Net Control Console: Operator Help
How to log in, run a net, log check-ins, fix mistakes and close out at the end of the evening.
1. Logging in
There are no passwords. Only members marked as Net Control operators in the club roster can log in.
- Open the console and type your callsign, then click Send Magic Link.
- Check the email address the club has on file for you. The message is titled "Net Control Login Link for (your call)".
- Click Log In to Net Control Console in the email, then click Complete Login on the page that opens.
- The link works once and expires after 15 minutes. If it has expired, just request a new one.
- A login lasts 6 hours, enough for a whole evening of nets. After that, the console returns you to the login page.
- For security, the page always says "If that callsign is authorized, a link has been dispatched", even when the callsign isn't on the list. If no email arrives, see Troubleshooting.
- You can be logged in on more than one device (e.g. a laptop and a phone) at the same time.
2. The screen at a glance
| Area | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Top bar | Your callsign, the connection light, and the buttons Claim NCS, 🔒 Close Net, 📄 Net Summary Export, ❓ Help and Logout. |
| Net tabs | One tab per open net, with its check-in count. The highlighted tab is the net you are logging. + Open Net starts another net. |
| Stats | Active NCS of the selected net (and when it opened), local and UTC clocks, total check-ins, and the count of each type (R / S / E). |
| Check-in box | Where you type callsigns. Warnings and suggestions appear just below it. |
| Log | The selected net's check-ins, newest at the top, with ✎ Edit and ✕ on each row. |
Everything is shared live. When anyone logs, edits or deletes an entry, every open console updates within a second. Two operators (e.g. NCS and a backup scribe) can work the same net at once.
3. Opening and switching nets
Opening a net
- Click + Open Net.
- Pick the net from the list (e.g. 6 Meter Net (Mon 7:30 PM)), or choose Custom net… and type a name for a one-off such as Field Day or Emergency Net.
- Click Open Net. You become its NCS, its tab is selected, and every console sees a blue notice such as "KD8ZZZ opened 6 Meter Net."
A regular net that's already open is greyed out in the list. Click its tab instead of opening it twice.
Several nets at once
Back-to-back nets can overlap. For example, the 6m net can still be running when the 10m net starts. Each net has its own log, its own numbering (starting at 1) and its own NCS. Click a tab to choose which net you are logging. Each operator chooses separately, and your choice is remembered on that device.
Claim NCS
Claim NCS makes you the NCS of the selected net, e.g. when you take over from another operator. The name shown is always your own login. Nobody can claim NCS in someone else's name.
4. Logging check-ins
- Make sure the right net tab is highlighted.
- Type the callsign and press Enter (or click LOG).
Check-in types
| Type | Meaning | How to set it |
|---|---|---|
| REGULAR | Regular check-in | The default |
| SHORT TIME | Short time / no traffic | Type W1AW S, or pick S in the Type list |
| ECHOLINK | EchoLink / VoIP | Type W1AW E, or pick E in the Type list |
The type goes back to Regular after each entry.
Callsign rules
3 to 12 letters, digits or /. Portable and mobile calls like W1AW/M or VE3/W1AW are fine. Lower case is converted automatically. If what you typed isn't a valid callsign, a red message explains why, and your typing is kept so you can fix it.
"Did you mean…?"
If you type a callsign that's one or two characters away from a club member or a station heard recently, a purple bar asks "Did you mean W1AW?". Click Accept Suggestion to use it, or just keep typing to ignore it.
Duplicates
If the station is already in this net's log, an amber note says so while you type ("W1AW already checked in at 00:31Z (#4)"). Pressing LOG once shows the warning. Pressing it a second time logs the station anyway, e.g. for a re-check with traffic.
Times
Each entry is stamped with the server's clock in UTC (the "Z" times), so every operator's log agrees even if their computer clocks don't.
5. How names are filled in
When you log a callsign, the console finds a name for it automatically, trying these sources in order:
| # | Source column shows | Where the name came from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club Directory | The club roster (name and club role). Members also get a MEMBER tag. |
| 2 | Earlier Net | The same station checked into a net in the last 30 days, so its name is reused. |
| 3 | QRZ XML | QRZ.com (worldwide), if the club has a QRZ subscription set up. |
| 4 | HamDB | HamDB.org: US and Canadian licenses (free backup). |
| 5 | Callook | callook.info: US licenses (second free backup). |
| – | Manual | Nobody knew the callsign; the name shows as Visitor Station. You can add a name with ✎ Edit. |
| – | Edited | Someone changed the callsign with Edit. |
Notes from earlier nets
- 6m ✓ means the station also checked into the 6m net tonight. You'll see one badge per other net.
- Last heard 11/03 · 2m means the station hasn't been on tonight's other nets; it was last heard on 11/03 on the 2m net.
6. Fixing mistakes
- Edit an entry
- Click ✎ Edit on the row. You can change the callsign, type and name, then click Save Changes or press Enter. Changing the callsign to a club member (or a recently heard station) fills in the name for you. The entry keeps its number and time.
- Delete an entry
- Click ✕. It turns red and reads Confirm?; click it again within 4 seconds to delete. If you wait, it quietly resets. Numbers are never reused, so after deleting #3 the next entry is still #5, not #3.
- Logged on the wrong net?
- Delete it on the wrong net, click the correct tab, and log it again.
If another operator deletes the entry you're editing, the edit window closes and an amber note tells you.
