CAP Communications Radio Operator Authorization Course

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CAP CommunicationsRadio Operator Authorization
Course
Voice of Command
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CAP Radio Operator Authorization
Authorization is done in two phases

• 1. Communications Orientation Class
• 1-2 Hour Class on
• a. Standard Operating Procedures
• b. Local Operating Procedures
• Entitles a CAP member to operate a CAP Radio
• Issuance of a CAPF 76, Radio Operator
  Authorization by a Group Communications Officer
  or Wing Communications Officer.
• 2. Advanced Communications User Training
• 4 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

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CAP 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
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5 Habits of a Good Radio Operator

• 1. Speak clearly
• 2. Annunciate your words.
• 3. Speak slowly
• 4. Remain calm no matter what happens - Never
  Panic.
• 5. THINK - Use Your Head

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Operator Responsibilities

• LISTEN
• Be Prepared to Assist
• Do NOT Transmit Unless You Have Something to
  Offer or Contact is Requested

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Prohibited 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
• DO NOT use Profanity
• Violating operational security rules

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PROWORDS
Reference 100-1
Prowords are a special set of words used for
clarity and brevity in communications. Some of
the most commonly used prowords are

• THIS IS Preface to your call sign
• ROGER Last transmission received OK
• OVER Im done, go ahead
• OUT Im 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

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Phonetic Alphabet
A Alpha B Bravo C Charlie D Delta E Echo F Foxtrot
G Golf H Hotel I India J Juliet K Kilo L Lima M M
ike
N November O Oscar P Papa Q Quebec R Romeo S Sierr
a T Tango U Uniform V Victor W Whiskey X X-Ray Y Y
ankee Z Zulu
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I 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

CORRECTIONS
? Use proword CORRECTION to correct a
mistake Example Turn right at next corner
CORRECTION Turn left at next corner
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Numbers

• Pronunciation
• 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.
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SENDING NUMBERS

• Use Prowords FIGURES, DECIMAL, TIME,
  INITIALS

Digit-by-Digit Not Seven Fifty
750 FIGURES SEVEN FIVE ZERO
Niner Not Nine
849 FIGURES EIGHT FOUR NINER
Decimal Point
14.5 FIGURES ONE FOUR DECIMAL FIVE
Z Time
1635Z TIME ONE SIX THREE FIVE ZULU
Initial And Figures
E21 INITIAL ECHO FIGURES TWO ONE
One Figure and Initial
3-A FIGURE THREE DASH INITIAL ALPHA
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ZULU Time

• AKA Greenwich Mean Time or Universal Coordinated
  Time.
• Refers to the current time in Greenwich, United
  Kingdom.
• Zulu time is a system of timekeeping that refers
  to the same time, no matter what time zone you
  are in.

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Types of Stations Tactical Call Signs
TEXAS WING CALL SIGN EXAMPLES
AIRMOBILE
GROUND
CAPFLIGHT 4230
CAP VEHICLES
TEXASCAP650
TEXASCAP 2990
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Texas Call Signs

• TEXASCAP 1 TEXASCAP 99
• -Wing Staff
• -TC1Wing Commander
• -TC2Wing Vice Commander
• -TC3Wing Chief of Staff
• -TC4Wing Director of Communications
• -TC8Wing ES Officer
• -TC9Wing Operations Officer
• Assistants and staff officers working under a
  director will be assigned calls signs
  accordingly Wing Communications staff will have
  calls in the 40 to 49 block, Operations staff in
  the 90 to 99 block

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Group call signs

• Group 1 100 - 199
• Group 3 300 - 300
• Group 4 400 - 499
• Group 5 500 - 599
• Group 6 600 - 699
• Group 7 700 - 799
• Group 8 800 - 899
• Group 11 1100 - 1199
• Group 13 1300 - 1499
• Group 16 1600 - 1699
• Group 19 1900 - 1999

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Calling Another Station

• To Establish Contact
• TEXASCAP 650 THIS IS Capflight 4230 OVER
• Response from the Ground Station
• Capflight 4230 THIS IS TEXASCAP 650 OVER
• On Closing the Contact
• Capflight 4230 OUT
• OR
• TEXASCAP 650 OUT
• Only the first station to finish must say this.

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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.

