Courage Center Handiham System

Welcome once again to my Humble QTH: 

A few years ago I was asked to do a local two meter net on Sunday Evenings at 7:00 PM. So, after saying “yes” for three years, finally I tried to find someone else to take the net.  

As it turned out, every Sunday night there I was at 7:00 PM no matter what, doing a net that sometimes lasted quite late into the evening.

It didn't matter if it was a family member's birthday, some other holiday or what because every Sunday night there I was. If I was at someone's home for dinner, I would excuse myself and go out to my truck and run the net from there.   

So then the idea came up: Would I do a CW upgrade net?  

So, every Thursday we had a two hour long CW upgrade net, again starting at 7:00 PM.  Now my Sunday night and Thursday nights were tied up in knots, um, I mean nets. Well, people checking into my nets would ask me to please check into their nets at specific dates and times. Oh, oh! All of a sudden I was addicted to nets.  

Did you ever think of how many nets there are?  

A person could spend almost all their time just checking into nets. There are UHF/VHF nets as well as nets on HF when the bands are open. Then there are swap nets, social nets, training nets, weather nets, drive time nets, AM phone nets, CW nets, RTTY nets, slow scan TV nets, and probably a bunch of nets I missed. That doesn’t include RACES, ARES, SKYWARN and MARS nets, either.  

Some international, national and local organizations like TEN-TEN and QCWA have at least three nets a day and groups like PICONET are on every day for a few hours and switch net controls every hour, so you have to check in each hour if you want to talk to all of them.    

Did I mention that some people on some nets are very long-winded and it takes awhile for them to break long enough for someone else to check in? In case of an emergency that is not such a very good idea.  

Just for fun I checked out a local website and found out that I could pretty nearly spend 100% of the time I am awake just checking into nets.  

Whew! Well, you know I still get asked to run a net, and I will, but only if there is no one else around who can do so because you see I am all netted out and if I start doing nets again, I won't have time for anything else.  

I do get asked to check into a net once in awhile and for the same reason I usually decline as I am addicted to nets and once I start up again there will be no time for anything else.  

According to the Amateur’s Code a ham radio operator is BALANCED... radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.  

Don't forget the contest and remember that a QSL card is confirmation of a contact made on the air, so if you are asking for a card and have not made a radio contact with the person you most likely won't get one. 

You can reach me at:
763-520-0515
avery.finn@courage.org  

So, for now 73 es DX de K0HLA, Avery