Center Guys: IDing guys on your freq

mugenfan_98

mugenfan_98

Well-Known Member
How do you guys ID people on frequency with you? With the current NORDO stuff going on and the need to have people being on marked in some way, I was really surprised to know that not everyone dwell locks targets on with you like at my facility. How else would you remember?
 
A guy I used to work with used leader length. If you could see a leader line, it meant the a/c was on the freq. When he shipped them on, he'd zero the leader line out. He had no trick for when a handoff had been taken but the a/c hadn't checked on yet.

Another would use the data block offset... cardinal directions meant he wasn't talking to them, in between meant he was. I used to hate to be his d-side because it was hard to fight the urge to move data blocks when they were going to overlap, and he'd go nuts if you moved one.

I hated to hear that strips aren't being used anymore... that was the best way to keep up with it.
 
I have also seen some people use the check mark method in URET but this becomes very cumbersome for a d-side when you are covered up.
 
That all seems kinda cumbersome. So does not everyone have the (pick) dwell lock feature? And if they do, what do they use it for that would not allow them to use it for IDing?
 
seems like most guys use cardinal directions when they check on, like 2 4 8 6 for the datablock and they /0 the leader when they ship them.
 
I'm not in a center, TRACON. But I use the same stuff. 6 for talking, 4 for not talking, 9 for need more info or waiting on them to get the atis. then I use the others for no overlap. Don't ever really have a handoff, so I don't have to worry about someone messing with them.
 
so i guess the real question is now that the agency is demanding visual reminders, is the 2 4 6 8 acceptable for them? I did see a handoff from zkc come over with a "c" in the 4th line.
 
heres one , how about throwing out that piece of crap URET and go back to using strips. you old timers remember strips? those pieces of paper that had the flight info that both the R and D side could use to help keep track of the aircraft and not require a 20 line data block or using a dwell function to remind you about an aircrafts status.

URET was designed as a conflict probe NOT a strip replacement tool.and all those controllers that opened there armes to this are now reaping what they sowed.URET is airtraffic control for the criminally stupid and any one who needs that system to seperate traffic shouldnt have never been check out in the first place.

OG
 
I pick the call sign(to dwell), track ball enter to get the flight plan. When they check on I undwell. When I switch them, /0.

Others in my area:
1. dwell when they are on, undwell off
2. default /2, when they check on /1, /0 when off
3. others position the datablock accordingly(i.e 1,3,7,9 for off; 8,4,2,6 for on; /0 off)
4. other methods I don't care to list because too few use them(including check mark uret)

I think the use depends on how much you use the trackball or keyboard. Those that use the dwell method usually are trackball users, keyboardists usually use the / or position methods. I don't type as fast as I use the trackball.
 
queeno said:
heres one , how about throwing out that piece of crap URET and go back to using strips. you old timers remember strips? those pieces of paper that had the flight info that both the R and D side could use to help keep track of the aircraft and not require a 20 line data block or using a dwell function to remind you about an aircrafts status.

URET was designed as a conflict probe NOT a strip replacement tool.and all those controllers that opened there armes to this are now reaping what they sowed.URET is airtraffic control for the criminally stupid and any one who needs that system to seperate traffic shouldnt have never been check out in the first place.

OG
Click to expand...

While I agree that URET has a tendency to make a good controller better and a bad controller worse, some center controllers don't have the option of using strips. I work in ZJX, and we don't use strips at all, with the exception of weather or airspace related data. So dwell lock, position, check marks, or leader lines become the only way to note whether they're on frequency or not. That being said, most use dwell lock, at least, from what I've seen.
 
I think that dwell lock or the /1-/0 method are the best and most effective, i don't see how anyone uses the position method, b/c there are many times that i can't keep the daa blocks seperated with all eight positions, much less half that.
 
ATC Hopeful said:
I think that dwell lock or the /1-/0 method are the best and most effective, i don't see how anyone uses the position method, b/c there are many times that i can't keep the daa blocks seperated with all eight positions, much less half that.
Click to expand...

I agree, but there has been a faction in my area that has always used the position thing and it works for them. I'm not that good to use the position theory. I have a hard enough time keeping my datablocks separated with them going anywhere let alone being stuck to only 4 positions, lol.:banghead:
 
queeno said:
heres one , how about throwing out that piece of crap URET and go back to using strips. you old timers remember strips? those pieces of paper that had the flight info that both the R and D side could use to help keep track of the aircraft and not require a 20 line data block or using a dwell function to remind you about an aircrafts status.

URET was designed as a conflict probe NOT a strip replacement tool.and all those controllers that opened there armes to this are now reaping what they sowed.URET is airtraffic control for the criminally stupid and any one who needs that system to seperate traffic shouldnt have never been check out in the first place.

OG
Click to expand...

URET was going to be a mess either way. Sad it's being used no for something it was never designed to do in the first place.
 
mugenfan_98 said:
so i guess the real question is now that the agency is demanding visual reminders, is the 2 4 6 8 acceptable for them? I did see a handoff from zkc come over with a "c" in the 4th line.
Click to expand...

They way they told us, there were eight or so "acceptable" methods, I'm almost certain that leader length was one of them. I know that most controllers use dwell lock and /0 for shipped aircraft, and the rest of the guys in my developmental stage are using the SPA in URET. Pretty much what everyone else here has said :)

I heard something about a change coming to DSR to allow for different color data blocks, but, again, I just heard it.
 
you mean the same color changes that controllers requested 8 years ago when they were taking strips away ,and we were told those colors were saved for future upgrades that havent appeared in over 8 years.yea id play the loto you got a better chance of winning the power ball than the FFA getting off its dead arse and fixing problems it caused in the first place.


OH when i complained about where we were suppose to log flight data info ,one of the higher skilled set told me we will just have to remember it .thats the dumb arses your working for.
 
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