Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Radio procedure

["D. Blake" <dblake@bright.net>]

I agree with you Ed.  Vance did a great job, very informative.  Would make a
great addition to the FAQ list.
D.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Greany <crest25@attglobal.net>
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Date: Sunday, February 04, 2001 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Radio procedure


>I must commend Vance on an excellent answer to a simple question. I was
>going to answer the question myself being a former bubblehead sonarman
>and now very active in communications (ham, GMRS, and business) but I
>thought I'd see what came out of the bushes. Ty, you have an entire
>lecture below so save this one; it's worth every keystroke.
>
>One area not addressed was what type of equipment to use. Of course
>marine radio is on vhf but radio waves don't normally work well
>underwater. <joke>.  So, an interphase of UQC (underwater telephone) or
>other equipment must be used.
>
>Can anyone here advise what equipment is available and/or they have used
>successfully. I had always envisioned something like a BRA-8 (antenna
>bouy on a towed line) for a radio antenna or perhaps a floating wire but
>there must be some good experience here that are just shy readers.
>Please come out and address this important area of subbing.
>
>Thanks again Vance.
>
>Ed Greany, STS-2(SS)
>USS Will Rogers (SSBN659) Plankowner
>
>VBra676539@aol.com wrote:
>>
>> Ty,
>>
>> If you mean radio communications, the protocol is precisely the same as
in
>> any other boat to boat transmission. Clarity is the key--and keeping the
>> chatter to a minimum (especially if you are in my neck of the woods,
where
>> fishermen gab on the radio like a bunch of crows).
>>
>> UQC comms are a different medium. The trick is to speak clearly, use
small
>> words rather than big ones when possible, and announce yourself.
"Surface,
>> surface, surface....this is DeepTy" click. Don't start talking about
things
>> until the guy up top puts his coffee down and gets to the microphone. He
(or
>> she) should respond to acknowledge that they have heard and are ready to
>> listen. "DeepTy, this is surface. Go ahead." or some such. It is often
better
>> to repeat your commo, to give them time to scribble something in the log,
as
>> in: "Passing six-zero-zero feet. Repeat, six-zero-zero feet." They will
>> reply: "Roger, six-zero-zero" to let you know that they have understood
your
>> message. Six-zero-zero is easier to understand over the UQC than
six-hundred.
>> Remember, clarity.
>>
>> It is common to report in 100 foot increments when ascending or
descending in
>> deeper water. You will also want to announce bottom contact and
>> situation/condition information (depth, viz, current, bottom condition as
>> needed). When you set a course, let them know, or when you do something
else
>> that will impact their tracking efforts, let them know. If you have
>> pre-planned the dive carefully, then most of this will turn out to be
>> confirmation of the plan .... we hope.
>>
>> Comm checks are typically performed with just a double click on the mike,
>> which puts out a biggish pair of acoustic blips that is clearly audible.
This
>> is a mission choice, maybe every ten or fifteen minutes depending on
>> circumstances. This is done to stay in touch and to let people know that
all
>> is well. The comm check double-click is normally initiated by the
surface,
>> and responded to by the submarine. You'd be surprised how annoying it is
to
>> be constantly interrupted by the need to "answer" a comm check. It breaks
>> your concentration something fierce. A good dive will have a couple of
>> paragraphs in the top-side log and a whole string ot "Comm check--ok"
entries.
>>
>> When you are surfacing, always stop at some pre-determined depth to let
your
>> surface support ship know where you are so they can verify that all is
clear
>> and ready for you to surface. A depth of fifty feet or so is common
offshore.
>> I'll release a "bubble" from the ballast (air) which is clearly visible
on
>> the surface and gives them location and direction for recovery. This is
in
>> addition to the commo telling them what you are up to prior to surfacing.
The
>> belt and suspenders approach is common practice--better safe than sorry,
as
>> the old saying goes.
>>
>> There were lots of bubbles anyway, as we always surfaced on the main
ballast
>> system (in the Perry boats and Aquarius) as this allowed us to vent or
blow
>> as needed to control ascent rate. The VBT was pumped electrically and was
>> painfully slow. However, with a hard tank system (like the JSLs or
Pisces, or
>> K-subs), we did the same using the VBTs, as they were just as quick as
the
>> Mains and didn't get you going too fast. Remember that the volume of air
>> expands in the Mains, and very rapidly, I might add, when you are in
shallow
>> water or close to the surface. You want to hold 60 - 70 feet per minute
or
>> thereabouts. Just follow the bubbles up and you'll be fine.
>>
>> You haven't lived until you come back to the light from a deep dive and
look
>> up to see that silvery canopy above you with all the released bubbles
from
>> your tanks rising around you. It'll take your breath away. Just don't
forget
>> to call those poor saps on top who didn't get to go. They'll need time to
>> finish their balogna sandwiches.
>>
>> Best Regards,
>> Vance