A net is a scheduled on-air gathering of ham radio operators on a set frequency. Think of it like a conference call, except anyone with a license can join and the conference room is whatever frequency the net is running on that evening. Nets happen at all hours and on every band, but they are most common on local VHF and UHF repeaters in the evening.
If you just earned your Technician license, finding a net and checking in is one of the best things you can do in your first days on the air. Here is how to find one and what to expect when you join.
What a Net Actually Is
Nets are organized to practice emergency communication, share information, or just connect operators on a regular schedule. Most fall into one of a few types:
Public service nets are practice sessions for emergency communication. The net controller — the person running the net — calls for check-ins, works through a roll call, and sometimes relays practice messages between stations. Local clubs and ARES groups usually run these on local repeaters, weekly or monthly.
Traffic nets handle formal message passing — the structured kind used in a disaster when normal systems are down. Messages move in a set format with callsigns, routing, and content. It sounds complicated, but a traffic net is one of the best places to learn proper operating procedure.
Information nets share news. Clubs run them to announce events, test equipment, or pass along updates relevant to members. The National Traffic System runs nets across the country that move messages over long distances.
Social nets are looser — a daily check-in for hikers, a weekly neighborhood gathering, or just the same group on the same repeater at the same time every week. You don't need a reason to start one.
Different purposes, but the same basic shape: a regular gathering you can drop into and become a part of.
Why Nets Matter for Beginners
When you first get licensed, it is tempting to just listen. Listening is fine, and you will pick up a lot hearing how experienced operators handle themselves. But it only gets you so far.
The first thing joining a net can do is help you get over mic fright. Almost everyone freezes a little the first time they key up and hear their own callsign go out over the air. A net is the easiest possible place to get past that, because the format does the work for you. You wait for the call for check-ins, you say your callsign, the controller acknowledges you, and that's it. No pressure to carry a conversation. You just get to practice.
It also teaches you the etiquette without anyone lecturing you. When to wait, when to speak, how long to hold the mic, how to signal you have something to say — you absorb all of it by listening to a net run and then taking part. That's knowledge you can't really get from a study guide.
And it gets you comfortable with your radio. Checking in means programming the right offset and tone, hitting the repeater, and announcing your call correctly. That feels fiddly the first time and routine by the fourth.
Once those basics stop taking up all your attention, the real reason to keep showing up takes over: the people. The operators at your regular net start to feel familiar. You learn their voices and callsigns, they learn yours, and checking in stops being a test and starts being the part of your day you look forward to. That's the whole point of the hobby — making contacts and enjoying it.
How to Find Nets Near You
The easiest starting point is your local repeater. If you already have a radio, tune to the repeater output frequency and listen for a few evenings. Most areas run at least one net a week on their primary repeater, and you'll hear the controller announce the name, schedule, and purpose.
If you don't have a radio yet, or want a more systematic search, use an online repeater directory:
RepeaterBook.com is free, covers the entire US (and now most of the world), and lets you search by city or zip and filter by band, mode, and tone. Each entry lists frequency, offset, and CTCSS tone — and the notes field often includes net schedules, something like “Sun 7pm ARES net” or “Tue 8pm club info net.” That notes field is your fastest path to a net. Basic browsing needs no account; registering adds tools like exporting frequencies straight to your radio.
The NetFinder website is another good directory listing of nets, but note that it may or may not be completely up-to-date.
Your local club is the other big resource. Most run a regular net, listed on their website or social media. Search “ham radio club” plus your city or county. Even a club that isn't close may run its net on a repeater you can reach.
For public-service and traffic nets specifically, use the ARRL Net Directory — a searchable database of registered nets, focused on NTS and ARES activity across the US and Canada. It's the most reliable way to find your local NTS net's time and frequency. You can also ask your ARRL Section Manager or just ask at a club meeting. Ham radio Facebook groups and Reddit threads often have local net lists too. But the single most reliable method is still to find your local repeater and listen until you hear one.
A Few Nets You Can Try On the Air
If your local repeater is quiet, here are some bigger nets to look for. Each one runs on a network of linked repeaters scattered around the country. If one of their repeaters is in range of your HT or mobile, you check in on the air just like any other repeater contact — the link handles the rest. Each net's site has a coverage map or repeater list so you can see whether there's one near you.
The Morning Brew — Monday through Friday, 7–9 AM Eastern (the 2nd Cup follows Fridays at 9 AM). A long-running, casual morning net on the East Coast Reflector. Repeater map at eastcoastreflector.com.
Absolute Tech — Tuesdays, 7 PM Eastern. An “all things tech” net — bring whatever radio or computer project you're working on. Connected repeaters listed at absolutetech.org.
Worldwide Friendship Net — daily, 10–11:30 AM Eastern. Exactly what it sounds like: a relaxed net for making contacts and meeting operators, with repeaters checking in from several countries. Details at worldwidefriendshipnet.org.
WIN System Insomniac Trivia Net — nightly, 10 PM Pacific. A nightly trivia net that's been running 365 days a year for decades, on the WIN System network (heaviest coverage in the western US). Details at insomniac-group.com.
If none of these have a repeater in range, that's no big deal. You can also join them using Echolink on your computer or mobile device, if you want to. These are just a starting point…your local repeater is still the best place to find a net you can reach.
Before You Check In
Don't jump in your first time. Listen first.
Most nets run the same way every session, using a standard format to keep things efficient and help people avoid talking over each other: the controller opens at the scheduled time, calls for check-ins, takes a roll call or traffic, and closes at the end time. Sit through one or two sessions and you'll understand the flow — when check-ins are called, what format to use, how the controller runs things.
When you're ready, the format is simple. Wait for a pause after the controller calls for check-ins, then give:
[Your callsign] [your location, if the net asks for it] [optional: “checking in” or “with traffic”]
For example: “This is KJ7XYZ, checking in.”
If you only want to give your callsign, you can say the phrase “short timer”. That means you want to check in, but don't want to participate in the discussion beyond that. You'll hear people say this quite often.
If you have a message to pass, say so: “This is KJ7XYZ, with traffic.” The controller will tell you when to go ahead.
Keep it short. The controller is juggling multiple stations and doesn't need your life story — callsign, location if relevant, a quick note if you have traffic. That's it. If the net is busy, don't key up over people. Wait for the next call for check-ins or a natural break. If you're not sure whether it's your turn, it isn't. Wait.
What to Expect Your First Time
You'll probably be nervous. That's normal. Everyone who has ever checked into a net was new once, and the regulars remember it.
Most nets are welcoming. The controller acknowledges your check-in, takes your call, and moves on. If you key up at the wrong time or fumble the format, they'll correct you and keep going. Nobody is going to ridicule you for being new — and a good controller will walk you through it if you're lost.
Your first couple of check-ins will feel awkward. Saying your callsign on the air is strange at first. By the fifth or sixth time you won't think about it. You'll just be another station on the net.
Just Start Checking In
The hardest check-in is the first one. Once you've done it a handful of times, the radio stops feeling intimidating, the etiquette becomes second nature, and you stop thinking about the mechanics at all.
What's left after that is the good part — a regular spot on the air, a group of operators who know your callsign, and an easy reason to get on the radio. That's where the hobby actually lives.
Find a net. Check in. Keep checking in. The rest takes care of itself.
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