Nets are where ham radio stops being a solitary hobby and becomes a community. You tune to a frequency at a scheduled time, check in with net control, and suddenly you're part of a conversation with fifteen other operators scattered across a state, a region, or the planet.

Some nets are casual — an excuse to chat on a Tuesday evening. Others serve real functions: passing emergency traffic, connecting missionaries with families back home, or giving new hams a low-pressure way to practice. A few are legendary institutions that have run continuously for decades.

Here's a guide to nets worth your time, organized by what you're looking for.

Ragchew Nets: Just Talking

These are the ham radio equivalent of a neighborhood bar. Show up, say hello, listen to the conversation, maybe tell a story.

OMISS (Old Man International Sideband Society)

OMISS runs nets covering all HF bands, multiple times daily. The 75-meter net on 3.943 MHz (LSB) is the flagship — starts at 0100 UTC daily and runs for hours as operators from across the US and Canada check in for roundtable conversation.

They also run nets on 40m (7.260 MHz), 20m (14.288 MHz), and even 17m and 15m when conditions support it. OMISS offers an awards program for working members in different states and countries, which adds a collecting aspect if you're into that.

Look, OMISS nets can run long. Sometimes two hours of guys talking about their garden or their doctor visit. But that's the point — it's the ham radio equivalent of sitting on the porch with your neighbors. If you want structured, efficient communication, this isn't it. If you want to belong somewhere, it works.

The Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN) — 14.300 MHz

Not exclusively a ragchew net — MMSN serves a real function as a safety net for boats at sea — but it welcomes check-ins from land-based stations and has a convivial atmosphere during quiet periods. Operating since 1968. On-air daily from about 1700 to 2200 UTC.

If you've never listened to this net, tune to 14.300 MHz USB during the afternoon. You'll hear boats mid-Atlantic giving position reports, weather observers in the Caribbean, and relay stations bridging weak signals. It's fascinating radio and a living piece of ham radio history.

State and Regional Ragchew Nets

Nearly every state has at least one ragchew-style net on 75 meters (3.8-4.0 MHz LSB). These typically meet in the evening local time and attract a mix of old-timers and newer operators. The frequencies and schedules vary, so check your state's ARRL section website or ask on your local repeater.

Some notable ones:

  • The Friendly Net — 3.920 MHz LSB, 0100 UTC, covers the southeastern US
  • The North American Net — 7.240 MHz LSB, informal gathering evenings
  • California State Net — more traffic-oriented but welcoming to ragchew check-ins

I found my regular 75-meter group by accident. Stumbled across a net on 3.927 MHz one night, checked in, and realized half the operators lived within 200 miles of me. Three years later I've met several of them in person at hamfests. That doesn't happen if you only operate FT8. (And yes, I know FT8 people will disagree with me there. Fair enough.)

Traffic Nets: The National Traffic System

The National Traffic System (NTS) is the ARRL's organized network for passing formal radiogram messages across the country via HF and VHF/UHF relay. It's structured in layers:

  1. Local nets — cover a single area/section, usually VHF/UHF
  2. Section nets — cover an ARRL section, typically 75m or 2m
  3. Region nets — cover multi-state regions on HF
  4. Area nets — three nets covering Eastern, Central, and Pacific areas
  5. Transcontinental Corps (TCC) — scheduled point-to-point contacts bridging the area nets

A message originating in Boston can reach Los Angeles through this chain in 24-48 hours, entirely by amateur radio. No internet. No telephone. Just operators passing formal traffic from net to net.

Why Join a Traffic Net?

Traffic handling teaches you precise operating procedure. You learn to copy accurately, format messages in standard radiogram format, and pass information without errors. These skills directly translate to emergency communications capability.

It's also satisfying in a way that's hard to explain until you've done it. Receiving a message destined for someone in your area, calling them on the phone to deliver it, and knowing that message traveled across the country by radio alone — there's something pure about that.

The commitment is manageable. Your local traffic net meets once daily (usually evening), runs 15-30 minutes, and you can check in with or without traffic to pass. If you have traffic for another area, the net control station directs you to pass it, and the net's liaison station carries it to the next level up.

Notable Traffic Nets:

  • Eastern Area Net — 3.545 MHz CW, 2230 UTC. Fast, efficient CW traffic handling.
  • Central Area Net — 7.045 MHz CW / 7.243 MHz SSB
  • Pacific Area Net — 3.545 MHz CW, multiple sessions
  • Various section nets — check arrl.org/nts for your section's schedule

Fair warning: CW traffic nets operate at 15-20 WPM and use specific procedure. Listen for several sessions before checking in. The NTS has a whole operating manual (the ARRL Net Directory covers procedures). It's not hard, but it's precise.

DX and Award Nets

These nets exist specifically to facilitate contacts with rare or wanted stations for award chasing.

