CAP Radiotelephone Procedures Guide



CAP Radiotelephone Procedures Guide

29 November 1997

Preface

The possession of a radio license does not make a radio operator. The skills required for excellence in on-the-air ability are learned by reading, listening, practice, and adherence to procedures, and are polished by experience under all operating conditions.

Radio communications networks consist of radio stations operated by people. The success of any net is dependent upon the ability of the people who operate these radio stations. A good operator sounds good, knows how to operate correctly, and does so consistently. A poor operator, by lack of knowledge and/or attention, can disrupt a net with the misuse of prowords and procedures, indiscriminate transmissions, and poor discipline.

With that thought in mind, this guide is written to assist Civil Air Patrol members in improving their radiotelephone procedures and on-the-air practices. The information contained in this guide follows CAPM 100-1, ACP-125, and other directives.

If additional information is needed or desired, or if you have comments or suggestions regarding any information in this guide, do not hesitate to contact any of the NCC members, or National Headquarters/DOK.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Civil Air Patrol Communications Mission

Communications Responsibility

Standardization

Proper Expression

The Phonetic Alphabet

Prowords

Numerals

Punctuation

Radio checks

Maintaining Records

Net Operating Procedures

Proword Application

Calling

Numerals

Date-Time Groups

Precedence Designations

URGENCY SIGNALS

Dual Precedence

Handling Traffic

Message Construction

Passing the Message

Repetitions

Group Counts for Mixed Alpa-numerics

Corrections during Transmission

Canceling a Message during Transmission

CAP Unique Operating Procedures

Use of Call Sign and Office Symbol

External/Non-Military Organization

Additional Comments

Introduction

Membership in the Civil Air Patrol communications program entails certain responsibilities on your part. One of the most important of these is to familiarize you with the rules and regulations set forth by National Headquarters and comply with them.

Civil Air Patrol Communications Mission

The communications mission is to:

• Organize and maintain a reliable nationwide point-to-point, air-to-ground and mobile radio capability for use in emergencies and for training radio communications personnel

• Provide familiarization and practice in radio communications procedures and demonstrate techniques of air-to-ground and point-to-point operation to maintain operator proficiency provide radio communications support for search and rescue. Civil Defense, and disaster relief missions augment other existing communications services in the event of natural disasters

• Support the United States Air Force survival and recovery programs as implemented by the USAF Survival, Recovery and Reconstitution (SRR) and Civil Aviation Reconnaissance Damage Assessment (CARDA) plans

• Provide command and control communications to all command levels in CAP, including messages regarding CAP aircraft movement and other communications related to the safety of lives and property.

Communications Responsibility

The responsibility of Civil Air Patrol communications is to provide the commander at each level with the means for controlling and monitoring his unit's activities. The communications network accomplishes this by providing each echelon radio communications to his superior, lateral, and subordinate commanders, his counterparts in the United States Air Force, and other organizations.

Standardization

The radiotelephone procedures presented in this guide are to be used in Civil Air Patrol communications and are based on the appropriate USAF and FCC rules and regulations, as well as appropriate ACPs. Violations of these rules and regulations invariably create interference and confusion, reduce reliability and tend to nullify the effectiveness of the entire net. Each radio operator must exercise good common sense and courtesy when faced with a situation not covered in this guide.

Civil Air Patrol is unique in that it has been chartered as a non-profit civilian corporation and has been declared the auxiliary of the United States Air Force. As the auxiliary of the Air Force, we wear the United States Air Force uniform (with modifications) and operate on military frequencies controlled by the USAF. The Civil Air Patrol is funded by the USAF while conducting search and rescue missions and for some other expenditures incurred. We communicate with active duty and reserve personnel and our national, region, and wing headquarters have both active duty and reserve USAF personnel as liaison to the USAF and DOD. For these reasons and others, the chapter in CAPM 100-1 regarding radiotelephone procedures was extracted from ACP-125. Allied Communications Publications (ACP) are the official manuals establishing the rules and regulations for all United States military forces and Allies throughout the world, regarding communications:

• ACP-124 is the manual covering interrupted continuous wave (CW);

• ACP-125 governs radiotelephone procedures; and

• ACP-127 pertains to radioteletype (RTTY).

