So You Want to be NCS
˘NCS is the “traffic cop”
˘Clear speaking voice
˘Fluency in the language
˘Ability to handle mental and physical stress for long periods of time
˘Ability to listen AND comprehend in noisy and chaotic environments
˘Good hearing
˘The ability to write legibly what you hear as you hear it
˘
A good NCS is trained, not born.  Basic net control skills can be learned and honed through regular daily and weekly ARES and National Traffic System (NTS) nets.  Simulated Emergency Tests (SET) conducted by ARES and other groups offer training geared specifically to emergency situations.
To begin your NCS training, listen to as many formal nets as you can.  After listening for a while, volunteer to act as the NCS for a net.  This will give you a chance to apply the skills you will learn in this course.  As you gain experience, many of the skills of an effective NCS will become second nature.
Do you have what it takes to become a good NCS operator?  Here is a short list of basic pre-requisites:
·        A clear speaking voice – someone who talks as though they have a mouth full of marbles won’t do.
·        Fluency in the language – if you have a thick accent or cannot use the language precisely, it may make it difficult for others to understand you.
·        The ability to handle mental and physical stress for long periods.  Information and demands will be coming at you from all directions all at once, sometimes for hours on end.  Can you handle it without losing your composure, or your voice?
·        The ability to listen and comprehend in a noisy and chaotic environment.  Can you tune out all the distractions and focus only on the job at hand?
·        Good hearing - If you have a hearing loss that makes it tough to understand human voices, NCS of a voice net is not the job for you.  Hams with limited hearing problems may elect to act as NCS for a digital mode net, according to one's abilities.
·        The ability to write legibly what you hear as you receive it.

A competent NCS must be decisive, and have the maturity to make good judgement calls. The NCS needs a strong and self-assured management style, and to know how to defuse tension and stress with an appropriate sense of humor.  The NCS has constant concern for the safety of participants and releases for rest any net member who is becoming too tired to function effectively.  Net volunteers will toil many long hours for a NCS who has earned their respect.