As a reminder our primary 40M frequency is 7120 KHz, and our secondary 20M
frequency is (14067.5 USB + 1500).

The primary 40M net frequency has turned into a "guard" channel many watch every day
from 2300Z-0200Z. During daytime (from about 1800Z - 2300Z)  the 20M guard frequency
may be monitored.

The quick and dirty details of the guard channels are:
40M 2300Z-0200Z, Olivia 16/500 on  7114 7120 USB +1500 (Primary/Night)
20M 1800Z-2300Z, Olivia 16/500 on 14067.5 USB + 1500 (Secondary/Day)

There is a regularly scheduled net on Wednesdays at 0000Z (for now.)

Net control floats among those with good signals. Remember there are also stations that
are not members of this forum as it's an open net.

Typically the net lasts for an 30 to 60 minutes starts with check ins and then moves to a round robin
where each station gets to share a short little personal news item, signal reports and/or weather.

Starting 0000Z/1900ET:

Primary band 40M digital guard channel and net frequency
Mode: Olivia 16/500
Primary Frequency: 7114 7120KHz USB + 1500 waterfall

Secondary Frequencies
Mode: Olivia 16/500
20M: 14067.5KHz USB + 1500 waterfall

Mode: Olivia 16/500
80M: 3586KHz USB + 1500 waterfall

Olivia 16/500 is a slow digital mode, but very reliable, so it remains the main mode in use.
When conditions permit, the net may move to higher speed modes.

Short but sweet digital operating guide:

#1, don't stress, these little rules are just to make things faster and easier,
you're among ham friends and we all make little mistakes all the time. Join in!

Rig setup:
- Olivia/Contestia is always USB, even on 80/40M.
- Digital is a 100% mode, run your power low or your transmitter gets toasty. 25-30W suggested.
- Clean up your radio: turn off compression and DSP features. Turn off IF shifts, ideally we want you within a few Hertz on frequency.

Operating:
- On slow modes like Olivia, keep it short (one or two liners, like a short text message)
- This is a net, we pause frequently to allow stations to check in
- for initial contact send a long enough string for all of us to figure out who you are,
we suggest a few periods "..." your call twice and the prosign QRU.
- Start your transmission with "....." to give the modems RXing you time to sync.
- Use your type ahead buffer (if you know how to use it without transmitting on top of someone else )
- Abbreviate and use prosigns. Optionally use lower case, which is faster on Olivia. Examples below:

Initial call from net control (if nothing heard 5 min in, any station who wishes to be net control can issue this call as well):
cq cq de n7xyz n7xyz
cq cq de n7xyz n7xyz
pse check in, format
"... callsign callsign QRU kn ."
QNI pse k .

(Note the pse "please" and K, the prosign for end of call/anyone respond, the space and "." after the K are optional but give a cleaner print.
Those fancy Q-signals? QNI is a call to check into the net, and QRU is what you say to check in with no traffic.)

Respond to net control in the requested format:

... wa1abc wa1abc QRU kn .

Note that other stations may also be responding, so watch the waterfall and avoid
transmitting if someone else is. You are encouraged to respond to check ins after
you see the call, or see another station check in. It brings happiness to net control
to stare at a list of callsigns without answering every single call.

Net control, if he hears you will answer:

... wa1abc de n7xyz 90% copy. Other stations pse check in now QNI de n7xyz k .

This process will continue until everyone net control can hear is checked in.
Here's how you can help! Follow along with the check ins, noting the calls you hear. At some point net control will list the stations in net:

... arfcom de n7xyz copy WA1ABC N5JKL KA3LMN KB9OPQ. Please relay stations not heard now de n7xyz k .

At this point WA1ABC heard K7YZ, net control did not:

... n7xyz de wa1abc relay K7YZ kn .

net control will answer:

... wa1abc de n7xyz K7YZ on net, you will relay. Any more relays check in de n7xyz k .

Once done, net control provides a final list:

... arfcom de n7xyz copy WA1ABC N5JKL KA3LMN KB9OPQ K7YZ. WA1ABC is up, ga de n7xyz k .

And WA1ABC will now say his short little message:

... arfcom de wa1abc wx is 42 and snowy, N5JKL is s9+20 here. btu de wa1abc k .

and net control will do the same for the next station:

... arfcom de n7xyz N5JKL is up, ga de n7xyz k .

and so on.. when we get to the relays:

... arfcom de n7xyz WA1ABC please relay K7YZ ga de n7xyz kn .

and WA1ABC sends:

... k7yz de wa1abc you are up, ga de wa1abc kn .

and K7YZ sends his short message, when he is done, wa1abc relays:

... n7xyz de wa1abc K7ZX says your antenna sucks net control de wa1abc kn .

and then net control passes on to other stations as needed.


Key points in all this:

(Note the "... " lead in to let modem sync, the short transmissions, btu="back to you" and "kn" prosign, which means wa1abc is asking
for only n7xyz to respond. n7xyz responds and then asks for other check ins)

See you all on the net soon!

When you sent it my decoder switched automatically. Let's try simple text transmission me see if that goes through. With mine in 8psk125 it decodes noise constantly, I had to raise the squelch nearly all the way up.  

We can try it again, I have my dmr working again so we can coordinate a little better next time.

ok let me know when you want to do that

I missed out last night. I'm switching radios and wanted to get a better handle on things before trying the net.

