Troubleshooting
Are you having a hard time joining the net? Or have you been told your signal is not great? You are not alone! We've all been there. Here are some tips, tricks, and troubleshooting steps to take.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to our team at net@ucares.org or leadership@ucares.org so that we can help you figure out how to participate! If you need a mentor or have a question, we'll help find the answer!
I tried to check-in but nobody responded to my callsign...
Thank you for being patient! There could have been a double, the net control wasn't paying attention at that moment, your radio might not be properly configured to connect to the repeater, or you might not have a good signal into the repeater (or simplex).
What is a "double"?
When two (or more) operators transmit at the same time, you get a "double". For the other operators listening, they may hear the operator with the strongest signal, however I find that everyone's signal just sounds like someone put some Baofeng radios into a blender. Sometimes Net Control will ask for pieces of callsigns that they heard, or they may just state that a double happened and to try again. Wait a little longer and then try to check-in again.
Net Control isn't a cake walk
Sometimes Net Control has many stations that come quickly and it can be difficult writing all of the callsigns down quickly. Wait for a moment and try checking in again. You may find that the next time you check-in you are heard.
Your radio might not be configured correctly
If the net you are trying to check-in to is using a repeater, double check that your radio has the correct frequency, tone, offset direction, and offset amount. I've made the mistake multiple times where I am using a radio I don't use very often and for some reason the offset amount has been incorrect. Additionally, it's way too easy to mistake + for - and vice versa when establishing the offset direction. Check each one of your settings again and try to check-in again.
Our repeaters use the standard offset amount:
2m: 000.600 MHz
70cm: 005.000 MHz
Checkout our comprehensive repeater guide that really gets into the weeds of using a repeater.
Speaking of offset direction, most radios now have a Automatic Repeater Offset setting. This setting will attempt to automatically select the + or - based on the frequency you input into the radio. This setting is usually awesome, however it can be frusterating when you are attempting to participate in a simplex net on a frequency that the radio thinks is a repeater frequency. You can usually disable this setting in your radio, but most operators keep it enabled and manually turn off the offset direction for simplex.
Do I have a good enough signal?
Oh man... this one is a rabbit hole. I would recommend checking out our guide to a good signal for tips, tricks, and a bunch of radio theory. Radio waves are not as simple as we would like, and there are a few things that can greatly improve our signal quality, but there is too much information to cover here. Here are a few bullet points:
- Are you indoors? Radios really don't like working indoors as much as you might think. Try standing outdoors, or (because we know it can be really cold) next to a window.
- Do you know where the target is? (ie. the repeater or other operator?) If you know where your signal needs to be heard you may find that there is a better repeater or location you need to be to make communcation possible
- Is your radio powerful enough? This is a sticky question, because it depends. Most of our repeaters are on mountain tops where they can hear the relatively low power of our handheld radios. However, if you're trying to participate with simplex you might need to ask for a realy if net control is not hearing you.
How do I ask for a realy?
If you're participating in a simplex net using a handheld radio, unless you have an outdoor antenna with some height you may not be heard very well. The good news is, we have a lot of operators so someone out there should have heard you. Try asking for a relay by saying:
"I need a relay" or "Relay" (pronounced ree-ley)
If another station hears you, they will tell Net Control that they need to relay for another station. Net Control should then give them permission to ask for your check-in which can then be relayed to Net Control.
I've been told the start of my signal is garbled?
You might have a digital mode turned on. Some radios have internet linking that takes place when the radio is keyed up. When these features are enabled, sometimes the radio will attempt to talk with a repeater that also supports the linking. During this time, those of us listening to your transmission will not hear your voice.
FT-60
There is a feature that you can turn off by pushing the 0 button on the radio. This will toggle an icon that looks like a little globe.