GUIDE TO BASIC SIGNALS PROCEDURE 

NET OPERATING 

Best practice net operating is essential to the smooth running of any Raynet event or Incident.

Correct terminology should be used at all times. See PROCEDURAL WORDS (PROWORDS) & PHRASES later in this Section. 

Messages should be transmitted according to their priority.  

A procedure has been adopted to avoid confusion.  This is as follows:

1. An out‑station always goes "Out" at the conclusion of a message, never "To Standby". 
2. A Control Station may go either to "Out" or to "Stand‑by".  If the Control Station goes "Out" it means that the net is NOT open for traffic for the moment.  When the Control Station is ready for further traffic he opens the Net by giving his callsign and the words "To Stand‑by".  Messages can then be offered by any out‑station in the normal way.

Should an out-station require to communicate directly with another out-station, they should call the Control and ask for permission to ‘Call Direct’.  Permission will be granted or denied as operational circumstances dictate. 

The use of ‘Q’ codes has no place in RAYNET operations.

If no contact has been made with an out‑station for 30 minutes, Net Control will call as a welfare check. Such welfare checks MUST be logged. The frequency of welfare checks may be reduced if site conditions are particularly hazardous

 

PROCEDURAL WORDS (PROWORDS) & PHRASES 

Proword/Phrase                              Meaning                                             Comment

 

ACKNOWLEDGE                   Let me know you have

                                             received and understood

                                             this message

 

ALL BEFORE/                        Indicates part of a                                  e.g. “Say again all after”

AFTER                                   message                                             

 

ALL STATIONS                      General broadcast message

 

APPROVED                           Permission is granted for                        Do NOT use 'ROGER'

                                   proposed action

                         

 BREAK                                Indicates the separation                          Used to interrupt a message

                                                                                                         to call another station.  Not

                                                                                                         to be used in place of “OVER”

 

CALL DIRECT                        Contact outstation to                               Without a repeater

                                             outstation

 

CANCEL                               Disregard the previously

                                           transmitted instruction

 

CHECK                               Confirm you have received                          Same as “SO FAR”

                                          the message so far or, I

                                          confirm I have received

                                          the message so far

 

CLOSE DOWN                   Cease operation of the radio

                                         Station

 

CONFIRM                          Have I correctly received                             Answer: “CORRECT”

                                         The following...? Or,

                                         did you receive this message?       

 

CORRECT                          That is correct

 

CORRECTION                     An error has been made in

                                          My transmission.

                                         The correct version is....

 

DECIMAL                           Decimal Point                                           Pronounced Dee-See-Mal

 

FIGURES                           Used to precede a group of

                                          figures

 

I SAY AGAIN                      I repeat for clarity or                                  Not “REPEAT”

                                         emphasis

 

I SPELL                            Used before spelling                                   The NATO alphabet must be

                                        phonetically                                               used

 

IMMEDIATE                       I have a message of life and                       Use ONLY for live

                                         death urgency                                          emergencies  

         

MESSAGE                        I have a message for you

 

MESSAGE BEGINS          The content of the message

                                        follows

 

MESSAGE ENDS             The entire text of the message

                                       has now been sent

 

NO-NO                             No                                                            Repeated for clarity

 

NOTHING HEARD             No signals have been received

                                       from the station indicated

 

OVER                              My transmission is ended and       }

                                       I expect a response from you.        }

                                                                                           }            “OVER &

OUT                                 This exchange of Transmissions      }           OUT” is

                                       is ended and no response              }            meaningless !

                                       is expected                                 }

  

PRIORITY                         I need to send a Priority message

 

RADIO CHECK                 Report the readability of my

                                       signals

 

READ BACK                     Repeat all, or the specified part,

                                       of this message to me exactly as

                                       received

 

RELEVANT                      I have a message relevant to                        Use to interrupt

                                       the current exchange of                                to give assistance.

                                       transmissions           

 

REPORT                         Pass requested information                           e.g. “Report your location”

 

RECEIVED                      I have received and                                       “ROGER” should not be

                                       understood your message                            used

 

SO FAR                          Confirm you have received                            Same as “CHECK”

                                       the message so far or, I confirm

                                       I have received the message

                                       so far

 

SAY AGAIN                     Repeat all, or the following part,

                                       of your transmission

 

SEND                              Proceed with your transmission

 

SITREP                           Situation report

 

STAND BY                      This station is now available                        To be used only by a control

                                       to receive messages                                  to indicate the channel is clear

                                                                                                      for further traffic from

                                                                                                     outstations

 

STAND BY ONE               Do not transmit; I will call                         Same as “WAIT ONE”

                                       you in about one minute     

 

TALK-THROUGH             Contact outstation to                                 Not to be used  in place of

                                      outstation via a repeater                             “Call Direct”

 

TRAFFIC                         Standby for a message

 

WAIT                              Do not transmit until I call you

 

WAIT ONE                      Do not transmit; I will call                          Same as “STAND BY ONE”

                                      you in about one minute     

 

YES-YES                       Yes                                                          Repeated for clarity

  

  

USE OF EQUIPMENT BY NON-LICENCED PERSONS

 

Any licensed radio amateur may permit the use of his/her equipment by  any member of a User Service during any training exercise or emergency incident to pass messages on behalf of the User Service.

 

 

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS

 

          Term/Abbreviation     Meaning

          BRCS   British Red Cross Society

          CCA    Civil Contingencies Act

          CEPO   County Emergency Planning Officer

          DEPO   District Emergency Planning Officer

          EA      Environment Agency

          ECFRS Essex County Fire & Rescue Service

          ECN    Emergency Communications Network

          ESAR   Essex Search & Rescue

          ESSAM Essex Ambulance Service

          EXPOL Essex Police

          HMCG  Her Majesty’s Coastguard

          LA      Local Authority

          MCA    Maritime Coastguard Agency

          Outstation     A station on a net - not the Control

          SAR    Search & Rescue

          SJAB   St John Ambulance Brigade

          UA      Unitary Authority

          USAR   Urban Search & Rescue

Download prowords and phrases in PDF format here.