The CAP radio log sheet, CAPF 110, is an exact duplicate of the AF Form 1020. Only the form number has been changed. The phonetic alphabet used by the CAP is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet. It is the only one authorized for CAP, as well as military organizations.

Proper Expression

Expressing yourself properly on CAP frequencies is very important. Proper expression involves a working familiarity with the phonetic alphabet, authorized prowords and the proper enunciation of numerals.

It is easy to understand the need for these three subjects if you listen to the nets of some of the non-military organizations and observe the innumerable ways of expressing phonetics and passing traffic. Consider the numeral "ZERO". You will hear individuals pronounce it "OH", "OUGHT' or "NOTHING". Sometimes they even pronounce it properly, "ZERO". Another example is the last letter of the alphabet, "Z". You will hear it called "ZED", "ZEBRA" "ZIP", "ZERO" etc.

The old "ADAM", "BAKER", "CHARLES" and other non-standard, and thus confusing, renditions of a phonetic alphabet are not as easy to understand as the ICAO alphabet. The ICAO established a committee to determine which phonetic expressions were commonly understood throughout the world. After years of research and study, the present ICAO phonetic alphabet was developed and accepted by most organizations that have radio communications capability. We suggest that all members obtain a copy, post it near the operating position, and memorize it.

The Phonetic Alphabet

Letter Word Pronunciation

A ALPHA AL-FAH

B BRAVO BRAH-VOH

C CHARLIE CHAR-LEE

D DELTA DELL

E ECHO ECK-OH

F FOXTROT FOX-TROT

G GOLF GOLF

H HOTEL HOH-TELL

I INDIA IN-DEE-AH

J JULIET JEW-LEE-EIT

K KILO KEY-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 YOU-NEE-FORM

V VICTOR VlK-TAH

W WHISKEY WISS-KEY

X XRAY ECKS-RAY

Y YANKEE YANG-KEY

Z ZULU ZOO-LOO

CAP, as a military auxiliary organization, is required to use this set of phonetics. It may require some time to commit them to memory, but frequent use, where applicable, will aid in learning this list and will definitely clarify the differences between B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, and Z; N and M; S and F; and other similar sounding letters.

Prowords

Proword Explanation

AFFIRMATIVE You are correct, OR what you have transmitted is correct. Yes.

ALL AFTER The portion of the message to which I have reference is that portion which follows ______.

ALL BEFORE The portion of the message to which I have reference is that portion which precedes ______.

BREAK I hereby indicate the separation of the text from all other portions of this message.

CORRECT You are correct. That is correct.

CORRECTION An error has been made in this transmission. Transmission will continue with the last word correctly transmitted.

DISREGARD THIS TRANSMISSION, OUT

This transmission is in error. Disregard it. (This proword will not be used to cancel a message that has been transmitted and receipted for by the receiving station.)

DO NOT TRANSMIT, OUT

Stations called will not answer this call, receipt for this message, or otherwise transmit regarding this transmission. (When this proword is used, the transmission will always end with the proword "OUT").

EXEMPT The addressees immediately following are exempted from the collective call. The addressees following are exempt from receiving this message.

FIGURES A group of one or more characters, the first of which is a numeral, follows.

FLASH This message has a precedence of FLASH

FROM The originator of the message immediately follows.

GROUPS The text of this message contains ______ groups or words. (Normally not used in CAP originated messages)

IMMEDIATE This message has a precedence of IMMEDIATE.

INFO The addresses immediately following are addressed for information only. No action is required of them.

INITLAL(S) A group of one or more characters, the first of which is a letter, follows.

I READ BACK The following is in response to your request to read back.

I SAY AGAIN I am repeating the transmission, or the portion you need repeated.

I SPELL I will spell the next word phonetically.

I VERIFY That Which follows has been verified per your request (to be used only as a reply a VERIFY request).

MAYDAY International Distress Signal. Indicates traffic concerning immanent and grave danger to life and property.

MESSAGE FOLLOWS A message which requires recording follows.

MORE TO FOLLOW I have more messages, traffic or information for you.

NEGATIVE Not received. No.

NO TRAFFIC This station has no traffic to send.

NOTHING HEARD To be used when no reply is received from a call.

