'Roger' does not mean 'Yes'

[Lodesman]

I know there are enough complaints about poor radio procedure to fill several books, but the one that irks me most is when someone says 'roger', when they mean 'affirmative.' If you don't know the correct pro-word, then just say 'yes'. 'Roger' just means you've received/understood the transmission. If you don't know what you're doing on the radio, there are resources that can help - RIC-22 — General Radio Operating Procedures - Spectrum Management and Telecommunications

And while I'm on the soapbox - most people can or do have their radios set on dual or triple watch - if you hail someone, you can't be expecting them to be looking at the display screen of the radio to see what channel you're hailing on - tell them the channel. "A this is B, calling you channel 72." Easy.

- Rant over

[44'cruisingcat]

Roger. Oh... um... yes. Sir.


Actually the use of "Roger" comes form the morse days, when the letter "R" would be transmitted to say "message Received and understood".


Roger was probably substituted for "R"- with voice comms, before the phonetic alphabet was standardised.


The equivalent today would be the word "Romeo". some people use this.


The AMC recommends you simply use the word "Received", or perhaps even better "Understood" - which also implies received.

[lockie]

Ten-four good buddy

[monte]

That's funny, I was going to add that people stating the Channel they are using is strange. I've only noticed it a practice among American accented callers and it's not shown as part of the standard call procedure in the link you posted

4.8 Single Station Call
When an operator wishes to establish communication with a specific station, the following items shall be transmitted in the order indicated:

Call sign of the station called (not more than three times).
The words "THIS IS".
Call sign of the station calling (not more than three times).
Invitation to reply.
Examples: FREIGHTWAY TWO FIVE ZERO
THIS IS
FREIGHTWAY MONTREAL
XMT FIVE NINE
OVER

VYD FIVE SEVEN LA RONGE
THIS IS
VXX ONE TWO FIVE PRINCE ALBERT
OVER

This is the way I was taught to make a call. Perhaps if people have trouble monitoring duel stations they should stick to one station.

[skipmac]

Roger, wilco, over and out.

[Enrique100]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

And while I'm on the soapbox - most people can or do have their radios set on dual or triple watch - if you hail someone, you can't be expecting them to be looking at the display screen of the radio to see what channel you're hailing on - tell them the channel. "A this is B, calling you channel 72." Easy.

- Rant over

If you are calling someone on 72 wouldn't they be expecting it? Otherwise you are just using the general hailing channel (16 or whatever) or you just got lucky? Maybe I'm way wrong...,


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Hearts Content]

Well mate. Clearly, those Americans have scanning radios and you clearly have never encountered one. Crikey

Hearts Content, over and out. Standing by on 16.

Originally Posted by monte

That's funny, I was going to add that people stating the Channel they are using is strange. I've only noticed it a practice among American accented callers and it's not shown as part of the standard call procedure in the link you posted

4.8 Single Station Call
When an operator wishes to establish communication with a specific station, the following items shall be transmitted in the order indicated:

Call sign of the station called (not more than three times).
The words "THIS IS".
Call sign of the station calling (not more than three times).
Invitation to reply.
Examples: FREIGHTWAY TWO FIVE ZERO
THIS IS
FREIGHTWAY MONTREAL
XMT FIVE NINE
OVER

VYD FIVE SEVEN LA RONGE
THIS IS
VXX ONE TWO FIVE PRINCE ALBERT
OVER

This is the way I was taught to make a call. Perhaps if people have trouble monitoring duel stations they should stick to one station.

[monte]

I have a Dual watch, tri scan VHF. I have no trouble keeping track of calling stations and as noted above I've never encountered this practice of stating the callers Channel in Australia or Europe. The only time I've heard it appears to be by Americans on small vessels (not ships) and most commonly in charter areas. The other thing I've only encountered closer to US waters is the habit of some callers saying 'up one' or 'down one' as a reference to the preferred channel to switch to. So are these peculiarities part of what is taught when obtaining a ships radio station licence ( I assume they're required for all yachts in the US as well?) or something various operators have felt the need to modify?

[svmariane]

Originally Posted by monte

...The other thing I've only encountered closer to US waters is the habit of some callers saying 'up one' or 'down one' as a reference to the preferred channel to switch to.

Linguistics be a remarkable thing, no?

The phrase "up one" and "down one" originated when like-minded folk on pleasure boats set up so-called "radio nets" in (oft times crowded) marinas or anchorages.

Usage: "Up One" is akin to "up yours" as spoken in a pub. Meaning: we want to have a private convo, so the rest of you can sod off - but we know some of you will eavesdrop.

Secondary meaning - but should be taken with a grain of salt and exploited MOST carefully - is when the radio net is established on VHF Ch #68.

Usage: "Down One" is akin to inner city slang: I.E., "Down wit you", as in: I'd lay my life down for you; complete affinity betwixt persons. Expression is best reserved for times such as when the dinghy fuel tank is inexplicably empty. Or the BBQ gas bottle is empty. Like serious emergencies, ya' know?

Read more at my blog: I knows whats me talkin' 'bout, hear?

James

[St. Elsewhere]

In the US VTS system the rules require monitoring the local VTS channel and VHF 13 simultaneously full time, i.e. with two active VHF's instead of a scanner. Commercial vessel-to-vessel traffic will often include the channel they are using because they know the vessel they are contacting is monitoring both.

[CaptMarc]

Six two and even,,, over and out................


people do not know how to use the vhf!!!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by monte

I have a Dual watch, tri scan VHF. I have no trouble keeping track of calling stations and as noted above I've never encountered this practice of stating the callers Channel in Australia or Europe. The only time I've heard it appears to be by Americans on small vessels (not ships) and most commonly in charter areas. The other thing I've only encountered closer to US waters is the habit of some callers saying 'up one' or 'down one' as a reference to the preferred channel to switch to. So are these peculiarities part of what is taught when obtaining a ships radio station licence ( I assume they're required for all yachts in the US as well?) or something various operators have felt the need to modify?

monte,

If you're in the middle of nowhere, fine.

I sail on SF Bay. I monitor 16, 14 for VTS, 12 for shipping outside the Gate, sometime 09 for other traffic and sometimes a working channel for a race or a cruise.

You're a regular here, thought you'd seen these posts before.

[monte]

Yes Stu I've read a few posts on monitoring different stations in different areas. What I was asking was is stating your calling channel mentioned in the marine radio operators VHF certificate of proficiency training and literature? or do Americans or Canadians have a different licensing arrangement? Are licences required by at least one person aboard for all vessels equipped with VHF or are a lot of pleasure boats unlicensed or not required to be licenced? Or is stating your calling Channel just a bit of ad lib like up one, down one, roger etc that's become popular with the masses.
I'm not having a go at the yanks, just curious and the OP mentioned it was necessary, yet I've never heard a ship or pilot state their calling channel.

[shufti]

I state my channel when calling VMR/CG around here in Bundy - figure it takes one job (work out which channel I'm hailing on) away from the volunteer manning the radio.We use three channels (16 and 80,81 repeaters) around bundaberg for communticatiing with VMR - the operator may not be looking at the radio set when I call - loo break/coffee etc. From memory it was not mentioned in the VHF/HF operators course either way.

[simmo]

I was in the Whitsundays for a month until a week ago and noticed that many people state the channel they are calling on. I thought that was a bit odd until I was at the counter in a marina office and the had three vhf units there. A call came in and the caller said.... on one six...at the end and the office staff turned around and picked up the appropriate mike. I noticed after that that a lot of callers to either the charter companies or marinas stated which channel they were calling on.