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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It is important to understand the following twenty-five Frequently Asked Questions - and answers - were not put together by any one individual. A number of System members including Officers, Board members, Old Timers and some not so Old Timers assisted and exchanged information for nearly three months before these were determined to be acceptable to post.
(1)
Q: What is the YL System?
A:
The YL System, which includes OM's, is international in scope
operating daily on 14.332 mhz, to foster friendship, provide a method for making
contacts and handling of emergency traffic, should the need arise. We currently
have over 16,000 members. Non-members are welcome and may participate in
some but not all of our activities. Membership is $20.00 per year.
Additional information may be obtained by sending a #10 SASE to K9WFE
or by going to: http://www.ylsystem.org (2)
Q: Why is it called “the YL
System?” A:
Because it was founded by a YL and in the beginning only YL’s were
accepted as members. It was not long
before (3)
Q: How old is the YL System
A:
The system was founded on (4)
Q: What is the purpose of the
YL System? A: The system was originally formed for the purpose of handling emergencies. V. Mayree, the wife of a doctor, saw the need for emergency communications with other medical personnel, missionaries, and people in remote places such as jungles, at sea, etc., etc. While the System would handle a piece of formal written traffic if it related to an actual emergency, handling of routine traffic was not the purpose of the system. During the business meeting at the 2008 convention a motion was made to drop "Handling Emergencies" as the primary purpose of the System. After a discussion, the motion was seconded, voted upon and passed. It should be understood that while we will always give any emergency priority, with modern technology such as cell phones, satellites, and other means of communicating quickly, the frequency of emergencies coming up on the System has become rare thus the reason for the change. (5)
Q: Since
handling emergencies is no longer the purpose, what does the System do now? A:
As mentioned above, we remain vigilant in case of need.
During our daily operation we work each other and other hams that check
in during our sessions for “good ole amateur radio camaraderie.”
Members also work each other and exchange membership numbers as they work
for the many beautiful awards, certificates, plaques and trophies offered by the
System. Non-members often check in while searching for a state, county, or
country for an ARRL or other club award, and they are always welcome. Controls
should remember that although we offer WAS awards and support that activity, we
are NOT a Worked all States Net. Controls
should take check-ins and let stations make calls of their choosing.
We do not CQ or make blind calls for certain states or contacts, and
Controls should not get in the habit of “telling” check-ins” who to call.
(6)
Q: Does the YL System have a
web page? A:
Yes, our web is maintained by Jim in A:
The Formal periods of the System were also discontinued on 8/1/08, also a change
from the 2008 convention. Formal meant taking check-ins by call area.
The formal portion of the YL System was the mid-day six-hour portion.
During this time, stations were checked in by call areas.
Occasionally, if there were not many check-ins, control might have elected to go to
informal operation during one of the formal periods.
The call area rotation beginning on the first day of the month would have
been:
1-0-4-7-3-6-9-2-5-8-DX
The
System is now run “informally” during the Early Morning Warm Up, during the
mid day periods and during the
evening Moonbeam session. Informal operation means the control stations take
check-ins “as they come.” Stations
are checked in according to the order in which they are heard.
Once control has a log of check-ins, he/she will go to the top of the log
and ask check-ins if they would like to make any calls.
When the System is running informally, stations may check- in at any time
regardless of call area but must check in again to make additional calls.
The control stations (usually) do not go back over the log.
An exception to not going back over the log would be mobile and DX
stations. In most cases, controls
will call the mobiles and DX each time a new log is taken.
This does vary with controls. (Controls
take a log – NOT a list.)
(8) Q: When might a Control switch to a "formal type" operation, meaning, taking check-ins by call areas? A: This would only be done at the discretion of the member station(s) controlling at the time and only if the Control(s) feel it necessary for the purpose of keeping order. An example of when this could be necessary would be if a rare DX, Special Event or other "much wanted" station were to come on that prompted a high number of check-ins and a high level of chaos. At that point, taking check-ins by call areas, i.e. 1,2, 3, etc., would be a means of sorting things out.
(9)
Q: Why can’t I call my
membership number a YL number? A:
You certainly can call it a YL number if you choose.
However, V. Mayree, ISSB #1, our founder, asked that in respect for our
many
(10)
Q: A control station told me
not to ask a person if he/she was a member.
Why is this? A:
Suppose you were not a member and you came upon the YL System and someone
asked control if you were a member and control said, “no” and then the
person said, okay, well then I don’t need to call him/her.
Wouldn’t you reach for the dial and roll off?
Wouldn’t you say what a bunch of unfriendly people?
It is suggested you do not ask control and do not ask the visiting
station. Instead, call the
station, make a new friend, exchange
names and reports and make the person feel
welcome. Then, when you give
your ISSB number and the person tells you they don’t have one, you can tell
them about our website and how to get information.
More importantly, you can let him/her know that everyone is welcome
to check-in, member or not.
