This is such good advice and is concise with so much you need to know in one place, that I am reposting it here for future reference. When I get time, I’ll reformat it and incorporate it into the appropriate section of the site. – Al AE2T

If you are working on the Basic Award please take your time when submitting your cards and check each one very carefully. Make sure the cards are from an Extra Class formatted call sign such as the 1×2, 2×1, AA2x2, the state you are submitting them for, that they are actually for the call sign you are submitting them for on the application, that the frequency is marked to four digits such as 3.668. E-QSLS must show the frequency in the comments field on the E-QSL or state that the contact was made on the Geratol Net and show the AG seal either on the card or below the card. If the AG seal is below the card you must submit the entire page so that the awards manager gets the AG seal.

On the application please include a valid email address and/or phone number (both are better) in case the awards manager has questions and/or he can notify you of your new Geratol Number. Also please indicate how you want the name on the certificate to read. If it is for a club, do you want a persons name or the club’s name on the certificate? This also holds true for any of the awards that have a certificate. Please include a check made out to Dave Ertel for the amount of the award and return postage if you want your cards back when submitting for the Basic Award. The cost of the Basic Award is $10.00.

I have found that the fastest and safest way to submit your cards for the basic award is to use the USPS small priority mail box (8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ x 1 3/4″). It may cost a buck more, however, it works great. All priority mail now receives a tracking number included in the cost of the Priority mail postage. The tracking number should be on your receipt from the Post Office. If you want you can email the tracking number to me and I can watch for it also.

I know from experience that completing the Basic Award is very exciting and you just can’t hardly wait to get that New Geratol number, however, please take your time when submitting you cards as it will speed up the process. I don’t like to have to tell someone that one of their cards is wrong or something else is wrong, however, if you take your time when submitting them it will save a lot of time and pain down the road.

If you have any questions about cards and/or submitting your cards please DO NOT hesitate to contact me with your questions. I would much rather answer questions before you submit rather than have to tell you that there is a problem with your application or cards. You can contact me anytime via email or by phone. If you are calling via the phone, I am up until 11:00 PM EST/EDT every evening and don’t mind the calls. If I am across the street on the radio Sandy will call me on the intercom and let me know you are on the phone. If Sandy and I are both on the air I will try to have my cell phone with me. My contact info is as follows: email address is kj8v@charter.net, my home phone is: 231-864-2354 and my cell phone number is 513-850-9426.

Sandy and I really get excited when someone completes their Basic and Directors award and I just really want to make the whole process as easy for you as possible.

Good Luck and Best 73
Dave KJ8V Awards Manager

The Geratol Net has begun it’s 2013 season and will be operating nightly, conditions permitting. Many thanks to all the net controls who keep this going. I understand there are still quite a few slots where NCS are needed, so if you can, please volunteer to help out.

I hope to get on occasionally. Right now, the driven element from my triband beam is laying across my 80m dipole. The U-bolt that attached it to the boom must have snapped in some high winds this spring and it fell off. It’s been laying there, on my roof ever since. I was hoping it might roll off, but maybe it’s best it didn’t because it probably would break it.

Anyway, there is still plenty of good weather and I plan on getting out to do some antenna work. At the very least, I’ll get the element off the dipole and get that hoisted back up where it belongs. I should be able to get the beam fixed as well in time for the NYQP.

Hope to hear you all on the net soon!

Al, AE2T, Webmeister

Dave sent this out on the Yahoo Group and I thought it was such essential information to the net, I’m reposting it here…

First and foremost, if you hear Jess or Patti on the air be sure and thank them or maybe even send them an email thanking them for all they did for the Net.

The awards are already to go. Frosty worked really hard and came up with a way to create the rectangular endorsement stickers so no more round ones. If you would like a rectangular sticker replacement for one of the round endorsement stickers just send the round one to me with an SASE and I will send you one of the rectangular stickers to replace it. Please thank Frosty for what he has done for the Net. Read more…

Recently, John Deegan, K9XT, #1569, contacted me regarding the Geratol.net domain name. He had registered it years ago for the net’s use and has held on to it up ’till now. He offered to release the name to us if we wanted it. Of course, I accepted!

So, you are now looking at the new Geratol.net web page. Looks the same as the old Geratol.info? It is, and if you type in the old domain name, you will still end up at the new .net page.

Many thanks to John for holding on to the name and keeping it from falling into the hands of domain speculators. I’ll keep both domains going for a while so that old links work, but  the Geratol.net domain will be our official URL from now on.

Please update your links, bookmarks and net preambles!

It’s been announced that the recent Board meeting was held and some changes have been made to the Net Officers.

Jess Colvin AI9L and Patti Colvin AF9H have given up their duties due to health. They’ve returned to Illinois from Arizona and Jess is getting all the outstanding awards out in the mail. Please do not send any more requests to him.

I’ve met Jess and Patti several times at Dayton in years past, and they’re great people, fun to be with. I hope Patti recovers and returns to being well very soon. I understand they will be going back to Arizona in July, this time permanently. I’ll have to listen a little harder to hear them on the net, but I hope to hear them many more times!

The job of Awards Manager and Treasurer has been transferred to another couple that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting at Dayton many times as well, Dave Ertel KJ8V and Sandy Ertel KJ8W. A better, more capable choice I can’t imagine. Thanks to Dave and Sandy for taking on these important jobs. All the contact information has been updated on the web site, so and future requests for certificates or endorsements should go to Dave.

Thanks Jess and Patti for all you’ve done to support the net.

I’ve received a copy of the Net Information Packet and added it to the Files page to make it available on the website. This is an important addition to the site as both a resource for those coming into the net and as the official word on the net.

The original Geratol Net website many years ago was built by quoting from a previous, now out of date, version of this packet. Over the years, as I’ve updated it, I’ve had to ad-lib parts of it, especially the newer parts that weren’t in the copy I had back then.

I’m always reluctant to make things up on my own and pass them off as official policy, so I try to keep close to the official version as possible. This will help me be sure all the information on this web page is right.

Please, whether you are new to the net, or an old-timer, download the information packet and keep it for reference. Some things have changed, but most has stayed the same, and you won’t know which until you have the official word.

Did you know the Extra-class exclusive sub-band has changed four times in the history of the net? I didn’t until I read this. I earned my Geratol number on the 3.768 net, so I was around for one of the moves. The others were before I got involved with the net.

Things have been hopping on the net this past month or so, culminating in some new G numbers, new D numbers and now with the annual Board Meeting having taken place, a new endorsement, bringing us up to 38.

You webmaster finally got serious and earned his Directors number (731) after many years of inactivity. At one time, I had several hundred numbers collected and was going to apply for the Directors Award along with a bunch of endorsement stickers. But a hard drive crash wiped out my logs and my enthusiasm for starting over from scratch as well. Read more…

Many thanks to several people who have helped me out with images and information to make this website better. Details have been updated and clarified and we have some new images of some of those awards. Hopefully, seeing them will inspire many members to step up their efforts to achieve those awards.

My thanks to WR8O, AE4GH, W3ON and W0FP for their contributions.

I announced on the Net last night, the winner of the only office being voted on (Vice Director) the winner is VE3SIQ – George with 93 votes; the incumbent AE4GH – Phil received 36 votes. Thanks to all who were interested and took the time to vote. Frank – AA0ZP, Secretary and Election Monitor.

I regret to inform you all that the G# Database will no longer be available on this page. Instead, I’d recommend using the GLIST program Frosty has written. It can be found on the files page.