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Radio 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 (TC650 is the NCS)
• TEXASCAP 650, THIS IS TEXASCAP 581 with no
  traffic, over

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Radio Nets - Contacting another Station
TC650 NCS
1
TC581
TC582
2
3

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

1 - TEXASCAP 650, THIS IS TEXASCAP 581 with
traffic for TEXASCAP 582 OVER
2 -TEXASCAP 581, YOU MAY PASS YOUR TRAFFIC, OUT
3 -TEXASCAP 582, THIS IS TEXASCAP 581, OVER
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NET STATION CHECK-IN EXAMPLES

• Checking into a Net with no traffic during roll
  call
• This is TEXASCAP 581 with no traffic OVER
• Acknowledgement of check-in
• " I recognize TEXASCAP 581 with no traffic OUT"

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General Radio Controls Summary
Common Controls Volume Squelch
Channel Selector Mike with Push to Talk
Switch (Release to Listen)
Radio Setup Radio Transceiver (VHF-FM,
HF-SSB, SAR) Power Supply (110 VAC or 12
Volt DC) Antenna (Vertical, Magnetic Mount,
Dipole)
1
Power Supply
V
S
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(No Transcript)
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Civil Air Patrol Communications cont.

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

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Civil Air Patrol Communications Cont.

• Intersquad Radio (ISR)
• Military Ultra High Frequency channels
• Very short range
• Not CAP frequencies, may have to share with other
  Military users.
• May not be used in flight.
• 14 channels, named ISR1 to ISR 14
• Use standard CAP or ICS callsigns.
• Texas CAP numbers will not be issued for these
  radios. Use squadron call sign, ICS call sign
  (Ground Team 2) etc

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Voice Operating Modes
Single Frequency - One Station at a Time
SIMPLEX
SAME FREQ
REPEATER
Two Frequencies - One Station at a Time
R
T
OUTPUT FREQ
INPUT FREQ
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Repeater Operation
INPUT FREQ
OUTPUT FREQ
100.0 Hz Tone
Universal Access Tone used by low power stations
only
Repeater increases the range of mobile stations
due to its high profile location
Note All CAP Repeaters respond to the 100.0 Hz
tone
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Inside the Repeater
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,
example 123.1 Hz
OUTPUT FREQ
Voice
Receiver
Transmitter
INPUT FREQ
PTT
123.1 Hz Tone
100.0 123.1 Hz Tone Decoder
Mike Button
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.
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CAP Operational Security

• Do not publicly release CAP radio frequencies.
• Do not release CAP radio frequencies over the
  air.
• Frequencies may be referred to by their
  designators
• Example, one of the Southwest Region High
  Frequencies is called WB, or Whiskey Bravo.
• THE DESIGNATORS WILL BE USED ON THE AIR TO
  DIRECT STATIONS TO ANOTHER FREQUENCY, SUCH AS
  ALL STATIONS CHANGE FREQUENCY TO WHISKEY
  CHARLIE, OUT
• NEVER TRANSMIT THE DESIGNATOR OF THE FREQUENCY
  YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON!!!!

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CAP HF Radio Frequencies

• HF-SSB DESIGNATORS USE
• AD National Calling Frequency
• AE National Calling Frequency
• WA Southwest Region HF
• WB Southwest Region HF
• WBS Southwest Region HF Secondary
• WC Southwest Region HF
  Primary
• WD Southwest Region HF
• WE thru WL

• Each Region has a group of HF frequencies
  assigned.
• Southwest Region has a total of 12 assigned HF
  freqs

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CAP VHF Radio Frequencies

• VHF-FM
• Radio channel Designator Use
• ZONE1 CH. 1 V1 Primary
• ZONE1 CH. 2 V2 Alternate
• ZONE1 CH. 3 V3 Ground Teams
• ZONE1 CH. 4 V4 Air-Ground
• Z1 CH.7 P27 FTW REPEATER
• Z1 CH.10 P33 DALLAS REPEATER
• Z2 CH.4 PA AIRBORNE REPEATER
• Z2 CH.6 PB AIRBORNE REPEATER

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Aeronautical SAR Stations

• Aeronautical Search And Rescue Stations (SAR)
  Operate on two Aircraft Frequencies
• 122.9 MHz - TRAINING Only
• 123.1 MHz - ACTUAL Missions Only
• Contact ground teams by using VHF-FM
• V4 Z1 CH.4 - Air-to-Ground Simplex
• Base Call Signs assigned by geographical location
• THIS IS Spinks Mission Base OVER

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USE OF NON CAP FREQUENCIES

• CAP MAY USE STATE OF TEXAS INTEROPERABILITY
  FREQUENCIES WHEN SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY A
  STATE AGENCY TO DO SO. THESE FREQUENCIES ARE
  PROGRAMMED INTO JOHNSON AND NEW AIRCRAFT FM
  RADIOS.
• MARINE BAND 8 MARINE BAND FREQUENCIES ARE
  PROGRAMMED FOR USE WITH COAST GUARD OR OTHER
  AGENCIES.
• THESE FREQUENCIES SHOULD BE USED ONLY FOR
  INTERAGENCY COMMUNICATIONS WITH STATE, COUNTY OR
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR AGENCIES. CAP WILL USE CAP
  CALL SIGNS AND STANDARD CAP PROCEDURE.

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Questions?
?