In amateur radio, a “net” is a scheduled meeting or gathering of radio operators who connect on a specific frequency to communicate with each other. Nets are organized for various purposes, including:
- General Discussion: Sharing experiences, discussing topics of interest, or providing updates.
- Training and Drills: Practicing emergency communication skills and procedures.
- Technical Support: Offering help with equipment or radio-related issues.
During a net, one operator typically acts as the net control operator, coordinating the flow of conversation and managing the order of participation. Nets can be held on repeaters (which extend the range of communication) or simplex frequencies (direct communication between radios).
MARC Nets
The McKinney Amateur Radio Club (MARC) invites all radio amateurs to join our weekly nets:
- Sunday at 8:00 PM – General Information Net:
Share your experiences in ham radio and discuss a topic of interest. This net takes place on our main repeater:
Frequency: 146.740 MHz
Offset: -0.600 MHz
Tone: 110.9 Hz - Monday at 8:00 PM – Simplex Net:
Test the range of your VHF radio without using a repeater. We usually meet on:
Frequency: 146.540 MHz
No offset or tone needed
ARES Nets
The Collin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) hosts two training nets each month. All radio amateurs are welcome to join, even if you’re not an ARES member.
3rd Sunday at 9:00 PM:
Repeater: W5MRC
Frequency: 146.740 MHz
Offset: -0.600 MHz
Tone: 110.9 Hz
1st Sunday at 9:00 PM:
Repeater: K5PRK
Frequency: 147.180 MHz
Offset: +0.600 MHz
Tone: 107.2 Hz
All times are in Central (local) time.
Here are some other amateur radio nets in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area:
| Day | Net Name | Frequency | Tone | Time (Local) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | DFW Early Traffic Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 18:30 | Handles message traffic and training. |
| Sunday | Denton BBHN | 146.920 MHz | 110.9 | 14:00 | Denton Broadband Hamnet. |
| Sunday | Hurst ARC | 147.100 MHz | 110.9 | 19:30 | Hurst Amateur Radio Club net. |
| Sunday | Saginaw ARC | 441.375 MHz | 100.0 | 20:00 | Saginaw Amateur Radio Club net. |
| Sunday | Johnson County News & Info Net | 145.490 MHz | 88.5 | 19:30 | Johnson County information net. |
| Monday | DARC Hamfixin’s Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 19:00 | 1st & 3rd Mondays; Dallas Amateur Radio Club technical discussion. |
| Monday | ECOMM Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 19:00 | 2nd Monday; Emergency communications net. |
| Monday | Geek Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 19:00 | 4th Monday; General technology and amateur radio topics. |
| Monday | Surprise Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 19:00 | 5th Monday; Various topics. |
| Monday | ARCPC Weekly Net | 147.040 MHz | 110.9 | 20:00 | Amateur Radio Club of Parker County net. |
| Monday | YL Net | 145.390 MHz | 167.9 | 20:00 | YL (Young Ladies) net; also accessible via Echolink KG5BHY-L. |
| Tuesday | Fort Worth Kilocycle Club Net | 146.840 MHz | 110.9 | 20:30 | Fort Worth area net. |
| Tuesday | Quarter Century Wireless Association | 146.840 MHz | 110.9 | 19:30 | QCWA Chapter 41 net. |
| Wednesday | Handy Ham Net | 443.450 MHz | 127.3 | 19:00 | Net for disabled amateur radio operators. |
| Wednesday | 34/94 Swap Net | 146.940 MHz | 110.9 | 20:00 | Swap net for buying, selling, and trading equipment. |
| Wednesday | Vet Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 19:00 | Discussion net for veterans. |
| Wednesday | 2M SSB Net | 144.250 MHz | None | 20:00 | 2-meter sideband net. |
| Wednesday | San Diego Six Shooter Net | 443.7375 MHz | 141.3 | 21:00 | Net with participants from various locations, including DFW. |
| Wednesday | AMSAT Net | 147.140 MHz | 110.9 | 21:00 | Amateur Satellite Corporation net. |
| Wednesday | Euless Club Weekly Net | 442.900 MHz | 110.9 | 20:00 | Euless Amateur Radio Club net. |
| Thursday | Tri-County ARC Net | 147.160 MHz | 110.9 | 20:00 | Tri-County Amateur Radio Club net. |
| Thursday | “Six Shooter” Net | 145.330 MHz | 110.9 | 19:30 | Informal ragchew and information net. |
| Thursday | 220 Weekly Net | 224.460 MHz | 110.9 | 20:00 | Weekly net on the 1.25-meter band. |
| Thursday | NCTC Net | 443.200 MHz | 110.9 | 20:30 | North Central Texas Connection net. |
| Friday | San Diego Six Shooter Net | 443.7376 MHz | 141.3 | 22:00 | Net with participants from various locations, including DFW. |
| Saturday | DARC Tech Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 19:00 | Technical discussion net by Dallas Amateur Radio Club. |
| Saturday | DARC Skynet | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 21:00 | Astronomy and space science net by Dallas Amateur Radio Club. |
| Saturday | Afterglow Net | 146.880 MHz | 110.9 | 22:30 | Informal late-night net by Dallas Amateur Radio Club. |
| Friday | North Central Texas Simplex Net | 146.580 MHz | None | 20:00 | Simplex net; Net Control is normally based out of Weatherford but may be in a surrounding area. |
Please note that net schedules and frequencies can change. It’s advisable to verify the current information with the respective amateur radio clubs or organizations.