CQ SSN CQ SSN (sidewsipers net)

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For the past few months I've been joining the Sideswiper Net on Sunday and Thursday as family and work schedules permit.  The net was established a long time ago to promote the use of the sideswiper also known affectionately as the "cootie" key.  The cootie is a horizontal "straight key" which relies on the operator to form the dits and dahs versus using an electronic keyer associated with IAMBIC modes.

I really enjoy the challenge of improving my CW skills in a directed net format.  My key for the SSN is usually the Titan made by Steve Roberts W1SFR who also joins the net on a regular basis.

Darrel - AA7FV is usually the net control station for the sessions I join.  Allen - KA5TJS, Ron - N9EE/4, TJ - K9TJL, and Bill - WA4FAT  also join the net on a regular basis.  All are excellent, friendly CW operators and many are also members of the SKCC.   

I've not had much luck hearing the DX stations on the net but I hope that will change after I add a Mosley Mini-32 beam next week for the 15 and 20 meter nets.   

Aside from learning a few new prosigns and acronyms, the procedures are pretty straight forward and documented on the SSN webpage.

  • PSE QNI  - request for stations to please check into the net
  • PSE AS - please wait (usually so NCS can check for other stations)
  • QSP: Relay message from stations the NCS cannot hear
  • QNF - Wrap up - the Net is no longer directed (ie Done!)

I worked the 20m SSN net this Sunday morning from home but needed to get some errands done so didn’t get to join the gang for the 17M net an hour later.  Here is a video I made with my phone while sitting in the truck listening to Darrel call CQ SSN at the beginning of this morning's 17M SSN net.   

Rig is my Yaesu FT-857D fed by the ATAS-120A screwdriver antenna mounted on the truck bed.  QTH was Dallas TX,  near Southern Methodist University.






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