TACTICAL CALLS - WHEN AND HOW TO USE THEM
Tactical calls are used to identify a location during an event regardless of who is operating. This is an important concept. The tactical call allows you to contact a location without knowing the FCC call of the operator there. It also virtually eliminates confusion at shift changes and when a person takes a break from operating. Think about that. Do you answer a call from the sound of a persons voice or from the identified location. Obviously from the identified location.
Tactical calls should be used for all Emergency nets once there are more than three participants and most public service nets if there is more than minimal traffic.
*USE your assigned SKYWARN Identification number (if you have one) when checking into a SKYWARN Net for example, PIN 17 ALPHA followed by any report for the NCS.
Net Control will assign the tactical call as each location is opened. It will normally be some unique identifier that indicates which location or function this is. Some examples are:
NET - for net control
CHECK-POINT-1 - for the first check point in a public service event
CP - for the event command post
FIRE-BASE-1 - for the first fire base established or the fire base in a particular region
PINELLAS EOC - for the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center (W4ACS)
SHELTER 5 - For Public Shelter #5 on the county's list of shelters
CLEARWATER DOC - for the Clearwater Branch Office of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the ARC
EMS - for the operator stationed with the EMS vehicle or
AID-3 - for the third aid station on a route, etc.
Specifically for SPECIAL EVENTS like the Midnight Run Event we support, the following Tactical Calls can/will be used:
NET CONTROL
REST 1 - for Rest Stop 1
REST 2 - for Rest Stop 2
REST 3 - for Rest Stop 3
TURNAROUND - for the Course Turnaround point
BICYCLE 1 - for a communicator using his Bicycle to traverse the course
BICYCLE 2
MOTORCYCLE
EMS
START - Who calls the Start of the Race
FINISH - for the Start communicator who then becomes the Finish Line communicator
MILE 1 - for communicators stationed in intermediate spots between Rest Stops
MILE 2
MILE 3
Maybe SHADOW 1 - for the Course Director Shadow
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Proper use of tactical calls can best be explained by example.
INITIATING A CALL
If you were at aid station three during a directed net and wanted to contact Net Control you would say "NET, AID3" or, in crisper nets, simply "AID3". If you had emergency traffic you would say "AID3, emergency traffic" or for priority traffic "AID3, priority traffic".
If you had traffic for another location, such as check point five, you would say "AID3, traffic for CHECK POINT 5". This tells NCS everything needed to handle the traffic. NCS will then call check point 5 with "CHECK POINT 5, call AID3 for traffic", if there is no other traffic holding.
(thus, there is no need to ask Net Control for permission to go direct with Check point 5)
Notice that there have been no FCC issued calls used. At this point none are necessary.
TRAFFIC DURING A CALL
Tactical calls will normally not be used in the contact unless a separate location is mentioned in the message.
COMPLETING A CALL
To complete the call from AID3, after the message/traffic is complete you would say "(your call), AID3". This fulfills your identification requirements and tells NCS that you believe the call to be complete.
If the Net Control Station believes the exchange to be complete, and the member station has not identified, then the NCS should say, (completing this example) "EMS, do you have further traffic?" At that point EMS should either finish with the traffic or identify and clear.
THE LEGAL STUFF : (Part 97)
Legal requirements within nets are those of identification and operation on frequencies within the Amateur Radio Bands. The FCC tell us that you MUST identify at ten minute intervals during a conversation and in your last transmission. During periods of heavy activity in event nets it is easy to forget when you last identified.
The easiest way to insure you comply with FCC identification requirements during an event net is to identify with your FCC issued call as you complete an exchange.
This serves two functions:
DON'T OVER IDENTIFY
----------------------------------There is normally nothing that will expend more time, needlessly, than over identification. Someone that uses their FCC issued call in every transmission is usually a person that is unsure of themselves or, worse yet, someone that is more interested in having their call known to everyone at the event. In the latter situation, help them find work elsewhere.
The FCC tells us that you need only identify at ten minute intervals during a conversation (NOT during a net unless you talk for more than ten minutes) and during your last transmission.
If you end each EXCHANGE Not transmission with your call, that tells everyone that you are of the opinion the exchange is complete and you fulfilled all FCC requirements.
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