Net Operations
What a net is, who runs it, and the difference between a directed net and a free net.
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What a net is
A net is an organized group of stations that communicate on a common channel for a shared purpose — an emergency activation, an exercise, or a scheduled check-in. One station, the Net Control Station (NCS), manages the net. The NCS opens and closes the net, recognizes stations, passes traffic in priority order, and keeps the channel orderly. As an operator, your job is to make the NCS's job easy.
Directed net vs. free net
In a DIRECTED net, the NCS controls all traffic. Stations may not transmit until the NCS recognizes them or calls on them. Directed nets are used when discipline matters most — during activations and emergencies — because they prevent stations from stepping on each other. In a FREE (open) net, stations may transmit to each other without first getting permission from the NCS for each transmission. Free nets work for lighter, routine traffic where strict control isn't needed.
Joining and working a net
Monitor before you transmit — make sure the channel is clear and you understand whether the net is directed or free. To check in, wait for a break, call the NCS, identify yourself, and state your purpose briefly. Keep transmissions short. Listen more than you talk. If you have urgent traffic on a directed net, use a break-in procedure to signal priority rather than waiting your turn.