A standalone ALE radio combines an HF SSB radio transceiver with an

internal microprocessor and MFSK modem. It is programmed with a unique ALE address, similar to
a phone number (or on newer generations, a username). When not actively in contact with another
station, the HF SSB transceiver constantly scans through a list of HF frequencies called channels,
listening for any ALE signals transmitted by other radio stations. It decodes calls and soundings sent
by other stations and uses the bit error rate to store a quality score for that frequency and sender-
address.
To reach a specific station, the caller enters the ALE Address. On many ALE radios this is similar to
dialing a phone number. The ALE controller selects the best available idle channel for that
destination address. After confirming the channel is indeed idle, it then sends a brief selective
calling signal identifying the intended recipient. When the distant scanning station detects ALE
activity, it stops scanning and stays on that channel until it can confirm whether or not the call is for
it. The two stations' ALE controllers automatically handshake to confirm that a link of sufficient
quality has been established, then notify the operators that the link is up. If the callee fails to respond
or the handshaking fails, the originating ALE node usually selects another frequency either at
random or by making a guess of varying sophistication.
Upon successful linking, the receiving station generally emits an audible alarm and shows a visual
alert to the operator, thus indicating the incoming call. It also indicates the callsign or other
identifying information of the linked station, similar to Caller ID. The operator then un-mutes the radio
and answers the call then can talk in a regular conversation or negotiates a data link using voice or
the ALE built-in short text message format. Alternatively, digital data can be exchanged via a built-in
or external modem (such as a STANAG 5066 or MIL-STD-188-110B serial tone modem) depending
on needs and availability. The ALE built-in text messaging facility can be used to transfer short text
messages as an "orderwire" to allow operators to coordinate external equipment such as phone
patches or non-embedded digital links, or for short tactical messages.[2][3]

Operator skill[edit]
Due to the vagaries of ionospheric communications, HF radio as used by large governmental
organizations in the mid-20th century was traditionally the domain of highly skilled and trained radio
operators. One of the new characteristics that embedded microprocessors and computers brought to
HF radio via ALE, was alleviation of the need for the radio operator to constantly monitor and change
the radio frequency manually to compensate for ionospheric conditions or interference. For the
average user of ALE, after learning how to work the basic functions of the HF transceiver, it became
similar to operating a cellular mobile phone. For more advanced functions and programming of ALE
controllers and networks, it became similar to the use of menu-enabled consumer equipment or the
optional features typically encountered in software. In a professional or military organization, this
does not eliminate the need for skilled and trained communicators to coordinate the per-unit
authorized frequency lists and node addresses – it merely allows the deployment of relatively
unskilled technicians as "field communicators" and end-users of the existing coordinated
architecture.

Common applications[edit]
An ALE radio system enables connection for voice conversation, alerting, data exchange, texting,
instant messaging, email, file transfer, image, geo-position tracking, or telemetry. With a radio
operator initiating a call, the process normally takes a few minutes for the ALE to pick an HF
frequency that is optimum for both sides of the communication link. It signals the operators audibly
and visually on both ends, so they can begin communicating with each other immediately. In this
respect, the longstanding need in HF radio for repetitive calling on pre-determined time schedules or
tedious monitoring static is eliminated. It is useful as a tool for finding optimum channels to
communicate between stations in real-time. In modern HF communications, ALE has largely
replaced HF prediction charts, propagation beacons, chirp sounders, propagation prediction
software, and traditional radio operator educated guesswork. ALE is most commonly used for
hooking up operators for voice contacts on SSB (single-sideband modulation), HF internet
connectivity for email, SMSphone texting or text messaging, real-time chat via HF text, Geo Position
Reporting, and file transfer. High Frequency Internet Protocol or HFIP may be used with ALE for
internet access via HF.

