How do CAP radio stations at home work? I know several members who have them and who participate in missions from home, but I've never seen any guidance on how they "work," and would just like some more information.
TIA
Quote from: GreatValuePAO on September 07, 2020, 07:07:24 AMHow do CAP radio stations at home work? I know several members who have them and who participate in missions from home, but I've never seen any guidance on how they "work," and would just like some more information.
Not quite sure what you're asking here. The short answer is that they work at home just like they work anywhere else... you connect the radio to an antenna and, if necessary, a power supply and have at it. What additional information are you looking for?
As the operational aspects may vary from wing to wing, you should ask your wing comm and ops folks for how these stations are used.
Pretty much all this above.
There is no "guidance" per se. Every unit, every wing has different mission requirements, equipment tables, numbers of pieces of gear, repeater sites, trained operators, geographical locations, etc. There's not a whole lot of guidance on that.
If your wing or unit has a need and a capacity to be filled and having a radio at home fills that capacity for some people, then it can probably happen. Otherwise, it probably doesn't.
1 - You complete the ICUT.
B - You procure an NTIA compliant radio, either as a POR (Personally Owned Radio), or COR (Corporate Owned Radio),
issued to you under the TOA (Table of Allowances which dictates certain roles such as Commander, Ground Team Leader, etc., get radios asavailable).
3 - You license that radio as per your wing's procedure.
D - You use it to "confidence check-in" on the scheduled radio nets as per your Wing, Group, or Unit.
(Repeat after me..."No Traffic, Over.")
5 - Beyond that, any mission work from home will be based solely on your ES ratings, the need, and whether you
are in radio proximity of the activities. It is also highly unlikely with the exception of ICs working in their kitchens on overnight ELTs or Communications exercises.
F - Rinse, Repeat.
(Any other further detail then the above can only be answered with respect to your Wing. Start with
your unit's Communications Officer.
Quote from: arajca on September 07, 2020, 02:15:05 PMAs the operational aspects may vary from wing to wing, you should ask your wing comm and ops folks for how these stations are used.
I do quite a bit, but that's because I am an AOBD and in order to get from our airport to any of the training areas you have to fly over my house about 20 min away from the airport. So I give the Observers radio practice.
Quote from: arajca on September 07, 2020, 02:15:05 PMAs the operational aspects may vary from wing to wing, you should ask your wing comm and ops folks for how these stations are used.
If you have the space so set up an HF radio you will be welcome regardless. Many members such as myself live in a "Planned Unit Development" where I cannot set up an effective HF antenna. In fact I have to crank the VHF antenna up and down to hide it when its not transmitting.