Tips and Tactics Index

Suit Cont

The Use (and abuse) of Radios on the Scenario Field.

I’ve often been asked about radios in paintball and how important they are. The answer is twofold.  Radios can be a gigantic help to your team and overall battle plan.  They can just as easily be detrimental to the game.  It really all depends on how they are used and by who.

Radios in the game are becoming very very popular.  Most teams use the Motorola  Talkabout  type handheld.  These radios are relatives inexpensive and east to acquire.  Walmart or just about anywhere else will have them.  There are several types  from the cheap bottom end to the high end  GPS  tracking Garmins.  They all do about the same thing, talk to each other.  Most have many channels and sub-channels that can be used and in some cases scanned to hear what is being said by the other side.

So how do you correctly use this tool?  That depends on who you want to talk to.  If you are simply talking to your own team , it is pretty simple.  Pick a channel and talk.  Call signs and all that can get confusing..  Also something that so many users forget to remember is what they say may not make any logical sense to the one listening.  For example,  Player one is in a good hiding place He sees  several of the other team walking down a path.  He tells his team via radio something like this.

Hidden player  “Supersniper to Captain Ding-Dong, there are enemy walking up the road”

Captain Ding-Dong  “ Where?”

Supersniper “ Right in front of me”

Captain Ding-Dong “ Where are you”

Supersniper, “ Im right here”

Captain Ding Dong “ Where is right here, I don’t see them”

Supersniper”  They are on the road”

Captain Ding Dong “ What road?”

You can see how this is going to go.  So many people forget that what they see is different from what others see.  And with the use of radios the location can get real confusing.

So how do we fix this?  Well once again it depends on the situation.  Lest talk about some basic stuff for a single team.  Everyone has radios.  Everyone has a name. Call signs are not important as long as you know who you are talking to.

So for the small team that is working on comms  something like this will help.

The team leader has to have a plan.  In fact  his team should have some standard way they do things..  That’s known as an S.O.P.  Standard Operating Procedure.

So the team is on patrol.  The scout is out front.  He is called Scout1.  The team leader is in the middle of the group  He is Leader1.  The rear security ( yep you need one)  is behind the team.  He is the last one in the group and is back  a ways following the team  He is Trail1.  Why use the number 1 with these?  Say your team is split into two groups  Then you use the same system but the other team uses the number 2.

So the lead guy sees something or gets into something  He calls and everyone knows who and where he is.  Same for the rest of the radios users.  When they call , everyone ( one your team) knows who and where.  The team leader will have set this up before hand.  Info can easily be passed back and forth without too much confusion. 

 Now  here is a tip you need to remember. Most of the radios have VOX  This mean they are voice ( sound ) activated so the user can talk without pressing the button.  Problem is  this has a tendency to stay on and ruin all radio communication on that channel.  One open mike radio will screw up the entire communication plan.

Next, STAY OFF THE FRIGGIN THING!   Constant chatter not only is annoying, childish and useless, but it will make important radio traffic impossible.

How about if the person you are trying to get is out of range?  Say the trail and the scout cant talk to each other and need to.  The answer is  RELAY.  Pass the info on from one to the next.   Its not hard.  It is common sense.

Larger groups

When playing in larger groups,  where several teams work together as in a scenario game, the radio procedures need to be setup before the teams take the field.

If you are in charge, assign call signs to each team.

Don’t go with all the individual call signs that sound cool.  This is a team situation and the cutesy call signs can be left for forums and such.  Make a system that immediately is simple and understood.

Say you have six teams one your side.  People that were not on a team and are loners either will be assigned a team or will be separate units.  This is a game so you will have to cater to the players a bit.

Team one is the Sharpshooters  SO, logically  the Sharpshooter’s captain is Sharpshooter 1.  His XO is Sharpshooter 2.  and it follows down the line.   Next team are called the Zipheads.  So  their captain is Ziphead 1   You should get the idea.  This will make is easy to follow who is who  for all that are listening.   Instructions can be given to the correct person easily this way.

Now this is all fine and good but remember the other side is probably listening.  They are if they are any good, and you should have someone designated to do the same. Listen to their radio channel also.   Most field rules will prohibit you from talking or in anyway trying to jam their radio traffic but there is nothing wrong with listening most of the time.

Why not jam?

 Because once this starts all sides will do it and you might as well just turn the radios off as they will ALL become useless.

So you know the other side is listening.  How do you keep them from knowing what you do?  This is pretty easy but it is something that must be setup in advance.  Give certain objectives numbers or different names than the norm.  If you have a map, rename the points and brief your teams on the new names for the locations.  This way you can say where you are and only your team will know what you are talking about.  Sort of a secret code for your team only..

Main thing is to communicate.  Not just to talk and listen to how cool you sound but to actually pass on important info.