NUMBER This station message number, in numerals, follows.

OUT This is the end of my transmission to you and no answer or reply is required or expected.

OVER This is the end of my transmission to you and a response is expected. Go ahead.

PAN International Urgency Signal. Identifies very urgent information concerning the safety of lives and property.

PRIORITY This message has a precedence of PRIORITY.

READ BACK Repeat this transmission back to me exactlv as received.

RELAY (TO) Transmit this message to all addressees immediately following this proword.

RELAY THROUGH Relay your message through _______.

ROGER I have received and understood your last message. (Does NOT mean yes or permission granted).

ROUTINE This message has a precedence of ROUTINE.

SAY AGAIN Repeat the portions of your last transmission I am indicating.

SECURITE International Safety Signal. Pronounced "SEE CURI TAY". Identifies urgent information regarding safety of navigation to vessels.

SPEAK SLOWER Your transmission is too fast. Reduce speed.

THIS IS This transmission is from thc station whose call sign immediately follows.

THIS IS A DIRECTED NET

Used by the Net Control Station (NCS) to establish the type of net being operated as a directed net.

THIS IS A FREE NET

Used by the Net Control Station (NCS) to establish the type of net being operated as a free net.

TIME The figures which follow are the Date/Time Group (DTG) of this message.

TO The addressee(s) who are to take action, and to whom this message is to be delivered are as follows.

UNKNOWN STATION The identity of the station I am trying to contact is unknown (used in place of that station's call sign).

VERIFY Verify entire message (or portion indicated) with the originator and send the verified version (used by receiving station).

WAIT I must pause for a few seconds. Standby. Do not transmit. Wait for me to continue with my transmission (the proword "OVER" is not used).

WAIT, OUT I must pause for more than a few seconds. This contact is terminated until I call you again. The net can continue.

WILCO I have received, understood, and will comply (note: Since the meaning of the proword ROGER is included the two prowords are not used together).

WORD AFTER The word to which I have reference is that which follows ________.

WORD BEFORE The word to which I have reference is that which precedes ________.

WORDS TWICE Communication is difficult. Transmit each word or phrase twice (may be used as a request or a statement of intent).

WRONG Your last transmission was incorrect. The correct version is ________.

Numerals

The following is the proper expression of numerals including special emphasis for the purpose of clarifying certain digits. They are pronounced:

Numeral Pronounced

0 ZE-RO

1 WUN

2 TOO

3 TREE

4 FOW-ER

5 FIFE

6 SIX

7 SEV-EN

8 AIT

9 NIN-ER

Roman Numerals will be transmitted as the corresponding Arabic numerals proceeded by the words "Roman Numeral".

Messages will frequently contain numbers to give an address, amount, weight, etc. They will be spoken digit by digit (except numerals ending in even thousands) and will be preceded by one of the prowords:

NUMBER used to give the serial number or message number of a message;

TIME is always followed by the Date-Time-Group (DTG);

GROUPS always precedes the group count for the text of a message; or

FIGURES used in all other instances involving numbers.

Note: These prowords will never be mixed or used together.

When you see numerals in the heading or text of a message, always express them digit by digit, preceded by the proper proword. It is incorrect to say "nineteen ninety three" - say "FIGURES WUN NINER NINER TREE". Do not say "twenty one" - say "FIGURES TOO WUN". Even thousands will be spoken as follows:

16000 is spoken as "FIGURES WUN SIX TOU-SAND".

When giving the Date-Time Group 012136Z DEC 93, say "TIME ZERO WUN TOO WUN TREE SIX ZULU DECEMBER NINNER TREE". You never say "TIME FIGURES". You never say "GROUPS FIGURES". You never say "FIGURES NUMBER". Prowords pertaining to numerals are never mixed.

Punctuation

In amateur radio messages the character "X" is frequently used in lieu of specific punctuation. "X" will not be used for punctuation in CAP messages.

Punctuation will not be used in messages unless it is absolutely necessary to the meaning of the text. When used, punctuation symbols may be either spelled or abbreviated.

