we do can be, and is, done by professional technicians and engineers.  If anyone wants to work with radios, they can go to school to get the training or education they need.  

Most of the professionals design, build, and maintain the communications systems used by the military, law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical, emergency management and other government agencies, as well as the broadcast industries that keep the general public informed.  Don't forget those that work to keep both the landline and cellular phone systems going. These systems do work most of the time, and nowdays, we see more and more interoperability incorporated into these systems.  In light of how well these system perform most of the time, someone might question the need for amateur radio.

But what often happens to these systems in major emergencies and disasters?  They fail, due to damage to the equipment, loss of power, or they become overloaded by the amount of traffic they have to handle immediately.

When this happens, the professionals concentrate their efforts on restoring and repairing these systems.  But vital messages still need to be passed.  The professionals don't have the time to handle this traffic.  What is obviously needed is a backup system already in place or easily deployable.  Amateur radio is that system.  That's why, "When All Else Fails...."

Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator, recognized this at a recent conference, where he said, "But when you need Amateur Radio, you really need them."

For more about this conference and Fugate's remarks, go to this website:

http://nyc-arecs.org/last_line.html

The TRO Signal Bulletin is a text-only publication that I produce on behalf of the Tulsa Repeater Organization, and I send it out over the club's WA5LVT Yahoogroup.  It focuses on ham radio events and activities in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.  To receive the Bulletin, you can sign up at the WA5LVT Yahoogroup here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WA5LVT/