ATIS and LCIS TECH.

[biggie786]

I have choosen ATIS and LCIS as my trades during selection process. I saw the videos and spoke to recruiters. But I would like to hear from someone who is in that trade about their life style, work and anything that can help me...Thanks

BIGGIE786

 

[biggie786]

Guess no ATIS or LCIS Technicians here

 

[Pikache]

It may take a few days to get a reply.

The trades you‘re asking about is pretty uncommon.

Maybe posting the question in the combat support trades forum might help.

 

[Bert]

I‘m not yet in the military but in the application process. I‘ve worked in the North for a communications company who did occasionaly contracts with DND. Indirectly, I have some familiarity with some aspects of the ATIS, and less with the LCIS techs.

From my experience, the ATIS and LCIS work on the electronics and communciations systems not found in the aircraft or within land vehicals. On base, they repair service and maintain HF, VHF, UFH, X-band based communication systems usually this is hand-held or base station transceivers. They set-up and maintain satellite earth stations, computer networks, datacom systems, to the more mundane paging, order wires, intercom and telephone systems. In the field, they‘d be setting up satellite earth stations, radio systems, and the general electronics techs on a case by case basis.
The ATIS techs may be more involved with travel here and there to FOL sites, radar/remote/repeater site s(manned and unmanned), verifying contractor work in various locations, commissioning of comm systems, and verifying system integrities. ATIS may be attached to land and sea elements depending. I don‘t know about the LCIS techs in this regard.

I‘d expect alot of non-MOC duties too like general cleaning, duty NCO, security detailing and monitoring, help desk, cafeteria help as the higher ranks order.

Anyone who may know Bill Self (Selfcom) from travels in the North, he sends his regards.

 

[biggie786]

Thanks for the information. Cafeteria help and cleaning really sucks though!

 

[Bert]

Perhaps I‘m not the person to write this but as a friend in the airforce told me, "You‘re an airman first, MOC specific second" though you apparently do a majority of your MOC duties anyway. You could be called on to do many things not necessarily or directly related to your MOC that rounds you out more as a CF member. This is what I gather.

 

[klumanth]

What you do as an LCIS or ATIS tech depends entirely on your posting choice once you are done your QL-3. Typically an LCIS tech will deal with the TCCCS radios and TE (Terminal Equipment - Switchboards, phones etc.) to start with. After that, again depending where you are posted you will then get the option of going on different courses like satellite communications, UNIX courses, network admin courses and many others. A lot of ATIS tech‘s get to work on the computer and satellite stuff as well. I‘m sure they do many other wonderful things but I can‘t speak for them.

 

[tacobrock]

I have a question for any LCIS tech‘s in here. I took the Electronics Technician‘s course at BCIT in 1999 for eight months. Then, I went to University in Edmonton for two years (Arts). However, I‘m not doing as well as I thought in University (I‘ve even taken a year off) but I do still have interest in the Electronics trade. I did well at BCIT (74%) so here‘s my question: would I bypass any training ‘cause of my previous qualification at BCIT? Plus, I‘ve just received my application papers through the mail; after a similar question like this was asked through the DND recruiting website and the app. package was their answer (hmmph). Anyways, I‘ll quit taking up some space. Cheers.

ps - I used the Warrant Officer icon ‘cause that was my rank when I was in cadets. Sorry to deceive. Ciao.

 

[klumanth]

That should be sufficient to receive the signing bonus/corporals. One of the big things they look for is AM/FM theory but I would imagine you would‘ve got that.

 

[tacobrock]

Thanks for the info. Maven. I wasn‘t too sure on that. Perhaps you can answer another question for me. Is there space available right now in the trade? Any kind of insight small or big will be helpful. Cheers.

Brock ‘n Roll
ciao.

 

[Bert]

I took the Electonics Engineering Technician-Digital program at Algonquin College, Ottawa, 2 yr. Its an electronics technician program but in the fourth semester we spend more time on microprocessor based systems and therefore the "Digital" extension.

According to a CF Skills Assessor, the CF has educational program equivalencies and paricularily the college electronics courses that specify telecommunications or Communications are directly accepted. My course, even though it was as thorough as any electronics program, was not on their list of accepted equivalencies for POET or aspects of the LCIS/ATIS/or AMS QL3.

I had to send in a document describing my education and work experience in detail to be assessed for qualification and by-pass POET. If I didn‘t qualify, then I‘d have to start at the beginning of POET. It apparently saves almost a year in courses yet I wouldn‘t actually mind if I had to take it. I even provided the Algonquin Technology Department telephone number so the Assessor could hear objective course information.

The CF may get in touch with you if your program isn‘t on their list of equivalencies and ask you for more program and work experience information.
Be thorough, descriptive, and concise if they ask you for it.

 

[klumanth]

So far as I know, the trade is open. However, the best person to answer that question is the recruiter. Sometimes, even if your course does specify telecommunications, as mine did, they may not give you the equivalency. I eventually got POET written off by bringing in all my marks, course reports, course outlines etc. once I was in Kingston. If they don‘t give you an equivalency, and there doesn‘t appear to be a good reason for that, ask if they can forward your file to CFSCE for evaluation. They may look at you like you have 3 heads but someone there should know what to do.

 

[biggie786]

As a LCIS what kind of work exactly do you get to do..do you get to work with computer networks at all? or is it just fixing up old radios. Please advise because I have picked ATIS and LCIS as my choices. Thanks!

 

[klumanth]

If you want to work on computers, I think you may have better chances with ATIS. Then again, it all depends where you get posted. As an LCIS tech you will probably start with fixing radios and other TCCCS components but may be able to move on to Satellite comms and computer related work. There are many good courses available to both LCIS and ATIS techs. I highly recommend either of these trades.

 

[meni0n]

Hi,
What exactly is ATIS techs? I didn‘t see them in the list of trades.

 

[biggie786]

ATIS Tech: stands for Aerospace telecommunication and Information Systems technician..it‘s an airforce trade

 

[Dire]

When I handed in my application I picked


1) Comm Research 2) Land Communication 3) Vechial Mechanic

all 3 choices were full.

Since I‘m already in the computer networking trade, COMM Research is the only CF career that has computer networking so I left it as #1. Since the other 2 were full I rechosed them to open ones.

Aerospace was open so I picked it as #2. I probley will not go for that career since I want to do Comm Research but I picked it so they‘d process my application and when I get passed all the testing they will ask me if I want to join.

During my interview, The recruiter told me to make it clear that I want into COMM Research and Im willing to wait for it to open but want all my testing done since I want to get the job faster then normal.

 

[meni0n]

Dire, have you looked at Sig Ops? I‘ve chosen it since I‘m going to the reserves but maybe down the line when I go to the regular I might switch to COMM RSCH.

 

[Dire]

No I havent since I might as well apply for COMM Research since im going Regular


But Sig Ops might be an option..

 

[shado_wolf]

sorry to thread jack.

I went to apply today and heard that lcis tech, and comm rsch are closed as well. Well there goes two of three.

Then the recruiter got into the pitch for the SEP for ATIS. **** but it sounds sweet. I am pretty well sold. My problem is that I only wanna be army. I think I was meant to wear green not blue.

Now the same program exists for LCIS but it is closed until god knows when.

Well, does anyone know if you can switch branches after your initial contract? How hard is it?

Thought i‘ld ask these questions here because the users in this topic seem to be interested in the same fields as myself and I am sure you‘ll get the same sales pitch as myself. I dunno how sold y‘all are on being in the army instead of the air force.

PS

anyone know of any forums for air force akin to this one. It has provided me with a wealth of info and I‘ld like to learn more from those serving in the air force now.