Should You Use UTC Or Local Time?
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The use of "local", Universal Time Coordinated (UTC/Zulu/GMT), or a specific time zone (like Eastern) when specifying the time a message was created or a net is scheduled, or even passing the current time over the net can create confusion for all involved, especially when nets or message traffic cross time zones.
Here, in Carroll County, Georgia, we are close enough to the Central time zone that their and our VHF net times are "one hour off" from each other. Because we deal with the time zone issue on a regular basis, and VHF range is usually limited to less than one hundred miles, it seldom causes a problem.
When it comes to local VHF nets, using local time actually makes more sense. A weekly 8PM net, if UTC were used, would shift back and forth by an hour as we changed in and out of DST. Specifying "Lima", or local time, is usually sufficient. Even better, specifying the time zone (without Standard or Daylight) would make the time clear (8PM Eastern).
As communications span multiple time zones the problem becomes more challenging. For instance, an HF net held in Texas (which has two time zones) could create confusion within the state itself. But, beyond the state borders, the rest of the world would need to know which time zone the net was in, determine the number of time zones away the location is, and then calculate the appropriate local time. Nobody would ever get checked into the net on time!
Like ITU Standard Phonetics, UTC provides a consistent framework to operate within. Utilizing UTC, a single point at which we reference all timed events, makes coordination across time zones much easier. While an operator in Georgia still has to determine how may hours to subtract from UTC (four during DST, five during Standard Time), it's much simpler than trying to determine the number of hours between two time zones and then doing the math! UTC at least minimizes the confusion.
The name for the Prime Meridian, the home of UTC, has changed over the years, often referred to as "Zulu" time, Greenwich Mean Time, International Atomic Time, and finally Universal TIme Coordinated, shortened to UTC. But it's all the same thing, the time at zero degrees Longitude, a line that runs the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. From there, a new time zone is born every fifteen degrees of longitude, and an hour change on the clock.
Now for a bit of trivia. When the Architect of Washington, DC, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, began his work he envisioned a new "Prime Meridian" that would be defined by a line that ran from the Capitol to the President's Mansion, which would also become 16th Street. It was called "Washington's Meridian" and was intended to ultimately become the point upon which all time zones would be based. Design changes led to differing locations, with Pennsylvania Avenue traveling Northwest from the Capitol to the White House, but 16th Street still straddles the original Meridian. While the idea of the "Washington Meridian" did gain some traction, there wasn't enough momentum to unseat the British based system the world would formally adopt in 1884.
NTS and ICS-213 Messages
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Note: Images may be clicked for enlarged view
The National Traffic System (NTS) has provided a means of passing messages (usually referred to as traffic) via Radiograms for almost as long as amateur radio has existed. Before long distance telephone was common, and until the
Deployable Antenna Support Systems
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We've spent a lot of time discussing training for deployment, what personal supplies we'd bring to a deployment, and what radio gear we would bring along, but what to do for antennas?
Yes, roll-up or J-pole antennas have been discussed often for years; to a lesser extent we have discussed low-flying HF (NVIS) antennas. We never know where our deployments may send us, and in many cases trees or other antenna supports may be some distance away, so extra coax and/or rope will be handy in those instances.
Standardized Radio Memories
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ARES, RACES, SATERN, MARS, and virtually every other Amateur Radio organization will have a plan for nets and tactical activities, including a range of frequencies (spanning several bands) to be used for different modes of operation.
Just as there are a range of entities using a range of frequencies across many bands implementing multiple modes, a typical Amateur Radio Operator will own a collection of radios with a variety of differing capabilities. While not all radios will operate across all the bands and operate in all the modes, there is often quite a bit of overlap of functionality.
Prowords
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Like the use of standard phonetics, the use of standard Procedure Words (usually referred to as PROWORDS) helps to ensure the clear conveyance of information between radio operators.
Like phonetics, there is a standard set of prowords used in communications, increasing the probability of understanding even when hearing only a part of the proword during noisy conditions.
Some prowords are more commonly used than others, and some prowords, while more expedient, can be a little confusing because they aren't commonly used in Amateur Radio.
Here are some of the most common prowords you'll hear on formal nets, especially when passing formal traffic:
QRP And Amateur Radio
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While many operators tend to operate using the 100W or 200W their radio provides, and yet others use external amplifiers to run hundreds, even more than 1KW, there are others who operate at the other end of the spectrum, 5-10 Watts.
QRP operation is often practiced by operators participating in Parks On The Air (POTA) or Summits On The Air (SOTA), who are often hiking or backpacking their equipment to the operating location, carrying their power source with them. Naturally, packing a Marine Battery would be a bit of a challenge, so smaller and lighter batteries with lower power capacity are used.
Wilderness Protocol and LiTZ
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The Wilderness Protocol, like many Amateur Radio practices, is not part of FCC regulations or law, merely a generally agreed upon practice. The purpose of the protocol is to provide a way for operators outside of repeater range and in need of assistance to make contact with other operators to request assistance.
Although it could, and should, be practiced under any conditions, it was originally designed as a tool for hikers, campers, and those who work in wilderness areas.
Operators, especially those in wilderness areas, would monitor calling frequencies on various bands (146.52 MHz, 52.525, 223.5, 446.0 and 1294.5 MHz) at the top of the hour. Ideally listeners would monitor from a few minutes before
Vanity Call Signs
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Amateur radio operators are issued call signs by the FCC upon qualifying for their Technician license, and have the option to be issued new call signs that reflect their new class when they upgrade to General or Extra. The form of call sign is limited by license class, where higher class of licenses allow simpler/smaller call signs. For instance, a Technician class licensee may be issued something like KX4XTT (often referred to as a two by three, two letters before the number and three after); however an Extra class licensee may have a call sign like W4BK (often referred to as a one by two). There are various call sign formats between these extremes, often limited by license class. You can view the "rules" by going to this link and clicking on "Sequential Call Sign System".
Handheld Radios As Go-Kit
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The most basic “go-kit” item in the Amateur Radio Operator's bag of tricks is the Handheld Transceiver (HT). No, HT doesn't stand for handy-talky. While most of us own several HTs, and they are useful tools, especially when near repeaters, we also know that the HT, out of the box, makes for a pretty poor emergency station. The rubber-ducky antenna and lower voltage batteries often supplied with the radios, along with the lower power output HTs have are challenges to be overcome.
Let's take a look at some things that can improve HT performance:
- Purchase a higher gain antenna for the HT. The original manufacturers equipment (OEM) antenna that came with your HT is little more than a dummy load. Many aftermarket antenna manufacturers make replacement antennas for just about every HT. Talk to others with the same HT as yours and find out what they are using. A step up from that is a mobile antenna or even a base station antenna on a push-up pole. Antenna gain and height are the keys to overcoming marginal operations.
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