Attachment 1

NET CONTROL GUIDE (6 Steps)

STEP 1.  Approximately 5 minutes before the time for the net opening, check to see if there is a net in progress.  If there is a net in progress, inform the NCS of your intention to take over as NCS.  State your opening and closing time and the net designator.  ( Often, if you are relieving the Admin. NCS at 8:00 PM, merely state,   "I WILL BE NET CONTROL FOR 3S1 FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS".)  Once you have obtained the frequency get a frequency check from a frequency monitor.  The frequency monitor is expected to set you on frequency and then you are responsible for keeping all participants within tolerance.( Plus or minus 20 HZ.). Stations may use the period from having your frequency set and the opening of the net for equipment adjustment.

STEP 2.   To open the net, You say, "THREE SIERRA ONE THREE SIERRA ONE THIS IS (Your Callsign) OVER". The repeat of the collective call indicates this is the start of the net. Trained stations will know this is the time to check in. No further instructions are necessary

STEP 3.  To check stations in, make a Collective Call--You say--THREE SIERRA ONE THIS IS (Your Callsign)  OVER".  That is really all that is necessary.  While some qualifying statement might be acceptable to limit stations to a particular class (such as “STATIONS WITH TRAFFIC ONLY”) avoid  the NON-MARS  phrases like "are there stations to check in to the net" or "stations to be  recognized" Etc.   The Collective Call is all inclusive and makes those extra phrases unnecessary.

STEP 4. Be ready to write! There might be 3 or 4 stations after the first call or there might be 20.  When you have  the Callsigns, and traffic status of the stations written down, ROGER them into the net.  At first ignore any  stations who were too weak to copy or were covered up in dual transmissions.  ROGER in the stations that you  have heard for certain.  Then go back and get the ones you missed.. Request relays for any that you cannot copy.  

EXAMPLE:  ALPHA FOXTROT ALPHA THREE ZULU FOXTROT  FYMON
                  ALPHA   FOXTROT ALPHA THREE ALPHA ALPHA
                  ALPHA FOXTROT BRAVO THREE MIKE MIKE  ONE  ROUTINE
                  ALPHA FOXTROT ALPHA THREE BRAVO BRAVO
                  THIS IS (Your Callsign) ROGER OUT.
 Then give another collective call.  Traffic is handled in precedence order and informals are deferred until all the traffic is passed if it can be passed.

STEP 5. Net Continuity Check (Roll Call-Radio Check). The procedure is outlined in MOI Chapter 11 Dated  1 December 2005.  On the  two hour  affiliate evening traffic net the Net Continuity check should be  made at 5 minutes into the second hour of the net.  It is left to the discretion of the NCS as to how many times to call a station who does not answer the first time.  If the traffic load is very heavy, the NCS has the option of skipping the check if it  hampers getting all of the traffic passed  . Poor or changing propagation is a good reason for having the check, not a reason for calling it off.

STEP 6. Net Closing. You say "THREE SIERRA ONE THIS IS (Your Callsign) CLOSE DOWN OUT"    If there is a following net, call the prospective NCS and inform him/her that you have closed.  If no net follows, monitor for about 5 minutes in case any stations missed the closing.

SOME EXTRA POINTERS. ROGER all stations by using full phonetics on their initial call in. When answering stations, who use the abbreviated call, the NCS should  always use a full Preliminary Call. I.E.  (THEIR CALL SIGN, THIS IS (“Your Callsign”) OVER.  Keep in mind that your job as NCS, is to maintain circuit discipline, maintain an accurate log of net proceedings and direct traffic to the proper stations.

( This guide has been prepared and updated by AFA3VP and AFA3TN and is a condensation of a document used for NCS training for many years. ( Rev 11/29/2007)