Welcome to The World Famous Chicken Net, Northern California's premier 2 meter net. The Chicken Net meets every night at 10:00 pm on the 145.190 MHz KD6LC repeater, located high atop Mt. Jackson in Sonoma County, overlooking the scenic Russian River and the diverse town of Guerneville. All licensed Amateur Radio operators are invited to participate. The only requirements are a Technician class or higher license and a good sense of humor. New check-ins are traditionally welcomed with a hearty BEGAWK from the chickens.
The Chicken Net recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Sit and listen, children, and you will hear how the World Famous Chicken Net got its start, from the founding chicken himself, Alan N6VUD, also known as the Vudman:
"Well, it all started about fifteen years ago, on a cold, frosty December night. There had been quite a cold spell. For about two weeks the thermometer hadn't risen above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
"I lived in a slummy trailer park called Parker's Resort on Neeley Road in Guerneville. Folklore has it that Charles Manson's Family had lived here in the 60's. (On November 8, 1972, a hiker discovered a hand protruding from the ground. It belonged to a 26 year old Marine who had been shotgunned and decapitated. Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and two Aryan Brotherhood prison escapees were subsequently arrested in Stockton and charged with the murder.) The campground had hundreds of chickens, both hens and roosters, descendents of those raised by the Family. They lived wild, under trailers, in trees, shrubs, and junked cars. Every time I opened my trailer door, 30 chickens would stampede into my home on the hunt for bread crumbs, dog food, or anything else I had.
"I don't remember how or why, but one cold, cold, night about 12:15 am, I called to order the first Chicken Net. Ken N6MSJ was chick-in number one and Levie (can't remember her call) was chick-in number two. Jeff KC6PJV swears he was the third chick-in that night. I will neither confirm nor deny his allegations.
"The net lasted about ten minutes. It was obvious that it would be a fun nightly net and something that would grow, but I didn't have a clue that it would turn into what it has. It started out controversial, lots of begawks and rowdy, unruly behavior. I hope the net stays fun, light and fluffy. I love the Chicken Net."
In addition to the nightly net, the Chicken Net also publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, the Chicken Net News, and sponsors several barbeques and get togethers each year. These are usually held in campgrounds, pizza parlors, or other places that permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Please join us at one of our gatherings of the flock, but be forewarned that Chicken Net gatherings are rarely boring or conventional; the most recent Field Day gathering featured scantily clad overweight male technician class hams on a trampoline.
If you would like to get on our mailing list to receive the award winning Chicken Net News, all you have to do is send your name, address, and callsign to our post office box listed at the end of this page. The newsletter is free, but we gladly accept donations to help cover the cost of postage.
Several times a year we publish the official Chicken Net Roster in the newsletter. The Roster lists the names, callsigns, cities, and (optional) telephone numbers of the chickens. It's an invaluable reference to have on hand when conducting the net or just plain listening. Clic here to view the current online version. We also have an on-line Web page version of the Roster listing the names, callsigns, cities, and e-mail addresses of the chickens. If you're a chicken who'd like to have your e-mail address added to the Roster, just send mail to our Webmaster asking to be included on the Roster.
Alan N6VUD, Brian KC6REK, Steve KD6FYK, Mark KM6XU, and other chickens have established their own series of linked repeaters throughout Northern California to provide communications on the various VHF and UHF ham bands. These are all open repeaters. As Alan N6VUD says, "We welcome everybody that welcomes everybody." As with all Chicken Net activities, a good sense of humor is suggested here too.