Welcome to our Amateur Radio Water Cooler Coordination Page!

We are currently monitoring:  21.446!  Please join us!


 

Photo courtesy Dave Zuzin, N3HCN

Welcome to the sky and ground wave, Water Cooler Frequency page! The purpose of this page is to communicate the "water cooler" concept and coordinate the Amateur Radio frequency that we are monitoring for occasional, quick chats when we are otherwise engaged in other tasks, but a brief diversion is welcome! 

You know the moment when you've been at work on a project for hours and you just have to get up for a minute, grab a drink at the water cooler and clear your head by enjoying a quick chat with a coworker? I love working from home, but I sure miss that office diversion. 

It turns out there are lots of other folks who work from home or are home full time in similar situations. We need quiet to get stuff done, but every now and then, a few moments of brief conversation are a welcome diversion to clear the cobwebs and enhance productivity. 

So, we have gotten together and chosen 21.446 as a place to meet at our metaphorical water cooler!  It's an otherwise quiet, out of the way frequency where we can leave our rigs tuned with the squelch up while we are working.  When we need that mental stretch, we just put out our calls for a quick 5-10 minute good morning / hello and chat and then get back to work.  It's much like monitoring a 2 meter repeater, but we get to enjoy HF!

15 meters is working out very well so far.  21.446 is nice and quiet, so there aren't a lot of distractions for working, but there is enough propagation to be able to chat with other water cooler folks to keep things active.  The band is unpredictable, but that is part of the interest and fun. You never know who you might hear and when!  

So, when you are done tuning around and need to do some other things around the house, home office or shack, please tune your rig to 21.446, turn up your squelch, but keep listening.

Every once in while, when you are at a good stopping point, please throw out your call, or say "YourCall" at the water cooler!   There is no need to call a long CQ, because we are already there.  When the band is open, someone will be sure to answer!

Let's make 21.446 the place to tune when you are done tuning!

The water cooler concept is really the unnet (remember the old 7up, uncola commercials?).  What sets the water cooler concept apart from conventional nets is its spontaneity.  With that in mind, for the Water Cooler's continued success, there are two things that we each have to do:

1.  Throw out our calls whenever we can (hopefully at least 3 times a day).

2.  Listen and answer others when they do!

For those that tune to the Water Cooler frequency, throw out their call, don't get a response and move on, the concept will never work for them.  For those that leave their rig tuned to 21.446 with the squelch up, get involved in their daily tasks, throw out their calls at convenient times and answer others when they hear them, lots of good, fun connections, new friendships and contacts await!

If you like the water cooler concept, please join our e-mail group and tell a friend, but most of all, please join us on 21.446!  You are very welcome!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WaterCoolerFrequency/

Many thanks to ARRL for spreading the word in QST!

73, Scott
N3FJP
www.n3fjp.com/