[Elecraft] Elecraft Net Announcement

[Daniel Reynolds]

Now there's an idea I forgot - 20m SSB was soooo quiet yesterday - no reason
why we can't find a clear frequency somewhere between 14300 and 14350 - except
I don't think the K1's (don't know about KX1's) will make it up there.

but - just another idea.

72/73
- Daniel
K2 #3421

p.s. If anyone is interested, I'll be on the following frequencies this
evening... I'd like to collect a few SN's...
0000z 14055 (after WPX)
0100z 10105 (test out propagation)
0200z 7045 (ECN net)

--- Ron D'Eau Claire <rondec at easystreet.com> wrote:
> > 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 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> You must be a subscriber to post.
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com