Punctuation Abbreviation

Colon CLN

Comma CMM

Dash DASH

Decimal Point DECIMAL POINT

Hyphen HYPHEN

Paragraph PARA

Parentheses PAREN

Period PD

Question Mark QUES

Quotation QUOTE/UNQUOTE

Semicolon SMCLN

Slant SLANT

Radio checks, signal strength, readability

A station is understood to have a good signal strength and readability unless otherwise notified. Strength of signals and readability will not be exchanged unless one station cannot clearly hear the other. A station wishing to inform another of the signal strength and readability will do so by means of a short, concise response of actual reception, such as "WEAK BUT READABLE", "LOUD AND CLEAR", "LOUD BUT DISTORTED", "WEAK WITH INTERFERENCE", etc. Reports such as "FOUR BY FOUR", "FIVE BY FIVE", "20 OVER S9", "WALL TO WALL AND TREETOP TALL", "BLOWING MY DOORS OFF", etc. will not be used to indicate strength and quality of reception.

The following prowords will be used when initiating or answering queries concerning signal strength and readability:

Report of signal strength:

LOUD 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.

Report of readability:

CLEAR 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.

Maintaining Records

All formal messages on CAP radio should be recorded. CAP-USAF Headquarters requires all CAP members to keep a file of all messages handled for a period of 30 days. After 30 days, the recorded copy may be destroyed unless otherwise instructed by National, Region, or Wing Headquarters.

Message File

A simple message file might consist of three manila folders, labeled "RECEIVED", "SENT" and "TO BE SENT".

Station Log

A separate log for CAP operations, if required, must be retained for a period of 30 days unless otherwise instructed by National, Region or Wing Headquarters.

Nets

The type of net and method of operation is determined by operational factors. There are two types of CAP and military nets:

Directed Net In a directed net, stations must obtain permission from the Net Control Station (NCS) prior to communicating with other stations. CAP nets will be directed unless otherwise stated by the NCS.

Free Net In a free net, the NCS authorizes stations to transmit traffic to other stations without obtaining prior permission. Free net operation does not relieve the NCS of the responsibility for maintaining circuit discipline.

Net Operating Procedures

It is the intent of this directive to make the procedure uniform so that every member will understand the proper manner of transmitting and receiving messages and otherwise conducting themselves on CAP nets.

Proword Application

Proword Application One of the first things a member should learn upon entry into CAP communications is how to check into, or enter, a net. Normally, the first words used before your call sign are the prowords THIS IS. These prowords mean that the transmission is from the station whose call sign immediately follows.

Calling

The four types of calls most commonly used in CAP operations are:

Abbreviated Call. The abbreviated call is the most commonly used. It starts with "THIS IS (your call sign), OVER". (Example -- "THIS IS HEADCAP FOWLER, OVER"). It is incorrect to say "NET CONTROL, THIS IS ________".

Full, or Formal Call. The "full" or "formal" call starts with the call sign of the station being called, followed by the prowords "THIS IS", and then the call sign of the calling station and the proword 'OVER". (example-"HEADCAP TOO TOO, THIS IS HEADCAP FOW-ER, OVER").

Collective Call. The "collective call" is normally used by those who act as net control or alternate net control stations. The collective call assists the NCS in calling groups of stations during the course of the net and is an invitation to stations waiting for the opportunity to check into the net. (Example -- "NATIONAL COMMAND NET, THIS IS HEADCAP FOW-ER, OVER").

Multiple Call. The 'multiple call' is employed when a calling station has subject matter to bring to the attention of more than one station. (Example -- "HEADCAP FOWLER, BLUECHIP WUN TREE, WIGWAM WUN ZERO NINER, THIS IS HEADCAP TOO TOO, OVER").

Remember that CAP nets are usually directed operations. You will not operate on the air without specific authority of the NCS or ANCS during directed net operations. Listen before transmitting on any frequency.

Numerals

As previously stated, there are four prowords associated with numerals, and these four prowords are never mixed. They will be used for specific functions and have specific meanings.

The proword "NUMBER" is used before giving the serial (or message) number of a message.

The proword "TIME" is always followed by the Date-Time Group (DTG) in six digit form. The DTG is used in the heading of a message and at the end of a message (time of origination, time of delivery, time of receipt). More on Date-Time Groups later.

The proword "GROUPS" indicates the number of words or groups in the text of the message. In CAP originated messages the groups in the text of a message are normally not counted, but you may encounter this proword when handling traffic from other military governmental organizations.

