SESSION THREE

The Last of the Prowords

and

More on Directed Net Operations


Prowords are single words or phrases that enhance communications efficiency. In the early days of electronic communications, abbreviations were created by telegraphers to communicate common or frequently used phrases. The term proword is a contraction of the terms: procedural words. In the past two SATERN emergency communications training sessions, we've been introduced to the following prowords:
 

This week, we'll finish with prowords, at least for a while, and we'll delve a bit deeper into the concepts and practical aspects of directed net operations.
 

'ROGER' is a term that's heard quite frequently in amateur communications. And, not surprisingly, it's use is often misunderstood by those using the term. The term 'ROGER' means, simply, you understood the other party's transmission. It does not mean 'I agree with what you said.' 'ROGER' is a one word acknowledgment transmitted by a receiving station. The word 'ROGER' is shorthand for 'I received your transmission.' If you're communicating with another station and he asks if you're operating from your home station, which you are, how do you answer him? If your answer is 'roger,' you really have not answered the other station's question. All you've done is indicated that you received his transmission. To answer the question, use 'yes,' or 'affirmative,' not 'ROGER.'
 

We all make mistakes from time to time. Out tongues get twisted, words take on new and unintended meaning... How we correct our on-the-air mistakes can have an effect on communications efficiency. When, for whatever reason, we stumble while transmitting a message, the proper manner in which to correct the mistake is to use the word 'CORRECTION.' How you correct the misinformation depends a great deal on what type of information you were communicating. If, for example, you were in the midst of spelling a word and phonetically transmitted the wrong character, you should start sending the word, again, from the beginning. Here's an example. I'm trying to communicate the word 'Exxon.' Here's the transmission:
 

EXXON I SPELL ECHO X-RAY X-RAY QUEBEC CORRECTION EXXON I SPELL ECHO X-RAY X-RAY OSCAR NOVEMBER EXXON
 

And, in the case of mixed groups:
 

I SPELL WHISKEY WHISKEY NINE FOXTROT CORRECTION I SPELL WHISKEY WHISKEY NINE ECHO
 

If you're in the middle of a plain language sentence and simply mispronounce or misread a single word, go back to the last punctuation mark and retransmit from that point forward. For example:
 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE PERIOD I AM AVAILABLE CORRECTION PERIOD I AM NOT AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE PERIOD
 

By going back to the last punctuation symbol, you leave no doubt in the other station's mind where the information you're retransmitting should be placed in the message body.
 

Sometimes, even under the best of conditions, it's necessary to ask for information to be repeated...or, in the communicator's lingo, get fills. The magic words to use when asking for a fill or fills on a voice net are 'SAY AGAIN.' Those words put the sending station on notice that he or she is going to have to repeat something to you. After you use the magic words, you have to tell the other station what you need repeated. Your request can take one of three forms:
 

SAY AGAIN WORD AFTER and SAY AGAIN WORD BEFORE are fairly well self explanatory. If you're missing a single word, we use these forms to request the needed information. If, however, you missed more than a single word or several words of a sentence, you can give the station the last word before and the first word after the missing information by using the SAY AGAIN FROM... TO... request.
 

It's easier to give an example than to explain...so, here's an example. I missed several words of a sentence. What I copied was: "WILL ARRIVE IN DALLAS ... EVENING."

I transmit the following: SAY AGAIN FROM DALLAS TO EVENING. The other station transmits "I SAY AGAIN FROM DALLAS TO EVENING... DALLAS FIGURES 14 APRIL SATURDAY EVENING"
 

If I had missed only a single word, I would transmit "SAY AGAIN WORD AFTER DALLAS..." or, "SAY AGAIN WORD BEFORE EVENING..."
 

Speaking of punctuation symbols, when transmitting formal traffic, be it routine, priority, or emergency precedence, you won't come across many punctuation symbols. The period, comma, colon, semi-colon, question mark, exclamation mark, at-sign, dash and slant bar are about the only symbols you'll come across. When communicating messages by voice, these symbols are transmitted by using the names of the symbols, just as I gave them. When you encounter internet addresses, the dot of 'dot com' as well as the decimal point found in frequency designations are communicated as periods. Slant bars, the symbol we append to a ham call sign when operating away from home, are communicated as 'SLANT.' And, hyphens are communicated as 'DASH.'
 

Now, let's shift gears and talk some more about directed net operations. As you may recall from the last session, a directed net is a network in which all transmissions are controlled by the net control station (NCS). SATERN's HF emergency nets, for the most part, will cover large geographic areas. The vagaries of radio propagation, atmospheric and weather related noise can make net operations quite challenging. Not all stations who wish to participate in the net can be heard by the NCS. Conversely, stations who might join the net don't get the opportunity if they cannot hear the NCS. Each NCS should appoint an ALTERNATE NET CONTROL STATION. The ALTERNATE NCS should be located at some distance away from the primary NCS so that he or she may take advantage of propagation from his or her location, filling in the gaps in the NCS' ability to communicate. Additionally, the ALTERNATE NCS should maintain a complete log of all stations checked into the net and all traffic listed with the net so that he or she can assume the NCS position and carry on the business of the net without undue delay. One interesting exercise is for the NCS to turn off his or her transmitter in mid-sentence while simultaneously starting a stopwatch. This is done to see how long it takes for the ALTERNATE NCS to pick up the net's reigns and carry on. The ALTERNATE NCS should be able to pick up the net and continue conducting the net's business within 3 minutes. Having appointed an ALTERNATE NCS, the primary NCS should frequently use his or her services to make net calls and relay information to the primary NCS.
 

As stations check into the net and periodically during the net, it's a good idea for the NCS and the ALTERNATE NCS to poll the net members and obtain RADIO CHECKs in order to stay abreast of changing propagation conditions. The term RADIO CHECK is another military/MARS term and is answered not in S-meter readings but in terms of relative signal strength and readability. Signal strength is given by using the terms:
 

Readability is given by:
  The best possible RADIO CHECK response is LOUD and CLEAR. The worst is WEAK and UNREADABLE. The terms are mixed and matched to suit the circumstance. Readability, of course, can be affected by transmitter problems, propagation, and/or interfering radio signals or atmospheric phenomena. Here's a typical exchange between a NCS and a net member. In this example, W7LXR is the NCS.
 

W7LXR transmits:
 

NOVEMBER FIVE OSCAR KILO QUEBEC THIS IS WHISKEY SEVEN LIMA X-RAY ROMEO. RADIO CHECK. OVER.
 

N5OKQ responds:
 

THIS IS NOVEMBER FIVE OSCAR KILO QUEBEC. LOUD AND CLEAR. OVER.
 

W7LXR transmits:
 

THIS IS WHISKEY SEVEN LIMA X-RAY ROMEO. LOUD AND CLEAR. OUT."
 
 
 

I'll quit there for this week's session. To recap, this week, we have talked about the term 'ROGER' and it's meaning, giving and getting fills, discussed how to transmit punctuation marks, learned how to get and give RADIO CHECKS and introduced a new net officer - the ALTERNATE NET CONTROL STATION. Next week, more on directed net operations. As always, I can be reached by email at [email protected] or at my Callbook address.