|
|
|
|
Communications Protocols
The MS 150 Bike Tour is a large radio operation and it is necessary to keep each exchange on the air to an absolute minimum. Whether you're a new ham or have volunteered for the MS 150 Bike Tour for years, a quick reminder of how our communications protocols work can't hurt. Please try to follow the general protocol rules listed below. In a standard formal net the following steps are taken to make contact with a station (other than net control) and pass this simple message:
As you can see, it takes a total of 9 exchanges to pass the traffic. See how we do it in the first protocol note below. It is significantly shorter and still affords control over the frequency. 1 - All nets are directed - Net control operators will maintain strict control over the frequencies. However, under normal circumstances, you need NOT ask for permission to initiate traffic. You only need to get net control to acknowledge you. Implicit in that acknowledgement is net control's permission to use the frequency in any way you see fit. So, make your call directly to the station you wish to contact. Note: This protocol has been updated on September 13, 2001 to reflect the "Tactical in - Callsign Out" method being used in El Paso County ARES district 14. For example, you are the station assigned to the Tour Coordinator. You want to inform Rest Stop 6 that the water they requested is on the way. Here is how the exchange should go.
Notice, the Tour Coordinator does NOT, repeat NOT ask for permission to call Rest Stop 6. Instead, when net control recognizes any station, permission to use the frequency by that station is automatically given. The Tour Coordinator goes direct to the party they need to talk to. Note also that initiating a call, the tour coordinator does NOT make the traditional "Net Control, this is Tour Coordinator" call. Since all initial transmissions are to net control, that is understood. You can see that the number of transmissions have significantly decreased, and the verbose nature of the above standard net protocol is also substantially reduced. We've found this method of operation a very efficient means of communications while at the same time maintaining a well controlled net. If you think eliminating 3 exchanges is insignificant, wait until you hear the traffic load on an average MS 150 Bike Tour Net. Each syllable we can eliminate will be greatly appreciated. :-) Ultimately, the protocols used on each net are up to the net control operator. There is usually a team of operators at each net control station. The "boss" of any net operation may decide things are getting out of hand and raise the level of formality to that shown at the top of the page. Conversely, things may be so slow at the end of the day that they eliminate net control and open the frequency so that you can simply make direct calls. What ever the case, abide by the protocols that each net is currently operating under. 2 - Keep legal and properly identify -Tactical calls will be used extensively during the bike tour. SAG_1, MED_1, TOUR_DIRECTOR, REST_1 ETC. You are strongly encouraged to use these tactical callsigns when communicating back and forth between stations. They are much more easily understood by the non-hams listening to the traffic. Remember though, at the end of every exchange of information and before you clear, identify with your FCC Call Sign. IE: "NØKKZ CLEAR". The FCC only requires you to ID once every 10 minutes and/or at the end of a series of quick exchanges. 3 - BREAK - Only use the term "BREAK" during an emergency (or extremely high priority) situation. At that point all general traffic will stop until net control clears the traffic. 4 - Be Concise - Please take the time to think your message through before transmitting. Remember, by keeping your transmission short you help the radio system work to its fullest potential. When transmitting please key your mike before speaking to allow your traffic to be passed the first time. 5 - Can't Break In - At times communications can become very congested with a high volume of traffic on all the nets. Please be patient and wait your turn. There is no general traffic so urgent that it can not wait for others to clear. If the person making the request seems upset, use some PR and explain to them how our radio networks function. If your traffic is of significant importance use the term "Break". This should alert all stations to stay clear of the frequency and get net control's attention in a hurry. 6 - Valid Traffic - DO NOT PASS TRAFFIC FROM ANYONE WHO IN NOT AN OFFICIAL OR MEDICAL PERSON. Send those people to an MS official or rest stop coordinator. This includes any volunteers too. Often, riders or volunteers will ask to have traffic passed. DO NOT pass this type of traffic on an MS Net frequency unless you know that the traffic has been requested by some other operator.
