[CTSARA] Sunday Night Net and Snoozeline Suspended

[Jon Perelstein]

We are suspending the Sunday Night Net and the Amateur Radio Snoozeline.

Simply put, there is very little participation in the Sunday night net and
it's become something of an embarrassment.  We are discussing ways in which
we might reorganize the net so that it will get more participants.  Some of
the ideas that have been suggested so far include:

o Move the net to a different night (on the theory that Sunday is not a
good night for many people
o Making the net later in the evening (on Sunday or on a different night)
o Making it a directed net
o Giving it a topic each week.  For example one week might be a discussion
of antennas or a discussion of ham radio field trips that people have
taken.  Sam in Norwalk has had some success in making his net more lively
by posing a topic/issue each week.
o Adding EMCOMM practice and/or digital practice before or after the net

These are suggestions from individual members (those who have already
spoken up about their concern with the low participation in the net).  We
would like additional suggestions from the membership at large -- what
would you like to see in a SARA weekly net?  Please -- any ideas will be
gratefully received and considered.

As for the Snoozeline -- the only listeners we know of are not dues paying
members of the club.  It's sort of silly for us to be stressing our
equipment for non-members of the club, especially since the Snoozeline text
is available from the QRZ home page and the Snoozeline's own homepage (
http://www.arnewsline.org/), as is the audio.   We would consider putting
it back on the air if enough dues-paying members want it, but if we do it
will not be tied to the net so that we don't have to worry about the
Snoozeline or Desperate Housewives if we are in the middle of something
interesting on the net.

Effective immediately I am disabling the controller macros that prepare the
controller for the net and for the Snoozeline.

73s
Jon, WB2RYV