Originally Posted by Mr Happy

Sorry mate, this RSI sounds like a twonk to me. It doesn't take 45 mins to set up Bowman. If you are as thick as two short planks it might, but it shouldn't take a class 1. Maybe your int is duff?

It's not duff, Mr H., because I know him well so I know his history/quals and I sat and watched him trying to get the thing working!

I'm aware that it shouldn't take that long (I've done the Bowman Advanced Signaller course myself) but there were that many problems with the kit that it did. There were problems with the two fill guns both deciding to drop their fill, problems with getting the radios to accept the fills when we got the crypto sorted and problems with the ancils.

If a system can produce that many problems in one simple task for someone who is experienced with it, what is it going to do for a young lad in the infantry who's just grabbed a radio off an injured patrol signaller?

I know things have moved on since Clansman (which I miss dearly because my job (Tech) is utter shite since we got rid of it. There's something I never thought I'd say!) and that radios are more than just a box to talk to someone else a few miles away these days, but when it gets so complicated that you cannot just pick up a radio and use the basic functions without a training course and a precis thicker than the glacis plate of a Chally 2, maybe it's a little too complicated?

Originally Posted by CAARPS

My Bold, that I’l be your problem then

He should of went to a proper signaller :D :D

:D

FFS! Here, if you want something simple that works here................................have it!



Now ask yourself a question.

Will the above equipment:

Allow me to talk securely?
Allow me to transmit Voice and Data?
Allow me to inform my higher formation where I am automatically?
Allow me to create overlays?
Allow me to create and pass electronic messages securely?
Allow me to set up alarms and alerts?

I could go on.

You people need to take a good look at yourselves. If you can't manage it hand your bedding in.

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

FFS! Here, if you want something simple that works here................................have it!



Now ask yourself a question.

Will the above equipment:

Allow me to talk securely?
Allow me to transmit Voice and Data?
Allow me to inform my higher formation where I am automatically?
Allow me to create overlays?
Allow me to create and pass electronic messages securely?
Allow me to set up alarms and alerts?

I could go on.

You people need to take a good look at yourselves. If you can't manage it hand your bedding in.

So got on the board at GD did we???

Well I didnt get on the INT CORPS board did I!

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

Well I didnt get on the INT CORPS board did I!

If I had my way, you'd be on a water board ya haemasex!! :D

Originally Posted by The_Coming_Man

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

Well I didnt get on the INT CORPS board did I!

If I had my way, you'd be on a water board ya haemasex!! :D

If I had my way you would be on your way to a Gulag mate!

DG

Were you a Clansman user before Bowman, it would be interesting to see the difference in training overhead. I only ever used Clansman but was an RSI and remember the talk of Bowman being the cure for cancer, has it really lived up to expectations?

Seems that one of the big ideas was to create a self configuring information network for voice and data, has this been realised across a decent sized formation and what is the useable data rate. Perhaps more importantly what data are we trying to send and is there a need.

One of the big selling points about the Airwave system for the civ police/fire etc was interoperability, a fireman being able to talk to a copper directly. All well and good but in practice is this actually needed because it collapses the chain of command and creates too much chatter. Same with data, the often touted PNC checks across Airwave, if its so good, why do most forces still use GSM/3G for mobile data.

Its easy to be sceptical about new technology but I think Jimmys Best Mate has a good point about the need for simplicity, which I guess goes across many capabilities we have.

Have we over stretched

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

Originally Posted by The_Coming_Man

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

Well I didnt get on the INT CORPS board did I!

If I had my way, you'd be on a water board ya haemasex!! :D

If I had my way you would be on your way to a Gulag mate!

I thought I was already in one Commissar DG!

Originally Posted by The_Coming_Man

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

Originally Posted by The_Coming_Man

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

Well I didnt get on the INT CORPS board did I!

If I had my way, you'd be on a water board ya haemasex!! :D

If I had my way you would be on your way to a Gulag mate!

I thought I was already in one Commissar DG!

No, you're in the Guano mate!

Originally Posted by DigitalGeek

FFS! Here, if you want something simple that works here................................have it!



Now ask yourself a question.

Will the above equipment:

Allow me to talk securely YES
Allow me to transmit Voice and Data? er YES
Allow me to inform my higher formation where I am automatically? eeerr
Allow me to create overlays eeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Allow me to create and pass electronic messages securely? eeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Allow me to set up alarms and alerts? YES

My replies are (obviously) about BOWMAN and not the more technical equipment above

The underlying problem with BOWMAN is it was sold as the panacea to all things bright and beautiful to non vocational signallers, who then instantly assumed that the laws of physics didn’t apply and that they would communicate over much greater distances with no effort on their part.

What should have been sold was a secure voice communication system that in time (with development and enhancements) will provide Data Passage, SA, etc etc.

In plain English the expectation management from the start was Poo.

Well maintained Clansman with good operators worked and worked well (especially the PRC 320), however, it was insecure, required lots of TLC and the HF was noisy (staff officers hated the noise)


I categorically am not on the board of GD (although if there are any offers)