Interestingly, when CAP Nat Hq first instituted the on line safety suggestion/concern web input, I submitted a suggestion to strongly encourage units using the LTronics DF portables to considering getting a magnetic mount antenna to mount on the vehicles so that initially signal acquisition would be easier to obtain, without having to stop the vehicle and have DF crews get out of the vehicle just to determine if there was a signal. I pointed out that especially at night, with no aircraft flying and trying to box in a signal with ground forces, this could mitigate risk exposure (being out of the vehicle numerous times) until a strong signal was present.
Perhaps it wasn't the best of suggestions, but I would have at least expected an acknowledgement that it had been read. Even in the AF under the old suggestion program you got an acknowledgement and your suggestion was evaluated and adopted or if not adopted you got an answer back.
They do have a full time paid employee there now, perhaps he might considering looking at the inputs received from the past. It's apparent that none of the volunteer Safety staff had an interest in this :o
RM
Okay.....is your rant that they ignored your suggestion....or that they did not respond back to your suggestion?
Not caring one bit about the on line suggestion program........that is a lot of safety eye wash.....but what exactly did you expect?
Just to play devil's advocate...they may have a full time safety guy at National....but the specific guy who in charge of this may only be a volunteer.
They may collate all the suggestions for a quarter or maybe a half year before they convene a working group to look at any of them.
They may not have any mechanism to respond back to individuals that they have received them, processed them and/or taken action on them.
As for your specific safety suggestion....my unit does not have the money for the magnetic mounts...so we look both ways before we exit the vehicle.
Quote from: lordmonar on March 05, 2010, 10:44:17 PM
As for your specific safety suggestion....my unit does not have the money for the magnetic mounts...so we look both ways before we exit the vehicle.
Ditto - the last thing we need are unfunded mandates from NHQ, and this is hardly a "new" idea - I've had a glassmount on my truck for about 5 years for a DF unit.
They actually read the suggestions. Quite a few was published in the February Sentinel.
http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/Sentinel_2010_02_42DCA3624B599.pdf
CAPTAlkers reading the Sentinel?
Say it isn't so....
May indicate to folks here who are the folks that REALLY need to pay attention to it
If one was an ASO or an AVN Safety NCO or the like from the RM...the one who really had to actually had to to PRACTICE and ENFORCE Safety
Reading another publication was all in days hour of work
CAP really needed a safety program 30+ years ago
The Sentinel is not really anything "new." Just a publication that probably is ignored by MANY in CAP >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D
March's Sentinel is OUT!!
Some place forgot the spell check button
Plenty-o-suggestions out there
Those that are interested..........$100 for a new Name Change... I think its a $100 for trinket buying at VG Good Luck!!
How about thieving somebody's? How about "Comminique" like in "Que?"
Quote from: RADIOMAN015 on March 05, 2010, 10:28:59 PM
Interestingly, when CAP Nat Hq first instituted the on line safety suggestion/concern web input, I submitted a suggestion to strongly encourage units using the LTronics DF portables to considering getting a magnetic mount antenna to mount on the vehicles so that initially signal acquisition would be easier to obtain, without having to stop the vehicle and have DF crews get out of the vehicle just to determine if there was a signal. I pointed out that especially at night, with no aircraft flying and trying to box in a signal with ground forces, this could mitigate risk exposure (being out of the vehicle numerous times) until a strong signal was present.
Perhaps it wasn't the best of suggestions, but I would have at least expected an acknowledgement that it had been read. Even in the AF under the old suggestion program you got an acknowledgement and your suggestion was evaluated and adopted or if not adopted you got an answer back.
They do have a full time paid employee there now, perhaps he might considering looking at the inputs received from the past. It's apparent that none of the volunteer Safety staff had an interest in this :o
RM
There are many units that have the mag mount directional antennas on the top of their van. The last 3 units I was in had them in the back of the van and didn't know what they were or how to set them up. There's even a nifty "turn left" or "behind you" suction cup dial that mounts to the windshield so it's easier to interpret the signals.
That kit made getting out of the van practically obsolete. One of the last missions that I was the GTL for, we used them and only had to do some DF'ing on the pier about 100' from the target.
YMMV.
No windshield attachments allowed in CA. Just so's you know. :)
Actually, legislation was passed in 2008 providing for 5 square inches in the lower left, 7 square inches in the lower right, to be fair game for suction cup devices, though the vehicle code specifically says "GPS, when used as a door to door navigation device".
I sit corrected. Thank you.