Relax and have fun! In addition to providing a service, Amateur Radio is
your hobby.
Let's hear what other young net control operators have to say:
Andrew Kelly, K3ASK, has served as NCS for the North American Youth Net (NAYN),
which meets Mondays and Fridays at 2300-2330 UTC on 14.329 MHz. He recommends
that new NCSs develop a script to read from.
"A script really helps keep things organized during the net," he advises. The
North American Youth Net has a topic of the week, and Kelly finds it convenient
to keep a list of possible topics on his computer, which he can draw from as
needed.
Chris Mayrose, KD5QBS, at
the controls of the Route 66 special event station at the Salvation Army
Oklahoma City Communications center. [KD5WEV Photo] |
Chris Mayrose, KD5QBS, thinks being a net control station is a real
challenge, and he considers it a real honor that the ARRL Emergency Coordinator
and District Emergency Coordinator in Central Oklahoma have given him a chance
to serve as an NCS. "Whether it is a training net or the real deal, you are the
central focus of all traffic and issues on the net," he says. "I like making the
decisions as to what traffic needs to be handled first."
Mayrose believes a training net offers as much training for the NCS as it
does for the participating stations. "A real emergency is never going to run as
smoothly as a training net, due to the fact that so many stations in the field
are doing a variety of different tasks such as damage assessment, weather
spotting and communication for relief workers," he points out. The Net Control
Operator is responsible for all of their safety and their traffic.
"Preparation is key!" Mayrose says. "Don't walk into the station one minute
before the net begins and try and throw things together. Things are bound to go
wrong." Once a net goes astray, he says, it can be difficult or impossible to
regain control. He recommends having an experienced net controller on hand to
help you over the rough spots your first few times at the helm. He also advises
new NCSs to keep a sense of humor. "When you are the new kid on the
block, any mistakes you make are going to be targets for some friendly picking.
Laugh and learn; it's all part of the game."
Just Do It!
If you're thinking about becoming a net control operator, Mayrose says, "Just
do it!" as the footgear ads suggest. "It is not hard, [but] it is a great
experience and will make being a ham more enjoyable."
Net control operator
Jonathan Kinsky, KB1IPK. [Photo courtesy of KB1IPK] |
In emergency situations, he advises hams to be flexible. "There may be a need
for your talents somewhere other than net control," he says. "Don't be insulted
when you are asked to load a canteen with food and water or accompany the
canteen out into the disaster area. We are all part of a team."
The May 2003 Oklahoma City tornadoes were a real learning experience for
Mayrose. "I was on a Salvation Army canteen in the afternoon and was a net
control operator when the second tornado came through," he recalls. "As net
control, I had to monitor three 2-meter radios and a phone line and pass
messages to the hams working as liaisons to the Salvation Army leadership. It
was a little overwhelming." He says his past experience with training nets
prepared him well. "Training and experience are key to being an effective net
control operator," Mayrose concludes.
Fourteen-year-old Jonathan Kinsky, KB1IPK, is an NCS for the Training,
Information and Public Service Net (TIPSNET). The net averages 20 to 30 checkins
per session and has had as many as 50. The net occupies more than 15 Connecticut
repeaters plus two EchoLink nodes. Kinsky believes being an NCS not only
is a good way to keep on the air on a regular basis but to be ready to provide a
service. He urges young hams with an interest in pursing net control to contact
a local net manager and offer their assistance.
Steve Traylor, KF4ZGD
(left) and Ben Mills, KG4QVP (right) at Field Day 2003. [Photo: K4DND] |
The Youth Net Challenge
Steve Traylor, KF4ZGD, originated a net that came to be known as the North
American Youth Net. Originally held on 40 meters, it soon migrated to 20. "For a
few weeks, things went well," he recounts. "We had five or more checkins each
net session, and there seemed to be genuine interest."
But, he says, as quickly as things got going, they dropped off. Over the
summer, the number of checkins dwindled until the net was lucky to have more
than two stations on frequency during any given week.
"We built up quite an extensive e-mail list, however, and began sending out a
newsletter each week," he reports. But this failed to attract additional
participation, and, as the summer wound down, so did the net. Participation at
this point remains marginal.
"My idea to start a net was not a new one," he says. "It was one of many HF
youth nets that have been started over the years, but like all the others, it
met the same fate." He believes that despite his time and effort to make the net
succeed, "people simply did not find it important to check in."
"Why is it such a challenge to start a youth net?" Traylor wonders aloud. He
points out that of the hundreds of HF nets, few are specifically for youth.
As KF4ZGD notes, there are many challenges for net control stations, but nets
are certainly not impossible. If enough young operators become active on HF and
support a youth net, it could become major. "Perhaps we all will rise to the
challenge," Traylor concludes.
