Radio Use

Effective Radio Use

Radio not only gives you useful flight tips during cross country flights and competitions but is essential for pick-ups.

Sometimes though, chatter is so distracting that the radio becomes a nuisance and volume has to be turned down to enable concentration on flying.

Are you getting the full benefits of radio or contributing to making radio difficult?

Poor radio users find their flying buddies can disappear to another channel or switch off completely. Wouldn’t you rather they were still there to tell you where they find lift or to relay your landing position if you can’t contact your driver?

By following some basic tips, radio is less hassle and becomes a valuable asset to enhance your flying and keep you, other pilots and your driver safe and sane. Use the right radio

Check which type of radios other pilots that you fly with use, it’s no good having a great radio if you can’t talk to anyone. There are 3 main types commonly in use;

UHF radios have become cheaper and more sophisticated in recent times. Many are now fine quality, but some are just toys. The old CB VHF 26 MHz not long ago had every channel in use by annoying idiots or Asian fishing boats which made practical use impossible. These people have probably graduated to internet social media now.

UHF has become widely used in Australia and NZ. Also referred to as PCS (Personal Communication System) these radios offer 40 channels. No license is required and in NZ the band has not become overcrowded as in Australia. You can legally get anyone to use a radio on these frequencies for retrieves. 2 metre (Ham) radios are now compact and usually give the best performance but the licence has a complex exam with little about how to actually use it. In the past there were some who spent all their time tracking down illegal users of their frequencies. This is rare in NZ now but Ham Nazis still frequent Australian HG and PG comps where overseas Ham radio users often turn up.

Licensed 2m users get the benefits of using repeaters to speak to people well out of usual range and can even talk to cellphones. Some 2m radios can be modified to work on other frequencies as well, but these radios

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can be complicated. Many HG pilots use these, as a while back the CB frequencies were unusable.

Ham radio is used extensively in Europe and in the USA. The USHPA even has allocated frequencies.

Airband radios used to be big, expensive and not perform well, but compact, better quality models are now available.

You can use Airband to fly in Mandatory Broadcast Zones and ask Airport Control for permission to use controlled airspace. Airband is already a requirement at some flying sites. Another benefit is that you could use it to call aircraft overhead if you need emergency help.

At present airband radios are not so widespread in HG and PG but the NZHGPA has organised airband licencing. Airband has a more practical exam and is worth doing.

You can use your NZHGPA PIN number as a call sign. There is even a frequency allocated for us to use. Procedures for airband use are on the NZHGPA website.

Another option is the compact triband radios. With minor modification they cover many frequencies well, with the exception of transmission on airband. They are often waterproof, a big advantage when it rains or somebody’s camelback soaks everything in the car boot. They are complicated but are very robust.

There are Chinese radios which you can buy for less than the price of a headset for the established brands. I’ve heard reports of them failing with no support, but some pilots swear by them and have few problems. If buying one, you can afford to get an extra as backup. If buying from NZ sources you may pay a little more but are protected by the Sale of Goods Act.

Choose a reputable model, or one others use and recommend. If you need to spend few extra dollars for quality it can make the difference between being understood or not. You need it to not let you down when you need help or are a long way from civilisation.

Whatever the radio, get one that transmits at 5 watts, a lesser powered radio will not have the same clarity or range. A low powered radio will be drowned out by other users transmissions. Controls

You probably won’t want to lift the radio to your helmeted head to use it so a helmet speaker with a wired PTT (push to talk) or a speaker-mic should be used. Some radios even have bluetooth for a finger switch PTT.

We get a lot of wind noise so the microphone must have foam over it. Without foam, wind noise distorts speech, making you hard or impossible to understand.

Many full face helmets made for flight have recesses for mic and speaker. Robust cables and a sealed waterproof PTT switch are advised. Aerials

Reception is normally ‘line of sight’ but various aerials can be fitted to your glider or harness to improve reception. Some help, but often they are a lot of hassle for little improvement with less reliability.

Bear in mind that any extra connections increase the chance of something failing. I’ve only ever had minor improvements with fancy aerials and often found they failed. I now just use the factory aerial for reliability.

Mount the radio so the aerial points vertically. With some radios a more powerful battery can have more effect than an elaborate aerial. Check it has enough distance from other instruments which it may interfere with.

A spare extendable aerial can improve your range when on the ground. Many XC pilots carry a spare battery pack also. ensure it Works

A malfunctioning radio screws up everyone’s communication. Always ensure your battery is fully charged and microphone and transmit switch work correctly before launch. If you’ve had problems, always sort that out before going flying, it’s usually impossible to fix these things on the hill.

Before launch, you (Joe) should always do a radio check with your driver (Tom) or fellow pilot.

For example you could say; “Joe to Tom, radio check.”

