East Coast Reflector 921, Raleigh, NC
Use and Operation Guidelines
 
Purpose The East Coast Reflector (921) was established with several purposes in mind:
1. Emergency Response and public service,
2. The linking of repeaters in the KD4RAA-K4JDR Repeater Group and other amateurs in North Carolina and neighboring states, and 
3. Fun.

Emergency Response shall have priority over all other traffic.  We welcome use of the reflector for nets and other planned activities -- please contact the control ops to coordinate use of the reflector. More information about Ref921 is available here.
Nets and Events Ref921 has hosted simulcasts of school/ Space Station contacts, the Boy Scouts' Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), and emergency response to severe weather events. It also currently hosts a Wednesday night net (9pm ET, North America) and a Skywarn net on Saturdays (00:00 UTC). We welcome additional scheduled events and nets. If you would like to hold an event or net on Ref921, please contact the Ref921 control ops: See the complete 9210 Reflector Channel Assignments and Net Schedule here.
   
Advice for Radio Operators                                  
Pause, Pause, Pause The three most important rules for successful reflector contacts. Please leave plenty of space between transmissions. For many nodes, the only time control ops can get in to disconnect is between transmissions. Also remember to key up and wait for one or even two seconds before speaking (key and think to yourself 'one one thousand, two one thousand'). The exact amount of delay varies by node and linking technology, but PTT across IRLP (which can involve multiple linking systems using tone squelch) is not as fast as local carrier squelch simplex.
Operating Tips & Bits Remember the PAUSE PAUSE PAUSE procedure described above.

When first connecting, remember you may be dropping into a conversation in progress, so wait 30 seconds or so before transmitting to avoid interrupting a QSO.

Resist the temptation to break into a QSO unless invited or the conversation is obviously open. It is rude to interrupt an eyeball QSO, it is rude on the radio too.  "I-Layer" propagation always provides a good path, so there is no need to hurry to work the "rare one" before the band dies out.

Calling CQ is a great way to solicit a contact. Every Ham knows what that means. If you are specifically trying to make a contact, be sure to make that fact known in your call, especially if you are demonstrating IRLP.

All Topics of conversation within the realm of "Good Amateur Practice" are allowed. There are no specifically prohibited topics, but remember you have an international audience thus your conversation will be heard worldwide. If you are discussing IRLP operating procedures or practices, remember that node access and policies vary considerably based upon local requirements.

When disconnecting from Ref921, it is not necessary to announce that fact to everyone connected. In fact, a disconnect announcement can be disruptive if you are sneaking in between transmissions of a QSO you are otherwise not a part of. Just bleep in your code and be gone.  If you are fortunate enough to have a full duplex control connection, it is actually completely silent if you disconnect on top of another transmission.
Local Traffic If you want to remain connected to the reflector while having a local QSO, make absolutely sure you are pausing several seconds between overs so users on other nodes can join in or send disconnect commands.
Sub-Channels
9211 - 9219		 See the 9210 Reflector Channel Assignments and Net Schedule here.
   
Info for IRLP Node Owners                            
Monitoring Requirements All nodes connected to Ref9210 are expected to be monitored at all times while connected to the reflector. Please do not disable inactivity timeouts and leave your node connected to the reflector for extended periods. Nodes left connected to the main channel for 1 day or longer (as reported on the status page) are suspect (we doubt you are monitoring continuously), thus are subject to bad opinions and may be blocked. CTCSS or DCS squelch on your repeater is strongly encouraged, urged and begged for.

Special Note for Operators of Simplex Nodes
Monitoring your node means being able to hear what your node RECEIVER is hearing and sending up to the reflector. You generally cannot do this from your car or La-Z-Boy mounted handhelds in the living room. In most cases this means you must stay in the room with the node receiver so you can hear it.  CTCSS or DCS squelch is mandatory for simplex nodes, but make sure your radio properly executes the tone squelch, many (like Kenwoods) do not. Check this with the readinput utility.
Repeater Hang Time and IDs If your node is linked to a repeater, there must be NO (as in zero) repeater hangtime allowed to pass through to IRLP nor anything resembling a courtesy tone. This means set it to zero, not 500ms or even 100ms.  If you are using a keyed CTCSS approach to solving this problem, make sure your tone encoder/decoder combination drops as fast as possible.  No repeater IDs or controller messages are allowed at all, unless they are under a user transmission.  This requirement is very important on a busy reflector like 9200, remember that any IDs or hangtime that leaks through, completely block the reflector from other users. If there were thirty nodes connected and each one ID'd across the reflector every 10 minutes... well, you get the drift.
Pulsecheck and Readinput Remember your utilities:  pulsecheck and readinput are your friends.  Please check your node with the 'readinput' command before connecting anywhere, especially the reflector. Any strange or fluctuating activity must be fixed before using your node. Please use the 'pulsecheck' program with your node in its final configuration with all links up and operational.
No Cross-Links to Other Linking Methods Cross-links to other linking programs (echolink, eQSO, etc.) or even other IRLP reflectors are prohibited.  If your node is capable of cross linking to something else, please disable that capability before connecting to Ref921.  If you have a special exception request contact the reflector control ops.
Register Your Node Your node must be listed on the status page to use this reflector.  Registration is not automatic.  If your node shows up on the status page as unknown, you may be blocked from all channels of 9210.  For instructions refer to "What to Do After the Install" in the installation documentation.
On Being Blocked If your node has been blocked, please reply to the e-mail you received, advising the problem has been corrected and how or what action was taken, if appropriate. Please quote the complete message you received in your reply.  If the block was for some temporary condition, such as local traffic, a reflector cop may remove the block without being asked once your node has disconnected, but we often forget, so the reply is important.
Blocked? What to Do. If your node has been blocked, please reply to the e-mail you received, advising the problem has been corrected and how or what action was taken, if appropriate. Please quote the complete message you received in your reply.  If the block was for some temporary condition, such as local traffic, a reflector cop may remove the block without being asked once your node has disconnected, but we often forget, so the reply is important.
                                  
Who's who Contact address: 
Reflector Owner:  Jack WA0ERX
Control Ops: WW4M, KD4RAA, K4JDR, VE3SY, K9DC

This page stolen from K9DC and modified by WW4M
last modified 9/25/03