Techniques[edit]
The essence of ALE techniques is the use of automatic channel selection, scanning
receivers, selective calling, handshaking, and robust burst modems.[4] An ALE node decodes all
received ALE signals heard on the channel(s) it monitors. It uses the fact that all ALE messages
use forward error correction (FEC) redundancy. By noting how much error-correction occurred in
each received and decoded message, an ALE node can detect the "quality" of the path between the
sending station and itself. This information is coupled with the ALE address of the sending node and
the channel the message was received on, and stored in the node's Link Quality Analysis (LQA)
memory.[3] When a call is initiated, the LQA lookup table is searched for matches involving the target
ALE address and the best historic channel is used to call the target station. This reduces the
likelihood that the call has to be repeated on alternate frequencies. Once the target station has
heard the call and responded, a bell or other signalling device will notify both operators that a link
has been established. At this point, the operators may coordinate further communication via
orderwire text messages, voice, or other means. If further digital communication is desired, it may
take place via external data modems or via optional modems built into the ALE terminal.
This unusual usage of FEC redundancy is the primary innovation that differentiates ALE from
previous selective calling systems which either decoded a call or failed to decode due to noise or
interference. A binary outcome of "Good enough" or not gave no way of automatically choosing
between two channels, both of which are currently good enough for minimum communications. The
redundancy-based scoring inherent in ALE thus allows for selecting the "best" available channel and
(in more advanced ALE nodes) using all decoded traffic over some time window to sort channels into
a list of decreasing probability-to-contact, significantly reducing co-channel interference to other
users as well as dramatically decreasing the time needed to successfully link with the target node.
Techniques used in the ALE standard include automatic signaling, automatic station identification
(sounding), polling, message store-and-forward, linking protection and anti-spoofingto prevent
hostile denial of service by ending the channel scanning process. Optional ALE functions include
polling and the exchange of orderwire commands and messages. The orderwire message, known as
AMD (Automatic Message Display), is the most commonly used text transfer method of ALE, and the
only universal method that all ALE controllers have in common for displaying text.[5] It is common for
vendors to offer extensions to AMD for various non-standard features, although dependency on
these extensions undermines interoperability. As in all interoperability scenarios, care should be
taken to determine if this is acceptable before using such extensions.

History and precedents[edit]

ALE evolved from older HF radio selective calling technology. It combined existing channel-scanning
selective calling concepts with microprocessors (enabling FEC decoding and quality scoring
decisions), burst transmissions (minimizing co-channel interference), and transponding (allowing
unattended operation and incoming-call signalling). Early ALE systems were developed in the late
1970s and early 1980s by several radio manufacturers.[6] The first ALE-family controller units were
external rack mounted controllers connected to control military radios, and were rarely interoperable
across vendors.
Various methods and proprietary digital signaling protocols were used by different manufacturers in
first generation ALE, leading to incompatibility.[3] Later, a cooperative effort among manufacturers
and the US government resulted in a second generation of ALE that included the features of first
generation systems, while improving performance. The second generation 2G ALE system standard
in 1986, MIL-STD-188-141A,[5] was adopted in FED-STD-1045[7] for US federal entities. In the 1980s,
military and other entities of the US government began installing early ALE units, using ALE
controller products built primarily by US companies. The primary application during the first 10 years
of ALE use was government and military radio systems, and the limited customer base combined
with the necessity to adhere to MILSPEC standards kept prices extremely high. Over time, demand
for ALE capabilities spread and by the late 1990s, most new government HF radios purchased were
designed to meet at least the minimum ALE interoperability standard, making them eligible for use
with standard ALE node gear. Radios implementing at least minimum ALE node functionality as an
option internal to the radio became more common and significantly more affordable. As the
standards were adopted by other governments worldwide, more manufacturers produced
competitively priced HF radios to meet this demand. The need to interoperate with government
organizations prompted many non-government organizations (NGOs) to at least partially adopt ALE
standards for communication. As non-military experience spread and prices came down, other
civilian entities started using 2G ALE. By the year 2000, there were enough civilian and government
organizations worldwide using ALE that it became a de facto HF interoperability standard for
situations where a priori channel and address coordination is possible.
In the late 1990s, a third generation 3G ALE with significantly improved capability and performance
was included in MIL-STD-188-141B,[5] retaining backward compatibility with 2G ALE, and was
adopted in NATO STANAG 4538. Civilian and non-government adoption rates are much lower than
2G ALE due to the extreme cost as compared to surplus or entry-level 2G gear as well as the
significantly increased system and planning complexity necessary to realize the benefits inherent in
the 3G specification. For many militaries, whose needs for maximized intra-organizational capability
and capacity always strain existing systems, the additional cost and complexity of 3G is far more
compelling.

