← On the Air

On-Air Swap Nets

The weekly flea markets of ham radio — no tables, no driving, just a frequency and a net control. Hams check in, list gear for sale or trade, and deals change hands over the air. This is the bargain-hunter's corner of the bands.

How a swap net works

  1. Tune in at net time. Frequencies drift a few kHz to dodge interference — tune around if you don't hear it right on the number.
  2. Check in when net control asks. Give your callsign and say whether you're listing, looking, or just listening.
  3. List it short. What it is, condition, your asking price. That's the whole pitch — save the haggling for after the net, off frequency or by phone.
  4. Looking for something? Most nets take "wanted" check-ins too. Name the rig and your price range.
  5. Know the price before you key up. Hear a number on the net? Run it against the 25% rule before you commit — the best bargain hunters do their math first.

The Directory

Verified October 2026 · schedules change — confirm before you transmit

HF · The Big One

West Coast 40m Swap Net

40 meters, ~7.200 MHz LSB

Weekends from 2030 UTC

The granddaddy of swap nets — one anchor ran it for twenty years. Coast-to-coast ears when conditions cooperate.

Worth it for: the widest audience of any swap net in the country.

HF · Sundays

Sunday 7.240 Swap Net

7.240 MHz LSB

Sundays, 11 AM – 3 PM Pacific

A long Sunday-morning session — four hours of listings, plenty of time to get your item on the list.

Worth it for: a slow Sunday with the rig on — listings roll all afternoon.

VHF · California

SBARC Swap Net

146.790 MHz repeater (Santa Barbara)

Weeknights, 8 PM Pacific

Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club's weeknight swap — local gear, local pickup, no shipping roulette.

Worth it for: Southern California locals — cash deals with no postage.

VHF + HF · Iowa/Nebraska

Council Bluffs Swap Nets

146.82 MHz · 3.9025 MHz

Saturdays noon (VHF) · Sundays 8 AM (HF)

Two nets, two bands, one club — the Saturday VHF net for locals, the Sunday 80m net for the region.

Worth it for: Midwest bargain hunters — twice the chances every weekend.

Digital · New England

New England Digital SwapNet

DMR TG 3181 (New England Wide)

Saturdays, 8 PM Eastern

The modern version — a DMR net with a Groups.io page as its online flea market, so you can browse listings with photos before the net.

Worth it for: the hybrid model — see it online first, then talk it over on the air.

VHF · East Tennessee

Dixie Trader's Net

147.370 MHz repeater (PL 100.0)

Fridays, 8 PM Eastern

East Tennessee's weekly trader's net — local hams buying, selling, and trading gear over the repeater and beyond.

Worth it for: East Tennessee locals — a Friday-night flea market on the air.

A note on the rules. Swap nets run on the FCC's long-standing understanding: casual, occasional selling between hams is fine — running a business over amateur radio is not. That's why these nets are weekly flea markets, not storefronts. Keep it ham-to-ham and you're in the clear.