Hi folks:

Please see the note from N6DRF below:

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From: Don Flint [mailto:don@n6drf.com] Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 4:51 PM To: n6kth@n6kth.com

Hello everyone,

As most of you know, there is a net every weekday morning called the Reg Dawe Memorial Cuckoo net in which we all meet and rag chew, talk about weather conditions and anything else that may come up. This net is not exclusive and everyone is welcomed.

As an extension to that, Ken Owen (N6KTH) and Dave Milton (K6HWN) have created the Reg Dawe Amateur Radio Association. The mission statement for the association is that we are a group of hams dedicated to serving as "elmers" to the amateur radio community, by guiding, assisting and supporting fellow hams, following the example set by Reg Dawe W6HUT (sk). A website has been established after securing Reg's call sign and can be found at http://www.w6hut.net if you care to peruse it.

As time went on, I felt that there was a little bit of a void, not only in the morning net, but with the SBARC net schedule generally. In thinking of ways to fill this void, it seemed like it might be a good idea to have an informal net, more of a "gathering", on Thursday evenings that would be geared towards the new ham licensee that may have a lot of "newbie" questions, questions about repeaters, how to use their radio, what IRLP does, where exactly La Vagia hill is, and so on.

I've discussed this with KTH, HWN, and HUT(w7-type), and everyone has provided positive feedback. After getting the blessings of our club president, I am putting out this email to let you know that beginning next Thursday evening, November 13, 2008, at 7:30 P.M. we will try and kick off this net and see how it goes. This will not be a "formal" net, but really just a time and place that people can come, ask any question they want without feeling mic-shy, do radio tests, learn radio etiquette and things like that. It may only be a thing where some of us simply monitor just-in-case, or it may morph into another popular net where we all just get together, like the A.M. net, but no one is "in charge" and there won't be lengthy "interrogations".

In structuring this net, it seems to me that the knowledge and experience of people in the Santa Barbara ham community is vast and very diverse. Therefore, in my mind, for this to be successful and beneficial, it would be great to have everyone participate to the extent that their schedules permit to help spread the knowledge and experience we all have to bring new people into amateur radio and SBARC. Again, this will not be a formal net where someone is in charge and controls the net. I'm shooting for a forum where everyone and every question or topic is welcomed.

I think it would add to the success of this "elmer" net to create awareness at key events like the licensing classes offered by Bob Pizzi (AC6PZ), as well as at the exit to the VE sessions for the new hams. Additionally, I've been told we even have a number of HT's available to loan out at the club station in order to help get folks on the air and involved. In addition to the personal satisfaction of helping new hams get started, it may also benefit the club by way of member recruitment and therefore public service involvement.

I hope to hear everyone on TZ Thursday! If we get just one person involved, it will be a success.