HJL,
Good article. I have chosen to organize my FT-60 memory along paths home from destinations that are frequently visited. The ARRL repeater directory makes it easy. It goes hand in hand with thinking through where we might be at a given moment and the path we might take. I-95 sounds like a terrible path, until you identify the state prison along the alternate route. Many things must be considered. – RV
o o o
Good morning, Hugh,
The item Developing a Communications Plan for Your Group, by N.M. is an excellent treatise on “group comm”. I’d like to add one thing, though, regarding voice communications.
It is very beneficial to conduct training on how to communicate via voice; experience with “push to talk” cellular has taught me that while some people understand the concept of concise messages, the great majority using voice comm will engage in rambling “once upon a time and they lived happily ever after” style communications.
A few seconds spent mentally composing the message before pressing the talk button or dialing the number is very helpful; this is where training can help. The philosopher Karl Popper wrote: “It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood” and that should be the watchword for voice comm. Clear, simple, accurate, concise messages are imperative, as is keeping the message short. In PTT (push-to-talk) systems, holding the send key down to deliver a long, rambling message locks up the comm channel for everyone else. If your brief message is thin on content the recipient can PTT to request additional info or clarification; they cannot do that while you’re engaging in verbal diarrhea.
Additionally, very brief messages also increase the difficulty of direction finding the transmitter. – N.K.