Always use your best judgment in these circumstances. If you find a rider down and bleeding and they request medical assistance, you know what to do! No need to wait for some official to step in and ask you to contact medical. There will be other less serious but possibly valid reasons for initiating traffic for a non official. But, keep in mind that the officials should be made aware of anything that affects the ride in general. Also, trust the volunteers. If they indicate that they have been asked by an official to get you to put some traffic on the net, take their word for it. Officials are busy folks and they may delegate liaison to the nets to one of their subordinates. 7 - Remain Active - Remember, our responsibility is radio communications. Stay by your station. If you have any problem that requires some time away from your station let net control know you will be away from your radio and are checking out. Check back in when you return. Helping set up locations, loading and unloading trucks, etc. are welcome gestures by the MS people. However, you are there to be a communicator first! You can actually be doing a disservice to the Ride by helping out on these types of activities if you let them take you out of the communications loop. Your FIRST responsibility is to be checked into the net and listening for calls made to the person or station you are assigned. If you see no way to turn down a request for help and know it will take you away from your radio, CHECK OUT of the net so that net control is aware you are missing and can hold any traffic for you. 8 - Spelling, Numbers, Q Signals - Be prepared to spell all proper names using the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) phonetic alphabet. There is no such thing as "common spelling". Transmit all groups of numbers, phone numbers, etc. as individual numbers. 104 should be sent as "one zero four", not "a hundred and four", "one hundred four" or "one oh four". "Q" signals were devised for Morse Code (CW) use. While they are "fun" and interesting in an informal setting they should not be used on formal voice nets of the type we run for the the MS 150 Bike Tour. Needless to say, if you transmit "QRZ?? Because of QRM, I'll QSY and try a QSO there, QSL? Maybe you are QRT at your QTH?" only hams will know what the heck you are talking about. Many individuals who are not hams are listening to all the traffic to keep abreast of events on the ride. They will invariable turn to their hams and ask "What was that all about!" So, you will just be forcing some unfortunate to explain the idiosyncrasies of amateur radio to the uninitiated. 9 - Weak Signals - When using an HT, keep your antenna vertical except in very rare cases. Once you've found a good spot, don't move around until you are through transmitting. If you are getting weak signal reports, hold your HT up, gaze into the S-meter and walk around looking for some spot in your vicinity where the received signal from the repeater peaks. Mentally mark that spot and return to it each time you need to transmit to the net. 10 - Know Your Location - Always know where you are. While this may seem obvious and easy to do, you may find that, while driving back and forth over the same road all day, it is easy to lose track of your location. If you have to call in emergency medical assistance an accurate description of your location is essential for a quick response. "I'm at mile marker 127", or "I'm 3 miles south of Rest 4" will be of great help. If you carry a GPS receiver, don't try passing latitude/longitude coordinates. It's too time consuming. When you find a rest stop, enter it in as a waypoint. When you pass some major road intersection enter that as a waypoint. Then you can easily say your location relative to some landmark everyone on frequency will be familiar with. If you are on a twisty road and 1 air mile south of Rest 4 you might be 3 road miles south of that rest stop. So, indicate "I'm 1 air mile south" or something similar so the responding units will know the indicated location isn't in road miles. 11 - Sagging - That's picking up a rider and moving him/her forward via a vehicle. In years past we used the net to dispatch Sag vehicles to specific locations. We have abandoned this practice. There is a Sag Control Station on frequency for emergencies and medical sag requests. However, sagging is now done in a systematic way that should ensure riders are always picked up within a reasonable period of time. Here, briefly, is how it works. Remember this so you can inform participants who request rides. The course is divided up into sections between major locations, primarily Rest Stops. The sag coordinator will assign sag vehicles to patrol each section of the course currently active (with riders on it). The sag team is also responsible for keeping track of the last rider. So, where ever there are riders, there are sag vehicles patrolling the course. Once an area has been cleared by all riders, sag control moves his available resources to an active area. He will also attempt to concentrate resources in areas where a high volume of sagging is required (hills). So, do NOT request a sag for a rider on the net. If you are asked to call a sag vehicle by a rider, explain how the system works and that someone should come along within a fairly reasonable amount of time (30-45 minutes usually is the longest). The exception to this rule is a medical sag. Only medical volunteers can make that type of request. If you find someone you believe needs a medical sag, you should call for medical assistance. Let them be the judge of the rider's condition. You might be right, but too right! That rider may be in need of serious transportation (ambulance) and sending them along in a sag vehicle might further jeopardize their condition. 12 - Finally - After all those suggestions remember, while this is a serious event, you will find most net controls and radio coordinators very forgiving of your errors. Don't get too paranoid about following proper protocol. Try your best and any errors will be quickly forgiven. And -- Rules should not over ride your common sense. Break any rule at any time if, in your judgment, that rule stands in the way of accomplishing an important task. Just keep in mind how your fellow amateurs would view your actions. If you believe they would approve, go for it. If in doubt, follow the rules.
|
|
