The Essex Ham Monday Night Net for 01st February 2016 started at 8pm local time on GB3DA, the 2m repeater located at Danbury, near Chelmsford.
| Live Chat: During the Net, we run an Internet chatroom. Go to www.essexham.co.uk/chat to get chatting during our nets – You need to create a free Essex Ham account to access our chatroom. |
| Internet Feed: Not in range of GB3DA? Several Internet feeds are available, including: Monday Night Net uStream (Thanks to Nick M0NFE) – There’s also Essex Ham’s Audio Feed (In BETA, and not always online). On a Smartphone, try SouthEastRadio on Zello |
Net Attendees
Here’s the attendance list for this week’s net:
- Pete M0PSX, Southend-on-Sea
- Paul G7BHE, Paul, Mobile near South Woodham
- Rachel G6AMY, Ockendon
- Brian 2E0WHB, Chelmsford
- Dorothy M0LMR, Basildon
- Steve G4GHO, Chelmsford
- Colin M1EAK, St Osyth (first time)
- Terry G4POP, Burnham
- Tim M6LXG, Hertford – Operating portable on just 3 watts.
- Dean 2E0CZR, Kent
- Steve 2E0UEH, Southend-on-Sea
- David M1ECC, Basildon
- M6NCR – Readable, just, but a struggle
- Ozzie G1OFL, Kent
- Keith M0KNG, Billericay
- Laura M6LHT, Southend
- Keith G1NHW, Wickford
- Jim 2E0JTW, Hullbridge
- Neil G0RNU, Tilbury
- Dean 2E0DSX, Witham
- Rob G1XNC, Rainham
- Nick M0NFE, Westcliff
- Nick M0NIB, Brentwood
- Gordon 2E0IRX, Witham
- John G3ZJZ, Hockley
- Lisa M6KIS, Witham
- Glynis 2E0CUQ, Hullbridge
- James 2E1GUA, Chelmsford
- Sarah M6PSK, Southend
- Richard G7OED, Basildon
- Kristian M0SSK, Basildon
- Paul M0DVD, South Woodham Ferrers
32 people – Smashing our previous record of 26 in 2013
Topics for the evening, as follows:
In tonight’s net, here’s what was discussed:
- Thanks to Rachel G6AMY for an update on the Thurrock Acorns SOS Day
- Discussion of the MARTS ISS talk by Steve M1ACB
- The Suffolk RED skills night last week – excellent event
- RAYNET – What’s it role today?
- Reminder that this Saturday at 8pm is the Essex YL Net
- The Essex Ham Kitten Video
- Sunday – CANVEY RALLY – Doors open at 10:30am
- The next Thurrock Acorns 2m activity day is set for the 26th of March 2016
- Airlink – Check what obstructions are blocking line-of-sight
- St George’s Day event – 23 April at Galleywood Common
Happy Hamming!
The future of amateur radio
The net was set to wrap up just after 10:30pm, but a debate started about the future of amateur radio, which ran for another 3 hours. Lots, and lots, and lots discussed. The highlights:
- 2m is quiet – Solution… Run more nets. Rather than complaining about the lack of activity… pick a time, promote it on Facebook or Twitter, and run a net. It’s not an accident that Monday’s Net gets ~20 people a week, you know – it’s because people gravitate
- The Internet is killing amateur radio. Is it? Really? Mixed opinions on this one, but we all entered the hobby because of “radio”, so it will always be the driver. Yes, there are Internet modes and VoIP, and yes, there are Echolink, DMR and D-Star repeaters that use the Internet… but it’s still all about the magic of radio that brings us together
- Newcomers leave – We don’t do ourselves any favours. Club nights on overly technical (or unrelated topics) are all well and good, but what about the newbies?
- Low amounts of new blood – here we also don’t do ourselves any favours. Sitting under headphones, backs to the public, on a Morse key does not inspire others
- The missed opportunity of the ISS publicity
- Essex Ham, and why only some of the clubs want to use it
- Public events – more and better
- Elmers to help newbies stick with the hobby
- Clubs offering construction nights for beginners
- Higher power limits – Do people progress to get more power, or to learn and show they’re committed to learning and the hobby?
A very productive session – not everyone agreed, but the 8 gents that stayed to the end, understood and discussed things openly and honestly.
We finally wrapped up at 01:25am – And I finished writing this at 1:50am
Got a comment about this week’s Monday Night Net? Please add it below.
Essex Ham would like to thank the Essex Repeater Group for allowing us to use the GB3DA for our weekly net. This repeater, together with GB3ER, GB3DB and GB7ZP are managed by volunteers. ERG would appreciate your support which can be by membership or donation, online at 
It was a very good night, I only popped in to be number 30 :(
It was nice to be able to agree/disagree without it getting nasty and just agreeing that the one thing we all have in common was the love of the hobby.
Richard.
I didn’t pop in to be number (whatever) as I had nothing to add, I usually call in and give the odd opinion. Tonight was different. I called in because the net turned from something random for beginners into a dicussion that is close to all our hearts. I’m a supporter of Essexham with radio for all in whatever mode is chosen by the amateur, radio being RF FIRST without the NEED of intranet, I’m glad people like James are trained doing tasks as RAYNET with radio and whatever infrastructure they have at hand, I’m not sure some know how to use the repeater correctly as some voices were doubling, the “K” and the tricky timeout (hihi). Lastly I think this was the first time (for me) the REAL Peter came away from his Monday net control chair and stood up for what he and we believed as the future of OUR radio, we need to use it and others will follow. BRAVO!!!!!!!!!! BRAVO ONE AND ALL. M0SSK
Yes – it did get a little different after 10:30, and with the traditional net largely complete, the 8 remaining people on the repeater did open up a frank debate about the hobby.
Yes, I was uncharactistically outspoken because we were on a subject I’ve very passionate about.
I don’t think IP radio services will kill amateur radio – Echolink as been around since 2002 and I haven’t seen much evidence of people giving up RF to migrate to Echolink – why should DMR be any different?
Also, comments about 2m being quiet – there are plenty of other days of the week to have regular nets. If people want more nets – do what Dorothy and I have done – start them, and see who turns up.
Last night did highlight the need for some structure though. To allow free speech, I dropped the turn-by-turn moderation, and as you say, doubling, timeouts and a mess at times.
Anyway – let’s hope it made a difference, and we can inject some more positivity into the hobby!
Pete
What is airlink for Pete?
Airlink lets you put two points on a map and see if there are any hills in the way
A great net highlighted the need for raising the profile of amateur radio in the public domain
better elmering to help newbies
the begginers table at skills night to speak with new licence holders & give good sound advice on how to go about and setup a station for the many different modes the hobby offers of course i will help where i can health permitting
Pete, you’ll rip that page out your log and frame it, won’t ya :-)
Bri