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Offline .pablo.

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radio capabilities
« on: 27 Jul 2003, 19:18:07 »
i don't know anything about radios, so help is appreciated!!
if you can answer any of these questions i'll put you in the readme, in the order of posting (got that idea from asmodeus ;D)

1: -- is there a difference between a radio antenna and a radio tower?
    -- can a radio antenna be used to broadcast radio signals?

2: -- what kind of radios does the military use?
    -- are different radios used for different purposes?
    -- how far can the radios broadcast/receive?
    -- (they run on batteries, right?) how long do the batteries last?

3: -- could a person on the ground talk to a helicopter via radio?
    -- what kind of radio(or frequency?) would they need to talk to the pilot?

4: -- how do radio frequencies work in terms of military vs civilian use?
    -- could a civilian radio be used to talk to a squad of troops?


general answers are just as good, i just need a feel for how radios work so i don't put something ridiculous in my mission

please help!! :'(
« Last Edit: 27 Jul 2003, 19:18:51 by pablo_m123 »

McFinnish

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #1 on: 27 Jul 2003, 19:27:19 »
Okay I can only answer on 3 and 4, and this is only in finland so here goes

3 -- Yes
   -- well I think as same as in the ground

4 -- In Finland (I think) we use this kind of phone style network, so with rigth equiment... yes, civilian can talk to a squad

Or so I have been told.

Offline KTottE

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #2 on: 27 Jul 2003, 20:11:46 »
1. --  Not really. If by antenna you mean the thing that sticks out of a handheld/backpack radio. Well, a radio tower is technically a huge radio antenna.
--- You can broadcast with both, but the tower will be able to recieve/send more signals and over greater distance than the portable one.

2.  -- Depends on which army. Usually there's the kind that gets mounted in vehicles, one that is carried as a backpack, and some times they might use personal radios for SWAT type situations. There is also a large hand-held device used in some places, but I don't know if that is in use anymore.
-- See above
-- For the personal ones, not very far, a couple of hundred meters at the most. The backpack ones can probably send/recieve over several kilometers if the circumstances allow for it. The vehicle mounted ones can most definately send/recieve over several kilometers.
-- Not sure here, I'd say a couple of hours for the personals, several hours for the backpack ones (24h, 48h, I'm not sure) and indefinite for the vehicle mounted ones as they recharge from the vehicle's battery, and that is recharged when the vehicle starts it's engine.

3. -- Yes, if he is talking on the right frequency/the chopper is listening on the right frequency.
-- A standard radio frequency that both of them are tuned into.

4. -- There are certain radio frequencies that are reserved. Some for police use, some for paramedics, some for firemen, some for coastguard etc., and there's a general emergency frequency. And then each army has a set of frequencies that they have reserved, no one is allowed to broadcast on them except army people. I have no idea which frequencies though, so don't ask :)
-- Yes, if they tune into the right frequency.
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El Savior

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #3 on: 28 Jul 2003, 00:47:28 »
First here's a great link about radios and other stuff:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/radio.htm

Military callsigns:
http://www.milaircomms.com/mil_callsigns.html


About military radios. Common portable squad radio could broadcast about 30 km. Hills or buildings could block radiowaves, so 30 km is not always possible. Squad radio use lithium battery. Battery could last 24 hours depending how often it is used (broadcasting uses more battery than listening - just like the cellural phones).

Helicopter pilots (and tank crews) use internal com to talk with each other and radio to talk to base, vehicles or squads.  Anyone who use same frequency can hear them or talk to them. Important / classified messages are sent in cable 'phones', in secure line (satellite or crypted radio) or by orderly.

One more thing about military radios. Because anyone (enemy example) could hear radio broadcastings, soldiers use codes and very short communications. Enemy could also pinpoint location of the radio.

Here's a little example:

Easy Platoon
Callsign: B20 (Bravo-Two-Zero)

Batallion HQ
Callsign: H-1-1 (Hotel-One-One)

B20: "Bravo-Two-Zero calling Hotel-One-One. Do you read me, over.
H11: "This is Hotel-One-One. Go ahead Bravo-Two-Zero."
B20: "We have reached Tango point. No sign of the charlie.  We will continue to Kilo point, over."
H11: "Roger Bravo-Two-Zero. Hotel-One-One out. Over.

Tango and Kilo point is a codename for a place. Charlie is code for enemy. Roger means understood or okay.

Hope this example helped.  :)


El Savior
« Last Edit: 28 Jul 2003, 01:24:46 by El Savior »

Offline .pablo.

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #4 on: 28 Jul 2003, 07:00:41 »
this is exactly what i needed, thanks so much!!!

only one more question, how much can weather hinder the effectiveness of radios?  do different types of weather have different effects (like heavy fog vs heavy rain vs lightning storm)?

once again thanks so much for your help!!

Offline Messiah

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #5 on: 28 Jul 2003, 11:55:49 »
4. -- There are certain radio frequencies that are reserved. Some for police use, some for paramedics, some for firemen, some for coastguard etc., and there's a general emergency frequency. And then each army has a set of frequencies that they have reserved, no one is allowed to broadcast on them except army people. I have no idea which frequencies though, so don't ask :)
-- Yes, if they tune into the right frequency.


in the UK the police use a scrambler system which means even if you tune into their frequency, you will only hear a distorted conversation.... police radios have the 'decrypting' unit to be able to hear the conversation clearly.
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El Savior

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #6 on: 28 Jul 2003, 12:15:54 »
only one more question, how much can weather hinder the effectiveness of radios?  do different types of weather have different effects (like heavy fog vs heavy rain vs lightning storm)?

For my knowledge, weather doesn't effect much to radio waves. But squad radios can ran out of battery, get malfunction or be shot at :)

El Savior

Iwesshome

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #7 on: 28 Jul 2003, 12:34:21 »
I believe it does in some cases... You are transmitting an Infrared signal that uses the Earth's atmosphere to carry your transmission. Now lets say there is a heavy storm... rain will act as a sheet deflecting your signal, bouncing or absorbing it to nothing.

I work in Satellite Communications and during bad weather like heavy rain and snow our signals will suffer during this time and we are just transmitting to a Satellite so get what that radio signal is going to do...

But all you have to do is increase the transmit power and the signal ussually gets better... just remeber to decrease it when the weather lifts.

Offline KTottE

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #8 on: 28 Jul 2003, 12:34:25 »
in the UK the police use a scrambler system which means even if you tune into their frequency, you will only hear a distorted conversation.... police radios have the 'decrypting' unit to be able to hear the conversation clearly.

Yeah, that's coming more and more for channels which require more secrecy than others, military, police etc.
And then there's the secure radios, that use full 128-bit encryption directly in the radios.
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'WOW What a Ride!'"

Homefry31464

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Re:radio capabilities
« Reply #9 on: 02 Aug 2003, 03:23:33 »
Yes, I read about those radios in Rainbow Six, by Tom Clancy.  Do most Special Forces use those (128 bit)?