Skip to content
-
Clarity: Your voice should be clear. Speak a little slower than normal.
-
Simplicity: Keep your message simple enough for intended listeners to understand. You can be too concise though; use affirmative or negative in favor of yes or no.
-
Brevity: Be precise and to the point; avoid unnecessary banter.
-
Security: Do not transmit confidential information on a radio unless you know the proper security technology is in place. Remember, frequencies are shared; you do not have exclusive use of any frequency.
Pro-Tips
- You cannot transmit and receive at the same time
- Transmission should be used sparingly to preserve power
- Monitor a channel for traffic before use
- Any emergency transmission takes priority
- Plan your message before keying the radio
- Wait half a second after keying the radio before speaking
- Call format: “Hey you, it’s me.” i.e.: “Chase truck, this is Race car. We blew a tire.”
- Check in periodically to ensure proper operation
- Do not use profanity over the airwaves
- Learn the NATO phonetic alphabet to avoid confusion
The NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Alfa |
Golf |
Mike |
Sierra |
Yankee |
Bravo |
Hotel |
November |
Tango |
Zulu |
Charlie |
India |
Oscar |
Uniform |
|
Delta |
Juliett |
Papa |
Victor |
|
Echo |
Kilo |
Quebec |
Whiskey |
|
Foxtrot |
Lima |
Romeo |
X-Ray |
|
×
You have successfully subscribed!