VHF Protocol. Is there one?

[Kings Gambit]

Having recently spent some 14 days out there w/ my VHF radio switched on much of the time, even at night while at anchor, I noticed again usages that have always seemed odd to me. For example, skippers hailing on Ch 16 announce that they're hailing on Ch 16. Or, are standing by on Ch 16 (i.e., one-six). Even the coasties do this. Don't we know they're hailing on Ch 16--the general hailing channel? With my VHF set on Ch 16 I certainly know I'm hearing one-six; if they're on another channel then I'm not hearing them unless scanning. By the way, who the heck is Roger--somebody out of 12 O'clock High? We have "Roger", "ten-four", and "copy that" (good buddy). Are those military, police, and CB acknowledgements? Is there an actual maritime one? Why not "Understood", "OK, I got it", "Please repeat--I didn't get that?", or "You're not coming in clear?" The folks at Sector Los Angeles talk so fast I can hardly follow the message. A weather Securite' should certainly be audible (i.e., intelligible). At one point I had to hail them (Sector LA) and ask them to repeat it to me. And who needs to know "negative contact?" Who are these people talking to to report "negative contact"? (And who would care?)

 

[SFS]

I crew in a commercial operation, and all our radios are always scanning multiple channels. We identify the channel we are transmitting on when it is NOT 16 (and it usually isn't, as we monitor 16, but use working frequencies). With a fair amount of working traffic in my local area, using working frequencies (which are also being scanned) helps avoid clogging 16.

 

[Stu Jackson]

KG, I wondered about that, too. Concluded that SFS is right about identifying appropriate stations on scanning radios. I scan all the time: 16, 14, 12, 09, etc.

 

[Capt jgw]

I was going to say the same thing. Commercial and military stations run several radios monitoring several channels and telling them which one you're on helps them figure out which mic to grab. As for the other stuff, " negative contact" especially, that's just people showing how ignorant they are.

 

[dziedzicmj]

There is a protocol. In maritime radio only "Roger" is the correct confirmation.

I don't know the US regulations, but in Canada, if you have a VHF radio, you have to have the operator's licence. To get one you need to pass an exam and it includes the protocol that you are supposed to follow.

This does not mean, of course, that everyone does follow that protocol (including letting kids to sing songs to the microphone on CH 16).

Marek

 

[GorillaToast]

Oh, darn...
I thought this was gonna be a thread about what to say in certain situations, like when you want to alert the kids at the pump out station you're heading their way, and they need to stop flirting with the little girls in the bikinis and come grab a line!

I've got a vhf onboard, but have never used it, nor heard anyone on our small lake use one either. I seriously don't know the proper verbage to hail a port...fuel dock...or whatever.

 

[JamesG161]

who the heck is Roger--somebody out of 12 O'clock High? We have "Roger", "ten-four", and "copy that" (good buddy).

Old morse code operators would send the letter R ( dit dah dit) meaning Received, as a termination of one way transmission. Finally voice radio came and with that a Phonetic Alphabet.
Received or ROGER! It changed to a more universal word today after the WWII movies made Roger popular. Today it would be Romeo for R. But John Wayne used Roger WILCO (the real name). WILL COMPLY. If in the Navy, Aye Aye, sir.
I Copy means I understand. Roger means OK.
Romeo doesn't sound cool and it doesn't rhyme with Dodger in "Roger Dodger". Dang "Romeo Dodger"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet#History
So negitivo good buddy.
Jim...

 

[Meriachee]

A good use is to walk the docks, see who is out, go out, and immediately start hailing everyone who is out. Being sure, of course to wait the required 7.2 seconds between hails, and repeat the process in such a manner as to leave absolutely no question as to that fact that you are "on the scene".
Then, if nobody answers (or has an opportunity TO answer) the next appropriate action is to start requesting a radio check, because you didn't get a response from the first barrage, and immediately switch to the next channel and do repeat the process before anybody has an opportunity to respond.
Oh wait. We know this guy.

 

[Kermit]

You knew it was coming. You know you'd be disappointed if it didn't.

Wait for it...


Wait for it...

