Portable Ops: OMISS NET 7.185 MHz
Last evening I decided to grab my portable HF/VHF/UHF station go box, my Eagle 1 vertical antenna, smartphone with data connection, and head out to McCaw park close to my house for some portable ops. McCaw park is a very nice new park about a 1/2 mile from my house. After tuning around on 20 meters, I decided to head down to 40 meters to see if there was any better action. I dialed up 7.185 and heard the OMISS net starting so I decided to throw my call sign out (N9SJA/Portable-9).
The OMISS (Old Man International Sideband Society) is a net that is setup for WAS (Worked All States) contest help. With this sort of net, you can get your WAS certificate superfast since there are a great deal of people on the network and they actively seek out states that most amateurs need for their WAS certificate. Alaska and Hawaii are two of the states that are the most difficult for WAS from the eastern area of the continental USA.
They use a special logging application called “NETLOGGER” to keep track of members and contacts. This ties nicely into their web site that also has a google maps version that shows what stations are on the air on a given band. There is also a chat component to netlogger that allows members to chat back and forth on the internet. If a check-in goes away from the net, or just has to get up to use the restroom, a message can be sent on the chat so that the net runs smoothly.
All of the members were super nice, and I had a blast operating this net. I spent about 3 hours taking calls from enthusiastic hams that wanted to hear from my little portable station. It took me a little bit of time before I learned just how the net operated. After listening to members, I figured it all out fairly quickly and tried to stay brief with my contacts so that I wasnt hogging all the time on the net.
Today I decided to join OMISS. It costs just $7 USD for a lifetime membership and you also must check-in to the net and make two contacts with OMISS members. After filling out the online application and transferring the money via PayPal, it just took about 3 hours before they sent me my membership info. They are very fast. My OMISS number is now #8376.
They members have official OMISS numbers that are used to exchange contact information. Additionally they have their own free QSL buro for members.
If you wish to work on your WAS or really like a great net with nice people that is a lot of fun, I would highly recommend the OMISS net.
Thanks to N4JTE Rob and ND8F Homer – Net Control Ops. Thank you for being so kind and inviting me into the net.
My Log of Contacts made on 7/22/2012 on 7.185 MHz OMISS net:
KZ1Q – Donald, in NH
ND8F – Homer, in GA
N4JT – Danny, in NC
W4YQY – Dal, in NC
N1PDP – Ashley, in ME
K5TRM – Tandy, in TX
K4SHA – Charlie, in AL
W4RHB – Robert, in NC
KK5EDD – Roy, in OK
N5JD – Joe, in AR
KI6WOX – Mike, in CA
KJ4SBC – Ray, in TN
KB1JTB/mobile – Jim, in MI
KD7ADH – Jerry, in WA
W7XTZ – Mike, in WA
KC0ZPS – Ron, in CO
73! de N9SJA
K9XN 
You’ll have /P WAS in no time!