ALE works in a simple and straight forward manner. Each radio in the network is scanning and listening to the same reasonable number of preset channels. At each channel, it is listening for a a digitally encoded version of its callsign . Now if all the stations in the network are silent, no information is generated. However, if periodically, like once an hour, a station broadcasts its callsign, there is an opportunity. The other sations in the network, can hear these broadcasts, at least on some of the channels. They may or may not respond to the soundings they hear on the channels.