[PBARC] ARES-RACES Net - 03/26/2006

[E. Glenn Wolf, Jr.]

ANATOMY OF A TRAFFIC NET 

Net:  Short for a Communication Network---established for a stated purpose.

Net Control Station (NCS): The person charged with control of information
flow on the Net Frequency to insure an orderly use of frequency resources to
accomplish communications for a stated purpose.  All traffic should be
authorized by the Net Control Station and conversations, comments,
greetings, etc. are discouraged, unacceptable conduct, out of place and not
appreciated. 

Most Nets are directed Nets to enable a large of number of stations desiring
to use  the Net Frequency for a stated purpose.  Casual conversations must
be authorized by the Net Control Station who is allowed discretion but the
conversations should not interfere with the stated purpose of the Net, in
the case of a traffic net, the purpose of handling traffic.

Legalities:  The FCC requires every Ham Radio Station identify with their
Call Signs at ten minute intervals during a conversation and in your last
transmission.  In Nets it is easy to forget when you last identified.  The
easiest way to ensure you comply with FCC identification requirements is to
identify with your FCC issued Call sign as you complete each exchange.  This
serves two functions,  1: it tells the Net Control Station and Net Members
you consider the exchange to be complete without having to use extra words,
which saves Net Time.  2:It fulfills all FCC identification requirements.

Customary:  All Nets have customary protocols.  Listen to the Net before
joining, Customary Protocols will stand out and you can act accordingly.

Participating in a Net.  Enjoy yourself.  Ham Radio is supposed to be fun
ENJOY !  

Be Prepared:  Have supplies handy

Listen:  Listen for several minutes before you check into a Net.  The Net
Control will ask for specific people/categories of people as they are
needed.  Follow the instructions of the Net Control Station.

Do not editorialize.  Editorializing is unnecessary, unwanted, discouraged,
unacceptable conduct, out of place and not appreciated.

Plan you're Transmissions: Use a note pad to jot down thoughts  this will
promote clear concise transmissions.

If the stated purpose of the Net is Handling Traffic, if you check into a
Traffic Net for any other purpose, what is the point.  What is the point of
asking someone "check you in tonight, I won't be able to make it"  How can
you handle traffic if you are not there???? Short Term Stations who can hang
around for a short time, makes sense, but short term stations that check in
and then leave the frequency, again are not there to handle traffic???
Again, what is the point??

If you must leave a Net in progress advise the Net Control.  It is not
necessary to go into details why you must leave.  Advise Net Control when
you return assuming the Net is still on going.

Net Controls are in charge of the Net and are responsible for controlling
who uses the frequency and when they pass traffic.  This needs to be
balanced with the fact Net Controls are dealing with volunteers.

Slow down;  the pace of the Net is controlled by the Net Control Station.
Leaving three or four seconds between transmissions, will actually pass more
traffic in less time.

Different Nets handle different traffic.  Should someone try to pass traffic
that belongs on another Net, refer them to the correct Net.

Checking into a Net signifies your willingness to handle whatever is the
stated purpose of the Net.

A Net is not a social gathering unless that is it's Stated Purpose.

Net Controls:  If the stated Purpose of a Net is to handle Traffic,
Superfluous Chatter by anyone, Net Control or Net Member, does nothing to
push the traffic forward.  It does set a bad example for new Net Controls,
New Hams and Hams New to Traffic Handling.  Monkey does as Monkey hears or
sees.

Loose Net Control Protocol encourages Loose Net Conduct.  Observations of
Loose Net Control and Thus Loose Net Conduct have been made over several
years.  To slide down this Slippery Hill will serve no useful purpose, to
the contrary, we eventually will slide into the cesspool of what CB Radio
became.

The National Traffic System consists of a carefully choreographed collection
of section, region, and area nets designed to relay messages throughout he
United States.  The second "R" in ARRL stands for Relay.  Doubts as to the
relevancy of the NTS due to the lack of use during the recent Gulf Coast
Hurricane disasters misses the point entirely, in my opinion.  The vast
majority of traffic handled by Ham Radio Operators during this disaster was
Emergency and Tactical Traffic, traffic the NTS was not specifically
organized to handle.  The NTS was and is still designed  to handle formal
written traffic.  Emergency and Tactical Traffic by its very nature,
generally is not formal written traffic.  The formal traffic on the NTS has
been drying up for several years for many reasons, not the least of which is
the internet and cell phones. The NTS is a long-haul traffic conduit, having
both the system and the operators available.  The NTS operators are the very
best in the world at what they do.

WE Ham Radio Operators ARE the NTS, ARRL, ARES, and RACES and if all we do
is complain, then all this will die on the vine.  However, if we feed Ham
Radio with proper, positive attitudes, professionalism,  recruit and train
New Hams, New ARRL members, this will grow and remain a useable asset for
the future of everyone.  It's easy to see why the ARRL has its detractors.
Many Hams,  yes ARRL members and non-members alike,  just don't know what
he!! they are talking about nor do they care or take the time to find out.
No matter what the ARRL does or does not do, they are wrong.  I don't like
everything the ARRL does or does not do.  The only way to make a change is
to be a member and convince a majority to vote like you want.  Those that
break away and shoot off their mouth's the most and form competing
organizations are those that lost the last election.

So what do we need to do?  We need to do what we have been doing.  Being an
ARRL member ourselves, recruit new Hams, New ARRL members, work with local
Served Agencies to get the word out about the good and positive things about
Ham Radio and Emergency Communications, while the interest is high as a
result of Katrina.   

Our numbers need to grow.  Some good is coming from the ARRL Emergency
Communications Course and local training.  Katrina and her sister hurricanes
stunned everyone, including Ham Radio and the ARRL.  Thus, League
Headquarters is putting together Emergency Equipment and Supply Packages
along with local efforts along these lines.  Like all other Emergency
Responders, Ham Radio is preparing accordingly.