Posted: 1/4/2012 4:06:09 AM EDT
Is anyone on the forum a MARS operator? I submitted my application for participation in USAF MARS and just received notification that I will be receiving my call sign soon.
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| I used to do it, the time commitment they required was ridiculous. They also had some "local" personalities that were so god damned annoying. I have a lot of irons in the fire and I couldn't balance the commitment they wanted. When I dropped out a few months later I mentioned the two reasons above mentioned. They completely understood the "local" personalities comment. I think its a great organization, I just have other things that I do that I'd rather spend my time on. |
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Quoted: PCSutton is a MARtian, I believe.  He is.  I'm Army MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System). If you have a General or Extra ticket, can participate 16 hours per quarter, and have HF capabilities...you too can become a MARS station. We have training documents and you are assigned a mentor until you complete the basic training course. It's not hard...hell, I passed it. Army MARS supports the mission of the Department of the Army, Ninth Signal Corps. The Air Force and the Navy/Marine Corps have their own MARS organizations. The mission of Army MARS is to:
If you want to learn about military communications net protocol and procedure, while providing a service to your country, you might be interested in becomming a MARS member/station. Texas Army MARS has a lot of great information on our website, and it will answer a bunch of your questions. https://www.txarmymars.org/index.php     "Proud, Professional, Ready" |
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Quoted: Quoted: I reckon I answered everybody's questions?? Based on the recent information, they were saying that having a Pactor 3 equipment would be a requirement for membership, are you aware if that is going through or not? Pactor 3 isn't a membership requirement. In fact MARS is currently moving towards using MIL STD 188-110A mode, which is RTTY, and efforts are currently underway to develop a software modem for this mode. The use of Pactor 3 in conjunction with Winlink 2000, and the ability to send images of signed ICS forms over HF makes it an attractive and viable emergency communications asset....but I'm unaware of any current or future requirement for individual MARS members to own a Pactor 3 modem. SCS has recently released Pactor 4. With the release of 4, it would appear that the proprietary license for 3 may go the way of 1&2....not required. There has been the ability of using Pactor 2 on non proprietary equipment for several years. As Texas Army MARS works so closely with the Texas Military Forces and the DPS, somebody found us enough grant money to purchase a number of Pactor 3 modems....and IC-2000's to go with them. We even have access to a bunch of JIST communications trailers with 40' pneumatic masts for disaster deployments.  |
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Based on the info I put in an application for the Navy/Marine MARS. We will see how it goes. when you get in let me know what you think..... Being Marine Corps now, that's the way I'd naturally like to lean.. With the amount of fleet here, and the marine bases here it makes sense, although I can throw a rock and hit Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, or Langley AFB. Plus my dad is a retired Jar Head
So it makes sense. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I reckon I answered everybody's questions?? So it's a state-by-state thing? Any idea where to find Indiana's org? either my google-fu is really weak, or they don't have a page... Which branch are you interested in? Whichever is active here. Other than Crane (Navy), not many .mil bases left. Not sure if that matters... |
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Ok, well I am impressed, the navy wasted no time sending me a letter. I have have been issued a call sign with a "Tango" suffix for temporary membership. Upon completion of the required training and requirement fulfilment I will be accepted as a regular member.
Not quite sure what training I will have to do, the originating letter was like a basic welcome letter from the Chief of Navy/Marine Corps MARS. They did outline a couple of documents, that I have already begun to read, I am assuming the state director will give the training directives since the letter indicates a copy was sent to the state director. So far the documents are not bad, I am about 1/3 way through the main 300 page document. I will let others know how I like it as my training progresses. I like free training! 
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Do you have to be active/former military to be in MARS? No, it is open to all US radio amateurs with some other minor stipulations. I like the fact that it is structured, and ran by the DOD, unlike ARES and RACES. I put in an application for ARES about 6 months ago and have not heard a thing, put the application in on last tues for MARS and had the letter yesterday. Not to take away from anything the other organisation do, but they obviously do not need more people in my area. So I will help out where I can! |
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Quoted: Ok, well I am impressed, the navy wasted no time sending me a letter. I have have been issued a call sign with a "Tango" suffix for temporary membership. Upon completion of the required training and requirement fulfilment I will be accepted as a regular member. Not quite sure what training I will have to do, the originating letter was like a basic welcome letter from the Chief of Navy/Marine Corps MARS. They did outline a couple of documents, that I have already begun to read, I am assuming the state director will give the training directives since the letter indicates a copy was sent to the state director. So far the documents are not bad, I am about 1/3 way through the main 300 page document. I will let others know how I like it as my training progresses. I like free training! Welcome aboard!! Be sure to give your callsign as "NNN??? slant Tango". The 'slant Tango' designator is for trainees. Your State Director will send you anything you need in the way of training materials and should appoint you a 'mentor' to help you through your training. MARS operations take a bit of getting used to...as their nets are very structured...but you'll get the hang of it in short order. Once you finish your 'basic training' you will lose your 'slant Tango' designator and will be good to go. One downside....you will find yourself having network procedural skills that 99% of hams don't have....and you'll see why MARS operators have the level of pride in their operational capabilities which ARES and RACES operators can't claim. I know squat about Navy/Marine Corps MARS - as they do stuff quite a bit differently than Army MARS, but if I can be of any help please feel free to ask! |
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I have been checking in my regional USAF Mars net for the past week, but propagation has been poor most evenings. I'm not getting much done in the way of on the air training or experience, but I am putting in the time and trying hard.