7. Ending a net and reports
Save or download the log
Click 📄 Net Summary Export to see the selected net's summary. Stations are listed in the order they checked in, with totals by type and members vs. visitors. From there:
- 💾 Save to Server /logs: keeps a copy on the club server. Saving twice never overwrites; the second copy gets
_2. - 📄 Download TXT / 📊 Download CSV: saves to your computer. The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
- 🌙 Evening Report: switches the preview to one report across all of tonight's nets, listing every station once with the nets it joined (e.g. W1AW … 6m, 10m). Click 📄 This Net Only to switch back. (CSV is available for single nets only.)
Close the net
Click 🔒 Close Net and confirm. This:
- saves the net's log on the server as TXT and CSV automatically
- closes it for all operators; other open nets are not affected
- keeps its check-ins for recognizing stations on later nets and in tonight's Evening Report
Anyone who had that net selected is moved to another open net and sees a blue notice. A net with no check-ins closes without saving a file. If the server can't save the archive, the net is not closed, and you'll see a red message. Nothing is lost.
8. Lights, banners and messages
| You see | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ● LIVE | Connected; changes are shared instantly. | Nothing. |
| ● CONNECTING… | Connecting to the server. | Wait a moment. |
| ● OFFLINE – RECONNECTING (blinking) | Connection lost (Wi-Fi drop, server restart). The console keeps retrying on its own. | LOG is disabled until it reconnects. Keep a paper note of any calls in the meantime. Nothing already logged is lost. |
| Amber banner: "⚠ QRZ lookup limit reached. Using HamDB for new stations." | One name lookup source is failing; a backup is being used. | Nothing; names still fill in. It clears itself when the source recovers. |
| Amber banner ending "…logged as Visitor Station until a lookup source recovers" | No online lookup source is working. | Keep logging; fill in names later with Edit if needed. Club members and recent stations are still recognized. |
| Red message | Something wasn't saved (e.g. invalid callsign, not connected). | Read it and retry. Your typing is kept. |
| Amber message | A warning (duplicate, entry deleted by someone else). | Decide whether to continue. |
| Blue message | Information (a net was opened or closed, where the archive was saved). | Nothing. |
9. Using a phone or tablet
The console works in a phone's browser. On narrow screens the buttons wrap onto extra lines, the Type picker and LOG sit below the callsign box, and each log entry becomes a small card with larger Edit/✕ buttons. Logging in works the same way: open the email on the phone, or request the link from the phone.
10. Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Where | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Enter | Callsign box | Logs the check-in (same as LOG) |
CALL S / CALL E | Callsign box | Sets the type to Short Time / EchoLink while you type |
| Enter | Edit window | Saves the changes |
| Enter | Custom net name | Opens the net |
| Esc | Any window | Closes it without changes |
11. Troubleshooting
- The login email never arrives.
- Check your spam or junk folder and wait a couple of minutes. Make sure you typed your own callsign. If it still doesn't come, ask the club's console administrator to check that you're marked as a Net Control operator and that your email address on file is correct (see The club roster).
- "Too many login requests. Please wait a few minutes and try again."
- To protect members' inboxes, a callsign can request only 3 links per 15 minutes. Any link you received in the last 15 minutes still works, or wait and try again.
- "Link invalid or expired"
- The link was already used or is more than 15 minutes old. A server restart also cancels links that haven't been used yet. Request a new link.
- I was sent back to the login page in the middle of the net.
- Your 6-hour login ran out, or you logged out on this device. Log in again; the nets and their logs are exactly as they were.
- A station came up as "Visitor Station".
- None of the lookup sources knew the callsign (common for new licenses and some foreign calls), or lookups are failing (look for the amber banner). Click ✎ Edit to type the name. It will then be remembered for 30 days.
- The LOG button is greyed out.
- Either the console is offline (see the connection light), or no net is open. Click + Open Net.
- My net disappeared from the tabs.
- Someone closed it. Look for the blue notice at the top of the check-in box. Its log was saved on the server, and it's still in tonight's Evening Report.
- The other operator's screen doesn't match mine.
- Check that both of you are on LIVE and on the same net tab. Reloading the page always shows the latest state.
12. The club roster: who can log in
The console uses a club roster kept by the club's console administrator, usually exported from the club's membership spreadsheet. For each member it holds:
| Field | Used for |
|---|---|
| Callsign, name, club role | Recognizing members when they check in: the name and role fill in automatically, with a MEMBER tag. |
| Net Control permission | Whether the member may log in to the console. |
| Where that member's login links are sent. Emails are never shown in the console. |
Getting added or corrected
To become a Net Control operator, or to fix your name, role or email, send the console administrator:
- your callsign and name as you'd like them shown
- your club role, if any
- the email address for login links
- whether you'll be running nets (Net Control permission)
Roster changes take effect within a few seconds, with no restart, even during a net. A newly added operator can request a login link right away.
Good to know
- A corrected name or role is used for new check-ins. Entries already in tonight's log keep the old text; fix those with ✎ Edit if needed.
- If a member's Net Control permission is removed, their login ends immediately and their console returns to the login page.
- Members without Net Control permission can't log in, but they're still recognized as members when they check in.
Administrators: building the roster from a spreadsheet, uploading it to the server and checking it loaded are covered step by step in INSTALL.md, section 4.
Callsign data from QRZ.com, HamDB.org and callook.info (FCC ULS). Server setup and administration: see INSTALL.md in the project repository.