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CX2SA > NTS 10.12.24 20:23l 378 Lines 20076 Bytes #289 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: December 2024 NTS Letter
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To : NTS@ARRL
=========================
December 2024 NTS Letter
=========================
Editor: Marica Forde, KW1U - December 3, 2024
- NTS Letter Promotion Radiograms
- Section Emergency Test (SET) in Eastern Massachusetts
- MARIDN and SET
- A Transcontinental NBEMS Net - Preparing for Emergencies
- Editorial - Creating or Filling a Need
- Radiogram Portal Update
- Treasure Hunt Update
- NTS 75th Anniversary, Part 4
- From the Field
- Spotlight - Dave Sheppard, W2PAX
NTS Letter Promotion Radiograms
-------------------------------
Many of you have recently seen radiograms from KW1U representing the NTS2
committee and publicizing The NTS Letter. These radiograms were sent to all
Official Relay Stations, Net Managers and Section Traffic Managers listed in
the ARRL's Field Appointment database. Approximately 650 radiograms were
sent over a period of two weeks. Our primary purpose was to spread the word
about The NTS Letter, which is published monthly by ARRL. We had been
somewhat surprised to find that so many traffic handlers were not aware of
this publication, which has been in existence since October 2023. A
secondary purpose was to help update ARRL's database. Some on the list had
become Silent Keys and others were no longer active. Section Managers have
access to the list of appointees in the database. It is our hope that they,
along with their Section Traffic Managers, will take the time to review
those appointments, and update and inform ARRL HQ of those who are currently
active. Thanks to all for this effort.
Section Emergency Test (SET) in Eastern Massachusetts
-----------------------------------------------------
As licensed amateur radio operators, we are tasked by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to make our stations available for public
service as needed. We, like many others, are committed to working toward
this goal. In early November, amateurs in the Eastern Massachusetts Section
held a quarterly emergency exercise called "November Gale." One of the
features of this exercise was the involvement of the National Traffic
System. The Eastern Mass 2-Meter Traffic Net was called on the Boston
repeater by Net Manager Peter Doherty, KC1HHO, while at the same time a
digital net was called on HF using FLDIGI and FLMSG, parts of the NBEMS
suite of software. NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software) is free
open-source software that can be run on Windows, Linux, and Mac operating
systems and used with any computer or radio. More on this net and its
activity follows from Net Manager Jon McCombie, N1ILZ.
MARIDN and SET
--------------
As part of the fall 2024 SET "November Gale," we conducted a special session
of the Massachusetts Rhode Island Digital Net (MARIDN). MARIDN is an
affiliate of the National Traffic System (NTS) of ARRL, convened to pass
formal written traffic across Massachusetts and Rhode Island and to and from
wherever third-party traffic is allowed, using the digital message-passing
capabilities of FLDIGI and FLMSG, parts of the NBEMS software suite.
This special edition of MARIDN was initially called on 80 meters with Net
Manager N1ILZ as Net Control and with a total of 14 stations checked in.
However, after 15 to 20 minutes, it was clear that propagation was no longer
in our favor. Stations beyond 25 miles of each other required relays, which
also became difficult. MARIDN then moved to its alternate 40-meter frequency
where operations were far more successful. A total of six messages were
exchanged between the digital and the 2-meter voice nets, including both
radiograms and ICS-213 messages. The exercise demonstrated that passing
different forms of traffic within the net and exchanging traffic with the
greater National Traffic System, including different modes, could be
successfully accomplished. It was also apparent that an alternate NCS was
necessary as Don Rolph, AB1PH, assumed Net Control, allowing Jon, N1ILZ, to
attend to other aspects of the exercise.
The MARIDN team noted several lessons learned, including the need to plan
for potential band changes as well as a need for an alternate net control
station. These will be noted in a future document and incorporated into
MARIDN processes.
-Jon McCombie, N1ILZ, Net Manager
A Transcontinental NBEMS Net - Preparing for Emergencies
--------------------------------------------------------
A number of operators have asked the following questions:
Can we reliably get a message from any point in the continental US to any
other point in the continental US in under 30 minutes?
If we go from using the ear to interpret the signal to digital modes where
the computer is interpreting the signal, how does this impact the net
structures?
To explore these questions, the Transcontinental NBEMS Net has been meeting
every Tuesday at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT.
We regularly check in stations from all across the country, typically using
20 meters (14,068 kHz) during Daylight Saving Time and 40 meters (7068 kHz)
during standard time using FLDIGI - typically with the Olivia 8/500 mode -
for the nets and message passing.
