Other hams are a good source of help, and two places to meet them are a local club and an on-air net. A net is also a structured first transmission: someone else decides who talks next.
Finding a club
The ARRL’s Find a Club search lists ARRL-affiliated clubs within 25, 50, 100 or 250 miles of a ZIP code, or by city, state or keyword. Clubs around the country offer licensing instruction to their communities (ARRL). When you visit, say you are new and ask about an Elmer, the ham term for an advisor or mentor to a newly licensed amateur (ARRL glossary).
A club can hold its own station license. The trustee must hold an amateur license, and the club must have at least four members, a name, a document of organization, management, and a primary purpose devoted to amateur radio (47 CFR 97.5(b)(2); Technician pool question T1F11).
What a net is
In a directed net, all communications are directed by a net control station (ARRL NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines), whose typical duties are to call the net to order and direct communications between the stations checking in. Unless you are reporting an emergency, you transmit only when net control directs you to (Technician pool questions T2C02 and T2C07).
The ARRL’s guidelines describe daily traffic nets, welfare traffic nets, emergency nets such as ARES and RACES, and special nets (MPG 4.1). In net operation, traffic means formal messages exchanged by net stations (question T2C05). The ARRL’s National Traffic System runs nets that pass formal messages called radiograms, which in disasters carry information critical to saving lives or property and health and welfare inquiries. NTS nets at the local and section level are open to all amateurs in the net’s coverage area (NTS Manual 3.6). The emergency communications guide covers ARES and RACES nets.
Finding nets
The ARRL Net Directory lists nets registered with ARRL headquarters, with a focus on public-service nets that support the National Traffic System and ARES. Local nets generally cover a smaller area, such as the area a VHF or UHF repeater covers (MPG 4.1.1); ask a local club which nets meet on its repeaters, and listen at the announced time.
How a directed net runs
Formats vary from net to net, and the basics can be learned by listening to a few sessions (MPG 4.2.7). A typical voice net follows this order, from the ARRL’s Methods and Practices Guidelines:
- Net control opens the net on time, with a call such as “Calling the (net name) net, this is (call sign), net control. This is a directed net.”
- Net control reads the net’s preamble, if the net’s format includes one.
- If the net’s format calls for it, net control asks for stations with emergency traffic and handles them first.
- Net control takes check-ins, often by category, such as liaison stations, stations with traffic, or anyone.
- Net control assigns and dispatches traffic and other business, sometimes sending pairs of stations to a nearby frequency to pass messages (NTS Manual 5.5).
- Net control excuses stations as their business is done and closes the net on time.
Checking in for the first time
- Listen to the whole net once first, so you know its format; the guidelines advise listening to an unfamiliar net to learn the practice in use (MPG 4.5.10).
- Wait for the call that fits you. Answer only when net control calls for your category, such as “any further check-ins” or “new stations”; calling out of turn blocks the stations net control asked for (MPG 4.5.10).
- Keep it short. On local voice nets, stations usually give a short first call and wait for net control to acknowledge them before saying more (MPG). Give your call sign using phonetics, which 47 CFR 97.119(b)(2) encourages, and on a traffic net your traffic status: “no traffic” or “with traffic” (MPG).
- Wait to be acknowledged. Net control repeats your call sign, may ask you to stand by, and excuses you when the net no longer needs you.
The call signs below are examples, and your net’s wording may differ:
Net control: Any further check-ins, with or without traffic, please call now.
You: Kilo Echo Seven Zulu Zulu Zulu, no traffic.
Net control: KE7ZZZ, thank you. Please stand by.
The first contact guide covers repeater etiquette, and the first month plan suggests when to try a net.