For example the band dropped out last night right in the middle of a station passing a message.....however a later net used the Olivia digital mode and I was able to get 100% of that same message even with the dismal band conditions.
It seems to me that most of the stations on the net were hard to hear on SSB, but when they switched to Oliva they punched right on through. One frequency in particular has hammered with heavy QRM with something called CODAR. What a mess that was....I couldn't much of anything on that net. I don't think it will take long for me to complete the required training, but it would go a bit faster if band conditions were better. FYI most of the evening nets are between 3 and 5 Mhz , but the propagation goes long after 8pm CST. Usually the close in stations are impossible to hear. Kind of reminds me of just how crappy the ARFCOM net has been this winter. 
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I have been checking in my regional USAF Mars net for the past week, but propagation has been poor most evenings. I'm not getting much done in the way of on the air training or experience, but I am putting in the time and trying hard. For example the band dropped out last night right in the middle of a station passing a message.....however a later net used the Olivia digital mode and I was able to get 100% of that same message even with the dismal band conditions.
It seems to me that most of the stations on the net were hard to hear on SSB, but when they switched to Oliva they punched right on through. One frequency in particular has hammered with heavy QRM with something called CODAR. What a mess that was....I couldn't much of anything on that net. I don't think it will take long for me to complete the required training, but it would go a bit faster if band conditions were better. FYI most of the evening nets are between 3 and 5 Mhz , but the propagation goes long after 8pm CST. Usually the close in stations are impossible to hear. Kind of reminds me of just how crappy the ARFCOM net has been this winter.
I am going to listen in on the net tonight for the first time, frequency is in the 60m band so it should be a good NVIS frequency. They run an MT-63 net before a voice net so I am going to try to listen in on both of them. I will let you know how it goes here. The net seems to meet early so it will be interesting. The State Director is about 7 miles from me, so I should be able to hear him by ground wave, but I do not know. I will post an AAR when I am of the net. |
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Quoted: Conditions are better tonight but not Great, I have about an 80% copy. Man the nets are like clockwork, amazingly structured, much different then I am use to. I am going to checking to the next net since I know the structure a little better now. The great thing about nets being as structured as MARS nets are is the fact that everybody is on the same page, nobody goes rogue, and things get done in an orderly & methodical manner. You wont find that level of professionalism on any ARES net. ARES people, generally, believe they know how it's done....that's why they have all the doubles, chaos, and trouble completing the 'mission'. You are soon to be 'military-trained communications proficient'...and will have the skills to actually matter in a SHTF situation. You'll then understand the MARS motto: Proud, Professional, Ready |
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Hmmm, i suppose you could but you would be hard pressed to find anyone else to play along.
I am a total noob to MARS, but the process of the net is like freaking robots, it is similar to listening to the USCG doing PAN PAN and Securite broadcasts on marine 16 and 22a. Of course this is the directed nets, the free nets are not as structured but the professionalism is something to be proud of. |
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Net times are posted on the various MARS websites, but members are not allowed to reveal the frequency to the general public.
Morning nets are easier to hear for me, but evening nets are hammered from CODAR interference. North Central Division Air Force Mars |
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Quoted: Hey Stan, is it against the rules to let someone know the time/freq of one of those nets? I'd like to listen in to one to better understand the structure you're talking about... If you scanned around at about 7 or 8 PM just above the 75 meter band....you might hear something. Just above 3999.99. MARS frequencies aren't public info. |
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Quoted: Well I completed my AF MARS training yesterday by sending my voice drill message and my digital EEI message. I took a 50 question test and was given the nod that I passed. That's great! Congrats!! I'm curious.....do you have to do a 'net control duty' to qualify? I know nothing about AF MARS. To 'graduate' basic training in Army MARS you have to pull one net as Net Control. |
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Well I completed my AF MARS training yesterday by sending my voice drill message and my digital EEI message. I took a 50 question test and was given the nod that I passed. That's great! Congrats!! I'm curious.....do you have to do a 'net control duty' to qualify? I know nothing about AF MARS. To 'graduate' basic training in Army MARS you have to pull one net as Net Control. No AF Mars only required me to turn is a voice drill message and an EEI digital Exercise Message. I ran a net and took check ins while the NCS was busy one evening....so no problem for me doing that. The nets are very structured...most of the heavy lifting is done via the digital nets. Voices Region nets are slow paced. It took me about 30 days and about 15 hours of time on the air to get proficient. There was a 50 question test that I had to take. 84% and below was failing...but again it wasn't hard. |