Southern Peninsula Emergency Communications System
Monday Night Net
June takes check-ins on the Monday Night Net.
(in memoriam)
SPECS conducts directed nets on Monday nights. The nets have operated continually for over 60 years. The purpose of these nets is to train and maintain a crew of Amateur Radio Operators who are ready to furnish communication services in a time of need. This is done by providing announcements pertaining to amateur radio and emergency preparedness, and providing a common meeting place prior to city local nets. This, in conjunction with city local nets, gives us all the opportunity to test our equipment, practice standard procedures and protocols, and make sure we are ready when needed.
Visitors are always welcome to check into any of the nets when called by the Net Control Operator.
SPECS conducts two nets on Monday nights: the "Main Net" and the "UHF Net". The Main Net begins at 20:00 (8:00 PM) using the W6ASH repeater at 145.270 MHz, positive offset, with a 100 Hz PL tone. The Main Net operator calls on local cities during the net who take check-ins from their city and report the total to the Main Net operator. The "UHF Net" operates from 19:30 hours (7:30 PM) to just shortly before 20:00 hours (8:00 PM) and takes check-ins from individual operators. This net operates from the W6ASH repeater at 440.800 MHz, positive offset, with a 100 Hz PL tone, and the W6ASH repeater at 224.140 MHz, negative offset, with a 88.5 MHz PL tone. The 440 and 220 repeaters are linked during the net. The UHF Net Control operator may close the net early so he/she can change over to the SPECS Main Net at 8:00 PM. T
Sign up to be Net Control for a SPECS net
See your city's website for directions to sign up as Net Control for a net.
All the nets are directed and scripted, so it's easy and fun (if you know your phonetics!) It's a good way to train for the "real thing."
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SPECS Repeaters W6ASH
145.270 - 100 PL
224.140 - 88.5 PL
440.800 + 100 PL
Local (city) Nets:
Each SPECS city operates a local net on Monday night and takes check-ins from members and guests. They report the total number of check-ins to the Main net operator during that net. Local nets typically are directed nets and use a script on the air. Details may be found on each city's website.
City Net Frequencies (page)
UHF and Main nets:
The UHF net operates every Monday night from 7:30 pm to just before 8:00 pm. and takes check-ins from individual operators. The Main net opens at 8 pm and takes check-in counts from the cities' Local nets. Cities take turns on a monthly basis providing a Net Control Operator for the UHF and Main nets. When it is your city's turn you can sign up with your city to be Net Control. Be sure you have the current script (see below) well before the net. There are instructions in the script on things to do before the net.
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Rotation order for Main and UHF nets:
January and July -- Los Altos Hills
February and August -- Mountain View
March and September -- Sunnyvale
April and October -- Stanford
May and November -- Palo Alto
June and December -- Los Altos
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UHF and Main net script (pdf)
The script has two parts -- UHF and Main net. Generally one person acts as Net Control for both nets, but two people can each take one of the nets separately. Read the instructions at the start of the script well in advance, as there are some things you need to do before going on the air.
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The report for the UHF and Main nets is automatically updated and posted every Friday morning, giving Net Control time to print a copy before the net. Please check that you see the correct date for the upcoming Monday net on the file. Net Control Operators can use the report online while on the air or print a paper copy for use while on the air. (Note that you won't see the report between Tuesday and Thursday, but you can see what the next week's report looks like in the Evergreen version.)
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Evergreen version of SPECS nets report for practice purposes.
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Historical check-in totals
This spreadsheet shows check-in totals from the year 2010 to now.
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Weekly Packet Practice
SPECS also supports weekly check-ins by packet. Packet operators can check in any time from 00:00 on Tuesday to 19:00 pm on Monday. The weekly packet count is taken at 7 pm on Monday night and shown on the county website.
Weekly Packet Practice instructions (link to page on county ARES RACES website)