Radio Operation

(Int) Trained Only

The character has been trained in the use of Military Morse Code transmitters, telephone switchboards, and Wireless Radio Set Operation.

Establish Voice Contact: To send a voice radio signal the sender must establish contact with the receiver, to do so requires a skill test against DC10, +1 per transmission range increment between the sender and receiver. Transmission range increments work just like shooting range increments with a radio set able to transmit to a maximum 10 range increments (the signal being too weak beyond this range).

Once contact is established communication can be conducted at will as long as contact is maintained. Contact is broken whenever the radio set is moved a significant distance. Contact is automatically maintained as long as the sender and receiver are within one range increment of each other.

Morse Code: Communication carried out with Morse code is conducted differently, the sender simply taps out his signal and anyone listening can tune in to the signal (see monitoring Radio Traffic).

Monitoring Radio Traffic: A radio operator can scan the radio frequencies in order to monitor friendly or enemy radio traffic.

The character performs a DC18 skill test once per hour to pickup any signals. The DC is -4 if the character only scans for friendly signals for the hour. If successful the character will pick up any signals that may have been transmitted during that hour that he could receive (e.g.: what he would be in range to receive). If there are multiple signals at the same time, the character can only listen to one.

If the character is expecting a broadcast (e.g.: a transmission at a set time, or a transmission from members of the same military group), no skill test is required.

Once the signal has been located the character can ether Establish Voice Contact (see above) or listen in on the transmission. To listen in the character performs a DC10 skill test, +1 per transmission range increment between the sender and receiver. If successful the character has also gained the message that was sent, if failed by 4 or less the character only gains half the message. A failure of 5 or more means the character was unable to tune in to hear the message fully or the signal was distorted.

Environment: The environment could effect the radio signal, the following charts applies to all Radio Operation skill test DC’s. These modifiers stack, apply any that are applicable.

Special: All transmission DC totals are based on the sending radio set’s stats, not the receivers.

Contact can not be established between two radio sets if one radio set is out of range of the other - although the out of range set may be able to monitor the communication, it may not be able to return a signal and thus contact is not established (in such case the operator of the radio set with the greater range could still send his message and hope someone is listening.

Time: Morse Code messages take two seconds per letter to send.

Establishing a Voice Contact requires one full round.

Take 10 or 20?: Can take 10, but not 20.

Try Again?: Yes, but may need to move to a better position to get a better signal.