NCS PROCEDURES

01 JANUARY 2008

Discussion:

The procedural changes for the region one HF voice nets take affect on 1 January 2008, beginning with the first net that date. There are some major format changes and several procedural changes which I will outline in the following paragraphs. You are urged to read the SOP and absorb the meaning and direction provided therein.

Procedure:

1. Pre-net operation. The SOP does not mention the FYMON program, so that net position will not be used in region HF nets.. This means that the NCS has the responsibility and must be in compliance with the MOI/NTIA standard of +/- 20Hz of the assigned frequency as well as insure that all stations check in are in compliance. The pre-net will begin between 10 and 15 minutes prior to the scheduled net opening and will be devoted to assigning an alternate net control station and assessing which frequency is good for the upcoming net. The “team” will consist of the NCS and ANCS; team members will continue to be awarded 30 minutes additional participation time. There are no other “call-ups,” radio checks or chatter/idle chit chat of any kind authorized before the net starts. There is no call for traffic at five minutes before net start or announcement regarding the team composition.

2. Calling the net. There is no net preamble, rather the NCS will call the net to order at the prescribed time by announcing the net name and NCS call sign, thus:

THIS IS (your call in phonetics) NET CONTROL OF THE AIR FORCE MARS NET ONE SIERRA ONE. PRIMARY FREQUENCY FOR THIS NET IS (say the primary frequency designator) AND SECONDARY FREQUENCY IS (say the secondary net designator) - OUT

ONE SIERRA ONE, ONE SIERRA ONE-THIS IS (your callsign in phonetics)-STATIONS IN CONNETICUT OR DELAWARE-OVER

Note that you do not call the net to order until announcing the primary and secondary frequency designators. Once the net is called to order only SOP procedures, prowords and protocols can be used.

NCS will acknowledge check ins the when none are heard will transmit

NOTHING HEARD-OUT

At this point, if there is an ANCS, that station will echo the call:

THIS IS (say your call sign in phonetics)-ALTERNATE NET CONTROL- STATIONS IN CONNETICUT OR DELAWARE-OVER

Stations will be acknowledged and when no more are heard the ANCS transmits

NOTHING HEARD-OUT

Then the NCS calls the next state or set of states:

“STATIONS IN INDIANA OR MASSACHUSETTES-OVER” NCS will acknowledge the check ins and when there are no more will transmit “NOTHING HEARD-OUT.” The ANCS will echo the call as above. This procedure will continue until the initial check in roll call is completed.

The order of states called will be CT, DE, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI and VT. These states can be called in groups or individually, conditions being the determining factor.

3. Checking In. The member stations are to check in only when their state is called. They will key their microphone and say the NCS (or ANCS) call sign and then un-key and listen for a clear channel and continue “ALPHA FOXTROT ALPHA ONE MIKE UNIFORM-INDIANA-NO TRAFFIC-OVER (or list the traffic if any: quantity-precedence-destination state or ZIP code). Stations wishing to close before end of net will announce that: “ALPHA FOXTROT ALPHA ONE MIKE UNIFORM-INDIANA-NO TRAFFIC-CLOSE AT 1430 ZULU-OVER” Net control will acknowledge the check in and traffic listed and then acknowledge the closing time if it is believed that no traffic will be sent to that station. If there is or may be traffic the NCS will direct that that station close only after NCS permits. Stations wishing to close later in the net may be permitted to do so or told “WAIT-OUT” if traffic is pending which could affect that station. Note that the initial call up call sign protocol is different from the remainder of the net’s call sign protocol in that, for clarity, the initial call up uses only phonetic call signs. Also note that all stations checking in to the net in the first fifteen minutes will receive one hour participation time.

4. Call signs. After Initial Call Up and when band conditions permit, the NCS will tell the net “NET USE ABBREVIATED CALL SIGN PROCEDURE.” Abbreviated procedure is when the transmitting station identifies themselves but omits the call sign of the station being called. An example of this procedure is during Continuity Checks The NCS or ANCS will call each station using the full procedure phonetic protocol, as above, however the responding station says, as an example: THIS IS AFA1HS GOOD READABLE OVER.

The NCS can invoke full procedure or abbreviated procedure as conditions dictate. Again, the only time phonetic calls are used is during initial contact; remember, the proword OUT ends a contact which means the next call should be full procedure phonetic protocol.

5. Continuity Checks. Each station on the net log is supposed to be active in the net and will be called at least one time during the net to ascertain their ability to communicate with the NCS and/or ANCS. Roll call will be accomplished when the net is not holding or passing traffic. This means that the NCS or ANCS will call one or more member stations at any time during the net to ascertain circuit conditions. These checks will be in the form of radio checks. The net control will give specific signal strength and clarity in response to their report; ROGER will no longer be used to indicate the same strength and clarity. Relays can and should be used if needed.

6. Free Net. Initially all of the nets are directed/informal nets, which means calls from any station must be to the NCS initially. Calls to other member stations can be made after obtaining permission from the NCS. Since the 1S1 net is one hour long there will be no Free Net time permitted. Nets which run in excess of one hour in the region are authorized to invoke the free net rule. In a free net members can call each other without NCS’s permission. Since all transmissions will be regarded as traffic, discussions must be limited to MARS business only. NCS’s will insure this rule is maintained, the NCS/ANCS is still responsible for net operation and will monitor all traffic being passed.. Idle chit-chat will not be permitted.

7. Closing the net. There is no longer a “thank you” segment before the net ends. At exactly 30 seconds prior to the official end of the net the NCS announce, and the ANCS will echo the following: “THIS IS ALPHA FOXTROT ALPHA ONE HOTEL SIERRA. CLOSE DOWN - OUT” Of course you will use your call sign. Note that once the net is closed no further net actions are allowed and the log is closed. It is permissible, at that time, to thank the team and affiliate stations for their participation. DO NOT call the net to order, however, simply say your call sign and make the announcement.

8. Summation. As you can see there are very few changes to the way we do business now, with the exception of the opening and close of the nets. Probably the single most important item that I see is a very direct rule regarding “the warm fuzzy” words that we are all used to saying and hearing. This language is now forbidden on the MARS nets. That includes words like “sir,” “ma’am,” “please,” “thank you,” to name a few that immediately come to mind. The NCS has to say something until we are all reoriented, so when the NCS hears a violation make an announcement that is meant to correct/remind: “THIS IS AFF1O-ALL STATIONS ARE REMINDED TO USE PROPER PROTOCOL AND PROWORDS-OUT”

9. Conclusion: I’m sure it will take a while to get used to NOT saying these words. Just remember we are guests using HF radio frequencies that belong to the military and so we have to obey their rules of conduct.

In addition to these changes there are a number of training sessions and clips that are being revised. Additionally there are several new sessions and clips in the works which will discuss other aspects of the SOP.

10. Traffic: Affiliates are reminded to refer to the protocols in the SOP when passing traffic.