Reliability[edit]
ALE enables rapid unscheduled communication and message passing without requiring complex
message centers, multiple radios and antennas, or highly trained operators. With the removal of
these potential sources of failure, the tactical communication process becomes much more robust
and reliable. The effects extend beyond mere Force multiplication of existing communications
methods; units such as helicopters, when outfitted with ALE radios, can now reliably communicate in
situations where the crew are too busy to operate a traditional non-line of sight radio.[8] This ability to
enable tactical communication in conditions where dedicated trained operators and hardware are
inappropriate is often considered to be the true improvement offered by ALE.
ALE is a critical path toward increased interoperability between organizations. By enabling a station
to participate nearly simultaneously in many different HF networks, ALE allows for convenient cross-
organization message passing and monitoring without requiring dedicated separate equipment and
operators for each partner organization. This dramatically reduces staffing and equipment
considerations, while enabling small mobile or portable stations to participate in multiple networks
and subnetworks. The result is increased resilience, decreased fragility, increased ability to
communicate information effectively, and the ability to rapidly add to or replace communication
points as the situation demands.
When combined with Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) techniques and sufficient channels
spread across the spectrum, an ALE node can provide greater than 95% success linking on the first
call, nearly on par with SATCOM systems. This is significantly more reliable than cellphone
infrastructure during disasters or wars yet is mostly immune to such considerations itself.
Standards and protocols[edit]
Global standards for ALE are based on the original US MIL-STD 188-141A[5] and FED-1045,[7] known
as 2nd Generation (2G) ALE. 2G ALE uses non-synchronised scanning of channels, and it takes
several seconds to half a minute to repeatedly scan through an entire list of channels looking for
calls. Thus it requires sufficient duration of transmission time for calls to connect or link with another
station that is unsynchronised with its calling signal. The vast majority of ALE systems in use in the
world at the present time are 2G ALE.

2G technical characteristics[edit]

2G ALE Signal

The more common 2G ALE signal waveform is designed to be compatible with standard 3 kHz SSB
narrowband voice channel transceivers. The modulation method is 8ary Frequency Shift Keying or
8FSK, also sometimes called Multi Frequency Shift Keying MFSK, with eight orthogonal tones
between 750 and 2500 Hz.[5] Each tone is 8 ms long, resulting in a transmitted over-the-air symbol
rate of 125 baud or 125 symbols per second, with a raw data rate of 375 bits per second. The ALE
data is formatted in 24-bit frames, which consist of a 3 bit preamble followed by three ASCII
characters, each seven bits long. The received signal is usually decoded using digital signal
processing techniques that are capable of recovering the 8FSK signal at a negative decibel signal to
noise ratio (i.e., the signal may be recovered even when it is below the noise level). The over-the-air
layers of the protocol involve the use of forward error correction, redundancy,
and handshaking transponding similar to those used in ARQ techniques.[9]

3G technical characteristics[edit]
Newer standards of ALE called 3rd Generation or 3G ALE, use accurate time synchronization (via a
defined time-synch protocol as well as the option of GPS-locked clocks) to achieve faster and more
dependable linking. Through synchronization, the calling time to achieve a link may be reduced to
less than 10 seconds. The 3G ALE modem signal also provides better robustness and can work in
channel conditions that are less favorable than 2G ALE.[10] Dwell groups, limited callsigns, and
shorter burst transmissions enable more rapid intervals of scanning. All stations in the same group
scan and receive each channel at precisely the same time window. Although 3G ALE is more
reliable and has significantly enhanced channel-time efficiency, the existence of a large installed
base of 2G ALE radio systems and the wide availability of moderately priced (often military surplus)
equipment, has made 2G the baseline standard for global interoperability.

