User Guide

Everything you need to join and run nets on this instance of N1OF Ham.Live Server.

1. Getting started

Sign in

On the login page you can Sign in with email link: enter your email and submit. N1OF Ham.Live Server emails you a one-time sign-in link — open it to finish.

  • If this instance has email configured, the field shows "Mail sent" — check your inbox (and spam folder).
  • If email isn't configured (e.g. a local test instance), a "Click here to finish signing in →" button appears right on the page — click it.
  • If the operator enabled Google sign-in, a Sign in with Google button also appears.

Set up your account

The first time you sign in you'll land on your account page. Accept the policy consent prompt, then set:

  • Display Name (2–20 characters)
  • Call Sign (your amateur radio callsign) — required to take part in nets
  • Location (optional; the page may offer to fill this in from your browser location)

Click Save. You're ready to join and run nets.

2. Finding & following nets

The home page (Attend Net) lists the nets that are live right now — each row shows the net's name, start time, and frequency. Click a net's name to open it.

Follow a net for email alerts

Click the star next to a net (on the home page or on the net page) to follow it. When a net you follow goes live, N1OF Ham.Live Server emails you so you can join — provided email delivery is configured on the instance and you've left email notifications on (see Your account & privacy). If a net you want isn't listed, it just isn't running here yet.

3. Taking part in a net

A live net shows the station list — everyone taking part, in order, with their role and check-in state. Hovering over a participant's name shows their location.

As a participant you can use the buttons in the control bar at the bottom of the net:

ControlWhat it does
Hand button (✋ / 👊)Raise or lower your hand
Star buttonFollow / unfollow this net
Autoscroll buttonKeep the station list scrolled to the latest activity
Signal report field (on your row)Enter the report you're giving/receiving (unless the net restricts this to Net Control)

Chat

If chat is enabled (by the operator, and in your privacy settings), a Chat panel appears alongside the net. You can send messages, emoji, and images, and edit your own messages.

4. Running a net (Net Control)

When you start a net you become Net Control (NCS). You can also grant others the Logger or Relay roles to help. Net Control and Loggers get a control panel for managing the session.

The control panel

While checked in as NCS or Logger, click the "… Control Panel" button on the net page. The panel shows who has their hand up, a built-in command cheat-sheet, and a command input where you type net-control commands (results appear below in green for success, red for errors). The same commands work in chat with a / prefix — e.g. /i W1ABC to check someone in, /? for help.

Quick mouse actions (NCS / Logger)

ActionResult
Left-click a callsignHighlight / un-highlight that row
Right-click a callsignCheck that station out
Left-click a profile pictureRaise / lower that station's hand

Auto-Check-In & lurkers

If you enabled Auto-Check-In on the net, people are checked in automatically as they arrive — no manual check-in needed. For someone who'd rather just listen, use the ui command (undo check-in) to move them back to "lurking" rather than highlighting their row.

Closing the net

Type close in the control panel. N1OF Ham.Live Server generates a CSV report of everyone who checked in (callsign, role, name, location, check-in time, signal report) and emails it to all net owners, then tears the session down.

Co-owners

Add a co-owner so a net survives if you ever delete your account, and so others can run it. Use the "Additional Net Owner" form on the Start Net page (enter their email), or the owner <email> command during a live net.

5. Creating a net

On the Start Net page, fill in the Net Submission form:

FieldNotes
Net Name4–25 characters, unique
FrequencyIn MHz; leave blank for reflector-based nets
ModeLSB, USB, Digital Reflector, AM, CW, FM, RTTY, FSQ, PSK-31, FreeDV, Olivia, Hellschreiber, JS8Call, or CUSTOM
Mode DetailsRequired for CUSTOM / reflector modes (e.g. a reflector name)
Restrict Sig. RepsWhen checked, only Net Control can enter signal reports
Auto Check-inMonitoring/lurking stations are checked in automatically on arrival
NotesA short rich-text description (~5 lines)

Click Save. To go live, click the power button next to the net in your list, set an optional Countdown Minutes grace period (0–120, to give followers time to join after the start email), and click Start Net!

6. Your account & privacy

On your account page (Settings) you can update your display name, callsign, and location.

Privacy options

Under Settings → Your Privacy → Data Privacy Options you can toggle:

  • Email Subsystem — receive (or stop) email alerts when a net you follow starts.
  • Interactive Chat Widget — turn the in-net chat panel on or off for yourself.

Your profile picture

If your picture shows a generic default, it's pulled from Gravatar using your email address — set one there and it appears here. If you signed in with Google, your picture comes from your Google account.

Changing your email address

A callsign is bound to one account and can't be moved to a new email directly, so to switch emails you delete the account and re-register. If you own nets, add a co-owner first (otherwise a net you solely own is removed with your account). Then:

  1. Go to Settings → Your Privacy → Data Privacy Options.
  2. Click Delete My Account (you can Undelete before the nightly cleanup runs).
  3. After the cleanup, sign in again with your new email and set your callsign.
  4. Ask co-owners to re-add you, and re-follow your nets.

7. Reports & RepTool

When a net closes, owners get a CSV report. Because the reports are plain CSV, they're easy to combine — analyze them in a spreadsheet or feed a merged file to an LLM for visualizations.

RepTool is a small companion command-line utility that merges many reports into one. Put the .csv files in a folder and run:

reptool merge <path-to-directory>

It writes a consolidated MERGED.csv — handy for a monthly roll-up across every net you run. RepTool is open source (Windows, Linux, macOS, plus source): RepTool repository.

8. Net-control commands

Every command Net Control and Loggers can type — check-ins, hand management, roles, relays, frequency, handoff, moderation, and closing the net — is in the Net Control Commands reference, which includes a printable cheat sheet. The cheat sheet is also built into the control panel while you run a net.