Programming Radios

We’ve got PMRs which were given to us by a local forum and we use them for events, which all we do radio wise. The idea of doing some idle ‘ham’ chatter to other cadet squadrons who might be using it when we are, if we had radios capable of more than a few miles, is pointless.
I don’t see the fuss with PMR they do the job and compared to the ‘official’ radios, cheap as chips. Plus from what I’ve seen more likely to be used by cadets if they get jobs in big shops, so a plus on the “training for life” angle.
I think we get too caught up in what we do as being some sort of big security thing which I’ve never really understood. We are a cadet organisation which openly broadcasts its involvement in things and what we might be talking about is no big deal. Effectively “oi we need some cadets at …” some point on the activity, so couching it in OTT radio speak is not effective communications.
The only time I’ve seen radios used is on big parades for contacting various points and give a few geeks the chance to stick whip aerials on their cars and nonce around, but if it gives them their jollies for the year, so be it. Most of us have numerous numbers on our phones, so use them, rather than faffing around with all the hello one, this two etc etc etc, increasingly it’s a 5-10 second call or a text, which infuriates the radio geeks who seem intent on talking to each other, stopping people who might need to talk to each other doing so.

Personally I see the anti-PMR thing in the ATC as radio snobbery, pretty much like CB was in the 70s and 80s, which was good fun, much better and effective.

Airwave has its own dedicated voice procedures (called airwave speak) which are very different from the military style ones we are expected to use.

The pro-word list is almost non-existent (no “roger” or any of that), it’s designed to be simple and easy and as clear as possible. (Names & locations etc are all said in the clear.

That isn’t a problem when it is passed over a secure system. It was more of a problem before Airwave!

I can’t say that my experience would suggest anything like that.

Most people I know are “anti PMR” when asked for advice because it’s a choice between spending ‘x’ amount on a one-trick pony of limited benefit or ‘x’ plus not much more for radios which can serve multiple purposes.

In my civvy employ we have a business license for set channels on the PMR frequency. We use Motorola GP340’s (or the product that has superseded them now) and it is so incredibly easy. The benefit of the business license gets you set frequencies that no one else should be on, once you have had the handsets programme.

It is an awful, awful lot easier than the ATC radio procedures and set up. If I had the choice I would go the non ATC frequencies for things like car parking / community events etc.

I believe this is still in ACP 45 but it isn’t taught on radio courses. Would like to see someone try it…

Last time I looked it didn’t permit communication without callsigns totally, but it does allow you to strip it back to simply starting with your own abbreviated callsign, and without the words this is…

e.g “… Whisky 21 blah blah blah…”

Just had a look at ACP45

(4) When two stations are in continuous communication with each
other on a net not shared by a third station, the call may be omitted
entirely, provided no confusion would result. For ground forces use,
this provision may apply to any two stations within the same net, which
are in continuous communications with each other. However, in either
of the foregoing instances, the requirement for periodic identification as
detailed in appropriate national and/or international regulations must be
satisfied.

Never seen this used but I suppose technically it’s allowed?

Read the above and you have to wonder how that applies exactly to a cadet organisation?
Terms like “ground forces” imply something we are not, unless it’s to carry on the pretence to make a game of it. Is it just pure laziness and lifted from an armed forces radio manual, with no sanity checking regarding the end users? In this instance the Air Cadets.
When you walk around shops where they use radios, at events, pub doors etc do they do periodic identification as detailed in appropriate national and/or international regulations must be satisfied.

Not relevant, as the rules which apply to us on MOD frequencies do not apply equally to them on their licensed frequencies. The word “appropriate” in your italicised section makes this clear.

But I do agree that it seems to have been lifted from another publication and not sanitised for cadet use, though the desired meaning is not lost.

Just a quick comment/thanks.
Read this thread, and found the mention of ‘Chirp’ software, which has sorted out a long-standing issue we had.
We have Puxing radios, and have always had one or two out of action due too inadvertent button presses losing the pre-sets.
We now have a ‘master’ file which resets the radios - so easy.

1 Like