Basis for HF interoperability communications[edit]

Interoperability is a critical issue for the disparate entities which use radiocommunications to fulfill
the needs of organizations. Largely due to the ubiquity of 2G ALE, it became the primary method for
providing interoperability on HF between governmental and non-governmental disaster relief and
emergency communications entities, and amateur radio volunteers. With digital techniques
increasingly employed in communications equipment, a universal digital calling standard was
needed, and ALE filled the gap. Nearly every major HF radio manufacturer in the world builds ALE
radios to the 2G standard to meet the high demand that new installations of HF radio systems
conform to this standard protocol. Disparate entities that historically used incompatible radio
methods were then able to call and converse with each other using the common 2G ALE platform.
Some manufacturers and organizations[11] have used the AMD feature of ALE to expand the
performance and connectivity.[12] In some cases, this has been successful, and in other cases, the
use of proprietary preamble or embedded commands has led to interoperability problems.

Tactical communication and resource management[edit]

ALE serves as a convenient method of beyond line of sight communication. Originally developed to
support military requirements, ALE is useful to many organizations who find themselves managing
widely located units. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and United States Coast
Guard are two members of the Customs Over the Horizon Enforcement Network (COTHEN), a MIL-
STD 188-141A ALE network.[13] All U.S. armed forces operate multiple similar networks. Similarly,
shortwave utility listeners have documented frequency and callsign lists for many nations' military
and guard units, as well as networks operated by oil exploration and production companies and
public utilities in many countries.

Emergency / disaster relief or extraordinary situation response

communications[edit]
ALE radio communication systems for both HF regional area networks and HF interoperability
communications are in service among emergency and disaster relief agencies as well as military and
guard forces. Extraordinary response agencies and organizations use ALE to respond to situations
in the world where conventional communications may have been temporarily overloaded or
damaged. In many cases, it is in place as alternative back-channel for organizations that may have
to respond to situations or scenarios involving the loss of conventional communications.
Earthquakes, storms, volcanic eruptions, and power or communication infrastructure failures are
typical situations in which organizations may deem ALE necessary to operations. ALE networks are
common among organizations engaged in extraordinary situation response such as: natural and
man-made disasters, transportation, power, or telecommunication network failures, war,
peacekeeping, or stability operations. Organizations known to use ALE for Emergency management,
disaster relief, ordinary communication or extraordinary situation response include: Red
Cross, FEMA, Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, NATO, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United
Nations, AT&T, Civil Air Patrol, SHARES, State of California Emergency Management Agency
(CalEMA), other US States' Offices of Emergency Services or Emergency Management Agencies,
and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).[11]

International HF telecommunications for disaster relief[edit]

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in response to the need for interoperation in
international disaster response spurred largely by humanitarian relief, included ALE in
its Telecommunications for Disaster Relief recommendations.[4] The increasing need for instant
connectivity for logistical and tactical disaster relief response communications, such as the 2004
Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami led to ITU actions of encouragement to countries around the
world toward loosening restrictions on such communications and equipment border transit during
catastrophic disasters. The IARU Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Conferences (GAREC) and IARU Global Simulated Emergency Tests have included ALE.[14]
Use in amateur radio[edit]
Amateur radio operators began sporadic ALE operation on a limited basis in the early to mid-
1990s,[3] with commercial ALE radios and ALE controllers. In 2000, the first widely available software
ALE controller for the Personal Computer, PCALE, became available, and hams started to set up
stations based on it. In 2001, the first organized and coordinated global ALE nets for International
Amateur Radio began. In August 2005, ham radio operators supporting communications for
emergency Red Cross shelters used ALE for Disaster Relief operations during the Hurricane
Katrina disaster.[11] After the event, hams developed more permanent ALE emergency/disaster relief
networks, including internet connectivity, with a focus on interoperation between organizations. The
amateur radio HFLink Automatic Link Establishment system uses an open net protocol to enable all
amateur radio operators and amateur radio nets worldwide to participate in ALE and share the same
ALE channels legally and interoperably. Amateur radio operators may use it to call each other for
voice or data communications.[2]

Amateur radio interoperability adaptations[edit]

