To sound professional, those who deliver ARES STX DISTRICT 14 Training during weekly NETS should follow the following tips each time they prepare:
- If possible, print out the scheduled training material you are assigned to deliver.
- Read through the entire article once:
- Make sure you can pronounce any unfamiliar words/terms.
- Make minor word variations or notes to help you read the material smoothly.
- Make changes to remove all contractions. For example, change don’t to do not, can’t to can not. Contractions are hard to hear over the radio.
- Read through the entire article again but this time out loud to see how it sounds.
- Annotate where you will pause the training into less than 2-minute segments. A minute or a bit more is even better.
- Plan your pauses at the end of paragraphs or sections.
- Pause for a minimum of four seconds. This will allow any emergency or priority traffic to break in. It also allows you to catch your breath, it permits the repeater to drop prior to timeout and cool a bit and it gives your radio transmitter a chance to cool as well.
- Read the article out loud again so your delivery on-air will be smooth and clear.
- Trace with a finger or pointer as you read. Pause momentarily on commas and periods. This will make your presentation flow more smoothly.
- Strive for a strong, clear, crisp voice and vary your tone to help keep listener interest.
- If you have any issues, corrections, etc. to the material or the presentation, contact Paul Smith @ 832-350-5665 at least a couple hours before the net so he can correct it. Otherwise, send an email to k5prs@aol.com after the net.
Note: Set you transmitter power level so that you reach the repeater with a clear signal.
Use the lowest power level which necessary to achieve this purpose.