We have a groups.io page at:
https://groups.io/g/transcontinental-nbems-net
We would be delighted to have you join us in our experimentation by checking
into the net on Tuesday nights.
Don Rolph, AB1PH
Editorial - Creating or Filling a Need
--------------------------------------
Some have accused the NTS2 planners of developing a product and then
searching for a need. I must disagree. The need is there if we take a good
look around. Increasingly, extreme weather patterns have knocked out
communications infrastructure, as have more emboldened cyberattacks. Perhaps
we think it won't likely happen to us, but the folks in western North
Carolina would disagree, I'm sure. Yes, commercial systems are well prepared
with back-up for emergencies, that is until those also fail, which they do.
So, when a disaster happens, will we know how to communicate with one
another? Yes, there are other emergency communicators out there, but we may
be the ones who are most available. Just food for thought!
Radiogram Portal Update
-----------------------
You have read in this newsletter about the creation of a Radiogram Portal, a
web-based application that allows hams and non-hams alike to utilize the
National Traffic System to move messages from one point to another.
Developed by Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, author of Echolink, the Portal
introduces the capabilities of the NTS and provides the ability to enter a
message into the system. Messages converted into radiogram format by the
software are then retrieved by authorized traffic handlers ("radiogrammers")
for entry into the NTS. These messages also provide third-party radiograms
for practice in formal message handling and net operation.
We have had approximately 70 applicants authorized to become "radiogrammers"
and we are very grateful for their offers of help, but they would really
benefit from more messages to generate and relay. Check out the website,
https://nts2.arrl.org/radiogram/, and give it a try. Then let others know
about it. Information can be presented to clubs, ARES groups, via
newsletters, and of course, to families and friends. No, it doesn't quite
compete with email and text messaging for ease, speed and instant
gratification, but it is unique and an introduction to preparedness for
emergencies.
Treasure Hunt Update
--------------------
Hello, Treasure Hunters! Twenty stations participated in the November NTS
Treasure Hunt. The following stations successfully completed all four rounds
at this point:
1st: Chris, KD8UUB
2nd: Shawn, N1CVO
3rd: Michelle, K2MJR
Check back next month for the complete list of finishers and January's Round
1 question. Starting with the November Treasure Hunt, all finishers will be
added to a drawing for a specially designed mug, courtesy of the NTS 2.0
Planning Committee. The other finishers will receive a certificate via
email, courtesy of the NTS 2.0 Treasure Hunt Committee.
See previous issues of the NTS Letters at https://nts2.arrl.org/ntsletter
for more information about the Treasure Hunt.
NTS 75th Anniversary - Part 4
-----------------------------
"The (in)famous net control sheet" (conclusion)
By Bud Hippisley, W2RU
[Part 3 unearthed the origin of the original EAN matrix net control form and
discussed how to use it with hex nuts representing the stations in the net.]
During the ramping up of NTS traffic loads through the '60s and '70s,
various other ways to implement the matrix sheet were explored as well.
Eschewing hex nuts, at least one net control chose to make two pencil check
marks on a specific side frequency column at the beginning of a pairing,
then erased the pencil marks when the stations returned to the net
frequency. Another NCS - perhaps prompted by my tendency to scatter hex nuts
all over my desk when my hayfever caused me to unexpectedly sneeze - chose
to experiment with a metal backing and magnetic hex nut substitutes for the
matrix sheet. And W1EOB's early suggestion to try pushpins in combination
with a backing of cork or similar material for the side frequency columns
was also tried by others during the '70s.
In the late '70s, I had begun taking evening courses toward an MBA degree.
One of the core courses was an introduction to operations management, much
of which was about the optimal utilization and scheduling of scarce
resources. Midway through the semester, I had an epiphany: Net controlling
is a classic operations management problem! Especially during Simulated
Emergency Tests and the holiday rush each December, EAN's scarce resources
were obvious - particularly the finite number of representatives and that
net's 60-minute time limit.
