Marine Corps COOL Snapshot - General Communications Technician

The following Marine Corps Enlisted MOSs provide training and/or experience that contributes to attaining this credential:

Enlisted Occupation	Occupation Type	Related As	COOL$
0321 Reconnaissance Marine	MOS	Other
0372 Critical Skills Operator	MOS	Other
0621 Transmissions System Operators	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
0627 Satellite Transmissions System Operator	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
0629 Transmissions Chief	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
0631 Network Administrator	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
0671 Data Systems Administrator	MOS	Other
0811 Field Artillery Cannoneer	MOS	Other
0842 Field Artillery Radar Operator	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
0844 Field Artillery Fire Control Marine	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0847 Field Artillery Sensor Support Marine	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
0861 Fire Support Marine	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
1711 Offensive Cyberspace Operator	MOS	Other
1721 Defensive Cyberspace Operator	MOS	Other
1799 Cyberspace Chief	MOS	Other
1812 Armor Marine	MOS	Other
1833 Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) Crewmember	MOS	Other
1834 Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Crewmember	MOS	Other
1869 Senior Armor SNCO	MOS	Other
2621 Communications Intelligence / Electronic Warfare Operator	MOS	Other
2629 Signals Intelligence/ Electronic Warfare/Cyberspace Operations Technician	MOS	Other
2631 Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Analyst	MOS	Other
2641 Cryptologic Language Analyst	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
2651 Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems Engineer	MOS	Other
2841 Ground Electronics Transmission Systems Maintainer	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
4571 Combat Videographer	MOS	Other
4591 Communication Strategy and Operations Chief	MOS	Other
5939 Aviation Communication Systems Technician	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
5948 Aviation RADAR Technician	MOS	Other
5951 Aviation Meteorological Equipment Technician, OMA/IMA	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
5952 Air Traffic Control Navigational Aids Technician	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
5953 Air Traffic Control RADAR Technician	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
5954 Air Traffic Control Communications Technician	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
5979 Tactical Air Operations/Air Defense Systems Technician	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
6276 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Crew Chief, KC-130	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
6317 Aircraft Communications/Navigation/Radar Systems Technician, F/A-18	MOS	Most	COOL Bucks
6483 Communication/Navigation/Cryptographic/Countermeasures Systems Technician, IMA	MOS	Some	COOL Bucks
7372 Tactical Systems Operator/Mission Specialist	MOS	Other

The following civilian occupations are related to this credential:

	Civilian Job	Job Family	Bright Outlook	Registered Apprenticeship	Local Salary Info
	Radio Mechanics	Installation, Maintenance, and Repair		Apprenticeship	find local salary

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Attainability:

Eligibility Requirements (View Details)

Credential Prerequisite
Experience
Education
Training
Membership
Other
Fee

Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required.

Exam Requirements (View Details)

Exam
Written Exam
Oral Exam
Practical Exam
Performance Assessment

RECERTIFICATION SUMMARY

Renewal Period: 4 years

Continuing Education
Exam
Continuing Education OR Exam
Fee
Other

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Electronics Technicians Association, International (ETA-I)

