User Guide

1. Getting Started

Sign In

Open Sign in and choose the method that works best for you:

• Select Continue with Google and complete the Google sign-in process.
• Enter your email address and select Email me a sign-in link, then open the link sent to your inbox.

Complete Your Account

Open Settings, enter or update the following profile information, and select Save Settings:

• Name — used as a fallback when a station name is not available from QRZ or Net Control.
• Callsign — your amateur radio callsign.
• Location — the location shown with your station information.

A valid callsign is required to participate in live nets and use net-management features.

2. Finding Nets

The NCO Logger landing page organizes net activity into:

• Live Nets — nets that are running or preparing to go on the air.
• Today’s Nets — scheduled nets for the current day.
• Upcoming Nets — scheduled nets on later dates.

Live listings may show the net name, connection information, ON AIR state, current check-in count, and favorite star. Select an ON AIR net to open its live logger.

Favorites and Off-Air Nets

Select the star on an eligible net to add it to Favorite Nets. Select it again to remove the favorite without opening the net.

Selecting an eligible OFF AIR favorite, or opening its direct link, displays the Waiting for Net page. It shows the OFF AIR state and any available connection information. You can leave the page open: NCO Logger checks automatically and opens the live net when it becomes available.

3. Joining and Participating

An ordinary participant uses Viewer Mode. You can see the Active Log, Checked Out stations, Lurkers, Chat, station information, operational status tags, and the current net status and counts.

Your Station

• Use the hand control on your own station row to raise or lower your hand.
• Select a station avatar to view its available photo.
• Read station callsigns, names, locations, roles, and current status tags.

Chat

When Live Net Chat is enabled in your privacy settings, Chat supports public messages, private/direct messages, replies, reactions, emoji, and images. You can edit or delete your own messages.

You may also personalize your available module layout and Logger or Chat text sizes. Participants cannot manage other stations or perform NCO/Logger operations.

4. Live Logger Overview

The live logger is organized into five modules:

• Station Controls — available only in NCO and Logger modes.
• Chat — public and directed net conversation.
• Checked Out — stations no longer active in the current check-in list.
• Active Log — the ordered operational station list.
• Lurkers — visitors who are present but not checked in.

Operating Modes

• NCO Mode — full net-control authority, including station management, role assignment, frequency changes, chat moderation, and closing the net.
• Logger Mode — most station-management and logging tasks, but not closing the net or changing frequency.
• Relay Mode — a read-only operational view plus normal participant functions.
• Viewer Mode — the normal participant and read-only operational view.

Special Guest is a station status/grouping, not a separate operating mode.

Status Bar and Layout

The bottom status bar shows Ready or another current status message, the operating mode, and counts for In Log, Active, Checked Out, and Rechecks.

Open Menu → Modules to show or hide available modules, adjust Logger and Chat text sizes, reset the layout, and manage the workspace. Modules can also be dragged and resized.

5. Running a Net

Starting a Scheduled Net

Open Start a Net and find the scheduled profile under Owned Nets. The Start Net button becomes available 30 minutes before the scheduled start time and remains available through a 30-minute grace period after the scheduled time.

1. Select the clearly marked Start Net button for the net you are scheduled to run.
2. If you enter early, the logger opens in preparation mode. You are checked in as NCO, and the net automatically goes ON AIR at the scheduled time while you remain present.
3. If you select Start Net at or after the scheduled time, the net starts immediately.
4. If the net is not started within 30 minutes after its scheduled time, that occurrence is marked missed.

Station Controls

Enter a callsign and press Enter to add or check in a station. The mode buttons apply Mobile, Short Time, Portable, or In & Out as the station is entered. Undo Check-in reverses the most recent check-in action. Close Net begins the close workflow.

Active Log

Each row may show a callsign, name and location, photo, hand indicator, role badges, and operational status tags.

• In NCO or Logger mode, select a plain row to set or clear the next station.
• Hover or focus a row to reveal its controls.
• Right-click a row to pin or unpin its controls. Shift-right-click leaves the normal browser context menu available.
• Select an avatar to open the station photo.
• Drag ordinary rows to reorder them when your mode permits it.

