Watch Net Controllers Colin GM4JPZ & Michael GM5AUG give a brief overview of the OARC Slow to Medium Morse Net

Compared to a voice Net, a CW Net may seem a bit more formal or structured. CW Nets need a structure to ensure that all callers, however experienced or otherwise they are at CW, are able to enter in to proceedings - the Net is designed to give people a chance to operate CW even if they've never done it before, doing so in front of a sympathetic audience. Because of this, we have created this Net Format which we'll follow for our Slow to Medium Speed Nets on a Monday evening. Please be sure to either have a copy in front of you, or print it off, before calling in.

Details of the OARC S2MS Net are below:

• QTR (Time and Date) - Mondays at 1900hz local time.
• QRG (Frequency) - 7066kHz (+/- to allow for QRM).
• QRS/QRO (Speed) - Up to 15wpm, but the Net Controller will reply at the speed each Net member sends at.
• Net Controller - To begin with, either Colin GM4JPZ or Michael GM5AUG, using the OARC Club callsign MS0OUK.
• Facilitator - Paul M0TZO on Discord (not Morse proficient, but can sort events, calendar, etc).

If you are proficient at Morse and would like to be an OARC Slow to Medium Speed CW Net Operator, please let Michael GM5AUG know on Discord.

• Net Control (MS0OUK) will call “CQ OARC Net de MS0OUK”, finishing with “AR K”.
• Stations calling in send their full callsigns three times (ie “M1ABC M1ABC M1ABC” - no need to send Net Control callsign).
• Net Control will list calls heard (with / in between) then ask for any more with “QRZ?”
• If net control did not list your call, then call again with your callsign 3 times.
• Net Control will continue to call “QRZ?” until no more callers are heard.
• Once all participants have been noted by Net Control, he will call the first station heard and send a welcome text (which applies to everyone listening but is addressed to one person to stay within the terms of our licence) - “M1ABC de MS0OUK = GE ES welcome to OARC S2MS Net = OP Mike ES QTH Glasgow AR BK”.
• The first station (in this example, M1ABC) responds with their callsign and name followed by “BK” - ie “M1ABC Fred BK” .
• Net Control then calls the other stations on their list, ie “[Call] MS0OUK BK”, to which they respond with their callsign, name and “BK” .
• Once every station has sent their name, the Net Control returns to the top of the list and calls each station in order, “M1ABC de MS0OUK AR KN” .
• Each station (when called) returns with “MS0OUK de [Call] GE Mike UR RST 599 599. Op [Name] ES QTH [Location] = HW CPI? BK” .
• Net Control responds with “RR TNX FER call = UR RST 599 AR” before calling the next station.
• Once the Net Controller has contacted everyone and given them a signal report, he returns to the top of the list and sends “M1ABC de MS0OUK 73 ES HPE CU AGN BK”.
• The first station (in this example, M1ABC) replies “73 TU”.
• The Net Controller replies by sending two dots [DIT DIT] before moving to the next station “ [Call] de MS0OUK 73 ES HPE CU AGN BK”.
• The first station (in this example, M1ABC) replies “73 TU”
• Once he has said 73 to every station, the Net Controller sends “MS0OUK QRT AR SK”, bringing the net to an end.

Signal Reports - we have written 599 in the example above to make life easier for those who are just starting out. However, if the Net Controller is not 599 to you, and you want to give him an accurate RST, please do so!

Morse Code uses lots of abbreviations to get messages across in the speediest way possible. To help you, both on the Net, and in other CW Contacts, GM4JPZ and GM5AUG have created this Glossary of frequently used abbreviations and Q-codes. If you spot any we've missed, please add them!

In Amateur Radio we make use of many Q-codes. Most of these Q codes can be used as a question or a statement.

There are lots more Q codes that are not covered in this short glossary. Further information can be found by clicking here.

Morse