The proword "FIGURE" is used in all other cases involving numerals. It is used in the street address, telephone number or body of the text where figures appear.

Once again, there are four places where digits or numerals are used and they are always preceded by a proword as previously explained. Unless the proword 'FIGURES" is used. each digit pronounced is spelled out and each digit is counted as a group. When the proword "FIGURES" is employed preceding the group of characters, the entire string of characters comprises only one group.

Date-Time Groups

You may have observed by listening on CAP and Air Force radio circuits that time is expressed in a six-digit form. The United Slates Air Force and other organizations with worldwide operations must have a means of expressing time according to a standard applicable everywhere in the world. This time standard is known as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

Greenwich, a city near London, England, was accepted by international agreement as the reference point for the Earth's rotation. This time zone is referred to as the "ZULU" time zone. Each time zone in the world has been assigned a letter of the alphabet, and they are always referred to phonetically. Traveling west from England for five time zones, you arrive at the East coast of the United States. The central United States is one more time zone west. California an additional two time zones west, and Hawaii an additional two time zones west.

We Americans normally tell time from a 12 hour clock We therefore have two ten o'clocks, two eight o'clocks, two four o'clocks, etc. during each 24 hour period. You can see how confusing this can be when it is happening all over the world. Whose time would you use on radio messages and radio logs? This is the reason for ZULU time and a 24 hour system instead of local time and a 12 hour system.

We in CAP, and all military organizations, employ a time system that indicates zero through twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes. There is no "twenty four hundred" since the twenty-fourth hour of one day is identical to the zero hour of the next. Therefore, time designator 2400 is not used. Only times 0000 ZULU through 2359 ZULU are used by CAP and military organizations. The first two digits represent the hour and the last two represent the minute. In a Date-Time Group, the first two digits represent the day of the month. the next two indicate the hour. and the last two indicate the minute. All single digits are preceded by a zero to maintain the six digit format. This six digit block is followed by the word "ZULU", the abbreviated name of the month. and finally by the last two digits of the year.

Examples:

If you live in the Central Time Zone (Sierra) and it is 0800 hours local on 01 July 1993, the Date-Time Group is "011400Z JUL 93". Remember, the DTG is not based on local time/day but on ZULU time/day.

If the time is 1900 hours local on 01 March 1993, the Date-Time Group is "020100Z MAR 93" because you are already into the next radio day (RADAY). ZULU time. That is, even though midnight has not passed at your location, it already has in the ZULU time ZONE (Greenwich England). Therefore. it is a new RADAY.

Remember, during the time change (Daylight to Standard or vice versa), only the local time changes. ZULU time is constant and does not change with local time.

All radio operators are responsible for keeping the correct time. To meet this responsibility, most operators utilize the time service transmissions of radio station WWV. WWV transmits time signals, propagation announcements and standard audio tones with an accuracy of one part in 100 million on frequencies of 5,000 MHz, 10,000 MHz, and 15,000 MHz. The ticks are at one second intervals with the tick omitted on the 29th and 59th second of the minute.

Precedence Designators

The assigning of precedence to a message is the responsibility of the originator or originating station of the message. The assignment is determined by the subject matter and the time factor involved. By assigning a precedence, the originator tells handling operators in what order the message should be handled and denotes the urgency of the information to the addressee(s).

The highest precedence designator, FLASH, is never used in CAP originated messages, but may be received from another agency for relay. Messages with this designator must be delivered to the addressee as quickly as is humanly possible.

FLASH (Z). This precedence is reserved for initial enemy contact messages or operational combat messages of extreme urgency. Brevity is mandatory. FLASH messages are to be handled as fast as humanly possible, ahead of all other messages, with in-station handling time not to exceed ten (10) minutes. Messages of lower precedence are interrupted on all circuits involved until the handling of FLASH messages is completed.

