I've been listening to the Coast Guard repeat a "Pon pon" about missing boaters for over 24 hours now. It appears to be a recorded message, as the background noise and operator voice is the same each time.
That aside, when the CG transmits a long message on Ch16, they occasionally say "break." Now, I've been in the radio world for almost 2 decades now, and it is my understanding that, after saying "break" you de-key the radio for a few seconds, allowing other users to call in if they have emergencies. After that, if no one calls, you continue with your transmission. This is particularly important if you are operating with only one radio channel and the possibility of an emergency call exists.
Listening to the CG and their comms, they say break, DO NOT de-key, and keep right on talking. Am I missing something? Do they say it just to appease the procedure? Or do they not understand the purpose? Any insight would be great.
That aside, when the CG transmits a long message on Ch16, they occasionally say "break." Now, I've been in the radio world for almost 2 decades now, and it is my understanding that, after saying "break" you de-key the radio for a few seconds, allowing other users to call in if they have emergencies. After that, if no one calls, you continue with your transmission. This is particularly important if you are operating with only one radio channel and the possibility of an emergency call exists.
Listening to the CG and their comms, they say break, DO NOT de-key, and keep right on talking. Am I missing something? Do they say it just to appease the procedure? Or do they not understand the purpose? Any insight would be great.