..:: Topics ::..
Tactical Communications

A brief overview of suggestions for making your radio communications more effective.

  • Talking Over Each Other

    With many people on a channel, inevitably there will be instances when more than one person will try to talk at once cancelling each other out. One way to prevent this is to wait a couple of seconds after a transmission has been completed by another station before speaking. This does two things:

    • It lets the person talking complete their transmission before the next transmission begins

    • If there is a priority transmission it provides a chance to get in. If you have priority traffic, as soon as you think the last transmission is complete, break in with something resembling a priority break, such as "BREAK, BREAK, Priority message..." this lets everyone know that the person has a critical message and all others should clear the channel and hold radio traffic until further notice. If there are two priority messages at the same time the first one in takes precedence


  • Long Messages

    This is definitely an area where most can improve. Transmissions should be short and concise. If you are keying the mike for more than 10 seconds, it may be too long. If you have a long message, break it into several smaller transmissions. You can separate them by the term "Break". Break is a general term that lets other stations know that when you unkey the mike there is more to come so wait. For example, "Enemy is approaching location Alpha from Tango-side, break," pause 1 or 2 seconds, then continue, "I count 10 tangos and 1 tank, over." The term "Over" means the other station can speak. Or you can say "Out" to indicate your transmission is over

  • Station Identification

    Just as a reminder when you transmit, make sure you announce call-signs of who you are calling and identify yourself. For example, "Aldva this is Scarecrow, over." or "Aldva to Scarecrow, over." or any variation

  • Other things to consider

    • Line of Sight - For any radio, no matter how expensive, "line of site communication" is always going to improve transmission and reception quality. If you are experiencing broken or static heavy transmissions, get to the highest ground near your position, or the one with least physical interference. Of course, balance the tactical situation with your need to communicate when doing this. This will be important when the terrain is hilly and there are several spots where you will be in low ground surrounded by hills

    • Listening To Radio Traffic - This is something that may seem obvious but very few people will do. The best advice is to continually monitor the radio, this is where an earbud comes in handy. If nothing else, every few moments just listen to what's happening on the radio. Many times this will give you information and Intel that is pertinent to your situation. You may hear something that causes you to reposition your squad or orient in another direction. You may hear something that ties in with a piece of information you have that will give us a better picture of the over all situation

    • Jammed or Spoofed radio net - Jamming is when someone deliberately attempts to breaks your comms by keying over your net, preventing any stations from getting through. Spoofing is when the opposition gets on your net and tries to pass bogus information. There are good procedures for dealing with both these situations

      • Authentication and Code Words - This is one way to defeat spoofing by forcing another station to validate themselves using some agreed upon code word or phrase. Code words hide the meaning of your transmission as long as only our side has the key to the code

      • Radio Silence - This is a tactic by which one would operate without radio transmissions in order to maintain the element of surprise. This is only effective before springing the trap since once contact is made the enemy knows you are there


    • Volume - If you don't use a headset or earbud for your radio, be aware of your volume setting and your surroundings. If you're in an area of friendlies, then having your volume set to High may not be an issue. If you're trying to hide, sneak around or if you're in enemy territory, having your volume set too High can be a huge problem. Maintain awareness of your volume setting at all times

    • Keying/Talking too Quickly - One bad habit many people have is keying the microphone and simultaneously speaking. You'll want to key the mic, and pause about 1 second before speaking. This gives all radios on the same channel a chance to begin picking up your transmission

    • VOX is Bad - If your radio has a VOX setting (transmit on voice), disable it! Nothing is worse than having someone's radio key itself up for every noise it picks up

    • Tactical Radio Speak

      The following is a summary radio terminology with their definitions and examples of how they are used

      • Over - Communicates I have completed my message the next station can now transmit

        • Example, "What are your orders, over?"


      • Roger - Communicates that you have received and understood the last transmission

        • Example, Aldva transmits: "VooDoo this is Aldva, I am en-route to Village"


        • VooDoo responds: "Roger"


        Aldva doesn't have to say anything else. Or he can add out to indicate he has no more to say. "Roger, Out."

      • Out - Communicates the transmission is over there is nothing else to follow

      • Break - Indicates a pause but more to follow

        • Example, "Enemy is approaching Village," pause 1 second then continue, "I count 10 tangos and 1 tank, over."


      • Saying Break twice indicates your are going to break into someone else transmission

        • Example, "BREAK, BREAK, Frankie with Priority message..."