[Elecraft] QSP? relaying ECN check-ins.

[Tom Hammond]

Hi David:

>I have been working at improving my CW skills for what seems a very 
>long time.  I have not checked into a CW net, and I would like to 
>check into ECN, but it is admittedly difficult here from the right 
>coast.  I have listened one time and was a bit overwhelmed with 
>trying to copy, understand, and figure out what I needed to do.
>
>I have looked at traffic net protocols, and I understand that 
>practice will improve understanding.  Is it possible to have a 
>script somewhere of what will happen, so us newbies / slowpokes can 
>follow along, and try to figure out when to send out our call?

I thought Kevin offered something along this line on the web site he 
references at the end of each weekly ECN announcement...

Shoot...!  Thought I had a copy of his last announcement, but must 
have dumped it.

>My plan would be to listen to the 20m net, and then try to stay 
>awake and attempt to check in on the 40m net.  Rig is K2/100 w/80m 
>loop.  So main handicap is the operator.

In general, we have a main NCS (Net Control Station), who is Kevin 
KD5ONS. After he picks up as many stations as he can easily find, 
he'll usually try to turn things over to me (N0SS, in the midwest) 
for a second shot.

The general call is "CQ ECN DE {call} QNI? K", "CQ ECN EAST DE {call} 
QNI? K" or something very similar to that.

As soon as the "K" is sent, we are listening for stations wishing to 
QNI (check in) to send a 'hail sign', usually one or two characters 
from their callsign (such as "DG", if you were attempting to QNI).

When the NCS hears the hail from another station he will respond to 
that station by sending back the hail which he heard (or which he 
THINKS he heard). That's all... usually no other response from NCS.

If you hear the NCS respond with your hail, that's your cue to send 
"DE K4DGW David in FL Kx (fill in the Elecraft model #) NR (fill in 
your serial #) K".

Assuming NCS gets all of your info, he will acknowledge you and 
welcome you to the net, possibly asking for more comments or info. 
Otherwise, you will often be asked to stand by with the "AS" prosign, 
or you may be allowed to check out as well.

If the NCS does NOT copy your info, he may ask YOU for a repeat, or 
may ask someone else to relay (QSP or QNB) is possible.

If you are trying to QNI at the first of the net, when there may be 
many other stations trying to QNI as well, you may be well down in 
the 'pile' of callers, so it may take a while for the NCS to dig down 
to you.  BE PATIENT, and PERSISTENT!  Wait for the next call for 
check-ins and try again!  Repeat as required unless it's obvious that 
the NCS is not hearing you. We TRY to pick up all callers, but 
sometimes we just cannot pull everyone out of the noise (summertime 
QRN out here in the midwest often runs S7-S9, even on a 'quiet' 
night. If I don't get any responses to calls for QNI, I will usually 
ask for any relays of stations I can't hear.

When I am NCSing, I try to set my character speed at 20 WPM with 
added spacing between characters, for an equivalent speed of about 
15-16 WPM. If that speed is too fast for you, feel free to send at 
whatever speed is comfy for you and we will try to match YOUR sending 
speed. If we don't BE SURE to ask for a QRS... no dishonor in asking that!!!

Hope this helps a bit.

73,

Tom Hammond   N0SS