The National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the many shooting clubs and associations occupying a 3000-acre site at Bisley in Surrey. The NRA provides a world-class facility for competition shooting using several ranges with targets up to 1000 yds.
Safety is paramount in shooting and faultless communication is essential. The challenge is to provide two-way radio communication for up to thirty four pairs of shooters and markers. During some large competitions such as the Imperial, this figure may be increased by another twenty pairs.
Communication from the butts to the firing points is hampered by the terrain. Specifically, the concrete structures used to provide a safe area for the markers can inhibit communication.
The distance from the Range Office to the various range points is also quite significant and the topology includes large wooded areas.
National Rifle Association
The NRA was originally provided with Motorola analogue radios. These have recently been upgraded to the latest Motorola Digital VHF radios which have been tested successfully throughout the site.
In normal competitions, butt to firing point communication is provided using the portable radios. For Control communication from the Range Office to the various range areas, a base radio with an external antenna is used, communication being via a dedicated channel.
All portable radios are programmed with fifteen identical channels for butt to firing point communication. The sixteenth channel is dedicated for Control Communication, to and from the Range Office.
