Booking is a procedure used to more efficiently transmit groups of messages where one or more message parts (by parts we mean the PREAMBLE, ADDRESSEE, TEXT and SIGNATURE) are identical or very similar. When sending messages with identical or similar parts, use the formal booking procedures described here rather than informal methods (e.g. don't say "number X is the same as number Y but change A in the preamble to B and in the text change this to that … ").
The use of booking procedure is completely optional. If you are not comfortable using the formal booking procedure, send each message individually in full.
Because the goal is efficiency, it is not always appropriate to use booking procedures in every instance where it could be utilized. See the section on Making the Decision to Book for guidance.
Basic Booking
The booking procedure involves transmission of the identical parts of the messages (referred to as the common parts) once at the beginning followed by the unique parts of each message (uncommon parts) for each message in the group. Lets say you've been in an earthquake. The phone system is useless and you want to notify family elsewhere in the country that you're ok. You might write three or four mostly identical radiograms like this one.
123 R W6XXX ARL 6 LANDERS CA JUN 28
JOHN AND JANE DOE
4321 MAIN ST
ANYTOWN NE 60000
402 555 1212ARL ONE ARL FOUR ARL
SIXJIMMY
All the messages have the same PREAMBLE, TEXT and SIGNATURE as common parts. The uncommon part of each message is the ADDRESSEE. The common parts will be sent first, followed by the uncommon ADDRESSEEs. Lets say there were three messages to send. Transmit them using booking procedure and standard voicing procedures.
BOOK OF THREE
R W6XXX ARL 6 LANDERS CA JUN 28
BREAK
ARL ONE ARL FOUR ARL
SIXBREAK
JIMMY
BREAK (listen for fill requests)
NUMBER 123
JOHN AND JANE DOE
4321 MAIN ST
ANYTOWN NE 60000
402 555 1212BREAK (listen for fill requests)
(send the message number and ADDRESSEE for the other two messages in the group)
BREAK
END BOOK
NO MORE
The proword BREAK separates the parts of the message as it would in a regular message transmission and also separates each message. The uncommon parts of each message begin with the proword NUMBER followed by the message number. Note that BREAK is not used between the message number and the ADDRESSEE. The transmitting station should unkey and listen for fill requests following the BREAK after sending the common parts and the BREAK after the uncommon parts of each message. If no fills are requested the sending station continues. If the receiving station requires no fills the sender may send the entire book of messages uninterrupted.
You might hear some variations on the recommended procedure in use. Some may say END COMMON PARTS at the end of the common parts and END at the end of each message's uncommon parts, and may wait for acknowledgement from the receiver. A ROGER or GO will push things along.
This example represents the most typical kind of booking where the TEXT and SIGNATURE are identical and the only difference in the PREAMBLE is the message number. Booking procedures may also be used when slight variations are present within the message parts. The process can start to get somewhat confusing, but the principle is the same: transmit the identical parts first, and then fill in the unique parts of each message.
Getting Fills
The receiving station may make fill requests if needed after the common parts or after each message's uncommon parts are sent. Unless otherwise indicated, the sender will assume the request refers to the most recent set of message parts sent. The receiver may also wait until the end of the book and request fills by saying IN NUMBER and the message number or IN COMMON PART and then the usual fill requests. If no fills are required, the receiving station may remain silent and let the sending station continue with the book.
Advanced Booking
In basic booking, parts of the message were either completely identical or completely unique so the entire part could be sent either with the common parts or with the uncommon parts. Advanced booking separates identical and unique elements within a message part, sending the identical elements of the part as a common part and the unique elements of the part as an uncommon part. Actually, we have already seen this in basic booking where the PREAMBLE of each message is split, sending the identical elements (all but the message number) with the common parts and the unique element (message number) with the uncommon parts.
Splitting the PREAMBLE
Lets say you're working at a shelter after the earthquake. The shelter director wants to send two messages to the EOC.
101 P W6XXX 6 LANDERS CA JUN 29
COUNTY EOC
SEND TEN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT KITS
ASAPJEAN
SHELTER DIRECTOR
102 P W6XXX ARL 3 LANDERS CA JUN 29
COUNTY EOC
ARL TWENTY SIX
JEAN
SHELTER DIRECTOR
Here we still have two identical parts (ADDRESSEE and SIGNATURE), but the check in the PREAMBLE is no longer the same. We separate out the message number and check to be sent with the uncommon parts like this.
BOOK OF TWO
P W6XXX LANDERS CA JUN 29
COUNTY EOC
BREAK
JEAN
SHELTER DIRECTORBREAK (listen for fill requests)
NUMBER 101 CHECK 6
BREAK
SEND TEN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT KITS
ASAPBREAK (listen for fill requests)
NUMBER 102 CHECK ARL 3
BREAK
ARL TWENTY SIX
BREAK
END BOOK
NO MORE
The check is simply omitted from the PREAMBLE in the common parts. Then, when transmitting the PREAMBLE in the uncommon parts, the check is sent after the message number introduced with the word CHECK. The other elements of the PREAMBLE which are sometimes split are the filing date and time.
Splitting the TEXT
The TEXT part of the message may also be split when there are small differences. Sending the identical TEXT groups with the common parts replacing the unique groups in the TEXT with BLANK. Then send the unique TEXT groups with the uncommon parts matching the BLANKs in order. Here is an example using a well known TEXT.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER YOUR AMATEUR
RADIO LICENSE EXPIRES MAY BLANK
2013 HOPE YOU WILL RENEW
IF NOT DONE SO ALREADY
WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION 73
Notice the BLANK in the common TEXT as a stand in for the day of the month. Then only the day of month group is sent in the uncommon TEXT part for each message.
NUMBER 1223
JOE HAM N6XXX
1212 BROADWAY
BAYTOWN CA 94000
408 555 1213BREAK
7
BREAK (listen for fill requests)
You may have multiple BLANKs representing single groups in the text, or you may have a single BLANK that can represent more than one group in the TEXT. For instance, if the previous common text included April and May expiration dates you might send
A FRIENDLY REMINDER YOUR AMATEUR
RADIO LICENSE EXPIRES BLANK
2013 HOPE YOU WILL RENEW
IF NOT DONE SO ALREADY
WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION 73
as the common TEXT and the TEXT in the uncommon part as
APR 30
and
MAY 1
Note: If you need more than one BLANK in the common TEXT have each BLANK represent a single group.
Splitting ADDRESSEE and SIGNATURE
While the use of BLANKs to split the TEXT suggests the same for ADDRESSEE and SIGNATURE, the recommendation is not to split these message parts. If there are any unique elements to the ADDRESSEE or SIGNATURE, keep the entire part together and send with the uncommon parts.
It is not unusual to receive identical messages to two different addressees at the same address and telephone number. Certain message sending shortcuts are in widespread use in these circumstances.
Making the Decision to Book
The main reason for booking is to save time. If booking two or more messages results in taking more time to move the traffic then booking should not be done. Also consider carefully a decision to book when advanced booking would be necessary, especially when working with an inexperienced operator. Time is lost when many fills or clarifications are required.
Consider not booking when:
- there are few common parts and/or the common parts are short
- there are only two messages and the common parts are short
- the receiving operator is inexperienced
- complicated advanced booking is necessary
It is often possible to avoid advanced booking by grouping similar messages into multiple books. For example, a group of license renewal messages might come in bearing a couple of different expiration and/or filing dates. Rather than send them all in one book using advanced booking, consider dividing them up into two or more books where the expiration and filing dates are the same. Each of these books can be sent using basic booking.