(11)
Q: Do I need to ask control
for permission to make a call(s)? A:
You certainly do have to check in with control and you do have to wait
for your turn but NO with capital letters, you DO NOT need to ask for permission
to call someone. Too many people, including many of the controls have gotten
into the habit of asking if they may call a station. Upon completing the
first contact, they again ask if they may make a second call. What
is the purpose in asking? It is not necessary. Remember
this: when control tells you it
is your turn, you may then make three attempts at two completed contacts without
asking for permission between calls.
If you complete contacts on your first two attempts, then disregard the
third attempt. When you are told it is your turn, go ahead and make your calls.
Do not ask control if you may call K3ABC, just do it.
Once you have completed your first contact, go right ahead and place your
second call.
(12)
A: What about asking the
control station to give me the callsign of a station I heard? A:
Certainly anyone can ask a control station for assistance.
However, if you are actively looking for contacts, working on awards, or
simply anxious to make more contacts, then you should be alert to who is
checking in and you should be writing down the callsign(s) of the station(s) you
would like to call when your turn comes up.
You should not make a practice of asking control for callsigns each time
it is your turn or when you recheck. If
you missed the call of a weak station, or need help with a suffix or something
similar, it makes sense you might have to ask for assistance.
However, to take your turn “unprepared” by never bothering to write
down the call of stations you heard is not a good operating practice.
Remember, a TFO Certificate comes about from using Top Flight operating
procedures.
(13)
Q: What is a Top Flight
Operator Certificate? A:
The TFO Certificate is one of the most coveted certificates the System
offers to members. It is our version
of the ARRL A1OP and it is issued only after current holders of a TFO
Certificate nominate you. Only
those who currently hold a TFO Certificate are permitted to nominate, and a
certificate and TFO number will be issued to a member after ten (10) current
TFO’s send in a nomination for a member. The
TFO Awards Manager is KB8NSA ( kb8nsa@suddenlink.net).
(14)
Q: Is it okay to tell
control to call a station and tell them I am going to give him/her a call?
A:
The best practice and most professional thing to do is call the station
yourself. Too often, we ask controls
for too much help which takes a degree of integrity out of the contact.
If it is a much needed DX station, or perhaps a very difficult contact to
make, then maybe asking the control station for some assistance is the thing to
do, but remember, the contact is for you to make, not for someone to make for
you.
(15)
Q: Why do controls often ask
what signal report I got? Are the
controls keeping logs of all my contacts? A:
No, controls keep a log of all check-ins, and many controls keep their
logs from year to year, but they are not keeping a log of anyone’s personal
contacts. However, our awards
program does not require that a member submit QSL cards when applying for
a YL System award. Therefore,
all controls are asked to listen and make sure both parties receive and both
parties repeat - out loud, the signal reports sent and received.
This adds some integrity to the contact and lets all listening know that
it was a valid contact.
(16)
Q: Can the control station
help me with the contact and with the signal report? A:
Control stations may give reasonable help, but neither controls nor
anyone else may assist with the signal report.
Often a control is heard saying something like this, “no, the report
was not quite that good.” If the
report one thought they heard was a 3/3 and control says, not quite that good,
then control has obviously given you the report, which would have been a 2/2.
Simply put, controls should say nothing more than “not correct, try
again” or something similar. They
should not make any comments about better or worse, higher or lower first number
was right, etc., etc. If they cannot exchange
signal reports without help, then it is not a valid contact.
(17)
Q: What is the VOICE I hear
people talking about, and the COMMUNICATOR? A:
The VOICE is the annual publication of the System which is sent to all
new members and all other members who pay their annual dues.
The VOICE contains system information, photos, membership numbers, and
much more. The Communicator is the
System newsletter. Simply keep
SASE’s on file with editors, Judy and Dick - K3CDQ, and they will send the COMMUNICATOR to you.
There is no charge for the COMMUNICATOR.
(18)
Q: When I am working as a
control station, is it okay for me to make contacts, especially when I hear a
station I need for an award? A:
The following is an exact quotation from the System’s VOICE.
(When you are
control) “Conduct your Systems
with dignity and warmth, friendliness and charm, courtesy and fairness,
with never a hint of selfishness, such as garnering unto yourself as many signal
reports as possible while running the system, or any other manifestation of
being System Control for your own need.
If a station requests your signal report, by all means give it, otherwise
reserve your contact hunting for when you are not functioning as SC.”
In
other words, the answer is no, as a control station we should not make
calls/contacts. Having said that, it
is obvious that the System has been very lenient on this procedure.
Controls are often heard making contacts while controlling and on
occasion, some make too many contacts. It
is suggested that while controlling, a control wait until he/she is about to
turn it over to the assisting control. At
that time, most controls will ask each other if they would like to make a
contact. If it is done at all, it
should be at this time and not while control is working the log of check-ins.
Again, if a check-in calls the control, that is acceptable, go ahead and
make the contact.
(19)
Q: Is it permissible to call
"contact" or "break" when desiring to check into the YL
System?
(20)
Q: When I hear someone trying to
check-in, should I relay? A:
By all means! It is important
to relay stations that control(s) does not hear.
We do not want to miss anyone.
