Basic Communications
User Training
(BCUT)
New Hampshire Wing, CAP
Version 1-2
May 26, 2010
1Lt Tony Immorlica
Communications Training Officer
New Hampshire Wing
What is Communications?
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Hand signals
Whistles
Light signals
Telephone
Texting
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Radios
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So, what is communications?
The meaningful transfer of
information
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What is this course?
 Basic Communications User Training
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Authorizes the member to operate CAP radios
How to talk the CAP way
How to operate CAP radios
Introduce the other communications courses
Completion qualifies the student for a Radio
Operator Authorization (ROA) – CAPF 76
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Who is this course for?
 Cadets – Must have Curry Award
 Seniors – Must have Level 1
 All – Must have OpSec
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What is CAP Communications?
 Provide the commander with a reliable
means of commanding their troops and to
communicate with upper and lower
echelons.
 Provide a reliable point-to-point and air-toground communications network.
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Who regulates CAP communications?
 National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA)
 Authorizes Federal Agencies [including CAP] to
use specific frequencies
 CAP Regulations are promulgated by
 United States Air Force
 CAP National, Region and Wing
 Public stations are licensed by the FCC
 Federal agencies [inc. CAP] are not allowed to use
services allocated exclusively to the public sector
 This excludes the use of Amateur Radio and Citizens
Band for CAP business.
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CAP Communications Regulations
 CAPR 100-1 Primary rules and
procedures
 CAPR 100-3 Radio Telephone Operations
 CAPR 174-1 Property Management and
Accountability
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Frequencies are all FOUO
For Official Use Only
 What FOUO isn’t
 What is FOUO
 A designation that there
is sensitive information
 Used when frequency
documentation is
needed in the
document
 Classification
 For use on every single
document
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Frequency information contained in this document is
designated by the Department of Defense (DoD) as For
Official Use Only (FOUO) and may
not be released to anyone without the prior permission of
NHQ and CAP-USAF.
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CAP Radio Operator Authorization
Authorization is currently done in two phases:
1. Basic Communications User Training - BCUT
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3-4 Hour Class on:
 Standard Operating Procedures
 Local Operating Procedures
 Entitles CAP member to operate a CAP Radio
 Issued a CAPF 76, Radio Operator Authorization by Wing or
higher headquarters
2. Advanced Communications User Training - ACUT
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4-5 Hour Class
Pass the Advanced Communications User Test, CAPF 119
Entitles CAP member to be assigned a call sign
Required as part of the Communications Specialty Track
NOTE: BCUT and ACUT will soon be replaced by a new Introductory
Communications Users Training [ICUT] course; release date is pending
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Who can talk on CAP radios?
 Anyone with a Radio Operator Authorization [ROA]
 Anyone who has completed appropriate training AND is
listed on a Wing or higher Headquarters roster
 Anyone who is supervised by someone with an ROA or
appropriate authorization
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Communication Basics
How to use Communications
Listen
Listen
Listen
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I’m listening, when can I talk?
 Be ready to respond, but don’t transmit
unless you need to
 When you do transmit, use discretion remember that there are other people
listening
 Scanning enthusiasts
 News Media
 Other Federal agencies
 No code words or jargon, use prowords
 Be professional
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What are “prowords”?
 A word or phrase
intended to provide clarity
 Conservation of speech
 CAPR 100-3
 Over – I’m done, you’re
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turn to talk
Out – I’m done with this
conversation
Roger – Understood
Wilco – Will comply
Affirmative – Yes
Negative – No
Wait – standby, will be
right back
Break – Header done,
body of message follows 15
What letter was that?
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Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Gulf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
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November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
X-ray
Yankee
Zulu
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What number was that?
