Radio hams enjoy many different facets of the hobby, but one common thread among those who haven’t gone down any specific rabbit hole, is “rag chewing”.

The precise definition of that is up for grabs, but it’s not uncommon to ask hams what they enjoy most about their hobby and hear the same refrain is, “I enjoy chit-chatting and chewing the rag with others”. With good reason, an enjoyable conversation and getting to know others with similar interests has always been an enjoyable human pastime. Whether at church, the lodge, a coffee shop, a tavern, or over the air via ham radio.

To that end, long-time radio amateur Richard “Dick” Laing, WB2JPQ of Eden, New York has been assembling a community on the air. If it were just a club or a net I would call it that. No, this is an actual community and it runs a whole lot deeper than you might imagine. Using multiple technologies to join disparate systems, the East Coast Reflector covers the globe, though mostly the United States, and appeals to an incredibly large and growing segment of radio friends.

I access the ECR via IRLP using a handheld FM radio and my local node that I’ve maintained since the late 1990’s. My article, What Can You Do With IRLP, appeared in the May 2005 issue of QST Magazine. But the East Coast Reflector can be accessed via DMR, Fusion, D-STAR, EchoLink and many other protocols including live online.

Since these are frequently connected to VHF/UHF repeater systems, large numbers of hams have access to the ECR via their local repeater.

Being an early riser, I often enjoy the Morning Brew net, a daily chat and chew for friends, many, but not all of them on their morning commute, enjoying a short chat via a directed net. It’s active Monday to Friday 7- 9AM Eastern Time except for holidays.

I’ve found it to be an enjoyable and uplifting alternative to the morning “news” and on Friday’s there’s even a bonus round, the 2nd Cup @ 9AM EDT.