Help with radio practice exercise

[Walkman]

This week we're going take those that are newer to comms and have them practice speaking on the radio using prowords and proper alpha/numeric pronunciation. Since people always have trouble coming up with stuff to say off the top of their heads, what I was thinking of doing is creating a bunch of mission scenarios on note cards that they could use. Something like: "you see the target off to your left under the wing of the plane", to which they would say over the radio "target is 9 o'clock low". Give them a scene that they would have to "translate" into radio-speak.

I'd like some help writing some of these scenarios. If anyone can think of some things that could be discussed on the radio during a mission, please share them here and I'll collect them. When we're done, I can take and put them in a Word doc so others can use this exercise as well.

Thanks-

[coudano]

heh many times we have had some stupidity when we tried to 'wing' comm practice
some silly things getting said just for the sake of saying something (it is training after all)
people started just describing stuff they saw or reading signs within view, the classic example at our squadron was "the duck is smashing the computer, over" (from a piece of clip art that was laying around somewhere).


one thing i always thought would be cool to do would go like this (kind of like what you had in mind):

Setup however many stations you are going to have (mission base, aircrew, ground team?)
And work up a script that goes about 15 minutes or so, spaced out with "injects" at particular times
Each of the 3 stations might have a separate script.
Send them off to different radios out of earshot of each-other.
Have it start out fairly slow, and then ramp it up where traffic is pretty busy in the middle
and then maybe let it trail off again before hitting ENDEX

Now here's the catch:
Have a 4th station setup to receive only, and record everything it hears.
After the ENDEX, let everyone go get a drink or take a bathroom break or whatever.
Then get everyone together and play back the tape in a group de-brief,

This way everyone can talk through what got said, what should have gotten said
maybe missed calls
people get to hear and critique themselves
maybe someone has a tendency to start talking before the mic keys up
maybe there were a lot of incidents of people walking on other transmissions
maybe someone talks too fast (me)
or keeps the  mic too far from their mouth
or whatever


I'd keep it to 15 minutes or so, because that's about long enough to get some good exercise in,
and nobody wants to sit through a replay of the whole thing much longer than that for debrief.
You can throw that half hour into just about any other activity you are doing anyway,
or you can cycle multiple people through it.


that seems like a pretty decent idea for training, that I would really enjoy participating in.

could be particularly useful for our newbies, and more egregious radio protocol violators (aircrew and cops haha)

[Spaceman3750]

It depends on the background of those involved - coordinating with aircraft is an important thing to practice with GTs and ACs but not necessarily with the admin guy (assuming he doesn't do ES).

I would focus on proper message handling and MRO tasks - let the job-specific stuff fall into place later.

[bassque]

I echo Spaceman.  If you follow the MRO tasks you should be fine.  I'd try to keep the "use-cases" in focus of the tasks to be completed.  You might be too late but it would be awesome if you could get a training mission number for this as well so the participants could get not only sign offs but mission exercise participation credit as well. 


Complete Task L-0001 (Basic Communications Procedures for ES Operations)
Complete Task L-0002 (Perform radio operating procedures)
Complete Task L-0003 (Employ appropriate radio frequencies repeaters)
Complete Task L-0004 (message handling procedures)
Complete Task L-0005 (Choose a good communications site)
Complete Task L-0006 (Take steps to regain communications)
Complete Task L-0007 (Conduct scheduled checks)
Complete Task L-0008 (Send a position report)
Complete Task L-0009 (Report a clue or Find)
Complete Task L-0010 (Communications Safety Procedures)
Complete Task P-0101 Demonstrate the ability to keep a log

[arajca]

This week we're going take those that are newer to comms and have them practice speaking on the radio using prowords and proper alpha/numeric pronunciation. Since people always have trouble coming up with stuff to say off the top of their heads, what I was thinking of doing is creating a bunch of mission scenarios on note cards that they could use. Something like: "you see the target off to your left under the wing of the plane", to which they would say over the radio "target is 9 o'clock low". Give them a scene that they would have to "translate" into radio-speak.

I'd like some help writing some of these scenarios. If anyone can think of some things that could be discussed on the radio during a mission, please share them here and I'll collect them. When we're done, I can take and put them in a Word doc so others can use this exercise as well.

Thanks-

You're example is something a scanner would say to the pilot, not something an MRO would say.

Have them give coordinates (GPS, both decimal and D-M-S) or locations (Westbound I-98, milemarker 87909), or directions to a witness location (123 East Chappiquickes Lane, Upper Rubber Boot) using prowords (I SPELL). Give them a formal message to send and receive. Redirect an aircraft or ground team. Act as an MRO on a ground team and transmit the team's status and location - use GPS and landmark (driving west on Frontile and Lefthouse Road or Meadow Creek Trailhead parking lot) locations.

