Web check-in

Where's my net control link?

It's in your "You're Confirmed as Net Control" email, and in the reminder we send the Saturday morning before your net. It's personal to you and to that net, so please don't forward it. If you can't find it, ask the Net Manager to resend it.

Do I have to use web check-in?

No. It's off unless you turn it on, and the net runs the usual way when it's off. If you'd like to use it, turn it on any time before 7:00 PM on net night. After that it can't be turned on for that night.

What happens at 7:00?

If you turned it on, check-in opens by itself 30 minutes before the net. The word Join at the top of the Tri-Lakes Net page turns amber, and stations who know to tap it can check in. If you left your net control page open, it switches to your list by itself. Your list fills in as stations check in, and refreshes every few seconds.

What am I looking at?

On a computer your list has three columns:

• Left: stations with traffic, and stations who signed off and have just come back. It's empty until there's one, then they're listed in the order they came in.
• Middle: the stations you'll call, one line each with their first name, in check-in order.
• Right: stations who have signed off. You don't call them.

On an iPad or a narrower window, the tiles float at the top of your list instead, and on a phone the right column moves below the list.

How do I keep my place?

Click a station's number or call sign. Their row turns gray with a darker border, so you can see who you're talking to. Then use the ↓ and ↑ keys to move to the next or previous station. Only your screen shows this.

What's the Acknowledged? button?

Every web check-in arrives with it. When you call the station and they answer on the air, tap it and it goes away, so you can see at a glance who you've heard. Stations you added yourself were heard on the air already, so they don't have it.

Someone has traffic. How do I handle it?

A tile appears on the left (or at the top on a smaller screen), even if they ticked the box partway through the net. Tap the tile: their row scrolls into view and becomes the one you're talking to. When you've handled it, tap the Traffic ✕ tag on their row. The tile goes away, and they can tick the box again if something else comes up.

What's the Back tile?

A station who signed off has checked back in from their phone or computer. A teal Back tile appears on the left (or at the top on a smaller screen) so you notice them. Tap the tile, or move to their row however you like, and the tile goes away. If you put a station back in yourself with Back in, there's no tile; you already know.

Someone checked in on the air only. How do I add them?

Type their call sign in Add a station heard on the air and tap Add. A short form opens: tick anything they told you (traffic, mobile, EchoLink, portable or short time) and tap Add to the list. The site checks the call sign with the FCC, fills in the name and location, and tags the row ON-AIR.

A call sign or name is wrong. Can I fix it?

Yes. Tap Fix on the row. A first name you change is remembered for that call sign at future check-ins, unless the station has already chosen their own name, which always wins. A new call sign is checked with the FCC; if it isn't found, you'll be asked to check it. A row the station corrected themselves shows Corrected from so you can see what changed.

What does UNVERIFIED mean?

If the FCC lookup services are down, stations are still accepted, tagged UNVERIFIED, without a name or location. If you know the operator, tap Verify. Correcting the call sign while the services are down also marks it verified by you.

Can I sign someone off?

Yes: Sign off moves a station who has left to the right column; Back in puts them back in their place. A station who checks back in from their own device returns to their place too, with a Back tile. The list stays in check-in order, and stations can't be removed one by one. A wrong call sign or name? Tap Fix. Clear list, below the list, removes everyone, for example after a test.

I closed the net by mistake.

Tap Reopen net. You can reopen it for up to two hours after the net's start time. After that the net is closed for good, and its list is saved for the Net Manager. The same goes if the Net Manager closed it while you were still running it.

What if I forget to close the net?

No harm done. It closes by itself two hours after the start, and the Net Manager can close it sooner. Your list is saved either way.

My phone died. Now what?

Tap your net control link on another phone or computer. Net control moves to that device; the old one shows "Signed in on another device." Only one device can run the list at a time.

What's a practice net?

A rehearsal the Net Manager sets up on a day other than Monday. It works the same way, except check-in opens when you turn it on (or 30 minutes before its start time, if you turn it on earlier) and closes by itself at the end of that day. Everything about it is marked PRACTICE.

Do I still need to check in on the air?

Yes. Web check-in puts you on net control's list; answer when net control calls you.

I typed my call sign wrong.

If the FCC can't find it, the form says so and lets you fix it. If it went through but shows someone else's name, tap Join again (or Update my check-in), fix it and tap Check in. You keep your place in the list.

The list has my legal name. Can I use the name I go by?

Yes. After you've checked in, tap Update my check-in (or Join again), change Your first name, and tap Check in. We'll remember it, so the next time you check in with that call sign, the list shows the name you chose.

The list shows the wrong town for me.

Your city comes from your FCC license, which is often your post office rather than where you live. After you've checked in, tap Update my check-in (or Join again), change Your city, and tap Check in. We'll remember it for next time too.

Can I check in my spouse too?

Each phone or computer checks in one station. Your spouse can use their own device, or check in on the air and net control will add them.

Something came up partway through the net.

Tap Join again (or Update my check-in), tick I have routine traffic, and tap Check in. Net control sees it right away. Once they've handled it, the box is cleared, and you can tick it again later.

I'm on EchoLink.

Tick EchoLink when you check in, so net control knows.

I have to leave early.

Tick Short time when you check in. When you go, tap Sign off so others know you won't be there to answer. Back again? Tap Check back in, and net control will see that you've returned.