ARO JS8 / Winlink Weekly Net
A weekly net for outdoor amateur-radio operators, run on Winlink (RF email) with JS8CALL on 40m as a parallel mode. We promote portable operations, publish a weekly AAR, and run a daily news wire (the GDNW). NCS: Luis Santiago, HB9HJU.
How to check in
Send one Winlink message per check-in (multiple check-ins from distinct outdoor locations are encouraged) to the address below. Acknowledgments are guaranteed within 48 hours. JS8CALL is supported as a parallel mode for operators who prefer it.
Via Winlink (primary)
- To:
AROWNLKNET@WINLINK.ORG - Template: Winlink Check-In (the standard built-in template)
- From: your licensed callsign
- Where: outdoor locations encouraged; distinct grid for each check-in
- Timing: any time within the cycle window above
Via JS8CALL (parallel)
- Frequency: 40m primary (please monitor band plans for region)
- Time: daily at 21:00 UTC
- Target:
AROWNLKNET - Format: standard JS8 message; include grid + brief note
First-time check-ins are explicitly welcomed. If a station's setup is portable, mobile, or mixed (HT + Mobilinkd, vehicle install, etc.), tell us in the message; recognitions are published in each After-Action Report.
Subscribe to the net
Enter your callsign to receive weekly net invitations and After-Action Reports via Winlink.
Winlink only. Your callsign will be added to the AROWNLKNET distribution list. To unsubscribe, reply to any net message with "unsubscribe" in the subject.
Net Control Station
Luis Santiago, HB9HJU, Kloten, Zurich, Switzerland.
QRZ: HB9HJU / HI8ILO. NCS contact via Winlink at AROWNLKNET@WINLINK.ORG or email at hello@aro.travel.
Cycle cadence
- Monday 00:00 UTC: cycle opens
- Weekly news wire (GDNW) broadcast via JS8CALL on 40m at 21:00 UTC Sunday; full edition via Winlink
- Saturday 23:59 UTC: cycle closes
- After-Action Report (AAR) sent to all participants the following week, summarising check-ins, recognitions, and the next cycle's invitation
The News Wire (GDNW)
Weekly bulletins with HF conditions are published on the News Wire page.
Role in ARO
The ARO Net is muscle memory for outdoor portable operations. Weekly cadence, structured check-ins, AAR discipline. It is also the closest thing the broader EMCOMM community has to a friendly recurring training net for Winlink + JS8 workflows. Operators who can run these protocols reliably outdoors are the same operators who can run them when infrastructure is down.
The net has been operating without interruption since 2021-07-25. Surfacing it on aro.travel in 2026 is a long-overdue web presence for an existing radio service, not a new program.
Running weekly since 2021. 985 check-ins. 87 operators. 11 countries.
Join the netNet stats
Activity heatmap (266 weeks)
Top operators
AD0TU 123 check-ins Century Club lapsed
W2ILT 104 check-ins Century Club inactive
AE5MI 85 check-ins 50+ check-ins inactive
N4RJB 57 check-ins 50+ check-ins active
TI2BSH 51 check-ins 50+ check-ins inactive
WA4KWK 47 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
KJ4MZ 40 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
OH3KUN 31 check-ins 10+ check-ins lapsed
AJ4KY 27 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
KD4IMA 24 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
AC7DS 23 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
W7WXV 22 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
AI3KS 21 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
K0WET 19 check-ins 10+ check-ins lapsed
K6RKY 17 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
N4TFN 14 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
DG1KW 12 check-ins 10+ check-ins lapsed
ON2SEB 12 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
W0JW 11 check-ins 10+ check-ins active
DG3NAB 10 check-ins 10+ check-ins lapsed
Participant map
Only check-ins with GPS coordinates are shown. Winlink check-ins without position data will not appear on the map.