5 Depot Street
Greencastle, IN 46135

Phone: (800) 288-3824

Fax: (765) 653-4287
Email: eta@eta-i.org

WRITTEN EXAM
EXAM PREP

Written Exam

Safety
- List basic building / workplace safety protocols per industry standards
- Describe general power safety guidelines, including:
  Battery systems
  Lock Out / Tag Out rule
- Describe general tools and equipment safety
- List personal protection equipment (PPE) used in the communication fields
- Describe Radio Frequency (RF) safety
- Describe communications safety requirements used near machinery
- Describe safety measures used with towers and elevated surfaces
- Describe grounding and lightning protection safety measures
- List fiber optic safety requirements
- List laser use safety requirements
Electronic and Electrical Theory
- Summarize Ohm’s law and formulas to include:
  Voltage
  Current
  Resistance
- List Watt’s Law formula including power calculations
- Define Direct Current
- Define Alternating Current
- Explain how and why series circuits are used
- Explain how and why parallel circuits are used
- Describe decibels and their use including:
  RF
  Power
  Audio
- Describe harmonics applications in communications
- Calculate power efficiency
- Explain the use of the metric system including:
  prefixes and their acronyms
Tools and Components
- Describe hand tools used in communication fields
- Describe power tools used in communication fields
- Define components used in communications to include:
  Wire
  Resistors
  Capacitors
  Inductors
  Relays
  Solid State Devices (SSD) to include:
  1. diodes
  2. transistors
  a. bipolar
  b. FET (field effect)
  3. Op-Amps
  4. integrated circuits (IC's)
  5. optical devices
Connectorization
- Describe the requirements for the following types of connections to include:
  DC Power
  AC Power
  Telecom
  RF
  Signaling
- List basic wiring fundamentals including:
  Wire Sizing (Gauge)
  Color Code
- List standard connector types and functions
- Describe standard connector terminations
Power Systems
- Define Voltage
- Define Polarity
- Describe uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems including AC UPS systems
- Describe DC power systems
- Describe generators and their uses
- Define battery sizing in power systems
- Describe renewable energy power systems including:
  Solar
  Wind
- Describe power distribution
- Explain the use of and operation of breakers including:
  Fuse
  Circuit
- Describe load centers usage and operation
- Define a “Cutoff switch” and its use
- Describe an alarm unit and its use
- Define transfer boxes
Radio Frequency (RF) Fundamentals
- Explain basic RF fundamental operating principles and terminology
- Explain basic FCC (Federal Communications Commission) rules and regulations pertaining to two-way communications including:
  Licensing
  Spectrum usage
- Define RF bandwidth
- Define propagation to include:
  Line-of-Sight (LoS)
  Groundwave
  Skywave
- List frequency spectrum band allocations to include:
  VLF
  LF
  MF
  VHF
  Lowband
  Mid-band
  Highband
  220MHz (Ham, Commercial, Positive Train Control)
  UHF
  380-470 MHz (Military, Federal, Ham, Commercial)
  470-512 MHZ (T-band)
  700 MHz (Long Term Evolution{LTE}, Commercial and Public Safety)
  800 MHz (Public Safety-Emergency Responders, Cellular, Specialized
  Mobile Radio{SMR or Trunking})
  900 MHz
  1.8-1.9 GHz (Broadband Personal Communications Service {PCS})
  2.1 GHz (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System {UMTS}, 3G)
  2.4 GHz (Industrial, Scientific and Medical)
  Other Frequencies
- Explain RF modulation and demodulation to include:
  Transmitter modulation
  Receiver demodulation
  Receiver bandwidth must match the transmitter modulation scheme
Radio Types and Systems
- Describe the following Radio Types:
  Base
  Mobile
  Portable 2-way
  Paging
  Tone only
  Voice
  Display
  Repeater
  Microwave
  Satellite
- Describe the following Systems Types:
  Simplex
  Duplex/Half Duplex
  Conventional
  Microwave
  Repeater
  Internet Protocol (IP)
  Wireless Network Technology (Wi-Fi) 2.4 GHz
- Describe basic Radio components to include:
  Transmitter(s)
  Receiver(s)
  Power Supplies
  Audio and Control
Antennas
- Define polarization
- Describe antenna wavelength and how it is used
- Define resonance
- Define antenna bandwidth
- Define beamwidth
- Explain 3dB Points (Rule of Three)
- Describe gain
- Identify front-to-back ratio
- Describe antenna match to include defining standing wave ratio (SWR)
- Describe measurements including:
  Power
  Return Loss
  Distance-to-Fault
- Describe antenna downtilt
- Explain the importance of using drain holes
- Describe a Balum antenna
- List antenna types and azimuth to include:
  Omnidirectional
  Uni-Directional
  Specialized
Transmission Lines
- Describe transmission line power
- Explain characteristic impedance
- Describe transmission line frequency
- Explain line length