Tom replies; “Copy Tom to Joe,” (using the least number of words so you don’t annoy pilots already flying).

You reply, ”Copy,” so Tom knows you heard him too.

Once your radio is set up correctly, lock the keypad to prevent accidental frequency changes. Many radios have so many options now that an accidental touch on the keypad or knob could disable it. If this happens in flight, one option is to switch it off, then on again rather than try to figure out the right key combination when you should be flying.

If you have a remote finger switch PTT (push to talk) , make sure it does not activate while you are launching. Don’t use VOX (voice activation) because you can’t be certain it will operate reliably and it can be set off by wind noise, your vario or your in-flight muttering, cursing or nose clearing! Very few people ever use VOX twice, it is universally considered a nuisance.

Remote PTT finger switches and leads of any kind will, inevitably fail or lock your radio on transmit, ruining communication for everyone until your battery is flat. Learn to care for them but when they do fail, you want the radio within reach so you can disable the offending wiring. Mounting your radio on a shoulder strap means you can still use it after remote finger switch failure, can plug in a spare aerial, change a battery, and easily reach it if you wind up hanging in a tree.

Radios are complex instruments that endure knocks and extremes of temperature as well as mysterious radio interference and idiots jamming a channel so they are never 100% reliable. As you can never fully rely on radio, always brief your driver and have a call-in phone number arranged for when your radio goes on the blink. An EPIRB or satellite messenger like Spot is a sensible addition to your kit. talk Properly

When you transmit, your first word is often clipped as there is a slight delay before transmission, so train yourself to push the button first, then speak. If your first word is your name; “Joe to Tom”, chances are Tom will recognise your voice and your first word is not a vital to your message.

Think before you speak. Keep it short. If you make long transmissions, the end of your message may not be received as your transmit power drops off.

Speak normally, shouting over the wind or vario noise just distorts your transmission, making it harder to understand.

Remember you are broadcasting to EVERYONE on your channel, most are not interested in what you have to say, so keep it brief. Always think before you speak. Common language Copy, Roger – Message received and understood. Say Again, Please repeat – Repeat your last message. Over, Out – I’ve finished speaking. Say this at the end of conversation only. Stand by – Message received, but can’t respond right now. Go ahead – I can now respond, go ahead with your message Affirmative/Negative – Yes/No. essential information only

Remember, the radio is not a private phone. It’s annoying to other pilots

Advice and tips on radio communication

being forced to listen to idle chatter while they try to concentrate on their flying.

Some pilots talk constantly when nervous or excited, but if you think first then keep it quick and simple, others won’t have to turn their radio volume off to allow them to concentrate, also your own battery will last longer.

Don’t interrupt others talking, your transmission likely won’t be heard but you’ll still interrupt others.

In an urgent situation, you can interrupt. Say “Break, Break” and await a response. In an emergency you should use the appropriate “Mayday” or “Pan Pan” then have the emergency details ready.

Minimising talk allows more pilots to share the frequency with the advantage of being able to share more information and to relay messages when contact becomes difficult. The following example keeps talk to a minimum but gives all essential information;

“Joe to Tom copy?”

“Tom copy.”

“Joe at 8000 feet, 5 kms Southeast of Mt Cook, heading North.”

“Copy.”

Think first, then keep it simple. Establish communication and the important information follows. Your driver then knows your altitude, position and heading. If you’ve had recent contact you can leave out the first part as your driver should recognise your voice anyway. It’s helpful to transmit information in the same order using standard words. When talking over long distance or with poor reception, it’s much easier to figure out the message if wording is as expected. Think, then give; name, height, position, direction.

“Copy” replaces, “Do you read me?, Do you have a copy?”, “Yes I read you”, “Over and out”, and “Message understood”. This saves lots of chat and getting your message across faster with less battery drain.

If you don’t understand a transmission, say, “Say again” or “Please repeat.”

To avoid confusion and lengthy descriptions, fly with a map until you know the geography of your flight area well. “Near a high hill beside a paddock with sheep in it!” is no help at all to your retrieve.

If you need to give lengthy pickup instructions, switch to your other ‘chat’ channel. Only chat on this channel, which you should have arranged beforehand. keep regular Contact

Radio contact is lost easily when you are flying low. Your retrieve crew can be many kilometres away, so give regular position updates; about every 15 minutes and whenever you change position or flight direction.

Call your driver or fellow pilot, and give your name, altitude, position and heading. Think before you speak, don’t waffle. After a little practise, it becomes easy and automatic. If your driver understands you, they can reply with “copy” or a single transmit press. Don’t worry if your driver doesn’t reply, when driving, it’s likely they won’t get great reception or have their hands full so can’t reply, (unless using a wired-in car radio).

