Hello, this is (name, call sign) calling the Auxiliary Bored Meeting to order. That’s B-O-R-E-D. This “Meeting of the Bored” is a meeting place for all licensed amateurs.
Before we continue, is there any emergency or priority traffic? (Wait several seconds for any response. If someone responds, give them the frequency.)
None heard-if at any time during the gathering you have emergency or priority traffic, call BREAK-BREAK between transmissions. If you hear someone calling BREAK-BREAK, stop all transmissions and allow Net Control to take charge of the frequency.
These meetings take place at 0900 every morning from Monday through Saturday, with another meeting Saturday night at 2100 hosted by Ed N6XEW. The Saturday morning net includes the County Swap Net, and both Saturday nets are linked to the PVARC repeater network, covering the entire Ventura County area and beyond.
The goal is to give all hams and clubs in the county an opportunity to exchange ideas, share news, ask questions, practice skills, make announcements, and most of all provide a friendly place to meet.
I’m logging the checkins, so please check in one at a time, and please give your call sign slowly and phonetically! Wait for Net Control to acknowledge each checkin before coming with the next one. If you want to check in, please come now.
Make a note of call and first name as each person checks in. When you get no response asking for the next checkin, go to the top of the list and call each checkin to take a turn talking. After those people have a turn, ask for more checkins and then give those people a turn. Keep track of time so you can identify every ten minutes.
Once there are no more people checking in, ask if anyone has any comments or questions, and handle it just like the checkin portion. Once no one is responding to your requests for comments, it’s over.
With no more checkins or comments heard, it’s time to close this net. Thank you all for checking in, and I hope we hear you all at the next net at (time and day of next net). I want to thank KC6IJM and WD6EBY for their support and the use of their repeaters. This is (name and call sign), and the repeaters are now returned to normal use.
After the net, send a copy of the log to Keith at keith@w6kme.org. If you did the log with a logging program, an ADIF file is preferred, but if not, don’t worry. You can type the list of call signs and names into an email, or even take a photo or scan of your handwritten log and I will work it out.
The following isn’t part of the script, just information.
This type of net is a directed net, meaning a net controller controls the flow of traffic.That makes it a formal net with rules people follow, but it doesn’t mean that it has to have a formal tone. The only parts of the script that are actually vital are:
- Identifying yourself with your call sign at the start and every ten minutes afterward, and again at the close,
- Stating that a net is starting (by agreement, people should stop using the frequency for general purposes at that time),
- Asking for emergency or priority traffic, and giving instructions on how to break into the net with such traffic,
- Stating that the net is over and the frequency is open for normal use again.
Feeling nervous? That’s normal, just remember that no one *owns* an amateur frequency or has a right to use it exclusively. Nets work only because all operators agree to follow the Net Controller. Whatever the Net Controller does is right by definition. Especially for a net like the BORED Net, it’s very casual and low pressure, and no one is keeping count of awkward moments. Nothing is at stake! Even if it’s the first time you’ve tried being a net controller, once you read the first word you already have more experience than most of the people checking in. Relax and have fun.
Keith W6KME
keith@w6kme.org