Good communication is essential.

The Henley on Klip Community Policing Forum (HCPF) runs an ICASA Radio Frequency Spectrum Licence two-way radio network. This is essential to co-ordinate operations during a crisis, emergency, traffic situation, power/phone/internet outage and mandatory for patrolling purposes. Annual licence fee per digital radio: R120 due now.

Please note that the analogue channel will be discontinued some time during June 2021.

Please switch your two-way radio to DIGITAL CHANNEL ONE on TUESDAY 1 JUNE 2021.

“Eyes and Ears” – your radio is a CRITICAL ASSET.

The HCPF encourages the HCPF community of Henley on Klip to acquire a DIGITAL two-way radio, connect, and be able to summon assistance or alert others to a possible threat. Cost: +/- R 2 000.

Every evening, Sunday-Thursday, from 19:30-20:00 a HCPF controller is on duty for radio checks to ensure that the radio is functional with a charged battery.

If you don’t own a digital radio … the free Zello app turns your phone into a digital two-way radio that works anywhere in the world as long as you are connected to the internet!

Questions? The Henley on Klip Community Police Forum command centre, opposite About Time, is open on Saturdays 09:00-12:00.

PHONETIC ALPHABET

A phonetic alphabet is a list of words used to identify letters in a message transmitted by radio or telephone. Spoken words from an approved list are substituted for letters. This practice helps to prevent confusion between similar sounding letters, such as “m” and “n”, and to clarify communications that may be garbled during transmission. Try to learn them:

A=Alpha B=Bravo C=Charlie D=Delta E=Echo F=Foxtrot G=Golf H=Hotel I=India J=Juliet K=Kilo L=Lima M=Mike N=November O=Oscar P=Papa Q=Quebec R=Romeo S=Sierra T=Tango U=Uniform V=Victor W=Whiskey X=X-ray Y=Yankee Z=Zulu

The figure 0 is pronounced as zero. Numbers consisting of more than one digit are pronounced individually, e.g., the number 806 is pronounced as “eight, zero, six” and not as “eight hundred and six”.

RADIO PROCEDURE

Although the HCPF does not use “formal” radio procedures, there are some basic procedures to adhere in order to ensure usability.

WAIT before you speak:

When you press the Transmit button on the radio, the repeater first needs to “open”, so the first part of your message will be lost if you press the button and talk immediately.

When you want to talk on the radio:
Press and hold the Transmit button;
Wait for 1 to 2 seconds;
Now start to speak (CLEARLY AND LOUDLY CLOSE TO THE MIC).
Release the button once finished.

Establishing a conversation:
In order to establish a conversation, you need to:
Ensure you are on the correct channel.
Call the call sign of the person that you want to talk to.
Include your call sign to indicate who is making the call.

This is typically what an initial call will sound like when H1 wants to talk to H5:
H1: H5, H5, stand by for H1.
H5: H5 standing by for H1.
The rest of the conversation will then follow.