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NETCOM sponsors Army-wide high-frequency communications exercise
Military (army) News ^

Posted on 02/08/2017 7:41:01 AM PST by SandRat



FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. (NETCOM) -- From March 30 to April 1, the Army's Network Enterprise Technology Command will sponsor an Army-wide, low-power, high-frequency communications exercise/competition -- QRPX 2017. The purpose of this event is to allow personnel to train on basic HF radio procedures and to test their HF radio equipment and antennas during a no-threat, semi-competitive environment. Units and personnel from the U.S. and Canadian Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Military Auxiliary Radio System are invited to train and compete during this event.

In order to be eligible to compete for points, units are limited to 20 watts output power and should use only tactical or field expedient antennas. Units competing for points must submit a station log that lists all radio contacts made during the competition. Units and teams desiring to train during this event -- but don't want to compete for points -- may use output power up to 1,000 watts and may use higher gain and directional antennas.

This training event will be conducted on both single channel and Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). All frequencies will be provided by NETCOM for this exercise. When stations make contact, the required information exchange will be station call signs and the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid zone designator were the station is located. Units competing for points will receive score multipliers for making an ALE contact as well as successfully sending and receiving a tactical chat digital message.

Units interested in participating or competing in this event may register at: http://www.usarmymars.org/home/qrpx-registration

For more information, interested units may contact Paul English at paul.a.english.civ@mail.mil


TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 02/08/2017 7:41:01 AM PST by SandRat
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To: SandRat

When satellites are shot out of the sky, cell phones and GPS are non-existent, HF will still work.......................


2 posted on 02/08/2017 7:50:51 AM PST by Red Badger (If "Majority Rule" was so important in South Africa, why isn't it that way here?.......)
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To: SandRat
Back years ago COMEXs were frequent. Then after 911 it got very much less. While I have been out of the loop for a few years I have not heard it has gotten any better.

And the need for these exercises is apparent by the article most likely providing inaccurate information. UTM coordinates are non standardized, what they should be using is MGRS (Military Grid Reference System). Or even Lat/long as that is used in various data links.

A further issue with using UTM is that it does not include the Polar regions, so if an Antarctic station wanted to participate they could not provide UTM coordinates.

3 posted on 02/08/2017 7:53:42 AM PST by where's_the_Outrage? (Trump the anti politician. About time!)
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To: SandRat

So will Signaling via Morse Code, Semaphore, Heliography, ...., gee - whiz,.... I’m talking of decades ago signals.


4 posted on 02/08/2017 8:02:44 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country.)
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To: All
Take bunch of elementary school kids on an exciting trip, take them to MARS.

A Military Auxiliary Radio Station, lol.

5 posted on 02/08/2017 8:08:04 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country.)
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To: SandRat

I’ll hang a wire in the trees and talk around the world while you’re still hoping for a sunny day so you can use your heliograph...


6 posted on 02/08/2017 8:12:36 AM PST by bigbob (We have better coverage than Verizon - Can You Hear Us Now?)
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To: SandRat

"It's from the Americans, they want to organize a counter offensive"

7 posted on 02/08/2017 8:16:00 AM PST by Rebelbase
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To: bigbob

How I miss Dad’s Zenith Transoceanic...


8 posted on 02/08/2017 8:16:24 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: Red Badger; SandRat

Two-Meter is about as far as I go.
CB with some discretion.
It has come in handy many times,
Thanks for posting.


9 posted on 02/08/2017 8:38:21 AM PST by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
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To: Big Red Badger

I work in HF communications, and microwave. The military has almost abandoned HF, not quite, but everything else is satellite based. Mention HF and people think you’re from the Stone Age................


10 posted on 02/08/2017 8:51:29 AM PST by Red Badger (If "Majority Rule" was so important in South Africa, why isn't it that way here?.......)
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To: Red Badger

That’s the Army Signal Corps Age that I entered the Army in.


11 posted on 02/08/2017 8:55:15 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country.)
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To: Red Badger

In addition to those reasons, during EMP NEMP, HF with Morse code will still be serviceable if they have tube transmitters/receivers. I have been out of the loop for 20 years, but even then it was rare that sending Morse code is taught.


12 posted on 02/08/2017 8:57:31 AM PST by grwcfl537 (Sed libera nos a malo. NTOWY)
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To: SandRat

I can talk, and listen, around the world, with no satellites and just a ‘clothesline’ for an antenna. In today’s world of high power semiconductors, it would not take much space either.................


13 posted on 02/08/2017 9:06:38 AM PST by Red Badger (If "Majority Rule" was so important in South Africa, why isn't it that way here?.......)
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As I recall, the last service to hang up Continuous Wave/CW (Morse code) operations in both MF & HF was the USCG. It was 1994 or 1995. The Coast Guard hung onto it as many shipping concerns internationally still employed CW on their ships. The Coast Guard was very good at it.


14 posted on 02/08/2017 9:12:39 AM PST by Clutch Martin (Hot sauce aside, every culture has its pancake, just as every culture has its noodle.)
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To: SandRat

The way the US Navy would do this: turn off all satellite comms without notice, and with ships at sea.

For all fleets at the same time.


15 posted on 02/08/2017 9:20:35 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Red Badger
Who did it?

Dah Dah Dit. lol

16 posted on 02/08/2017 9:24:31 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country.)
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To: SandRat

Beethoven:

Dit-Dit-Dit-Dah.................


17 posted on 02/08/2017 9:30:49 AM PST by Red Badger (If "Majority Rule" was so important in South Africa, why isn't it that way here?.......)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
How I miss Dad’s Zenith Transoceanic...

About 10 yrs. ago I ran across a Transoceanic in an antique shop. Big ol' thing, in a case similar to a portable sewing machine.
I didn't know they made that radio back then. It's a mod 600 IIRC, circa WWII era.
Bought it, cleaned it up, was dying to try it. Read up on them, 'don't try it unless it's been recapped.
Tubes uncommon and one tube, the main one is next to impossible to find, esp unused. Oh, and expensive.
I threw caution to the wind a plugged it in.
It worked ! Unplugged it a put it on the shelf.

18 posted on 02/08/2017 9:31:57 AM PST by Vinnie
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To: Red Badger

As long as the EMP didn’t get them!


19 posted on 02/08/2017 9:32:25 AM PST by mad_as_he$$ ("It's a war against humanity!" Donald J. Trump)
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To: mad_as_he$$

Tubes are impervious to EMP.....................


20 posted on 02/08/2017 9:46:19 AM PST by Red Badger (If "Majority Rule" was so important in South Africa, why isn't it that way here?.......)
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