The remaining three precedence designators may be used for CAP originated messages. Note: The term "REDCAP", formerly used as a precedence designator, is a mission designator and will no longer be used as precedence. If needed, the term "REDCAP" should be used in the text of the message to indicate its content. The three precedence designators are, in descending order:

IMMEDIATE (O). This precedence is reserved for messages relating to situations gravely affecting the security of the nation. It requires immediate delivery. Examples include reports of widespread civil disturbance; reports or warning of grave natural disaster; and requests for or directions concerning search and rescue operations. Immediate messages are processed, transmitted and delivered in the order received and ahead of all messages of lower precedence. They are to be handled as quickly as possible, with in-station handling time not to exceed 60 minutes. If possible, messages of lower precedence are interrupted on all circuits involved until the handling of the IMMEDIATE message is completed.

PRIORITY (P). This precedence is reserved for traffic requiring expeditious action by the addressee or for conducting operations in progress when ROUTINE precedence will not suffice. PRIORITY precedence messages are processed, transmitted and delivered in the order received and ahead of all messages of ROUTINE precedence. Examples include requests for supplies or equipment during the conduct of an operation, time-critical items requiring quick response, and situation reports. They are to be handled as quickly as possible, with in-station handling time not to exceed 6 hours.

ROUTINE (R). This precedence is used for all types of message traffic justifying transmission by rapid means but not of sufficient urgency to require a higher precedence. ROUTINE precedence messages are delivered in the order received and after all messages of higher precedence. ROUTINE is the most used precedence designator in CAP messages. Examples include any message which requires the documentation of its transmission and/or delivery; messages concerning normal operations, programs, or projects; and periodic or consolidated reports. They should be handled as soon as traffic flow allows, but no later than the beginning of the next duty day.

Urgency Signals

In addition to precedence indicators, there are three URGENCY SIGNALS you should be aware of. They are internationally recognized and require quick action, before IMMEDIATE, PRIORITY or ROUTINE traffic. They are:

MAYDAY (SOS). This signal, referred to as the "International Distress Signal", indicates that a station is threatened by grave and imminent danger to life and property, and requires immediate assistance. In radiotelephone (voice), the word "MAYDAY" will be transmitted three times. In radiotelegraph mode (CW). the letters "SOS" will be sent three times. After the distress signal is sent all traffic in progress with the exception of FLASH traffic, will cease and all stations will monitor Any station in a position to render assistance will do so and all other stations will continue to monitor until the situation is rectified and tbe frequency is released for normal use.

PAN (XXX). This signal, referred to as the "International Urgency Signal", indicates the calling station has a very urgent message concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft or other vehicle and/or the safety of a person or persons. In radiotelephone mode (voice) the word "PAN" is transmitted three times. In radiotelegraph mode (CW) the group "XXX" will be sent three times. All traffic of a lower precedence will cease. All stations will monitor and any station that can render assistance will do so. All stations will continue to monitor until the situation is rectified and the frequency is released for normal usage.

SECURITE (TTT). This signal, referred to as the "International Safety Signal", indicates that a station is going to transmit a message concerning the safety of navigation or send important meteorological warnings that will, or can, affect ships, aircraft or persons. In radiotelephone mode (voice) the word "SECURITE" (pronounced "SEE CURI TAY") will be sent three times. In radiotelegraph mode (CW) the group "TTT" will be sent three times. All traffic of a lower precedence will cease. All stations will monitor and any station that can render assistance will do so. All stations will continue to monitor until the situation is rectified and the frequency is released for normal usage.

The order of precedence for handling traffic on all nets is:

FLASH (Z)

IMMEDIATE (O)

PRIORITY (P)

ROUTINE (R)

Remember, the three International Urgency Signals are handled after FLASH and ahead of IMMEDIATE traffic.

Tn the study of precedence designations. there are two points to remember:

• Precedence does not indicate the importance of the message content, but the urgency by which it will be handled.

• The precedence of the message is assigned by the originator. Under no circumstances will it be changed without the permission of the originator.

Dual Precedence

If a message has both action and information addressees, it may be either single or dual precedence. A single precedence indicates that the message is of the same urgency to all addressees. If the message is more urgent to one addressee than another, it will be so indicated by the assignment of two precedences. The higher precedence represents the action addressee(s) and the lower precedence represents the information addressee(s). The higher precedence is always assigned ahead of the lower precedence in the heading. No message may be assigned more than two precedences.

