This is a short tutorial for stations who will volunteer for NCS duty on a Keyboard to Keyboard digital net.

Setting frequency.....There are numerous ways to do this but if you are using any one of the popular sound card programs with a waterfall pattern, and a stable radio, I would suggest that you set your dial exactly 1500 Hz above the assigned frequency. Lock your radio on that frequency and then center your marker on 1500 Hz on the water fall. If you are operating on a frequency that is also used for voice, then you will not have to change your dial to operate voice because in AF MARS the voice net window frequencies are 1500 Hz above the assigned frequency.

Send some type of tuning signal to the net. A 1500 Hz tone is good or a text test as in QBF etc. I like to use the QBF with the series of U*s that is the standard ASCII test for mechanical ASCII machines corresponding to the RYRY etc for Baudot RTTY signals.

I program the various standard texts into Macro in whatever program I use Eg.
Net call-- 3S1 3S1 DE (YOUR CALLSIGN) INT ZKE INT ZBO ...K (Over)
(Translated 3S1 this is (Callsign of the NCS) do you wish to check in, do you have traffic...OVER
Stations answer with--- DE (Their Callsign) (State) QRU or ZBO 1R or 3P ...K (Over) etc depending on what traffic they hold.
The NCS will acknowledge stations in the following manner.
DE (NCS Callsign) RGR AFA3XX IA QRU
AFF3X MN QRU
AFA3YY IL 3 R and 1 P AR (OUT)
And then make another net call.
Some NCS stations will use ZGN (Nothing Heard) if they get no response but that is not really necessary.

That is really all there is to it except for closing. The usual way to close a digital net is to say....
3S1 DE (NCS Callsign) NET ZKJ (Net is Closed) AR (OUT)

Q and Z Signals (Optional not official)

Here is a list of the most often used Q and Z signals. The meanings are paraphrased or given a MARS voice equivalent. Mainly, Z signals are military and Q signals are for other services. Q signals may be used on MARS nets when there is no Z signal equivalent.

QIC	Establish communications with--
QRK	Readability of signal (1 to 5)..
QRM	I am being interfered with
QRN	Static (Atmospheric noise)
QRU	No traffic
QRV	Ready to copy
QRZ	You are being called by-----
QSL	ROGER (Acknowledge receipt)
QSO	I can communicate with-----
QSP	I will relay(or relay to-- )
QSY	Change freq.(or to ----Khz.)
ZBO	I have traffic (list number and precedence)
ZEN	message delivered by----
ZEV	message acknowledged (QSL)
ZGE	Send callsign twice
ZGN	Nothing heard
ZKA	I am net control
ZKD	Take control of net
ZKE	I report into the net
ZKJ	Close (Net or Station)
ZKS	The following stations are on the net.
ZOG	Send message (To) 1. for action 2.for info.
ZRC	Tune to (1. Proper freq.) (2. my signal)
ZUJ	Wait (Standby)
AR	Out
K	Over
IMI	Say again or I say again
INT	is a PROSIGN to be used ahead of a Q or Z signal. It is not a question mark. INT QRV........Are you ready to copy INT QRK........Radio Check INT QSP......Is there a Relay ) INT ZBO........Do you have traffic INT ZKJ........May I close my station ETC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

END Of Bulletin AR