Available row controls include Note, Edit Station, Check Out, Mobile, Short Time, Portable, In & Out, Recheck, Special Guest, Attention (!), Needed Next, No Reply, Skip, and authorized role controls.

Checked Out and Lurkers

Checked-out stations move to Checked Out. NCOs and Loggers can check them back in; doing so marks the station RECHECK. Rows can be reordered when permitted.

Lurkers are currently visible visitors who have not been checked in. NCOs and Loggers can check them in. If Automatic check-in is enabled for the profile, visitors may be checked in automatically when they arrive.

Commands and Shortcuts

Open Menu → Commands & Shortcuts for the complete current command, keyboard, and mouse reference. The current command system uses /h. Useful examples include:

/h in CALL
/h out CALL
/h next CALL
/h edit CALL
/h note CALL
/h li

Closing the Net

Only the NCO can close the net. Select Close Net, review the confirmation dialog, and select Yes, Close Net. Closing ends the active session for everyone and generates the close reports.

6. Managing Net Profiles

Select Start a Net to open My Nets. The Owned Nets panel lists your reusable profiles and their current state.

• Use the Start Net button to begin an OFF AIR net.
• Open a running net with its live-net control.
• Select Edit to load a saved profile into the editor.
• Select Delete to remove your ownership association; a sole owner's deletion removes the profile.
• Select Co-owner to share management with another eligible account.

Create or Edit a Net

Use Clear / new profile to reset the editor. Select Save profile to create or update the profile.

Net Profile and Live Net

A net profile is the reusable saved definition of a net. A live net is one running session created from that profile. Closing a live net does not remove its saved profile, and the same profile can be started repeatedly.

Starting a Net

1. Find an OFF AIR profile under Owned Nets.
2. Select its Start Net button.
3. In the Start dialog, enter Countdown minutes from 0–120.
4. Select Start net.
5. You are checked in as NCO, and the live logger opens immediately.

The live session and logger are created immediately, but the official ON AIR/start state is delayed by the selected countdown. Followers are notified when Start net is selected; the message says the net is going live now or in the selected number of minutes. No second notification is automatically sent when the countdown expires.

Co-owners

Select Co-owner, enter the existing user's account email, and select Add co-owner. The person must already have an NCO Logger account with a callsign. A co-owner can edit and start the shared profile.

There is no separate control for removing another co-owner. When another owner remains, an owner can use Delete to remove their own association.

7. Favorites, Account, and Privacy

Favorite Nets

Use the star to favorite an eligible net. Favorite Nets shows saved favorites and their ON AIR or OFF AIR state. Selecting an ON AIR card opens the logger; selecting an OFF AIR card opens Waiting for Net. The card's star removes the favorite without opening the net.

Account Settings

Use Settings to update Name, Callsign, and Location, then select Save Settings.

Data Privacy

• Email Notifications controls applicable NCO Logger net notifications and reports.
• Live Net Chat controls whether the interactive chat interface is shown during live nets.

Delete My Account opens a confirmation dialog before deletion is requested. An account marked for deletion may be restored before deletion is processed.

8. Reports and Data

When a net closes, NCO Logger attempts to generate a net-close report email, a CSV attendee report, and a plain-text chat log. Reports are sent to net owners and configured administrative recipients as applicable.

Optional RepTool Utility

RepTool is an optional, separate command-line utility for combining multiple NCO Logger CSV reports. It is not required for normal NCO Logger operation. Put the CSV files in a folder and run:

reptool merge <path-to-directory>

RepTool writes a consolidated MERGED.csv. Downloads and source are available from the RepTool repository.

9. Troubleshooting and Help

• Waiting for a net: Leave the Waiting for Net page open. It checks automatically and opens the logger when the net starts.
• Connection or reload issues: Check your network connection, then reload the page. If the problem continues, reopen the net from Live Nets or Favorite Nets.
• Layout problems: Open Menu → Modules → Reset Layout.
• Commands: Open Menu → Commands & Shortcuts for the current reference.
• Built-in assistance: Open Menu → Help.
• Report a problem: Open Menu → Report a Bug. This opens a prepared email for you to review and send; it does not send anything automatically.