The Radio Reference.com_Styleguide
- 1. RADIO REFERENCE.COM Styleguide Created by: Ronald W. Wilbanks August 21, 2004
- 2. Forward This is the first Radio Reference.com Style Guide and is designed to promote familiarity throughout the entire Web site, by presenting the written material created in a cohesive and uniform manner. Moreover, to make the material we create and present understandable to anyone around the world. Many of the entries in this guide reflect the contributions from RadioReference.com staff, communications specialists, and subscribers alike. As new technologies emerge in the two-way radio industry that directly impact the information that we present on this Web site, this style guide will never really be finished, and it is anticipated that it will be continuously updated with each passing year. We live in age when communications systems are changing faster than you can blink an eye. The ability of this Web site to contribute accurate and timely information to its subscribers is essential, especially in times of crises that may affect a local community or even several states. In the past, scanner hobbyists relied upon the latest changes in printed format from various annual publications. While these magazines have enjoyed great success with their readers, the information they present is already outdated by the time it hits the shelves. Moreover, hobbyists and professionals alike need information that is current and on the cutting edge, not yesterday’s outdated frequency rehash from the F.C.C. database. This is where our Web site comes through with flying colors, since it is designed to be dynamic, flexible, and up-to-date to everyone involved: the ideal scanning reference. 2
- 3. Abbreviations: Avoid agency abbreviations like PD, FD, CD, on all entry lines. Spellout as: • Police – Dispatch • Police – Car-to-Car • Sheriff – Detectives • State Police – Troop C: Dispatch • Fire – Fireground 1 • Fire – Tac 1 • Civil Defense – EAS Alerting Monitors Do not abbreviate in text: • Names such as Reginald (Reg.) or Charles (Chas.). • Ranks such as Lieutenant (Lt.) or Captain (Capt.). • Names of the days of the week except in tabular form. • Percent as % except in tabular form. • And as “&” unless the “&” is an official part of a name (Norfolk & Western) or (Colorado Search & Rescue). On first reference, please put an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses after an organization's name. On second reference with lesser-known organizations, use methods similar to the following to refer to the organization rather than using an acronym: • First reference – Henderson County 9-1-1 Commission. • Second reference - the committee or 9-1-1 commission. • Abbreviate avenue (Ave.), boulevard (Blvd.) and street (St.) when a complete address is given. Otherwise, spell out. The correct forms are: o 320 N. Maple St., o North Maple Street, o Fourth Street and 32nd Street. 3
- 4. Capitalization: Capitalize proper nouns and common nouns such as agency, community and system when they become an integral part of a full name for person, place or thing. For instance: • Indiana State Police. • Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS). • Mississippi River. • Lieutenant Colonel William L. Anderson. • Lake Ontario. • Canadian County. • Plaquemines Parish. Capitalize specific geographic regions and popularized names for those regions and associated radio systems: • New England. • the South. • the Kanto Region. The same rule applies for some geologic regions (check to be certain) For instance: • the Mississippi Delta. • the Hill Country. • the Straights. • the Marmot Basin. Numbers and Numbering Schemes: Generally, spell out numbers less than 10. The exceptions to this rule are: • Addresses: 6 Main St. • Dimensions: 8 meters tall, 3 centimeters long. • Highways: U.S. Route 6, US-9, I-5, SR-3. • Millions, billions: 7 million people. 4
- 5. • Percentages: 8 percent. • Speed: 5 kilometers per hour (5 km/h). Please adhere to the following when using numerals: • Do not use Roman numerals; Arabic numerals shall be used for numbers with two or more digits. • In figures of more than 999, use commas to set off each group of three numerals (except for years). • Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence. There is one exception - years: 1984 was the year Motorola introduced their new PrivacyPlus system. When dealing with public safety unit numbering schemes, the alphanumeric part should always be capitalized. • 1-Adam-12 • Bravo 53 • Zebra-16 Measurement: Since the Radio Reference.com Web page is a global communications resource, the International System of Measurement (IM) system should be used at all times. Moreover, since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones de Mexico (Federal Telecommunications Commission, or CoFeTe), and Industry Canada use the IM (Metric) System as their official and only measurement standards, we should follow this policy as well. Conversion formulas from the American Customary System of Measurement are as follows: When You Know: Multiply by To find Inches 2.54 Centimeters Yards 0.9 Meters Feet .305 Meters 5
- 6. Miles 1.61 Kilometers Square Miles 2.59 Square Kilometers Square Feet 9.29 Square Meters Time: To avoid any confusion about the time when a reported system changeover is scheduled or other event when time is relevant. Please use 24-hour time rather than the a.m. or p.m. format, except when quoting a source directly. This will avoid any confusion as to what time of the day is in question. 6
- 7. R A D I O R E F E R E N C E . C O M Trunked Radio Systems SECTION 1: Trunked Radio Systems: Section 1 7