 

[Alan Gomes]

A good use is to walk the docks, see who is out, go out, and immediately start hailing everyone who is out. Being sure, of course to wait the required 7.2 seconds between hails, and repeat the process in such a manner as to leave absolutely no question as to that fact that you are "on the scene".
Then, if nobody answers (or has an opportunity TO answer) the next appropriate action is to start requesting a radio check, because you didn't get a response from the first barrage, and immediately switch to the next channel and do repeat the process before anybody has an opportunity to respond.
Oh wait. We know this guy.

It's best, of course, if you call for your radio checks on Channel 16.

 

[Calif. Ted]

In the 70's public safety agencies used "Ten" codes, know as a brevity code for often repeated phrases, I remember 10-97 was "At Scene" and 10-98 was "assignment completed". While developed in the thirty's there was no standard and different agencies had different codes so it hindered communications between units from different agencies. In the early 90's many places started changing over to "plain speech", part was the really lousy sound from the crappy speakers that improved when UHF replaced VHF. When on the radio all day every day you develop radio ear, sometimes with 6 experienced sailors on board they'll all look to me for "translation" of whatever we just heard. There is a female at Coast Guard LA however who speaks so quickly that it's hard for anyone to follow. I still use affirmative and negative for yes/no out of habit but no 10 codes.

 

[Kermit]

In the 70's public safety agencies used "Ten" codes, know as a brevity code for often repeated phrases, I remember 10-97 was "At Scene" and 10-98 was "assignment completed". While developed in the thirty's there was no standard and different agencies had different codes so it hindered communications between units from different agencies. In the early 90's many places started changing over to "plain speech", part was the really lousy sound from the crappy speakers that improved when UHF replaced VHF. When on the radio all day every day you develop radio ear, sometimes with 6 experienced sailors on board they'll all look to me for "translation" of whatever we just heard. There is a female at Coast Guard LA however who speaks so quickly that it's hard for anyone to follow. I still use affirmative and negative for yes/no out of habit but no 10 codes.

10-4 good buddy!

 

[Kings Gambit]

I've been sitting here really chuckling through some of this!

 

[woodster]

and all this time i thought it was Broderick Crawford that started this

 

[thinwater]

A slow day, and Google is broken, I guess.

Actually, it's kind of scary.

 

[Meriachee]

Google is broken? What are we to do.

 

[Bill Roosa]

stating the channel you are using helps others who are monitoring several freqs
"negative contact" is useful when you hear 2 parties trying to communicate and only one is two way. The other thinks he is not getting through but really is he just can't hear the reply. A third party hearing all this can pipe in and (if he can transmit and receive both parties) complete the conversation for them
"break" is used to stop a conversation and contact that other party in the negative contact situation above. To wit: SV1 your transmission is being heard by SV2. break, SV2 what is your traffic for SV1? over......
then there is securitay, pan, and mayday to clear the channel for various serious situations.
and lets not forget the phonetic alphabet which should properly be preceded by "I spell" to wit: My name is I spell Romeo, Oscar, Oscar, Sierra, Alpha

 

[Bill Roosa]

and how about the captain that lets the kids get on the radio and do dumb stuff? My personal pet peeve.

 

[Kings Gambit]

"negative contact" is useful when you hear 2 parties trying to communicate and only one is two way. The other thinks he is not getting through but really is he just can't hear the reply. A third party hearing all this can pipe in and (if he can transmit and receive both parties) complete the conversation for them "break" is used to stop a conversation and contact that other party in the negative contact situation above. To wit: SV1 your transmission is being heard by SV2. break, SV2 what is your traffic for SV1? over......

That helps, but I've never heard that. That is, I hear SV1 attempting to hail SV2 but hear no reply from SV2. After the two or three tries SV1 reports "negative contact" and then "standing by on", or "monitoring", one-six. To me, it sounds like superfluous "communication" b/c no other traffic ever materialized as in your example. (That is, some listeners may already know or believe there was no contact based on what they also might not be able to hear.) I often hear only one side of radio exchanges, especially those between the USCG (or Vessel Assist) and another vessel (I hear the CG side, of course.) However, I suppose that SV1 has no idea who might be hearing his transmission and a reply which he cannot, and so with "negative contact" he is saying "I received no reply (which is obvious to some)--but if anyone else heard one, please relay."

 

[Calif. Ted]

Extactomundo !!! Sorry, Just wanted to beat Kermie to the punch.