COMMUNICATIONS CONDITIONS

Situations exist where atmospheric conditions and interference do not present problems to successful communications. During good conditions, message parts need only be transmitted once, and, depending upon the operational situation, preliminary calls are sometimes optional.

At other times, conditions are anything but ideal and can present problems to even an experienced operator. Normal operating procedure requires an operator to transmit all call signs twice when communications conditions are bad. During bad conditions, phrases, words, or groups to be transmitted twice are indicated by the use of the proword WORDS TWICE. Reception may be verified by use of the proword READ BACK. For example, if bad communications conditions exist and Tecumseh has a message for Kamehameha that reads "Moor Starboard Side Tender," the transmission would be:

"Kamehameha, Kamehameha, THIS IS, Tecumseh, Tecumseh, WORDS TWICE, WORDS TWICE, Moor Starboard Side Tender Moor Starboard Side Tender, OVER."

Upon receipt of the message, Kamehameha would ROGER for it. To ensure reception during bad communications conditions, Tecumseh could have ended the above transmission with the proword READ BACK, sent twice. This would require Kamehameha to read back the message verbatim in WORDS TWICE form, thus ensuring that the message was properly received.

Another method of using the READ BACK procedure is to do so without using WORDS TWICE. If Tecumseh wanted Kamehameha to read back the message to ensure reception but did not want to use the WORDS TWICE procedure, Tecumseh's transmission would be:

"Kamehameha, THIS IS Tecumseh, READ BACK Text, BREAK, Moor Starboard Side Tender, OVER."

Kamehameha would then answer:

"Tecumseh, THIS IS Kamehameha, I READ BACK Text, Moor Starboard Side Tender, OVER."

Satisfied that Kamehameha has properly received the message, Tecumseh would then send:

"Kamehameha, THIS IS Tecumseh, That Is Correct, OUT."

If Kamehameha repeated back the message incorrectly, Tecumseh would have used the proword WRONG, followed by the correct version. Kamehameha would then repeat back the necessary portions until the entire message was correctly received.

When using the WORDS TWICE or READ BACK procedure, you should remember several rules. First, the prowords THIS IS and OVER are not repeated twice when using the WORDS TWICE procedure. These prowords are not spoken twice in the original transmission nor in the repeat back version. Second, the proword ROGER is not necessary to indicate receipt of the message in the READ BACK procedure. If the message is correct in its repeated back version, you would use the phrase "THAT IS CORRECT, OUT."

In a collective call where only some of the stations represented are to read back, those stations should be specified by transmitting their appropriate call signs preceding the proword READ BACK. When the order to read back is given, only those stations directed to do so will read back. The remaining stations called will keep silent unless directed by the calling station to receipt. When not preceded by identifying call signs, the proword READ BACK means that all stations are to read back if the call is a collective one.

CORRECTIONS

When a transmitting operator makes an error, the operator uses the proword CORRECTION to correct it. The operator then repeats the last word, group, proword, or phrase correctly sent, corrects the error, and proceeds with the message. For example, let's assume that Tecumseh made a mistake in the message to Kamehameha. The method Tecumseh uses to correct that mistake is:

"Kamehameha, THIS IS Tecumseh, Moor Outboard Side, CORRECTION, Moor Starboard Side Tender, OVER."

If an error in a message is not discovered until the

operator is some distance beyond the error, the operator

may make the correction at the end of the message.

Let's assume that Key is communicating with Polk.

During Key's transmission, Key makes a mistake in the

time group but the mistake is not discovered until near

the end of the transmission. The procedure Key would

make to correct the mistake is:

"Polk, THIS IS Key, TIME Zero Eight Two Four Zulu, BREAK, Request Status Deep Dive, BREAK, CORRECTION, TIME Zero Eight Two Five Zulu, OVER."

REPETITIONS

When words are missed or cannot be determined, stations may request repetitions before receipting for the message. The prowords most often used for obtaining repetitions are SAY AGAIN, ALL BEFORE, ALL AFTER, WORD BEFORE, WORD AFTER, and TO. For example, in the previous message from Key to Polk, assume that Polk missed the entire message after the word "Request." Polk's request for a repetition for that portion of the message would be:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER Request, OVER."

Key would then reply:

"THIS IS Key, I SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER Request-Status Deep Dive, BREAK, OVER."

Upon satisfactory receipt, Polk would send:

"THIS IS Polk, ROGER, OUT."

This same procedure applies for the proword ALL

BEFORE.

The repetition procedure is also used when a station requests that a particular word be repeated. This is done by using either of the prowords WORD AFTER or WORD BEFORE. For example:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, SAY AGAIN WORD AFTER Status, OVER."

Key then replies:

"THIS IS Key, I SAY AGAIN WORD AFTER Status-Deep, OVER."

The WORD BEFORE procedure would be accomplished in the same way by simply substituting the prowords.

The use of the proword TO is as follows: "Key, THIS IS Polk, SAY AGAIN Request TO Dive, OVER."

Key would then reply:

"THIS IS Key, I SAY AGAIN Request TO Dive-Request Status Deep Dive, OVER."

Upon satisfactory receipt, Polk would reply:

"THIS IS Polk, ROGER, OUT."

An important rule to remember is that when you request repetitions in the heading of an R/T message containing FROM, TO, INFO, or EXEMPT addressees, the prowords are the key to the repetition procedures. Repetitions may be requested for all of that portion of the heading preceding or following a proword or that portion between any two prowords. For example, Key sends the following message to Polk:

"Polk, THIS IS Key, MESSAGE, PRIORITY, TIME, Zero Eight Zero Nine Three Zero Zulu, FROM Key, TO Polk, INFO Tecumseh, BREAK, Proceed Naval Underwater Sound Laboratories, Rendezvous SAQAD, I SPELL, Sierra, Alfa, Quebec, Alfa, Delta, SAQAD, Representative, BREAK, OVER."

Polk misses the portion of the message before the address and sends:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE FROM, OVER."

Key then sends:

"Polk, THIS IS Key, I SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE FROM-Polk, THIS IS Key, MESSAGE, PRIORITY, TIME, Zero Eight Zero Nine Three Zero Zulu, OVER."

Upon understanding the missing portion, Polk sends:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, ROGER, OUT."

This same procedure can be applied to all repetition prowords. An important point for you to remember is that requests for repetition must include those portions of the heading before, after, or between the applicable prowords.