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1 – one
2 – two
3 – three
4 – four
5 – five
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6 – six
7 – seven
8 – eight
9 – niner
0 – zero (not oh)
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How to say things
 Annunciate
 Spell out words using the international
alphabet
 Numbers: Use Prowords “FIGURES”,
“DECIMAL”, “TIME”, “INITIALS”
 Less than 4 digits: say the numbers one at a time
 CAPSTONE 43 - pronounced CAPSTONE FOUR THREE
 4 digits: either group by 2 or say thousand
 CHARTER OAK 3000 – pronounced CHARTER OAK THREE
THOUSAND
 CAP 9317 – pronounced CAP NINTY-THREE SEVENTEEN
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I SPELL / FIGURES /INITIALS
 Use “I SPELL” for pronounceable words
 PIZZA
 “I SPELL PIZZA PAPA INDIA ZULU ZULU ALPHA PIZZA”
 Use “FIGURE(S)” AND “INITIAL(S)” for non-words
 N516F
 “INITIAL NOVEMBER FIGURES FIVE ONE SIX INTIAL FOXTROT”
CORRECTIONS
 Use proword “CORRECTION” to correct a mistake
Example:
“… Turn right at next corner … CORRECTION Turn left at next
corner…”
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SENDING NUMBERS
 Use Prowords “FIGURES”, “DECIMAL”, “TIME”, “INITIALS”
Digit-by-Digit Not
“Seven Fifty”
750
“FIGURES SEVEN FIVE ZERO”
Niner
Not Nine
849
“FIGURES EIGHT FOUR NINER”
Decimal
Point
14.5
“FIGURES ONE FOUR DECIMAL FIVE”
Z Time
1635Z
“TIME ONE SIX THREE FIVE ZULU”
Initial And
Figures
E21
“INITIAL ECHO FIGURES TWO ONE”
One Figure
and Initial
3-A
“FIGURE THREE DASH INITIAL ALPHA”
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Call Signs
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New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Maine
Vermont
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Northeast Region
National HQ CAP
Abenaki
Patriot
Down East
Vermont CAP
Narragansett
Charter Oak
Red Dragon
White Peak
Penn CAP
CAP Stone
HEADCAP
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Call Signs
 Single digits
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1 – Commander
2 – Vice Commander
3 – Chief of staff
4 – Director of Communications
5 – Chaplin
 The Call Signs 1 thru 20 are Issued to Wing
Directors.
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Call Signs
NHWG
 CAP aircraft have the call sign CAP xxxx
 First two digits are Wing Number
 Second two digits are last two digits of aircraft
tail number
 CAP 2800
N99100
 CAP 2813
N913CP
 CAP 2827
N827CP
 CAP 2830
N9930E
 CAP 2860
N360CP
 CAP 2869
N169CP
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When calling a station
 Say the station you are calling, then your
station
 “Abenaki 45, this is Abenaki 4 – over”
 Wait a bit and try a second time
 If there still isn’t a response, say “Nothing
Heard”
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Nobody Hears Me!
Choose a Good Communications Site.
 High ground (the higher the antenna,
the better).
 VHF is line of site.
 Stay away from interference
generators
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High power lines
Power Transformers
Underground Cables
Computers (even in the field)
Other radios on different frequencies
Nobody Hears Me, STILL!
Common Problems & Solutions
 Operator Failure! (This is the most
common cause!)
 Make sure you are following normal procedures and briefings.
 Check the radio
 Is the radio turned on, correct channel, and volume up?
 Is the battery good? (Replace with a charged battery)
 Switch to a repeater, if available
 Ask for a relay (from aircraft if available)
 Move to higher ground or another location
 If all else fails, find a telephone that
works.
When answering a call
 Say the station who is calling, then say
your station
 “Abenaki 4, this is Abenaki 45 – over”
 Once communications are established,
you do not need to keep saying your call
sign
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When ending a call
Always end a transmission with OVER or
OUT - NOT BOTH!
Do not use “Roger Wilco” instead of Wilco.
“Roger Wilco” means “Last transmission
received OK last transmission received
OK and I will comply.”
On Closing the Contact
“… Abenaki 45 OUT”
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5 Habits of a Good Radio
Operator
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Speak clearly
Annunciate your words.
