PATIENCE AND THE NETS -- BY DARYL STOUT, WX4QZ
==============================================

Patience is a virtue, but sometimes, I think that this is rare in
amateur radio...especially in regards to checking into nets.

There is seemingly ALWAYS a pile-up or rush to checkin -- whether on
HF, VHF, UHF, Echolink, Packet, D-Star, D-Rats, etc.; as if certain
ham radio operators feel that "it's the UNPARDONABLE SIN that will
send them to Hell". There is such a sin, but missing checking into a
net, not checking in early, or not in the first group of checkins, is
NOT that sin!!

Ham Radio is a HOBBY -- it should NEVER take priority over church,
family, health, job, or honey-do's -- in the latter case, you could
LOSE that nice new rig that you have your eye on for Christmas (hi hi).

Not all nets do "pre-net" or "early checkins". Some will do them 15
to 30 minutes before the net begins...but it is RARE to have a net
start checkins an hour or more before the net commences. It's even more
RARE for nets to do an extended checkin window for checkins via email, Facebook, D-Rats, or other modes. For 2 of the 3 nets that I do for the
Quarter Century Wireless Association, I offer a 25 hour checkin window
via email and Facebook, even though the net may last only 30 minutes.
Again, that's more the exception than the rule.

Remember, the Net Control Station is devoting 1 to 3 hours of their
time before, during, and after the net...so that everything is in
order, for traffic, and logging. And, some Net Controls (like myself)
are involved with nets on a nightly basis...either running them, or
checking into them...or they may have health issues that make it very
difficult to sit in the net control chair for long periods of time.

Note that if the checkins are PAUSED at a certain point during the
net, stations need to abide by those instructions from Net Control...
such as if an EMERGENCY TRAFFIC SITUATION develops during the net. If
the checkins are paused as the net starts, if you wait right up until
then to checkin, your checkin will have to WAIT, until the checkins
are resumed. In the cases of Emergency or Priority Traffic, the regular
net schedule, format, etc. goes by the boards, until the Emergency
Situation is resolved.

Emergency or Priority Traffic can break into the net at any time...
and these are LIFE OR DEATH URGENCY to those individuals involved,
such as severe weather warnings...or for "significant weather
advisories". Also, if and when Net Control is asking for announcements,
this is for items such as ham radio license classes, exam sessions,
hamfests, demos, special event stations, question pool updates, etc.

The Emergency or Priority Traffic, or Announcements, does NOT include
details on how your day went, and to invite others to nets. On some
nets, you WILL be called down by Net Control, if you violate this...and
may be banned from the net, or mode itself!!

It's as if some stations feel that "it's an Emergency if they don't
get Priority to pass their traffic first". To me, if you are trying to
check in early, just to see how many nets that you can check into in
an evening (admittedly, several do meet at the same time)...or trying
to see how many prizes, bonuses, awards, certificates that you can get
for doing such, you are doing it for your ego, and are in ham radio for
the wrong reason!! While SOME nets do offer such a certificate, that is
more the EXCEPTION than the rule.

I refer to these stations as "Hi, Bye, and QSY"...where it's 'Net
Control, please checkin [callsign], [name], [location], short time, no traffic' -- but not a minute later, they are doing the same thing on
another net. A fellow Net Control operator wondered "Do they even have
a life outside of ham radio??". I guess they have their shack in the
bathroom, but they better be careful not to flush when they key the mic
(hi hi).

At the other extreme, are stations who think that they can "checkin
whenever they feel like it". As noted earlier, many nets do NOT offer
things like pre-net or post-net extended checkin windows...or via other
modes, such as Email, Facebook groups, or D-Rats. If you are not there
when the net is in progress, you do NOT get logged, like it or not.

Then, there are stations who feel that "the frequency will always be
clear", and they can show up at any time, to start calling CQ, etc.,
INSTEAD of asking if the frequency is in use first. No one has the
EXCLUSIVE use of ANY FREQUENCY or mode on amateur radio.

The ONLY time that you may break into a frequency at any time is if
you have a bona fide emergency traffic situation at your location. Then,
as far as the FCC is concerned, you can throw the rule book out. If it
happens during a net, Net Control will stop the net, and participants
will try to help you deal with the situation. Or if it's better to clear
the frequency, the net will be terminated, and they will do that instead.

I am NOT going to make an exception for these (thankfully very few)
impatient amateur radio operators...it's as if trying to butt in line
to a sporting event. Try that, and you could be seriously injured or
killed by the anger of others. All of the other checkins patiently wait
their turn to pass traffic, make comments, etc. -- and to these, I say
a hearty THANK YOU!!

So, please be patient on checking into a net, and wait for the
announcement from Net Control, no matter what band or mode...on the
checkins. If you can not be patient in this regard...then you can
either go to another net that is more to your liking...quit checking
into nets entirely...or maybe you should sell your gear, turn in your
amateur radio license, and find a new hobby. Again, there is more to
life than amateur radio, and checking into nets.

Daryl Stout, WX4QZ, Net Control
QCWA CQ100, Sunflower, and Digital Net
D-Star Food Net
D-Star Trains And Railroads Net
The Arkansas Night Rangers Net
Arklatex D-Star Net
Hotspot Raspberry Pi SBC ZumSpot Net
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7)