Feb 20 2009
Southbound Net
Purpose:
Southbound Net is a volunteer-run Single Sideband radio net dedicated to improving the safety of mariners especially those traveling south of San Diego, CA and north of Panama. Every night we take check-ins from cruisers, record their coordinates, facilitate ship-to-ship radio traffic, and share relevant and interesting information.
This is the temporary home of the Southbound Cruisers Net
Time: 0055 UTC
Frequency: 8122 kHz Upper Side band; then switch to 4054 kHz at 0115 UTC
Weather Briefing: at 0100 at 8122 kHz with Don Anderson, except for Sunday night
Net Coordinator: Rich on SV Third Day (W6GKY). You can email him through his WinLink address.
How to Check In:
Southbound Net is a controlled net which simply means that the conversation is coordinated by a “net controller” or host who facilitates things by making sure only one boat is talking at a time. When the controller calls for check-ins, please come with your boat name only. When you hear the controller call your name, come back with your boat name, ship’s call-sign, number of persons on board, location, destination and local weather including wind speed, direction and sea state. If you have anything of general interest to the fleet, please let us know.
If you would like to call someone else during the net, inform the controller that you have “traffic”.
How the Net Is Organized
At the beginning of the Southbound cruisers’ net, the net controller will first identify herself and then call for emergency traffic. At this point it is important to listen for very faint signals that may indicate a remote station requires assistance. If you hear something and it is clear the net controller is not receiving it, please inform her immediately.
Fortunately we rarely receive emergency calls and the net moves on with the controller calling for check-ins from vessels that are currently underway.
When all underway vessels have checked in, the controller will then call for “general check-ins”, which includes folks that are at anchor or in marinas.
We receive weather briefings from Don Anderson at Summer Passage Radio, every night except Sundays
SOUTHBOUND NET VOLUNTEERS KIT & PREAMBLE
Welcome to the cozy, nighttime Southbound Net and thanks for your interest.
We are a community service completely supported by volunteers. The Southbound Net performs an important safety service and makes cruising a more enjoyable, rewarding experience.
The technical details are simple. Currently the net starts on 8.1220 mHz at 0055 Zulu to greet everybody and take check-ins from vessels underway, and take a brief weather report from Don Anderson on Summer Passage (except Sunday nights). After that the net moves to 4.0540 mHz for further check-ins.
No special training is required – essentially you just lead a structured conversation. Most marine radios are very suitable for the task – you don’t need any special equipment or training.
The basic purposes of the net are to record the location of boats that check in, hear real-time weather and sea conditions from underway vessels, assist people in contacting friends, generally make boating on the Pacific coast of Mexico safer and friendlier – and to provide help when necessary.
Below you’ll find a suggested preamble – feel free to adapt it for your comfort and style. We aim for a conversational tone so that everybody feels welcome, regardless of their proficiency with radio communications. Briefness is also appreciated!
And after that, a few tips to get you started.
We recommend that you keep your notes of each session in a safe place so that if a vessel has trouble we can provide vital information in a timely manner.
And please have fun!
SUGGESTED SOUTHBOUND NET PREAMBLE
1. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the South Bound Net for ______ (this date). My name is ______ (and partner?) on ______ (your boat name) located in __________.
2. Before we open the net let’s all listen for anyone who may be having an emergency….Has anyone else heard any emergency traffic? Nothing heard, let’s proceed.
3. The South Bound Net meets nightly beginning 0055 Zulu and on 8.122 megahertz on Single Side-band. At 0100 Z we’ll hear from Don Anderson on Summer Passage Radio with his Weather BRIEFING. Don will stick around for anyone who wants to talk with him after the net has switched frequency to 4054 kHz, which will be at or about 0115 Z. Sundays there is no weather.
3. The net manager is Rich on SV Third Day. Any comments about the net should be directed to him. Call me after the net and I’ll help you reach him.
4. To make sure everybody gets a chance to check in, all conversations go through me, your host tonight. Please check in with your boat name only. OK – let’s get started.
5. Vessels underway, Vessels underway wishing to check in with the South Bound Net, please call now….
[Acknowledge each check in as you hear them; Collect a list of two or three boat names at a time and then call them back one at a time, taking their information. If they have traffic, ask them to call their traffic and help them make the connection by calling out the boat name they want to reach. Remember that you’ll have to cut off checkins to get to Don at 0100 Z. ]
If during the part when you ask for check-ins and you have heard nothing, ask for “relays and have the relays take the check-ins.]
5(a). Is there any traffic for _________, _____________, and __________? Any relays for traffic? (list the names of the last boats you have taken check-ins for)
6. [At precisely 0100 call Don Anderson on Summer Passage. When he finishes, thank Don for his generous contributions to the net and let people know if they want "fills" they can stay on this frequency and talk to Don directly after the net switches to 4054 kilohertz.
[Announce the switch to 4.054 Upper Side Band and when switching announce that 8.122 is now clear. After the switch once again call for emergency traffic; then start with vessels underway, etc.]]
7. Let’s go to vessels underway. Anyone wishing to check into the South Bound Net, please call now. Okay, let’s work this list… [Remember to ask for incoming traffic for groups of boats, not individually.] Do we have anyone else for the South Bound Net? Please call now. Do we have any relays?
8. General checkins…
9. Last call, last call for anyone having anything for the South Bound Net, please call now.
10. Thanks to everyone for participating. (If you want to you can provide a summary of what happened – number of boats checking in, relays, etc.)
This is SV ___________ (your call sign).
The South Bound Net is now closed, and this frequency is clear.
SOME GENERAL TIPS
1. Most people know how the nets work, so it’s not necessary to go through all the “rules” every night. People check in with their boat names and wait to be recognized. They generally know that if they are underway, they report their position in degrees and minutes. If it’s clear they do not understand, gently explain how it works. And ask questions if you’d like them to provide information important to others – like sea conditions and weather.
2. Sometimes it’s hard to hear people checking in, so it pays to take your time to write down boat names and their check-in information – like their coordinates. Do not worry about “dead air” – no one is rushing you!
3. If you are really having trouble hearing vessels trying to check in, ask for a “relay” – help from another boat that might be able to hear better than you do. And people are keen on providing relays – call on them to give a hand. Then make sure they report back to you what just happened. You can also call on vessels with strong signals to help you make announcements, or even take check-ins.
4. Every so often, identify this as the Southbound net, say your name and your boat name, location and station license.
5. The “traffic” part of the net is a very useful service, but sometimes people cannot hear each other. At those points you can step in and offer to help connect the two stations.
5. Gently encourage people to provide interesting and important information. This is one of the best ways to help people connect with the purposes of the Southbound Net, and thereby promoting more volunteer activity.
6. If you have a printer, save this document and make any changes you see fit. You might want to eliminate the information and instructions in italics just so you have an easier time following the script. At some point you can throw away all this stuff and just wing it! That’s when it becomes a lot of fun.
Thanks,
Much needed for evening weather.