- 8. Trunking systems over the past 20 years have exploded onto the communications scene, changing every facet of the two-way radio market, from local SMRs to wide-area Omni-Link behemoths that allow users to communicate across entire states. Likewise, the impact over the past five years has been just as dramatic for scanner owners as highly sophisticated trunk-tracking scanners have emerged and changed the hobby overnight. Years ago the buzzword was channels or frequencies, but today it’s talkgroups. This Web site’s former URL as we all know was trunkedradio.net, which became the premier reference site for the latest in trunked radio system info, deployment and updated talkgroups. Managing this core element, and others of the Radio Reference.com, database is a full-time effort that would not be possible without the great work of the administrators who keep the entire Web site running like a finely tuned Swiss watch. Entering Trunked Radio Systems Into The Database: Before entering any system into the database, please make sure that it doesn’t already exist. If you find out that the system doesn’t exist, examine the information carefully and ask yourself the following questions: • Did the submitter send in a rehash from the FCC database? • Does this information appear to have been lifted from another site? • Is there enough information provided to enter the system completely into the database? • Is there an e-mail address where you can contact the submitter for further information? Please do not post any unknown information from the FCC database that is listed as “Pending.” While this information is valuable, it’s best posted in the forums until some kind of a conformation can be received, unless the following is known: 8
- 9. • The pending license is for a system that is already operational and is part of an expansion program. • You have read or received a press release that confirms the validity of this new site or system being proposed. • You have accurate inside information that a contract with a certain vendor has been signed and the site, or system is currently under construction. When entering this information into the database, please mark the FCC License area as PENDING. This will indicate that this new site or system is in the actual construction phase. Talkgroup Groups: When categorizing talkgroups, it’s important to remember not to be redundant or repetitive when editing them. However, keep in mind the scope of the system and the area(s) that it covers. When doing so with local or county systems, please avoid the following: • Do not clump all of the talkgroups under one heading, such as “All Talkgroups.” Not only does this look bad, but it’s highly confusing to any of the readers. • Avoid redundancies: If the talkgroup group says “Smith County Sheriff’s Office Talkgroups,” edit the them accordingly: o Acceptable: Dispatch / Dispatch F-1. o Unacceptable: SCSO Dispatch / Sheriff’s Office Dispatch. • When dealing with a large Omni-Link system, its best to categorize things by state agencies first, followed by users with a large amount of individual talkgroups, then by the county with its alphabetical number “(23)” in parenthesis. The following would be acceptable examples: o State Highway Patrol – District 1 Talkgroups. o Delaware National Guard Talkgroups. o Chicago Police – Zone 2 Dispatch Talkgroups. o Wayne County (82) Talkgroups. 9
- 10. When ranking the order of the talkgroups, it’s best to place emergency and other priority talkgroups at the top of the page. Such examples would be: • 01-Mutual Aid/Intersystem. • 02-EOC & Disaster. • 03-County Fire. • 04-Countywide Tactical/Special Events. • 05-Sheriff’s Department. • 06-Gainesville Fire. • 07-Gainesville Police. • 08-Gainesville Public Works. Please note, when working with large Omni-Link public safety systems that cover an entire state, it’s best to use three digits rather than two, due to the higher number of agencies utilizing the system. 10
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- 12. R A D I O R E F E R E N C E . C O M Conventional Radio Systems SECTION 2: Conventional Radio Systems: Section 2 12
- 13. With the recent addition of conventional, non-trunked radios systems to the database, the need for accurate information is greater than ever. This section will deal with the best way to arrange and present the information for these listings. Public Safety: Since the information in the conventional section of Radio Reference.com is arranged mostly by county in each state, the majority of the data entered so far has been for fire, police, and EMS agencies, and their associated radio frequencies. Since some of these systems have been in place dating back to the 1940s, it’s very possible many that you will encounter a multitude of frequencies and channel assignments on various radio bands. Many of the listings from the FCC frequency sort, maybe outdated, or even abandoned as the newer trunking systems are implemented. The trend nowadays, is for many smaller cities and counties to join larger statewide networks, for total and complete interoperability among all First Responders. When entering the information into the conventional database, please follow these general guidelines: • Categorize each agency alphabetically if possible, but make the county government listings first in the queue. • Enter agency for the city, county, parish, or township as follows: o Police – Dispatch o Fire – Fireground Ch-2 o Emergency Mgmt. – EAS Alerting o Sheriff – Tac 3 o EMS – H.E.A.R.N. o Dog Catcher Example: Adrian, City of 13
- 14. Frequency Input Callsign Type Tone CH Description Mode 156.10500 KNGA906 BM 85.4 F-1 Fire - Dispatch - Station 71 FM 153.95000 KNGA906 M 85.4 F-2 Fire - Fireground FM 154.29500 KNGA906 M F-3 Fire - Statewide Mutual Aid FM 154.01000 150.80500 KNGA906 RM 118.8 F-4 Fire - Operations FM 154.43000 KNGA906 BM 85.4 F-5 Fire - Tactical FM 153.83000 KNGA906 M 85.4 F-6 Fire - Command FM 154.65750 KQH584 M 118.8 Police - Tactical FM 155.49000 158.73000 KQH584 RM 118.8 F-1 Police - Dispatch FM 155.86500 WPEY238 M M.E.P.S.S. – Statewide Police Emergency FM 156.00000 WPEY238 BM DPW/Fire/Police FM 453.06250 458.06250 WPBC397 M Water Dept. FM • Do not add redundant information to each data entry line. If the agency is specific, like the New York State Police, it is not necessary to repeat all or part of that on each line. However, please use the following as the best suggestion; this may vary from agency-to-agency and state-to-state, as illustrated: Correct: Troop G (Albany) Frequency Input Type Tone CH Description Mode 155.44500 154.68000 BM 110.9 F- 1 Dispatch FM 155.55000 BM 110.9 Information FM Incorrect: Troop G (Albany) Frequency Input Type Tone CH Description Mode 155.44500 154.68000 BM 110.9 F- 1 State Police Dispatch FM 155.55000 BM 110.9 N.Y.S.P. Information FM Aircraft & Airports 14