On Saturday 28th June, SI Steve Harvey of Carlton Detachment, D Sqn, took part in the combined ACF / CCF long distance communications exercise Summer Whine. SI Harvey is an ex Royal Armoured Corps Signal School instructor and has communicated back to the UK from all around the world using Voice, Morse and Secure Encrypted Speech.

Exercise Summer Whine takes place annually on the NRN (National Radio Network). This network was set up in 1937 to allow ACF /CCF cadets to communicate over long distances using High Frequency Military Radios. The competition lasts 24 hours and uses a method called Sky Wave. This is where you bounce your signal off of the ionosphere some 100KM up and then off the earths surface. This way you can achieve communications over vast distances.

Nottinghamshire cadets have never taken part in this exercise and even though SI Harvey had entered at the last minute as a non scoring station, D Sqn would have finished 5th out of the whole of the UK.

If you are interested in becoming the first in the county to wear a CRU badge (Cadet Radio User) by taking part in a CRU course before annual camp, these will be held at Carlton Detachment on a weekend and are availible for all cadets to take part in, contact SI Harvey by clicking here for more details.

Once you have passed the course you can then go on to the Crossed flags course and learn all about long range communications and perhaps form the team for the next national competition in December.