- Describe line physical weight
- Describe cable physical size/diameter (Gauge)
- Describe line outer covering material
- Define the importance of shielding percentage
- Describe the importance of line bend radius rules
- Explain line RF signal loss
- List cable types used in communications
Interference
- Define RF interference including:
  natural
  man-made
  mitigation
- Describe co-channel interference
- Describe adjacent channel interference
- List interference protective devices
Data Networks
- Define serial data to include:
  RS232 standard pin out
  Universal Serial Bus (USB)
  Data Communication Environment (DCE)
  Data Terminal Equipment (DTE)
- Describe Internet Protocol (IP) to include:
  Wireless
  Protocols
  Cables
Fiber Optic Systems
- Describe basic fiber optic cable fundamentals and terminology
- Define fiber optic modes including:
  Single-mode (9 µm /125) (µm = micron)
  Multimode (50 or 62.5 µm /125)
- Describe fiber optic wavelengths including:
  850 nanometers (nm)
  1310 nm
  1550 nm
- List common fiber optic connectors
Test Equipment and Methods
- Describe the use and operation of the following meters:
  Volt Meters
  Ammeters
  Watt Meters
  Optical Power meters
- Define dummy load; show where and why used
- Describe the value of Communication Service Monitors (CSM)
- Describe the use and operation of system analyzers including:
  Oscilloscope
  Frequency Domain Reflectometer (FDR)
  Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR)
  Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR)
- Describe the use and operation of audio transmission test sets to include:
  Transmission Impairment Measurement Sets (TIMS)
- Explain the use and operation of a Lineman’s handset (Butt-Sets)
- Explain the use of a ground resistance tester
- Describe appropriate Lock Out / Tag Out procedures
Telephony Communications
- Describe telephony basics to include:
  incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC)
  plain old telephone service – voice (POTS)
- Describe public switched telephone networks (PSTN)
- Describe private telephone networks (PTN)
- Identify telephone circuit types
  2-wire
  4-wire
- Define Loopback or Channel Service Unit (CSU)
Satellite Communications
- Define Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites
- Describe why SMART was formed (Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talk groups)
- Define Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN)
- Explain Global Positioning System (GPS)
- Identify a satellite antenna alignment set-up
Environmental Systems
- Describe fire suppression systems
- Describe Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems affecting communications
- List how lighting systems affect communications sites
- Describe how vermin affect communication environments
Physical Plant / Headend and Security Systems
- Describe the function of access systems / locks for a communications site
- List cybersecurity systems awareness
- Describe battery usage to include:
  Types
  Recharging
  Proper Sizing
  Configuration
  Series
  Parallel

Exam Preparation Resources

There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GCT1) examination:

Best Sources

General References

Related Courses
- ETA-I Accredited Course Approval Programs

An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.

RECERTIFICATION

General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GCT1)

Renewal Period: 4 years

The General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GCT1) credential has the following recertification information:

The General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GTC1) is renewable every four years. Applicants will be required to obtain continuing education credits totaling ten hours per year for a total of 40 hrs over the term of the certification or will provide employer verification that they continue to work in an applicable field. That combined with the updating of contact information will constitute renewal for the GTC1.

Detailed information related to the recertification process, associated fees and forms can be obtained from the Additional Certification Renewal/Maintenance Information on the certifying agency’s website.

Note: If the four year term for the GTC1 is exceeded without renewal by certification maintenance, and the certification expires, then the applicant will be required to retake the current version of the examination and will then again be eligible for the certification maintenance.

Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current billing cycle. Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).

Additional considerations for the General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GCT1) include:

ETA-I does not require specific education, experience, and training, however the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may require non-specific field related experience and training.