Speak slowly
Remain calm no matter what happens Never Panic
 THINK - “Use Your Head”
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Prohibited Operating
Practices
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Violation of Radio Silence
Personal Conversation
Transmitting in a Net without permission of NCS
Lack of identifying call sign
Excessive tuning and testing
Use of Amateur Radio or Citizens Band frequencies
for CAP business, and Vice-Versa.
 FRS/GMRS may be used on missions only if search subject
may have such radios
 Use of 10 codes or Amateur Radio Q Signals
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Radio Basics
Basics of Radio: Propagation
The path radio waves take – dependent on frequency
 VHF – Very High Frequency - is only capable
of line-of-site communications
 Buildings, mountains, leaves may interfere
 Higher an aircraft, the wider coverage
 2500’ AGL has an effective radius of 50 Miles
 HF - High Frequency - is capable of world
wide communication
 Strongly dependent on frequency, antenna, time
of day
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Basics of Radio: Modes
The type of modulation
 To send a signal via radio, you modulate or superimpose
voice on a carrier of radio frequency energy. AM, FM
and SSB are just ways of sending voice information.
 CAP uses
 AM – amplitude modulation
 FM - frequency modulation, and
 SSB – single sideband
along with some “P25” digital modes.
 Normally, we use:
 AM on Aircraft Bands
 SSB on HF
 FM on VHF and UHF
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Basics of Radio: FM
Frequency Modulation
 FM is used by CAP for VHF radios in vehicles,
aircraft, walkie-talkies and base stations, for
short range comms.
 The advantage is less static from ignition
systems in vehicles, and excellent audio quality.
 FM also has a “capture effect” where the
strongest station comes in over a weaker
station. That is good and bad.
 CAP also uses FM in the ISR UHF radios.
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Basics of Radio: SSB
Single Sideband
 CAP uses SSB on HF
 SSB uses a very small bandwidth,
compared to AM and FM modes
 Used for L O N G Distance Comms
 HF Operation is specialized, but very
useful because it is very efficient
 Seek Special Training in HF, not included
in this course. Ask your Comm. Officer
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Basics of Radio: AM
Amplitude Modulation
 Used in aircraft radios to communicate with ATC,
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tower, other aircraft, airport operations, etc.
Worldwide standard for aircraft communication
Very old type of modulation first used in early
development of radio
Tends to be noisy, easily interfered with. Allows
lots of static and ignition noise. Bad feature.
Allows two stations to be heard over one another
– i.e. no capture effect as with FM. Good feature.
Both AM and FM are used on VHF in CAP
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Types of radios
 EJ Johnson
 Base Radio
 Mobile Radio
 Portable
 Motorola
 HF
 ALE
 ICOM
 Aircraft Radios
 Aircraft use two types:
 AM – used mostly by
pilots to communicate
with Air Traffic Control
 FM – used primarily by
Mission Observer to
communicate with
Mission Base
 ISR
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Ask for and receive specific instructions for
each type of radio you will operate
Simplex vs. Duplex
 Simplex
 Transmit and receive on
the same frequency
 Buildings, terrain, altitude
Single Frequency One Station at a Time
 Duplex
Transmit on one frequency
and receive on another
R
T
Two Frequencies - One
Station at a Time
 Repeaters – Duplex mode
 Used to extend coverage and
get over obstacles
Repeater increases the range of mobile
stations due to its high profile location
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Inside the Repeater
Repeater will turn on its transmitter only if the
Tone Decoder hears a repeater specific tone
Transmit
Frequency
Tone
Repeater
Receiver
Tone Decoder
The Tone Decoder
“listens” for tones on
the incoming signal
Voice
PTT
Repeater
Transmitter
Receive
Frequency
“Mike Button”
The Tone Decoder
“presses” the Push To
Talk (PTT) button to
turn on the transmitter.
