25 September 09

We Get Slow Food. Now, Slow Messages?

Night before last, we went to a training offered at the Emergency Operations Center on campus for radio messaging. The idea is to make sure that everyone follows the same protocol when sending messages via radio for third parties in emergencies (think Katrina or 9/11 when cellphones and phone lines were overloaded and down).

Back in the day, I got up to about 110 wpm in shorthand. I used to be able to type 80 wpm easily. Not sure if I still can, though I’m still a fast typist. We use email, phone, cellphone, and some geniuses use text messages. We take almost instant communication for granted.

The average speed of radio voice message transmission is between 5-10 wpm.

Five. To. Ten. Words. Per. Minute. It sounds crazy, until:

Every single word for which there might be any confusion at all needs to be spelled out phonetically (radiophonetically, not IPA phonetically) so “Alison” is transmitted “Alison, I spell: Alpha Lima India Sierra Oscar November.” It doesn’t matter that I don’t mind that people spell my name with two ells or a wye or a cee or something equally outlandish. You have to send the message, you have to tell the receiving operator exactly how many words you’re sending, they have to copy down the words exactly as you received them from the third party, checking they have the same number of words. (You even have to send the message, and I have to beat down my inner editor here, if the content is misspelled or even incorrect, though you’re allowed as an operator to add an “Op Note” at the end to say you believe the GPS coordinates given will place you in the middle of the Indian Ocean and not in Davis.)

It could, however, make a big difference in someone’s life to get this information correct. When you are transmitting a message whose contents are completely opaque to you, but not to the sender or the person to whom the message is being sent via radio, you just send it as you get it.

I just have no idea how you practice saying “Please send 500 rolls toilet paper” at a rate of five words a minute. This is something I’m going to have to work on…

Posted by at 06:34 AM in Radio | Link |
  1. > I just have no idea how you practice saying “Please send 500 rolls toilet
    > paper” at a rate of five words a minute.

    Well, a good way is to either tape record yourself “transmitting” a message and then play it back and copy it. Of course you have the advantage of knowing and thus anticipating the next word sent.

    Better yet, sit Numenius down next to you and have him copy as you transmit the message- no need for a radio. As he is copying, watch how fast he copies each word. Some words will take longer to write down. You will know right away if you are transmitting too fast.

    So practice! Listen to the Yolo County ARES practice messages each Monday evening. Practic coping the messages being transmitted on the radio.

    So transmiting: “SEND 500 ROLLS TOILET PAPER” would be transmitted as:
    SEND FIGURES FIVE ZERO ZERO ROLLS TOILET PAPER

    Alas, it takes practice. When you have crummy radio conditions with static and noise.. It is even harder. It takes practice.

    Slow Food.. Slow messages!! Your health (and welfare) may depend on both!

    Great seeing you and Numenius at the training !

    Cheers or maybe I should say “73”!
    greg


    greg Kruckewitt    25. September 2009, 20:10    Link
  2. Speaking of GPS coordinates: you might like playing with this site:

    How to Dig to China (or anywhere) Using Google Maps

    > you believe the GPS coordinates given will place you in the middle of the
    > Indian Ocean and not in Davis

    http://tinyurl.com/ydrqh66

    And yes, from Davis you apparently end up in the Indian Ocean!!
    greg


    greg Kruckewitt    25. September 2009, 20:25    Link
  3. In order to pass the live test for my radio ham licence many years ago, I had to send and receive morse code at 12 words a minute. 35 to 40 wpm are common enough amongst practised hams and the record top speed is 75!


    Dick    25. September 2009, 23:59    Link
  4. Greg, great idea, to have Numenius copy down messages. I think I’ll try this.

    Dick: thanks for your comment. I understand the principle of morse — it’s not so unlike shorthand, after all — but when we speak at normal speed it’s about 240 wpm. So this skill is a bit like learning to speak like a Dalek.


    Pica    26. September 2009, 06:35    Link

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