Traffic Handling

The basic method of training and maintaining proficiency in CAP communications is message handling--processing radio messages concisely, properly, quickly, remembering that accuracy should never be compromised for speed or quantity. The reliability and accuracy of radio transmissions is enhanced by employing the best qualities of dialect and enunciation. Natural phrases should be used instead of word-for-word pronunciation. and natural emphasis should be placed on each word.

The originator of a message should be prudent and economical in the choice of words that will convey the intended meaning. Commonly used conjunctions, prepositions and articles such as "and", "but", "for", "in", "on", "the", "that", etc. should be eliminated from a message unless essential to the meaning of the message.

Message Construction

Message Heading. The heading is the first of three parts of the message. It is usually affixed to the message by the radio operator, based upon information furnished by the originator. It can be compared to the information written on the envelope of a letter. This normally would be the return address in the upper left corner, showing who wrote the letter (the originator, or "FROM" line), to whom it is going, in the middle of the envelope (the addressee or "TO" line), its urgency (special delivery, priority, 3rd class, etc.) (the "PRECEDENCE") and the time it was sent (the postmark) (the "TIME" or "DATE-TIME GROUP").

Message Text. The text is the second part of the message. It contains the information that the originator desires to convey to the addressee(s). The text is separated from the heading and the ending by the proword BREAK. BREAK is not considered to be included in the message. It simply serves as a separative word and immediately precedes and follows the text.

Message Ending. The final part of the message, the message ending, is that portion following the second separative proword BREAK and is reserved for operators' notes. These notes may consist of such things as the prowords MORE TO FOLLOW or other pertinent comments concerning the message, and last, the proword OVER. The proword OVER is always the last word transmitted by the sending station when a reply is expected. The receiving station will acknowledge receipt or obtain needed fills before acknowledging receipt.

Passing the Message

Message elements in CAP messages will be ordered as follows:

1. the call sign(s) of the station(s) called

2. the proword THIS IS

3. the call sign of the sending station (your call sign)

4. the proword MESSAGE

5. the proword NUMBER, followed by (a) numeral(s), assigned by the originator, indicating the serial number or message number of the message

6. the precedence (PRIORITY, ROUTINE, etc.)

7. the proword TlME followed by the six digit DTG, the proword ZULU, the month (abbreviated) and the last two digits of the year

8. the proword FROM and the originator's information (office symbol, address, telephone number, etc.)

9. the proword TO and the recipient's information (office symbol, address, telephone number, etc.)

10. the proword INFO and the recipient's information (this element is optional)

11. the proword GROUPS (if applicable) with numeral(s) indicating the number of groups in the text of the message (may be used if needed)

12. the proword BREAK (to notify the receiving station that this is the end of the heading and the text follows)

13. the text of the message

14. the proword BREAK (to notify the receiving station that the text is complete)

15. any operator notes

After receiving the message completely and getting any required fills, the receiving operator acknowledges with "I acknowledge receipt of your message number ______, OVER", or "I acknowledge receipt of your 010340Z DEC 93 (or whatever the DTG is), OVER".

Repetitions

Before an operator can give a receipt for a message. he must have correctly received the complete message. Therefore, when any portion is missed, he must ask for a repetition (fill).

1. When words are missed or doubtful, repetitions will be requested by the receiving station(s) before receipting for the message as follows: the prowords SAY AGAIN along or in conjunction with "ALL BEFORE ______", "ALL AFTER ______", "ALL AFTER ______ and ALL BEFORE", "WORD BEFORE ______" or "WORD AFTER ______" will be used for this purpose.

In complying with requests for repetition the transmitting station will identify the portion being repeated as follows: "I SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE ______", "I SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER ______", "I SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER and ALL BEFORE ______", etc.

2. When requesting a portion of the heading be repeated, prowords make good reference points for the portion needed. Examples: "SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER 'FROM' AND BEFORE 'TO', OVER", "SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER 'TO' AND ALL BEFORE 'BREAK', OVER", "SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE 'TO', OVER", etc.

Group Counts for Mixed Alphanumerics

There has been some confusion concerning the correct way of transmitting groups containing a combination of letters and numerals. The result has been that a single group has ended up being transmitted and copied as two, three, four, or more groups, depending on the number of letters and numerals it contains. Rules to remember when transmitting groups containing a combination of letters and numerals are:

1. If the group's first character is a letter, the proword INITIALS will precede the transmission of the group. The group is then transmitted phonetically exactly as written, character by character.