However, before relaying, be sure to give the active controls a chance to
pick up the check-ins before you relay. We
try to have two and often three controls on during each period, formal and
informal, and usually one or more of the controls will hear those trying to
check-in. Just because
one of the controls does not jump right in and relay the person trying to
check-in to the control that is active does not mean that he/she does not hear
the check-in. Give
controls a chance to pick up all the check-ins, and if you are then confident
they do not hear the station, put your callsign in, and once
recognized, relay the station in.
(21)
Q: What is this VK/ZL System I
hear about? A:
This is a Friday evening portion of the System (Saturday UT time).
The VK/ZL System is on at 0300 Saturday, which is 10 PM Eastern Standard
Time, or 11 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
A stateside control will take a log.
Then the stateside control will give the entire log to a VK/ZL control.
After copying down the entire log, the VK/ZL control will call the log
and have check-ins make contacts.
(22)
Q: What are the correct times
for the different portions of the YL System? A:
They are as follows: 1)
The Early Morning Warm Up begins at 2)
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Periods begin at 11 am Eastern Time, and consists
of three two hour periods.
That is: 1600Z during Standard Time and 1500Z during Daylight Savings
Time. 3)
The Moonbeam begins at
(23)
Q: Does the YL System operate
on other frequencies or other bands? A:
The System does operate on other bands, but with us currently being in a low
part of the solar cycle, 20 meters is the only "real" active band.
Some of our other frequencies include: 21.373,
3.873, 7.273 and 28.673. The only
other frequency currently active on a regular basis is 7.273 at 2400Z.
Check with controls on 14.332 as to which evenings 40 meters is active. (24)
Q: I made a contact and both of us exchanged 1 x 1 signal reports, and
then the control station told me that was not a valid contact. Why?
We both heard each other and we both copied the signal reports, so why was it
not a good contact? A:
If you both heard each other well enough to exchange callsigns and signal
reports without assistance, then your signal reports should have been higher
than 1 x 1. Also, ARRL, the YL System and most other clubs and
organizations will not give credit for QSL cards for awards with reports of 1x1.
The minimum report considered a valid contact is 2 x 2. (25)
Q: I frequently receive QSL cards from hams with the pse checked and the
tnx also checked. Why would someone check both? A:
Because he or she does not understand the purpose of pse and tnx.
When you are sending a QSL card to someone and you would like a card in return,
you check or circle the pse. In doing so, you are saying, please QSL back
to me. If you have already received a card from a ham, and you are
QSLing back to that party, then you would check or circle the tnx to thank him
or her for having sent you a card. *
* * END
FAQs * * *
Finally, a little operating trivia. If you do not follow or use the following suggestions, you are not wrong and no one is going to fuss at you, but these are the preferred methods of operation: a) We refer to our club as a System, not a Net. b) Controls take a log, not a list. c) Since it has been over a year since we dropped the Formal Operation, there is no need to continue to say we are running informally. Controls should cease saying such. d) We have ISSB numbers or Sideband numbers, not YL Numbers. e) We do not "CQ" states, DX or areas. Ask Control if the state you want is on but do not call CQ. f) We no longer operate as an "Emergency" System. Therefore, System Controls should discontinue asking if there are any emergencies at the beginning of each portion. Obviously, if an emergency were to come on frequency, we would assist in any way possible.
YL SYSTEM MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Complete this form and mail to Jodie - AB0EG. Her address is as follows:
JOANNE LAW ABØEG
1400 ZILLOCK RD WF-316
SAN BENITO, TX 78586
USA
Make $20 cheque or money order payable to YLISSB International. DX stations, when sending a check or money order, be sure it is payable in US funds. If you desire to receive the VOICE Airmail, enclose an additional $5.00.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION CALLSIGN:_______________
CLASS OF LICENSE:________________________ NAME:
(as on license)_______________________________________________________ ADDRESS:____________________________________________________________ CITY:______________________________________STATE:______
ZIP:__________ COUNTRY:__________________________PROVINCE:_______________________ NICKNAME:___________________________
BIRTHDAY: MONTH_________DAY_______ EMAIL
ADDRESS:______________________________________________________ WEBPAGE:____________________________________________________________ Have
you ever been issued a YL System number before:
YES:_______ NO:________ If
yes, under what callsign?_______________ ARRL Member?
YES:_____ NO:_____ OTHER
HAMS IN FAMILY:_______________, _______________,
______________ (Signature:________________________________________Date:
_____/_____/_____ Make
$20 cheque or money order payable to YLISSB International.
DX stations, when sending a check or money order, be sure it is in US
funds. If you desire to receive our
annual publication, The VOICE, by airmail, please enclose an additional $5.00.
Other
hams in your family, living under the same roof, may join the System with you,
under your dues payment of $20. A
second $20 is not required, both join for the initial payment and both will
receive a membership number. Only
one copy of the VOICE will be mailed. Upon
receiving your membership number please refer to it as a Sideband number and not
a YL number. Dues
should be sent to: Joanne
Law ABØEG,
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