The WDN encourages experienced stations to become one of our Net Control Stations!
If you’ve been active on at least 5 ORCA or WDN Nets, you’re probably ready to give it a try!
Suggested Capabilities:
1] A low enough noise floor to copy the net. Deaf stations need not apply! 😉
2] An antenna that has proven to regularly get your signal out to most if not all stations on ORCA or WDN
3] A basic understanding of using and customizing macros in FLDigi
4] Proficiency in FLAmp and FLMsg. Able to send reports, fills, relays, etc.
5] Any previous NCS experience (voice nets, digi nets, etc.).
Good Personality Traits:
- Patience
- Courteousness
- Kindness and a polite demeanor
- Humility (you are a facilitator, not a boss)
- The ability to inject humor without clowning too much
- Staying on-mission no matter what
NCS Tools:
Install these Macros for NCS (see Config/UI/Macros settings below)
BEFORE THE NET:
- Make sure these macros above are installed.
- Make sure you have a QRZ or HamQTH lookup site installed so clicking on the World icon fills in name and QTH.
- Make sure FLMsg is configured to auto-launch and sync the same modem as FLDigi
- Customize the Announcements macro to add any announcements you have for the net.
- Familiarize yourself with the check-in procedure below (or develop and test your own)
Checking Stations In:
At 1900 hours PST (0300 UTC) start taking early check ins. Either acknowledge them by typing or use the macros below.
OPTIONAL: The process shown in this screen below automates the check in with just a few clicks.
It’s a good practice to create a blank FLMsg file to copy/paste the acknowledged check-ins into a roster.
SIMPLE “SEAT OF THE PANTS” METHOD TO RUN THE NET
- Ask for early check-ins and keep a list starting about 7:00PM PDT
- At 7:30PM PDT, either say something about the net or hit the PROLOGUE Macro and watch the net open itself, then send your Roster list.
- Call on stations with QTCs and QSTs in order
- Have a Comments Round
- Close the net (Close Net macro or just say it).
THAT’s IT!
NET SCRIPT (to follow the regular net format more closely)
1] Take early check-ins using the method in the screen shot above.
2] Build up the roster on a blank FLMsg form in this format:
KE6SLS Jaye Eureka, CA 1 QST
K7KY Doug Brookings, OR 1 QTC KE6SLS
W7ZAP Mindy Brookings, OR 1 QST
W7WSV Stephen Mesa, AZ QRU
_KB6HOH Steve Novato, CA QNX
3] At 1920 PST enter the callsign of a strong station who is already checked in and then click on the world icon to fill in their name and QTH at the top of the screen. Then just click the “Relay Check-In” macro. If there are any new check-ins relayed, acknowledge them as above and thank the relay station.
4] at 1929 PST send the FLMsg roster using Auto Send. Make sure FLMsg is setup to have the modem used by FLDigi or it may change on you!
5] Click on the “Prologue” Macro to start the net. If you’d rather copy/paste, see text below.
6] If there are any check-ins, add them to the roster and send the FLMsg Roster again.
7] If there are any QTCs (directed traffic), do a Traffic Round and call stations who noted QTCs at check-in in the roster order.
8] After QTCs (if any), click on the Announcements Macro, then begin the QSTs Round in Order.
9] After QSTs Round, call for late check-ins or early check outs (send an updated roster if there are changes).
10] Comments Round in roster order
11] Click on Close Net macro. If you’d rather copy/paste, see text below.
That’s it!
These are already built into each macro (link above), but here’s the text in case you want to use it by copy/paste:
- •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
PROLOGUE
Welcome to the Western Digital HF Net.
This new West-of-the-Rockies digital traffic net endeavors to reach out to Amateur radio stations and provide traffic relay service:
— In times of poor voice propagation;
— In circumstances where accurate information needs to get through;
— To pass non-trivial traffic and QSTs to participating stations;
— To relay non-trivial information to remote stations;
— And to relay traffic for stations in challenging situations.
We serve the entire amateur radio community and can use our NBEMS capabilities and relay locations to assist voice nets, mobile stations, QRP stations and to check DX and propagation. We are not an end-to-end system like NTS, we are an FLDigi-based relay net for those using sound card systems. Our ops may volunteer to forward your traffic beyond our net, however that is not our primary mission.
All stations are welcomed.
IMPORTANT: This net has only two check-in “precedence” types: Priority and Routine. It will be assumed that your traffic is Routine unless the Priority word is added. PLEASE ONLY USE PRIORITY FOR URGENT TRAFFIC. We will drop everything and deal with that traffic before anything else.
HOW TO BREAK
If you need to break in, there are two methods. You can send a brief TUNE signal in between any TX or you can use Video ID just above or below only when NCS is not TXing. NCS will acknowledge your break immediately to see what you need.
HOW TO SEND TRAFFIC AND QSTs
Please keep your traffic as brief as possible! Following the conventions established by the ORCA Net, longer QSTs should be sent via FLAmp or FLMessage. Shorter traffic may be sent by KBD or FLMsg.
When you check in use Pre-Tune or Video ID (to prevent doubles) then, if clear or acknowledged, send the following:
YOURCALL Name [ Priority | QNX | QST | (#)QTC for CALLSIGN | Relay (relayed call) ]
NOTE: If you have traffic that needs to be relayed beyond this net, check in with:
“URCALL Name QTC for WL2K” or “URCALL Name QTC for Email”
Please no NTS messages for this net.
Please wait to be acknowledged. Traffic and QSTs will be queued.
Once the traffic round is complete, NCS will call each station who have QSTs.
After the QST Round, we will call stations in the roster sequence to comment on the mission and format of this net, ask NCS any questions or volunteer to help with the new Net.
So any check-ins please come now. < <MYCALL> / NCS
CLOSE OF NET
Thank you for participating in the Western Digital Net!
With ops like you we are able to use our NBEMS skills to offer a real service to the Amateur Radio community.
We would like to thank Doug K7KY and Mindy W7ZAP and all the ops from the ORCA Net for training and developing the many conventions and skills we use here. Please check out the ORCA Net at this time (0330 ZULU) and frequency every Tuesday night!
We also encourage any and all ops who wish to provide fills, test modes, macros, etc., to hold this frequency after the net. This time and place on the band have become a known ‘watering hole’ for all digital ops. The more we use it, the better.
Thanks from the WDN team and good evening from Siskiyou County, California!
< <MYCALL> SK dit dit.