2. If the group's first character is a numeral, the proword FIGURES will precede the transmission of the group. The group is then transmitted phonetically exactly as written, character by character.

3. You never say INITIAL - FIGURES. You never say FIGURE - INITIALS.

4. If you do not use the proword INITIALS or FIGURES, then each character is considered to be a group and will be transcribed as such.

5. The prowords INITIALS and FIGURES are indicators of what is to follow and are not counted as a group in the text of the message.

Let's use the old frequency meter, BC-221, as an example:

If you say "BRAVO CHARLIE HYPHEN (or DASH) TOO TOO WUN", then each character would be recorded as a group and this would be five groups.

If you say "INITIALS BRAVO CHARLIE HYPHEN (or DASH) FIGURES TOO TOO WUN", this would be counted as two groups.

If you say "INITIALS BRAVO CHARLIE HYPHEN (or DASH) TOO TOO WUN", then this would be counted as one group.

If the group was 221-BC you would say "FIGURES TOO TOO WUN HYPHEN (or DASH) BRAVO CHARLIE", and that would be written and counted as one group.

Corrections during Transmission

When an error is made by a transmitting operator, it is corrected by transmitting the proword CORRECTION followed by the prowords I SAY AGAIN followed by the last word, group, or phrase that was transmitted correctly and the corrected portion of the message.

Canceling a Message during Transmission

If during the transmission of a message and prior to the ending proword OVER you discover the message is going to the wrong receiving station, wrong zip code, etc., the transmission and message may be canceled by using the prowords DISREGARD THIS TRANSMISSION, OUT. A message that has been completely transmitted and receipted can only be canceled by another message informing the receiving station to cancel.

CAP Unique Operating Procedures

The instructions so far have been concerned with rules and regulations regarding radiotelephone communications and message handling in general, for the most part. However, the uniqueness of CAP requires certain additions to these procedures because in CAP we deal with both CAP and military communications and handle both CAP and military/governmental messages. The following instructions illustrate and clarify CAP additions to procedures. If you have learned the material presented so far, CAP unique procedures will be simple to absorb.

Use of Call Sign and Office Symbol in Message Headings

When drafting a message, the originator must consider how to prepare the heading and text. The originator and addressee maybe designated in plain language. by call sign or by an office symbol. The following general rules will govern their use in normal message handling:

• Internal/Organizational Messages. In an administrative or military message, the call sign or office symbol representing a single individual, activity or command may be used instead of the name, title and location of the originator and/or addressee. When a call sign or office symbol is used and it is necessary to indicate a staff member or subordinate activity of the addressee, such indication will appear as the first words of the text of the message.

External/Non-Military Organization

In a military message addressed to a non-military activity or person, plain language will be used to indicate the name, title and geographic location of the originator and addressee. Military abbreviations or office symbols will not be used in this type of message. In a plain language message, complete address information is required in both the FROM and TO lines. In such a message the word SIGNED or the abbreviation SGD, followed by the name of the originator may appear at the end of the text before the second proword, BREAK.

Additional Comments

You will note the absence of superfluous words and phrases such as "and the number is", "the Date-Time Group is", "the text follows", "Go", "Break and how did you copy, go" "my time of receipt is", "my TOD is", "10-4", "QSL", "back to net control OUT", "that's a big 10-roger, come on back", "wall to wall and tree top tall", "blowing my doors off", "negatory", "out with you", etc. Q, Z, and 10 signals will never be used on a voice net. The use of such "jazzy" phrases and unauthorized prowords is the mark of a careless and/or inexperienced operator. The use of phrases such as these and the practice of "singing out" the messages slows down transmission time and when conditions are marginal, will likely cause errors.

We hope the information presented will be helpful in your day-to-day operations on the nets. Again, we point out that this guide is not written to replace CAPM 100-1, but to clarify and expand on the radiotelephone procedures that should be used when operating on CAP and military nets. Should you have questions or comments, the Region or Wing officials, or net control stations will help to answer or find answers for you in operational, procedural, and technical matters.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download