Operating  position  or  remote  control  unit designation; and Remarks, as appropriate. QUALITY MONITORING In  recent  years,  the  volume  of  communications  has increased dramatically. This rapid expansion has led to the   installation   of   increasingly   sophisticated equipment. Such factors as frequency accuracy, dc distortion, inter-modulation distortion (IMD), and distribution  levels  are  critical  to  the  operation  of communications systems. Satisfactory operation of these systems demands precise initial line-up and subsequent monitoring. System  degradation  is  often  caused  by  many  small contributing factors that, when combined, render the system unusable. Simply looking at the page printer or listening to the signal is inadequate. Simply   stated,   quality   monitoring   is   the performance of scheduled, logical checks that will ensure  continuous,  optimum  performance  and,  in  many cases,  prevent  outages  before  they  occur.  Some communications  personnel  quite  often  fail  to  realize  the benefits  of  quality  monitoring.  An  attitude  develops that  questions  the  need  for  quality  monitoring.  The result of this incorrect attitude is that circuits are either UP or DOWN. Personnel with this attitude perform no quality monitoring when the circuits are  UP and are, therefore, forced to treat each outage as if it were a unique occurrence. With no precise information concerning the trend of the system’s performance, personnel must jump from one  assumed  probable  cause  to  another  assumed probable cause, while valuable circuit time is lost. A ship with an aggressive quality monitoring program usually  has  personnel  who  are  thoroughly  familiar  with all installed communications systems. QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM The  primary  function  of  the  quality  monitoring program is the direct measurement of signal quality characteristics,    including: Dc  distortion; Audio distribution level; Frequency accuracy of RF signals; Spectrum analysis; and Loop current. These measurements are broad categories and can be broken down to specific tests for specific systems. Quality Monitoring System Figure 1-14 is a diagram of a quality monitoring system  and  RCS  interface.  The  system  was  designed  to provide  a  means  of  monitoring  and  evaluating performance of any communications system used by forces  afloat. The monitoring system is a grouping of specific test equipments into a console designated as the AN/SSQ- 88  Quality  Monitoring  Set.  The  set  contains  equipment for measuring and analyzing signals sampled by sensors installed in each communications circuit interface. The system should be operated only by personnel with sufficient knowledge to analyze the signals being transmitted  and  received  via  the  ship’s  circuits, including individual channels of the multichannel circuits. The console configuration shown in figure 1-15 may not be compatible with all ships; however, most ships can use equivalent test equipment to establish a quality monitoring test system. SUMMARY Your   commanding   officer   must   be   able   to communicate with ships and shore stations to maintain effective  command  and  control  of  the  situation  at  hand. Communications are, and always will be, the “voice of command.” In the age of nuclear weapons, guided missiles, supersonic aircraft, and high-speed ships and submarines, top performance is required of our fleet communicators.  You,  as  a  Radioman,  and  your equipment must always be in constant readiness to meet this formidable challenge. Distress  communications  are  methods  that  have been developed for use in times of distress. They indicate the need for immediate assistance and have priority over all other traffic. Various publications and local instructions will assist you in carrying out your required responses to these situations. Communication systems are periodically tested to ensure  that  they  operate  efficiently  and  accurately.  The combined  tests,  checks,  and  measurements  help determine the condition of systems, subsystems, and individual equipments. Tests and measurements of communication  systems  and  equipments  range  from  the very simple to the very complex. 1-18