The DX Net Scene

The Noon Day Net — 14.243 MHz USB, 1700 UTC daily. One of the oldest DX nets, where net control facilitates contacts between DX stations and callers. If there's a rare Pacific island station on, you'll hear them here.

The ANZA Net — 14.183 MHz USB, connects Australia/New Zealand with North America. Operates around 0530-0700 UTC when 20m propagation supports the path.

3.795 MHz DX Net — An informal 75m DX net where Asian and Pacific stations show up during winter months when low-band propagation peaks. Not a formal net structure, but regulars know when to listen.

Award Chasers

The 3905 Century Club — a net-based awards program on 3.905 MHz LSB. Check in nightly and earn credit toward awards for contacts with members in different states and countries. Active net with a dedicated following.

County Hunters Net (CH) — 14.336 MHz USB, daytime. Mobile stations driving through US counties call in, and net control directs contacts for county hunters working toward USA-CA (Counties Award). Surprisingly addictive once you start. Watching mobile stations traverse counties on a map while working them in real-time combines ham radio with geography nerd tendencies.

I'll get hate for this, but county hunting is more fun than DXCC chasing. There — I said it. The county hunter community is tighter, the mobiles are characters, and the challenge of working all 3,077 US counties is genuinely difficult without being dependent on ionospheric luck.

Technical and Specialty Nets

Nets organized around specific interests or modes:

Digital Mode Nets

  • Winlink Wednesday nets — various local groups practice Winlink email-over-radio procedures weekly on VHF/UHF. Check ARES groups in your area.
  • JS8Call roundtables — not formal nets, but regular evening gatherings on 7.078 MHz and 14.078 MHz where operators practice the keyboard-to-keyboard mode.

Elmer/Help Nets

  • The Ham Nation Net — tied to the TWiT network podcast, welcomes questions from new operators
  • Various local Elmer nets — many clubs run weekly "new ham" nets on 2m/70cm repeaters. Ask at your local club.

Technical Nets

  • The Kanga Net — 3.565 MHz CW, Saturday mornings, focused on homebrew and QRP building
  • AMSAT nets — focused on satellite communication, operating procedures, and upcoming passes
  • Ten-Tec Net — 7.272 MHz USB, Wednesday evenings, for Ten-Tec radio owners and enthusiasts

Emergency and Public Service Nets

ARES/RACES

Your local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group runs weekly training nets, typically on VHF/UHF repeaters. These practice formal traffic handling, net discipline, and emergency procedures so that when a real event happens (severe weather, wildfire, public event), the operators are prepared.

Most ARES nets meet once weekly and take 20-30 minutes. They're a good way to contribute something meaningful while keeping your operating skills sharp.

SKYWARN

During severe weather season, SKYWARN nets activate on local repeaters to relay real-time storm reports from trained spotters to the National Weather Service. If you're a trained SKYWARN spotter (free online training at weather.gov), you can check in during active weather to report conditions. Not a regularly scheduled net — activates when weather threatens.

The Hurricane Watch Net — 14.325 MHz

Activates during tropical cyclone threats in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. Gathers real-time surface weather reports from stations in the path of approaching storms and relays them to the National Hurricane Center. Active since 1965.

When a hurricane approaches the US coast, this net is riveting to listen to. Real-time reports from stations as conditions deteriorate around them. Some of the most compelling radio you'll ever hear.

Getting Started with Nets

Listen first. Spend a couple sessions just listening to understand the net's procedures, pace, and culture before checking in. Every net has unwritten rules.

Check in properly. When net control calls for check-ins, key up and give your callsign clearly, phonetically. "Whiskey-3-Alpha-Bravo-Charlie, W3ABC" — callsign phonetically, then spoken. Wait for net control to acknowledge you.

Don't over-talk. Many nets do round-robin, giving each station a chance to speak in turn. Keep your comments appropriate to the net's style. Some nets want short comments ("W3ABC, nothing tonight, just checking in, 73"). Others encourage extended conversation.

Commit to one net. Rather than bouncing between nets, pick one that fits your schedule and show up consistently. You'll become a regular. People will recognize your callsign. That's how community forms.

Three resources for finding nets:

  • ARRL Net Directory (arrl.org/nts) — comprehensive listing of traffic and ARES nets
  • NetLogger (netlogger.org) — software and database showing currently active nets in real-time
  • HamNets.com — searchable database by frequency, time, and type

The Reality of Nets in 2026

Are nets declining? Some are. Participation in many NTS traffic nets is down from peak years. But other nets are thriving — POTA-focused nets, digital mode practice groups, and the perennial ragchew gatherings that never seem to lose participants.

Nets offer something that no digital mode or internet-connected system can replicate: real-time, voice-to-voice community. The connections are genuine because you hear the person. You hear them laugh, hear the dog bark in the background, hear the frustration when propagation fades. It's human in a way that a decoded FT8 contact simply isn't.

Pick a net. Listen tonight. Check in next week. That's all it takes.