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NHWG Communications
NHWG VHF Communications
 NH Wing maintains 6 VHF repeaters at fixed locations plus
two portable units
 Location of the fixed repeaters were chosen such that all
squadrons have access to at least one
 Derry, Laconia, Ascutney, Lebanon, Littleton, Keene,
 In addition we have:
 “Portable” – repeater currently based in Portsmouth
 “Highbird” – utilized by aircraft assigned by the IC*
 VHF Frequencies [Channels] are programmed to show
the repeater location [Tag], not the frequency
* Requires an ACUT qualification
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CAP VHF Radio Frequencies
 CAP Frequencies are FOUO
 Thus, CAP radios are programmed to display the
specific designator for each programmed channel, for
example
Designator:
 CC-1
 CC-2
 AIR-1
 AIR-2
 CAPGUARD
 TAC-1
Function/Usage:
Command/Control 1
Command/Control 2
Air/Ground 1
Air Ops 2
Calling Channel
Tactical 1
 When communicating, use designators, not a channel
number – ex. This is Abenaki 45 on TAC-1
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NHWG VHF Channels / Zones
 EF Johnson RS5300 Radios operates on 16 Zones, each having a
16 Channel capability
 NHWG uses Zones 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7
 Remaining zones are used nationally
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Zone 2 – primary analog channels
Zone 6 – duplicate of Zone 2 in a digital mode [more secure]
Zone 3 – Northeast Region repeaters
Zone 4 – NH Forestry
Zone 7 - Coast Guard and Weather Channels
 Zones/Channels to be used for a specific mission will be
assigned by the Incident Commander
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NHWG VHF Channel Plan
VHF Channel Plans vary with different radio models
Zone 2
The following example is for : EF Johnson series RS5300 radios. Each “Zone” has
16 channels and the radio has 16 zones for a total of 256 channels!:
Channel
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
CC1
CC2
AIR 1
AIR 2
CAP GUARD
TAC 1
DERRY
LACONIA
ASCUTNEY
LEBANON
LITTLETON
KEENE
HIGH BIRD
PORTABLE
Fish and Game
SANFORD
Command and Control
Command and Control
Aircraft Channel
Aircraft Channel
Universal Calling Channel
Ground Channel
NHWG Repeater
NHWG Repeater
NHWG Repeater
NHWG Repeater
NHWG Repeater
NHWG Repeater
Airborne Relay Station
NHWG Repeater
Used for Liaison only
Used for Fire Patrol
 Aircraft Radios do not use Zones
 – channels are numbered sequentially from 1 to ~256
 You must become familiar with the Channel Plan in the radio you 44
are operating!
Aircraft use of CAP VHF
Frequencies and Repeaters
1. Primary mode of operation should be
simplex.
2. Only use the repeater if simplex is not
possible.
3. Within 75 miles of the Canadian border
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Use of CAP VHF assigned frequencies
prohibited above 3000 ft. AGL
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Aircraft VHF-FM Radio Channel Plan *
Note: Aircraft Radios do not use Zones
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CC1
CC2
AIR1
AIR2
TAC1
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R67
R68
R69
R70
R63
R64
ALT R65
ALT R66
SIMPLEX
REPEATERS
[DUPLEX]
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DERRY
LACONIA
ASCUTNEY
LEBANON
LITTLETON
KEENE
PORT PR1
PORT SEC
F&G CTC
CAPGUARD
WALTHAN
WORSTR
SANFORD
EQUINOX
MANSFLD
REPEATERS
[DUPLEX]
SIMPLEX
* Subject to change
Current as of 30 Jan 2010 for Technisonic TDFM 136 Radio
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CAP HF Channel Plan
 All operations are simplex, SSB, lower sideband
 Frequencies are designated by two alpha
characters
 First letter denotes primary usage
 A = National
 N = Northeast Region
 NE Region frequencies
 NA, NB and NC
 Frequencies can be found on-line
 Password protected, FOUO
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Communications Exercise
 May occur with a days notice, or less
 Goal is see where the weaknesses are
 Do not need to be formal – pass traffic
instead of just checking
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QUESTIONS?
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