RADIO OPERATOR

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Receive and transmit communications using radiotelegraph or radiotelephone equipment in accordance with government regulations. May repair equipment.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Operate radio equipment in order to communicate with ships, aircraft, mining crews, offshore oil rigs, logging camps and other remote operations.
• 2) Turn controls or throw switches in order to activate power, adjust voice volume and modulation, and set transmitters on specified frequencies.
• 3) Broadcast weather reports and warnings.
• 4) Conduct periodic equipment inspections and routine tests in order to ensure that operations standards are met.
• 5) Coordinate radio-related aspects of locating and contacting airplanes and ships that are missing or in distress.
• 6) Examine and operate new equipment prior to installation in order to ensure that it performs properly.
• 7) Operate sound-recording equipment in order to record signals and preserve broadcasts for purposes such as analysis by intelligence personnel.
• 8) Repair radio equipment as necessary, using electronic testing equipment, hand tools, and power tools
• 9) Review applicable regulations regarding radio communications, and report violations.
• 10) Send, receive, and interpret coded messages.
• 11) Set up antennas and mobile communication units during military field exercises.
• 12) Communicate with receiving operators in order to exchange transmission instructions.
• 13) Determine and obtain bearings of sources from which signals originate, using direction-finding procedures and equipment
• 14) Maintain station logs of messages transmitted and received for activities such as flight testing and fire locations.
• 15) Monitor emergency frequencies in order to detect distress calls and respond by dispatching emergency equipment.

Activities:

• 1) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 2) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 3) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 4) Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment — Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• 5) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 6) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 7) Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• 8) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 9) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 2) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 3) Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• 4) Auditory Attention — The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
• 5) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 6) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 7) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 8) Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• 9) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 10) Time Sharing — The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
• 11) Reaction Time — The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
• 12) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 13) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Knowledge

• Telecommunications — Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.