If you have ISRs, use them. There's nothing like practicing using a radio while using a radio. Their short range will help avoid potentially embarrassing transmissions from being heard by everyone in the wing.

If it's at a meeting, you won't have time to get sign offs completed if you use the actual task guides, especially if you're using a short timeframe as coudano suggests.

[Spaceman3750]

Their short range will help avoid potentially embarrassing transmissions from being heard by everyone in the wing.

You must have a small wing.

[arajca]

Their short range will help avoid potentially embarrassing transmissions from being heard by everyone in the wing.

You must have a small wing.

Quite the opposite.

[Walkman]

You're example is something a scanner would say to the pilot, not something an MRO would say.

Exactly. These are Scanner & UDF trainees. I should have clarified. And we are going to be using the ISRs. Coudano's got the idea of what I'm trying to do.

[Buzz]

Their short range will help avoid potentially embarrassing transmissions from being heard by everyone in the wing.

You must have a small wing.

Obviously you slept through that part of the radio operator's course, but it is one of the laws of physics that a signal travels farther, is more clear and is picked up by more receivers the more embarrassing it is.

DAMHIKT, but the phrase "Hartwell's Radiers" was part of the lesson when I took it in 1974 . . .

[Buzz]

This week we're going take those that are newer to comms and have them practice speaking on the radio using prowords and proper alpha/numeric pronunciation.

Ask questions that MAKE SENSE.  You don't have to put then into CAP context.

"What is your middle name in phonetics?"

"Open a net."

"Get position reports."

"Report the contents of the drawer in this desk, largest item to smallest."

"Report the number of aircraft visible from the front door of the building."

"Report wind direction and estimate speed."

"How many Cadets are in the room?"

"What is the approximate distance from your home to squadron HQ?"

"In phonetics, what is the name of the manufacturer of the radio / your car / whatever else?"

Just come up with anything that makes them use the tools, and they will get good at them in no time.  Give them fakey stuff and they won't.  It's the difference between air guitar and actually picking one up.

[arajca]

Their short range will help avoid potentially embarrassing transmissions from being heard by everyone in the wing.

You must have a small wing.

Obviously you slept through that part of the radio operator's course, but it is one of the laws of physics that a signal travels farther, is more clear and is picked up by more receivers the more embarrassing it is.

DAMHIKT, but the phrase "Hartwell's Radiers" was part of the lesson when I took it in 1974 . . .

Cumulo-granite blocks ISR (and most other for that matter) radio signals nicely. Since ISRs only have a mile range at max, the potential for public embarrassment is reduced as compared to say, VHF, which, of course will be operated on the local repeater immediately before or following net, therefore increasing the receptive audiance greatly...

[Buzz]

You're example is something a scanner would say to the pilot, not something an MRO would say.

Exactly. These are Scanner & UDF trainees. I should have clarified. And we are going to be using the ISRs. Coudano's got the idea of what I'm trying to do.

This can be fun.

In a large, paved area (like an empty ramp), have a "pilot" walk a search pattern blindfolded, while the "observer" walks 5 feet back, giving direction and communicating with the "mission coordinator."  The target may be a penny on the ground, face-up, with a few more false targets (face down) scattered around.  The observer must find the right target and get the pilot ORBITING 5 feet out, pointing directly toward the target ("wing up . . .wing down").

If you use different coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter), you can run multiple sorties in the same area, with a little confusing cross-chatter.  Send someone into the "grid" and the observer must spot the intruder and identify the direction so that the pilot can avoid the incursion.

Swap pilot and observer, go to a different grid and do it again.

[Buzz]

Their short range will help avoid potentially embarrassing transmissions from being heard by everyone in the wing.

You must have a small wing.

Obviously you slept through that part of the radio operator's course, but it is one of the laws of physics that a signal travels farther, is more clear and is picked up by more receivers the more embarrassing it is.

DAMHIKT, but the phrase "Hartwell's Radiers" was part of the lesson when I took it in 1974 . . .

Since ISRs only have a mile range at max,

Wanna bet?

I got chewed on because a 100mW signal on what we used to call "Channel 2" was clearly picked up over 60 miles away.

The only way to give your commo a hard range limit is to connect by cable.  Otherwise, you have to assume that someone is listening that you don't know about.

Ham radio operators in Hawai'i are familiar with this.  When I lived there, it was not unusual to hear low-power transmissions from well over the horizon, even the mainland. 

[SarDragon]

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