[Elecraft] Elecraft Net Announcement

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

> Don't forget that USA licensees are allowed
> to use CW in the 20 meter band up to 14.150 MHz, so perhaps choosing a 
> channel above the normal packet crowd, which I think uses frequencies 
> from 14.105 to 14.115, or thereabouts, might be a good alternative.  I 
> know the Canadians and other non-USA stations use phone in this part of 
> the band, but it is usually fairly open. Just a thought, - and perhaps I 
> will join your net one day. - Jim, KL7CC

Actually, it's "data" that stops at 14,150 kHz.  CW is separate from "data"
and is legal on ANY frequency in the USA, depending upon the operator's
license class. The FCC rule says: 

"Sec. 97.305  Authorized emission types.

    (a) An amateur station may transmit a CW emission on any frequency 
authorized to the control operator."

However, there are practical problems with wandering all over the bands,
such as users of other modes who are limited to certain sub-bands and who
resent the intrusion of CW signals on "their" frequencies. And then there
are certain frequencies, such as those beacons, where we have agreed as a
group we won't conduct other operations. The FCC, to their credit, has
always looked for Hams to regulate themselves and Hams, to our credit, have
done a rather good job of it considering the sheer number of people on the
air, the variety of people involved and the number of different activities
going on. There are ops on the air today who can remember when the ONLY
activities on the Ham bands were traffic handling and rag chewing, all on
CW. A few hams experimented with "phone" but only on a few very restricted
sub-bands. 

Things have changed a lot, and those changes give us larger challenges for
maintaining some sort of peace on the bands. 

The behavior of some contesters has given "contesting" a bad name among many
Hams. We can take consolation in remembering that there are rude,
self-centered people in all walks of life. Us Hams are not saddled with all
of them. 

And we have the WARC bands, which remain contest-free just because of that.
I work on Sunday afternoons, so I can seldom join in to the net, but
whenever I can get on and there's a contest going, look for me on 30 meters.

When I was active in nets years ago, we still found that the normal net
frequency may be occupied. To avoid confusion or problems, the net control
station (NCS) picked a clear frequency as near the planned frequency as
possible about 10 minutes before the net was due to start. Then, after
determining that it was clear, the NCS started calling the net, e.g. CQ ECN
CQ ECN CQ ECN CQ ECN CQ ECN DE (callsign)QND QND QNI at (time net will
start) CQ ECN CQ ECN CQ ... And kept that up without interruption until time
for the net to start, finishing the call at the appointed time with "PSE
QNI..." followed by any instructions about the check in order wanted. 

(QND is the ARRL Q-code for announcing a net directed by a net control
station and QNI is the ARRL use of the Q-code meaning "all stations check
in" and NOT "there is turbulence above a certain altitude" such as we used
in commercial aviation <G>).  

The call would go on for at least five minutes before the net was to start.
That way, stations planning to check in can find the net easily, even if
there's QSB, tweak up everything and be ready to check in at the proper
time. 

We did that on the Army CW nets years ago too. The transmitters were crystal
controlled back then and the frequencies were assigned so there wasn't an
issue with QRM, but receivers weren't so precisely calibrated and it gave
everyone a chance to find the NCS. 

Ron AC7AC