Amateur radio operators commonly provide local, regional, national, and international emergency /
disaster relief communications.[14] The need for interoperability on HF led to the adoption
of Automatic Link Establishment ALE open networks by hams. Amateur radio adapted 2G ALE
techniques, by using the common denominators of the 2G ALE protocol, with a limited subset of
features found in the majority of all ALE radios and controllers. Each amateur radio ALE station uses
the operator's call sign as the address, also known as the ALE Address, in the ALE radio
controller.[2] The lowest common denominator technique enables any manufacturer's ALE radios or
software to be used for HF interoperability communications and networking. Known as Ham-Friendly
ALE, the amateur radio ALE standard is used to establish radio communications, through a
combination of active ALE on internationally recognized automatic data frequencies, and passive
ALE scanning on voice channels. In this technique, active ALE frequencies
include pseudorandom periodic polite station identification, while passive ALE frequencies are
silently scanned for selective calling. ALE systems include Listen Before Transmit as a standard
function, and in most cases this feature provides better busy channel detection of voice and data
signals than the human ear. Ham-Friendly ALE technique is also known as 2.5G ALE, because it
maintains 2G ALE compatibility while employing some of the adaptive channel management
features of 3G ALE, but without the accurate GPS time synchronization of 3G ALE.

Disaster relief HF network[edit]

Hot standby nets are in constant operation 24/7/365 for International Emergency and Disaster
Relief communications. The Ham Radio Global ALE High Frequency Network, which began service
in June 2007, is the world's largest intentionally open ALE network for internet connectivity. It is a
free open network staffed by volunteers, and used by amateur radio operators supporting disaster
relief organizations.[14]

International coordination[edit]
International amateur radio ALE High Frequency channels are frequency coordinated with all
Regions of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU entity of ITU),[11] for international, regional,
national, and local use in the Amateur Radio Service. All Amateur Radio ALE channels use "USB"
Upper Sideband standard. Different rules, regulations, and bandplans of the region and local country
of operation apply to use of various channels. Some channels may not be available in every country.
Primary or global channels are in common with most countries and regions.[15]
International channels[edit]
This listing is current as of March 2014. See HFLINK for more information about Amateur
Radio ALE Automatic Link Establishment.
 Channel Freq (kHz)[14] SSB Common use NET Descriptio

01 3596.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

02 3791.0 USB VOICE HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief[14]

03 3996.0 USB VOICE HFL North America

04 5357.0 USB VOICE or TEXT HFL Regional Interoperability North America

05 5371.5 USB VOICE HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief

06 7102.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

07 7185.5 USB VOICE HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief[14]

08 7296.0 USB VOICE HFL North America

09 10145.5 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN International Emergency/Relief,[14] Internet

10 14109.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

11 14346.0 USB VOICE HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief[14]

12 18106.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

13 18117.5 USB VOICE/DATA HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief[14]

14 21096.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

15 21432.5 USB VOICE HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief[14]

16 24926.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

17 24932.0 USB VOICE HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief

18 28146.0 USB PRIMARY DATA HFN Global ALE High Frequency Network, HF Relay, Traffic, Interne

19 28312.5 USB VOICE/DATA HFL International Emergency/Disaster Relief[14]

Standard configurations[edit]

Note Configuration Standard

1 ALE System MIL-STD 188-141A ; FED-1045 (8FSK, 2kHzBW)[5]

2 Transmission duration Calling optimum 22 seconds; Maximum 30 seconds.

3 Scan rate 1 or 2 channels per second.

4 Sounding Interval 60 Minutes or more (for same channel)

5 Audio Centre Frequency 1625 Hz for digital mode text and data

6 Messaging standard AMD (Automatic Message Display) Universal short text[5]

Net Member Slots Entity or Purpose

HFL 10 All ALE voice SSB stations,[14] open selective calling

7 Sounding Type

HFN 10 Ham Radio Global ALE High Frequency Network[11]

QRZ 3 Open calling on all channels

 GPR 3 Geo Position Reporting

RPT 3 Station Status Reporting

TWS Sounding (This Was Sound)[5]