Archive (coming)
August 2026
#264 2026-08-16 to 2026-08-21 4 check-ins 4 ops PHUS
- Check-ins
- 4
- Operators
- 4
- Countries
- 2
- Grids
- 4
#263 2026-08-09 to 2026-08-14 4 check-ins 4 ops PHUS
- Check-ins
- 4
- Operators
- 4
- Countries
- 2
- Grids
- 4
#262 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-07 7 check-ins 7 ops PHUS
- Check-ins
- 7
- Operators
- 7
- Countries
- 2
- Grids
- 7
July 2026
#261 2026-07-26 to 2026-07-31 22 check-ins 22 ops CAPHUS
- Check-ins
- 22
- Operators
- 22
- Countries
- 3
- Grids
- 21
#260 2026-07-19 to 2026-07-24 4 check-ins 4 ops PHUS
- Check-ins
- 4
- Operators
- 4
- Countries
- 2
- Grids
- 4
#259 2026-07-12 to 2026-07-17 21 check-ins 21 ops CAPHUS
- Check-ins
- 21
- Operators
- 21
- Countries
- 3
- Grids
- 20
"I have been off grid at home as long as 25 hours. It was a bad storm and there were many places out of service, my problem was limited to the block i live on so we were low priority. I have several fr"
-- W9NMM
I have been off grid at home as long as 25 hours. It was a bad storm and there were many places out of service, my problem was limited to the block i live on so we were low priority. I have several fr
#258 2026-07-05 to 2026-07-10 25 check-ins 25 ops CAPHUS
- Check-ins
- 25
- Operators
- 25
- Countries
- 3
- Grids
- 24
"GENERAL MESSAGE (ICS 213) Amateur Radio Outdoors (ARO) JS8/Winlink Weekly Net ** THIS IS AN EXERCISE ** 2. To (Name and Position): Net Control Station 3. Fro"
-- W1SAV
GENERAL MESSAGE (ICS 213) Amateur Radio Outdoors (ARO) JS8/Winlink Weekly Net ** THIS IS AN EXERCISE ** 2. To (Name and Position): Net Control Station 3. Fro
<No message body>
June 2026
#257 2026-06-28 to 2026-07-03 5 check-ins 5 ops US
- Check-ins
- 5
- Operators
- 5
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 5
#256 2026-06-21 to 2026-06-26 5 check-ins 5 ops US
- Check-ins
- 5
- Operators
- 5
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 5
"GENERAL MESSAGE (ICS 213) ARO JS8 / Winlink Weekly Net 2. To (Name and Position): Luis HB9HJU / NCS 3. From (Name and Position): Savi W1SAV /"
-- W1SAV
#255 2026-06-14 to 2026-06-19 12 check-ins 12 ops BEPHUS
- Check-ins
- 12
- Operators
- 12
- Countries
- 3
- Grids
- 12
"Hey Luis, Yes I waited until no land was in sight to send my checkin message so it was really in the middle of nowhere :)"
-- ON2SEB
Grid:EN31 Antenna: M2 Satellite antenna 2MCP22
Hey Luis, Yes I waited until no land was in sight to send my checkin message so it was really in the middle of nowhere :)
GRID SQUARE: EL88SK Currnt antenna is 6-40 meter EFHW wire John
#254 2026-06-07 to 2026-06-12 15 check-ins 14 ops CAPHUS
- Check-ins
- 15
- Operators
- 14
- Countries
- 3
- Grids
- 14
"Luis, I will give DXing Switzerland a shot on Field Day with HF that is June 27th and 28th, share a band and frequency with me to make the challenge a little less frustrating HI Rosemari"
-- VA3RIE
Luis, I will give DXing Switzerland a shot on Field Day with HF that is June 27th and 28th, share a band and frequency with me to make the challenge a little less frustrating HI Rosemari
GENERAL MESSAGE (ICS 213) Amateur Radio Outdoors (ARO) JS8/Winlink Weekly Net 2. To (Name and Position): Luis HB9HJU / NCS 3. From (Name and Position): Savi W1S
May 2026
#253 2026-05-31 to 2026-06-05 17 check-ins 16 ops BECAPHUS
- Check-ins
- 17
- Operators
- 16
- Countries
- 4
- Grids
- 15
"Thanks for your check ins and participation from Bassersdorf Luis. And thank you for you for the Arownlknet information, one of these days I will try and DX to Switzerland. Be well and 73 Rosemarie V"
