[MarinTeams] Monday Evening CERT On-Air Practice Tonight

[Elisabeth T-M]

Fellow CERTs and hams, many radio protocols exist, tailored to different
uses.  CERT teams in Marin have not adopted any countywide standard.

With UHF/VHF communications, sound quality is usually so good that one can
often recognize a familiar operator by voice alone.  FCC knows this and
requires us to ID only at the end of a series of transmissions, or every 10
minutes, whichever comes first (§97.119 Station identification):
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/news/part97/onepage.html

HF communications (allowed with FCC General Class license and above) are
often marred by distortions that make people sound like aliens from Planet
X, and signals can travel hundreds or thousands of miles.  So, with HF
radio, it may be useful to state one's call sign with each transmission,
even during casual conversation.

Now, as I understand it, Bill AB6MT has adapted a military radio protocol
called the Joint Forces APC125 (f) and advocates its use by CERT-affiliated
hams within San Rafael.  It was originally designed to obscure
communications, to protect soldiers from attack or information theft.  It
may be used on HF bandwidth.

On the other hand, Marin Amateur Radio Society (MARS--non-Navy) uses ARRL
Public Service Protocol, during the athletic events at which we serve:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/nts-mpg/pdf/MPG904A.pdf

It is designed for open communications among civilian radio amateurs on
UHF/VHF.  As with Bill's adapted protocol, the ARRL Public Service Protocol
lets all operators overhear the same information, while the Net Control
operator coordinates their efforts.  In either case, net discipline is key.

One difference between the two is that the ARRL Public Service Protocol
prescribes a "tactical" net, meaning that each station identifies itself on
air primarily by the name assigned to the location.  For instance, at the
Double Dipsea foot race last weekend, I was stationed at Cardiac Hill.  My
tactical call sign was therefore "Cardiac."  The operator who helped me, at
one point, used the same tactical call sign.  In a tactical net, the
important thing is where you are, not who you are.  We use our personal call
signs sparingly, and only as required by FCC.

For example, when hailing Net Control, I would say: "Net Control, Cardiac."
I would wait to be acknowledged: "Cardiac, go ahead."  Without further ID, I
would state my message:  "Red Cross requests that all aid stations stop
adding ice to the drinking water, because it is making overheated racers
sick."  I would wait for acknowledgement:  "Roger, Cardiac--we will relay
that information to all aid stations:  'Stop adding ice to the drinking
water.' "  If I had no corrections and nothing further to add, I would
signify that I was finished by saying, "Cardiac, KI6IMV."  It's short and
efficient.

We practice our skills in support of various organized sports events in
Marin, throughout each summer.  We pass a great deal of health & welfare
traffic concerning injured, lost, or exhausted racers--even the occasional
racer who dies.  These are the skills we will use, if we are needed to help
in a regional disaster.

Any licensed ham who wants to gain some experience using this protocol is
more than welcome to join us.  These events always need volunteers!  Just go
to the "Public Service" page of the MARS club website:
http://www.w6sg.net/PublicService.HTM
The next event we're covering is the Marin Century / Mt. Tam Double bike
ride on August 2.

Meanwhile, Marin RACES/ACS uses a variant of NTS Emergency Communications
protocol.  We are in the process of formalizing it in writing--a project
that's overdue for us (but then, we're all volunteers).  This protocol also
makes use of a tactical net, with minimal use of personal call signs.  We
practice it during weekly regional and countywide nets.  The countywide net
takes place every Tuesday at 19:30 hours on 147.330, which has four repeater
inputs.  These inputs and their PLs are announced during the net.  We also
participate in a drill organized each October by Marin Operational Area
Office of Emergency Services (MOA OES).

ARRL has some thoughtful comments on striking a balance between formality
and flexibility with radio protocols, at:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/nts-mpg/

Personally, I like ARRL Public Service Protocol, because it's streamlined
and intuitive.  Rank beginners (as I was, not so long ago) can learn quickly
and gain valuable radio network experience by serving at real events near
home.  It's fun, sometimes harrowing, and we enjoy the free T-shirts!  The
skills are readily transferable to FRS ("family") radio, used by some CERT
teams in Southern Marin.  MARS welcomes all hams to volunteer with us and
add this style of operating to their skills.

73,

Elisabeth Thomas-Matej KI6IMV
Southern Marin CERT member
Hamilton Wireless member
MARS Secretary
RACES/ACS Southern Area Leader