If your retrieve loses you, they should know where to start looking and know where you were last headed, eliminating many other areas. This will vastly speed up your pick-up and could save a Search and Rescue call-out. information tactics

If you find a good thermal and others are flying nearby, let them know with something quick like; “Joe, 300 up” (that’s averaged climb rate, not peak). If someone joins you they then mark the thermal, helping you stay in it and climb better. If you keep flying together, they can return the favour and you have both doubled your thermal locating ability. It’s not worth competing till late in the flight, helping keeps you both in the air. Again, keep messages quick so you can concentrate on flying.

At the top of your thermal use your radio to co-ordinate leaving together for the next thermal. Don’t lead or follow, but glide a short distance apart side by side, this way the chances of finding another thermal are multiplied. Smart competition pilots co-operate until goal is within reach. Helping each other is a smart tactic to keep you in the air. It’s better to share a 100km flight than going it alone and landing at 20kms. When you’ve landed

Give your position regularly while flying and still high, don’t wait till on the ground. If you do land somewhere where your retrieve can’t hear you, try to find a flying pilot who can relay a message for you.

Using a high powered radio or big antenna can help but is no substitute for giving your position while still flying. Your driver will probably not be able to understand until you are in line of sight anyway.

If you need time to explain your position, switch to your chat/retrieve channel. If there’s just a few pilots flying then a chat channel may not be necessary and a single channel is best. When there are multiple pilots and vehicles. Use another pre-arranged channel for pick-ups.

After you’ve landed, keep the radio switched on and somewhere high that gets good reception until you have actually been picked up. It’s hardest to communicate when you are both on the ground; Your retrieve could easily drive past and be many miles out of range, behind hills etc, if you don’t respond when they are near. nobody knows Where you Are

If you’ve landed far from civilisation and don’t know when or if you will be found; to save battery power; transmit on the hour, half hour or quarter hour, rather than using up your batteries when no one can hear. Make sure your companions know this.

Climb up to the highest point where you can get the best line of sight transmission to your retrieve or to pilots flying who may be able to relay your position.

If you get no response, transmit your position anyway, it’s possible you can be heard but you can’t hear replies. Alternative Channel

If you’ve arranged an alternative channel, you are prepared for someone with a jammed transmit switch or a compulsive talker. First try to contact the offender, and if that’s not possible, use your alternative channel.

If you need to talk at length to explain your position or if you just want to chat, get off the main channel so you don’t annoy other pilots. Problems

Sometimes you will get interference in a certain area, perhaps from other radio users or a local transmitter. Make sure you can reach your radio to change channel or perhaps adjust squelch in flight. Some pilots find that pushing short sections of plastic hose over rotating knobs makes them easier to find and adjust with gloved fingers.

Mount your radio in a position where you can see it. Then you can check the display for transmission or the correct channel. If remote wiring fails, you can disconnect the remote mic and talk directly to the radio. Stashing your radio in your harness means you can’t check it, adjust anything or change channels.

If nobody responds, check that you are not stuck on transmit, if you are, unplug your PTT transmit switch and you can get some use before your battery goes flat.

If your battery is nearly flat, others will have difficulty understanding you. Turn your radio off for a time and switch on briefly to transmit essential information. The first words are most likely to be heard. After a half hour or so your battery power may recover enough to use briefly. Transmitting uses a lot more power than receiving, so get your message across quickly in few words.

When your battery is nearly dead, here is a technique that can help. The noise generated by pressing the transmit button is usable long after its ability to transmit spoken words has faded. Prepare for this, if your crew knows to ask the right questions, you can respond with a single transmit press for “yes” or double press for “no”. Questions such as “Are you still flying? Have you flown past...?” can get your message through.

With distant or difficult communications, it pays to know the phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and so forth) when you need to spell out words one letter at a time: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-Ray, Yankee, Zulu.

If you don’t carry a spare battery, some radios can use an alternative power source, such as a power bank. You can’t always rely on radio, so if flying remote areas, carry a satellite messenger, EPIRB, cellphone or walk to a telephone (and have a call-in number arranged). to sum Up...

Many pilots either talk far too much or not enough. To get the important information across, the basic rules are; • Keep equipment working correctly.

Charge, check and repair all components before flying. • Think and prepare your message, then speak. • Give essential information quickly and frequently; name, altitude, position and heading, before you get too low. • Don’t interrupt others conversations. • Don’t talk trivia;- switch to a chat/ retrieve channel.

It only takes a one bad user to turn everyone’s radios from useful to useless, so if someone is not using their radio correctly, have a polite word with them as it’s probably not intentional. If this doesn’t work, use a different channel and leave them to fend for themselves. Hopefully they’ll mend their ways.

Efficient radio procedure will maximise the use you get from your radio, it can lead you to that next thermal, save you a search and rescue, keep your driver happy or get you home at a respectable hour.

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