-- VA3RIE
GENERAL MESSAGE (ICS 213) CCFARES CHARLOTTE COUNTY FLORIDA 2. To (Name and Position): LUIS / AROWNLKNET / 3. From (Name and Position): RICHARD / N
Thanks for your check ins and participation from Bassersdorf Luis. And thank you for you for the Arownlknet information, one of these days I will try and DX to Switzerland. Be well and 73 Rosemarie V
#252 2026-05-24 to 2026-05-29 11 check-ins 11 ops US
- Check-ins
- 11
- Operators
- 11
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 11
#251 2026-05-17 to 2026-05-22 7 check-ins 6 ops US
- Check-ins
- 7
- Operators
- 6
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 6
"Hello. It's been a while, but I was trying to remember or learn how to check into the net via js8call. Thanks de KJ5FA"
-- KJ5FA
Hello. It's been a while, but I was trying to remember or learn how to check into the net via js8call. Thanks de KJ5FA
N2MHO, Mike, Vineland, Cumberland, N, Telnet, commercial
#250 2026-05-10 to 2026-05-15 13 check-ins 13 ops BECACRUS
- Check-ins
- 13
- Operators
- 13
- Countries
- 4
- Grids
- 12
"Saludos mi amigo, es bueno saber de ti. Vamos a estarnos incorporando a los ejercicios semanales. Gracias por el recordatorio y por mantener activala net. Saludos, 73. Pura vida, mae."
-- TI2BSH
- Check-in Status: [EXERCISE] Initial Assigned Operators: N2MHO Location: Vineland, NJ GPS Coordinates: LAT [redacted] LON -[redacted] MGRS Coordinates: 18SVJ[redacted]
Hi Luis, I got a little portable time last weekend during event support, but this week's event is in town, Thanks for keep
Saludos mi amigo, es bueno saber de ti. Vamos a estarnos incorporando a los ejercicios semanales. Gracias por el recordatorio y por mantener activala net. Saludos, 73. Pura vida, mae.
April 2026
#248 2026-04-26 to 2026-05-01 1 check-in 1 op US
- Check-ins
- 1
- Operators
- 1
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 1
March 2026
#244 2026-03-29 to 2026-04-03 1 check-in 1 op US
- Check-ins
- 1
- Operators
- 1
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 1
#243 2026-03-22 to 2026-03-27 1 check-in 1 op US
- Check-ins
- 1
- Operators
- 1
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 1
#242 2026-03-15 to 2026-03-20 1 check-in 1 op US
- Check-ins
- 1
- Operators
- 1
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 1
#241 2026-03-08 to 2026-03-13 2 check-ins 2 ops US
- Check-ins
- 2
- Operators
- 2
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 2
February 2026
#237 2026-02-08 to 2026-02-13 2 check-ins 2 ops US
- Check-ins
- 2
- Operators
- 2
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 2
#236 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-06 2 check-ins 2 ops US
- Check-ins
- 2
- Operators
- 2
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 2
January 2026
#235 2026-01-25 to 2026-01-30 2 check-ins 2 ops US
- Check-ins
- 2
- Operators
- 2
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 2
#233 2026-01-11 to 2026-01-16 2 check-ins 2 ops US
- Check-ins
- 2
- Operators
- 2
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 2
#232 2026-01-04 to 2026-01-09 2 check-ins 2 ops US
- Check-ins
- 2
- Operators
- 2
- Countries
- 1
- Grids
- 2
Net participant data (callsigns, grids, check-in dates) will be published on this site under an opt-in default. If you have ever checked in and would prefer not to be listed publicly, send a removal request to AROWNLKNET@WINLINK.ORG. Removals honored within 14 days.
All operations are conducted by licensed amateur-radio operators in accordance with national regulations.