⦿ The Netcall

■ An Overview of Amateur Radio Net Call

■ What is an Amateur Radio Net?

An amateur radio "netcall" is an organized on-the-air gathering of ham radio operators on a specific amateur radio frequency (i.e., HF, VHF, etc.). The netcall or simply net is supervised by a Net Control Station (NCS). The NCS logs all participating stations on a first-come, first-served basis during every scheduled netcall.

Netcall helps ham radio stations share and relay messages and information. It trains every station to further develop its coordination capability during emergencies or build friendship, camaraderie, and community among operators. Nets can be "open," allowing all to converse after checking in, or "directed," where all transmissions must go through the NCS to maintain order.

To join the netcall, any ham radio operator can participate; this is called “check-in.” To announce their presence at the frequency or conference, an amateur call sign can be used for easy identification and pull-out.

To date, netcall can also be conducted in other amateur radio modes, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) via Echolink, Droidstar, and others.