Tactical Addresses

TACTICAL ADDRESSES
If you are planning on participating in drills, events or emergencies please read and understand this information. Comments and questions are welcome.

Tactical Addresses

• should be referred to as an address, not a call-sign. Your call-sign is what the FCC assigned to you.
• can refer to a location such as REDCOM or Venice Shelter or to a function such as Logistics or SRQ ARES EC etc.
• can be assigned prior to an event where the locations such as Aid Station #1 are known.
• can be assigned by the net control station when locations may not be known ahead of time.
• remain the same, unless changed by net control, throughout an event, independent of the operator.
• avoid having to maintain a lookup list of where each call sign is located.
• avoids errors.

Identification

• You MUST identify using your call-sign every ten minutes during a conversation (elapse time) and at the end of a conversation.
  • This is the law and must be followed.
• Other than the required call-sign identification there is no requirement to use any identification.
  • e.g. You can call you buddy Bill by saying “Bill this is Tom. Are you around?” Then carry on the conversation with no further identification.
  • UNTIL 10 minutes has elapsed or you end the conversation, whichever comes first. Then BOTH of you MUST give your call-sign.
• You do not need to give the other station’s call-sign.
• For EmComm

• • e.g.
    • “Redcom this is Venice Shelter “
    • “Venice Shelter go ahead”
    • now carry on the conversation until 10 minutes is up or you are done with your conversation at which time you must give your call-sign.
    • “Redcom that’s all I have for you this is Venice Shelter W2DEN”
      • This could be “This is W2DEN” or “W2DEN”
    • “Thank you Venice shelter this is W3ATR.”
      • Or just “W3ATR”.

NOTE The calling station giving their call sign (W2DEN) at the end does three things:

1. Fulfills the FCC requirement to identify with your call-sign at the end of a conversation.
2. Indicates to the other station that you are done.
   1. during very busy nets keep communications brief, just your call-sign is the same as saying “i have nothing more” then your call-sign.
3. Is good indication for the other station to give their call-sign to stay legal.

What if net Control gets distracted by another call and you do not have the opportunity to identify?

• Wait for a break and say your call-sign with “for ID”. e.g. “W2DEN for ID”.
  • The expression ‘For ID” is too often giving during casual conversations when it is obvious you are giving your call-sign “for ID”.
  • “For “ID” has a purpose when you need to fulfill your ID requirement and do not want to mislead net control into thinking you are trying to break in.

An example:( Redcom in green Shelter #2 in blue ) (The Proword ‘Over’ is demonstrated here.)

• Redcom this is Shelter #2 Over << Over is not really needed on the first two lines
• Shelter #2 Redcom Over.
• We need 500 bottles of water and 16 additional cots by the 6 PM today. Over.
  • NOTE the message is precise and says exactly what is needed and when it is needed by.
• Shelter # 2  copy 500 bottles of water and 16 cots by 6 PM. I will call you when these are en-route. Over
  • NOTE the repeat of the request to confirm it was received correctly and instructions for when notification of fulfillment will be sent.
  • For long lists it may not be practical to repeat every item. Depends on how busy the net is.
• W2DEN
  • Indicates that Shelter #2 is done and fulfills their ID
• This is Redcom standing by for any traffic. W3ATR.
  • Fulfills Redcom’s ID and opens the channel for additional traffic.