Need a volunteer for one more week (today.) Thought my work was done and a client sprung a meeting on me, right at net time.

I'm not going to make it on the radio tonight.

Well, the two or three of you who are left, now's the perfect time to practice being NC!

I just got in from sawing deadfall, did any one volunteer for NCS?

I didn't. I'm using a different radio and computer tonight. Not really sure that it'll even go.

I will be present to NC tonight.

It's probably time to consider 20M as an alternate, so I'll give a test transmission on 20M after the 2330Z reminder, assuming my tuner doesn't flip out.

Reminders going out on normal schedule.

Tuned to 14067.5 Olivia 16/500 1500 waterfall. Unfortunately I'm going to be a little distracted for the next hour or so but I'd like to see if I can at least catch any traffic. Will check in if the timing works out for getting back in front of the radio.

I'm not at my station but left it on 20m as well. I'll report a %cpy at 1945 or whenever I get done eating.

With a sample size of one, it looks like 20M is much weaker than 40M right now. Quieter too, but weaker.

I heard you at +2db good signal and weaponeer1911 at -8 ghost printing which seems about right for the distances we are all apart. I never care for 20 nets, seems like I can only hear stations on the other side of the country.

I'm out tonight. I had antenna issues. I just got it fixed.

Looking at it, I had good copy on weaponeer1911 on 20m. Appears there might have been a call ending in JW but I'm not seeing anything but the call.

Nice net tonight, though small.

3 stations + NC. One new station.

40M continues to be stronger overall than 20M.

I'll be around for the net tonight, hope a few of you make it.

Sticking with 40M.

I'll be there tonight.

I plan on being there.  

It's a different radio and computer,  so it'll be good to see if it's set up correctly.

Warnings sent 2300Z and 2320Z so far.

Copied NMBMXER testing.

I copied the 2345 warning. I've heard (with my ears) two transmissions since then with no decode.

Crap, me and a call ending in JW just stepped on each other.

I very rapidly set up FLDIGI for the first time without really looking into the instructions. Still don't know much about using it but I've got it configured right to be copying the net now.

Nice to have a slightly bigger net than last week.

40M was rough but as usual Olivia did an outstanding job and everyone was 100% copy here.
SNR varied a lot more than usual.

Final count is 5 stations + NC for tonight.

Great net tonight guys, thanks.

Good net. Even though the band was a little flakier than usual, I copied everyone 100%.  Pretty good spread, AZ to Cape Cod.

I'll be around to NC tonight.

Conditions are bad here tonight. I can barely copy NCS, weaponeer1911 who I generally get a strong signal from, I had about 80% copy.

I checked in, but I don't think that  I was heard. Will try again for last call.

I heard you and @Mach and relayed. Both of you were loud here, +5db and +10 respectively.

You had the strongest signal of all here in Central Texas.  S8 +5dB 100% on a low dipole.  Your station is working.

Rough conditions tonight, I wouldn't judge any stations based on that.

Weaponeer was loudest here and NMBMXER who's usually pretty strong was barely visible
on the waterfall. I didn't hear the other two check ins but copied fine during the net.

Four stations + NC tonight.

Glad everyone could make it.

Less than optimal conditions tonight, but it still worked out. The biggest hindrance for me is my typing skills.

I'm around to NC tonight.

I think I'll check 20M out again after the 2330Z announcement, with the reports about about propagation on 20M and opening even on 10M it's worth checking.

Plus we have a sunspot number that isn't zero. 20 ain't much but it's whole lot more than zero.

Man, 40m is bad here.  45 min warning was barely detectable, less than 50% print.  Tried both antennas.
Hope 20m is better.

on 20 now.

ETA: back on 40M

I think 20 was slightly better but only one report so probably will stick with 40M and hope it improves.

Both bands were marginal here.  I'll try to get in on 40m, but will have to in/out, company coming at 000Z.

You can always just check in early since I have copy on you already.

I have very poor copy on Seek2, maybe S3 -10db 50% cpy with lots of interference from adjacent CW stations that are much stronger.

Another small net. 40M was rough, sounded like storm related static crashes, but
improved over time. I had everyone 100% but best SNR was +4dB tonight.

Three stations + NC. Thanks to all for making it.

Last week and this week I was packing for and then cleaning up after a trip to MT. Should be back for next week’s net.

I'll be around to NC tonight.

Will check 20M at 2330Z but planning on 40M unless prop on 20M is amazing.

Sample of one again, but 40M is doing super great so far.

I'm up on 20m . I usually do half way decently out west on 20m, though it's usually earlier in the day.

Well, 20m was a NO-GO here.  I got a brief tone and about three letters and that was it.

Looks like I only have a good path to one of you on 20M so far.

ETA: ok 2 out 5 I think. Plan on 40M for tonight.

I didn't only copied seek2 (50%), some of weaponeer1911's tx looked like he doubled, I saw half his message.

I usually run Olivia at 100% power and a tickle of ALC and seem to get out better than I hear...

I heard NC very well at the start, S9+ and 12dB. His last had dropped to S8 and 1.3dB.

I had no indication that there were others out there besides NC.

Don't forget that I'm in an extremely low noise environment so my SNRs will likely be higher than most.

On both 40M and 20M my S-meter is reading 0 with no signals present.