[Qcwa] QCWA Sunday 20 meter net

[Alan J. Pickering]

On Mon, 30 Dec 2002 14:12:36 EST W5VPU@aol.com writes:
>        Can someone please help me?
> 
>        After reading our web site yesterday, I noted the invitation 
> to check 
> into the 20 meter net. OK, I says to me, I'll do just that. But 
> first I will 
> listen to see how it operates. Don't want to blunder in like I have 
> done in some other QCWA stuff.
> 
>        So I listened, and listened, and listened. That was the 
> "pre net 
> check ins," to be expected from those who know each other for many 
> years and 
> have great fraternity. Then the regular net, with voices coming out 
> of the 
> blue, sometimes identified by call signs, sometimes not. Just first 
> names. 
> "Helping" one another to know who was calling whom. Then asking for 
> directors 
> to check in. Then representatives of a chapter. Then started asking 
> for 
> check ins from various groups by number. 
> 
Raymond,  let me try to explain.   The pre-net check-ins business is a
bad habit that has grown up because of an effort by net control stations
in times past to accommodate those QCWA folks who had pressing time
problems,  or bad weather facing them at net time,  or so other
"legitimate" reason for getting in before the net itself.  How much of it
occurs is pretty much up to the NCS.   As the normal NCS on the last
Sunday of the month,  I tend to discourage a lot of pre-net check ins, 
but each NCS makes his own choice.  There are some who argue that the
pre-net helps hold the frequency for the full,  regular net,  after the
XG (i.e. former United Kingdom International Net) closes and time remains
between their operations and those of the QCWA.  There may be some
justification for this,  then.   In any case,  I try not to arrive on the
frequency more than 10 minutes or less before the actual net time as
announced.  So any pre-net listings are done by others than myself as
NCS.   The "groups" are the five divisions of the alphabet in which the
first letter of the call suffix falls.  Group #1 is A-E,  Group #2 is
F-J,   Group #3 is K-O,  Group #4 is P-T,  and Group #5 is U-Z.   The
group which is called first each week for regular check ins rotates
through these groups,  so that over the course of several months everyone
gets to be in the group called first.   Each person checking in is given
a number,  in sequence,  representing their place on the list of stations
to be called back for comments.  Therefore,  when checked in,  each is
given a number and then asked whether nor not they are going to "stay" or
be "in and out."   Only those indicating that they are going to "stay"
are called back for comments.   Another practice of the net,  after
identifying any pre-net check ins,  is to ask is there are any Silent
Keys to be listed,  so that those names and calls can be immediately sent
to Jim Walsh.  And frequently,  depending upon band conditions and
propagation,  the NCS may ask if there are any "mobile" stations to be
checked in,  since their location,  time available,  or changing
propagation might limit their participation unless given a chance to
check in early.   Some NCS guys pay more attention to these customary
procedures than do others,  human nature being such.   And because the
geographical location of the NCS may leave the NCS handicapped as to
stations checking in close at hand (skip overs) or off the ends of the
NCS's beam,
"helping" stations or alternate NCS or "Relay" stations are normally
identified.  The proper procedure is for the NCS to do that,  and gently
suggest that if and when  they need help,  they will ask for that help. 
But you know us QCWA types,  always trying to be helpful,  so sometimes
too many decide on their own to help and that creates bedlam.  Add that
to the delay in acknowledging check ins due to the arthritis-affected
hands of the NCS,  and you have a situation ripe for "helpful" stations
on the side to intervene,  when with a little patience the NCS will reply
to the checkin.

        What on earth are groups? They are not described on the web 
> page. IMHO 
> a posted statement somewhere on the Web Page of how the net operates 
> would be 
> helpful to those of us who have not been in QCWA already for a 
> couple of 
> decades. Especially since we are invited on the web page to join in 
> the net 
> each week.
>
An excellent suggestion,  Raymond.   I guess I'll have to write a page on
how to do it right!!
>
>        I sought to check in sometime but never was acknowledged. I 
> wrote Jim 
> Walsh afterward to ask how the net works, he said something about 
> various 
> groups broken down by the first letter of your call suffix. He told 
> me to 
> just ask how it works on the air. That didn't seem to compute with 
> what I 
> heard Sunday afternoon.
> 
>        OK. Perhaps this group can first help me keep from making 
> another 
> blunder. How does this net operate? What these groups? Is there some 
> 
> alphabetical arrangement of which first letters of various suffixes 
> are 
> assigned to which group number? 
> 
>        I don't mean to be dense, but can someone explain it to me, 
> please? 
>
I  hope the words I've written will clarify things somewhat,  Raymond. 
And I am sorry that your efforts to get into the net last week were not
successful.   Please try again.  I will listen especially for you,  and
make sure that you get recognized as a part of group #5 when that group
is called (we will start with group #4 on January 5,  2003;  and on June
1,  your group will have rotated to become the first group called).

 (Or do I have to first know the secret handshake before I can be 
> trusted with 
> this kind of information? HI HI) Thanks in advance.
> 
> 73         Raymond    W5VPU
> 
Nah,  Raymond,  you don't have to do anything more than persist.  AND IF
YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS,  JUST SHIP THEM ALONG TO ME.       --- 73,  
Alan,  KJ9N
> 
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