Because of these and other resource limitations, a good net control station
will evolve his or her own set of responses for the most commonly
encountered net circumstances, such as traffic distribution, propagation,
reps' abilities, etc. As an example, during the first decade of my NCSing
"career," I had formulated a guideline that clearing the shorter destination
totals for the stations holding and/or receiving the largest traffic totals
was usually best because it maximized the probability of clearing all the
traffic entered into that net session while minimizing idle time for reps
checked into the net. (It turned out in the '70s that as the SET and
year-end totals exceeded 200 messages on an EAN session, it was necessary to
modify that procedure and initially send pairs of stations off frequency
with "moderate" destination counts in order to minimize pandemonium on the
net frequency early in the net by avoiding having pairs of reps returning
from their side frequencies while still getting other reps checked in.) Of
course, this was before the easy availability of PCs, so EAN net controls
implemented optimization techniques formed "between our ears," but today's
real-time contest logging programs would have made a great starting point
for experimenting with software to simplify the NCS's task.
Traffic totals on EAN Cycle 4 (the evening CW sessions) peaked in the late
'70s and early '80s. On a handful of December nights, we cleared more than
300 messages in an hour - and this was back when BOOK messages counted as
1/3 of a message! Those totals would not have been possible except for
having two or more reps per Region and TCC function present. Nor would they
have been possible except for a cadre of outstanding reps and net control
stations - many of whom still excel in today's major contests. Because we
were aware that the NCS's ability to efficiently "program" the activities of
as many as 20+ reps was a key component of our overload performance,
then-K2KTK (SK) and I looked at ways to assist the assigned NCS during the
December holiday rush; one such approach that we tried was to have a
secondary or "off-line" NCS at another site "shadow" the net control with
his own matrix sheet and feed suggestions (about overlooked pairings,
side-frequency QRM, etc.) to the primary NCS via telephone or 2-meter FM link.
Of course, today's traffic loads for CW and voice nets are generally far
lower, and just about any method will do the job as long as it clearly
indicates whether each station in the net is on or off the net frequency and
which traffic has yet to be passed. The matrix form is well suited for all
Area and Region nets because the different destinations are limited and
cleanly separate; I've also experimented with its use at Section net level,
but its utility there seems to me to depend on the geographical layout of
the Section and the distribution of regular net members.
Finally, I once gave a presentation on NCSing EAN at an ARRL convention in
the northeast. I used overhead transparencies and was generally pleased with
how the talk was going until one of the younger operators present - an
engineering student, I believe - asked, "Why do the side frequency columns
on your NCS sheet go up in frequency to the left side of the sheet and down
in frequency on the right side? (At the time, I had never seen W1EOB's
original form, which employed the same convention.) I was momentarily
nonplussed as I realized that the direction of increasing frequency on the
horizontal frequency "axis" of my form was counter to everything I had ever
learned in my own engineering courses. However, after a few seconds of
visualizing how I ran a typical net session, I suddenly realized why my side
frequencies went in the direction they did, and I responded: "Because that's
where those frequencies appear on my receiver dial!" I had used Collins
receivers since college, and higher frequencies appear on the left side of
the visible markings on the main tuning dial because we all expect to tune
higher in frequency by turning the main tuning knob clockwise. (In fact, I'd
be willing to bet that W1EOB's receiver dial looked the same as mine!)
From the Field
--------------
Boca Raton Amateurs Look to Learn More About The NTS
On November 5, Southern Florida STM Dave Sheppard, W2PAX, and SFL ORS John
Wells, W4CMH, gave a short Zoom presentation about the NTS to the Boca Raton
Amateur Radio Association. While the information portion of the program only
lasted about 30 minutes, the interaction from those in the audience was
impressive. Said Paul Chason, WA2FOF, "I.recognize the importance of
accurate and efficient traffic handling. There is so much to learn and I
know a number of us are excited to spread the word." The purpose of this
short session was to generate broader interest in a half-day NTS training
class in the first quarter of 2025 in the Palm Beach County area. If you're
in the eastern half of the SFL Section, please follow the BRARA website at
https://brara.org for announcements on the date and location of this event.
Dave Sheppard, W2PAX, South Florida Section Traffic Manager
Spotlight - Dave Sheppard, W2PAX
--------------------------------
I grew up around amateur radio as my grandfather, the original W2PAX, was an
active amateur for over 60 years. While I regret procrastinating not getting
licensed until 2009, fortunately my grandfather was able to see me get my
ticket. When I upgraded to General in 2015, I took his call as a vanity.
Dave Sheppard, W2PAX
I've been involved with traffic handling since late 2016. One of our local
VHF traffic net control stations at the time was very proficient and made
the net enjoyable and welcoming. Eventually, I took a chance at handling
traffic. About two years later, I became net manager of the Southwest
Florida Traffic Net. In 2019, I joined our SSB traffic nets in Florida, as
well as becoming a digital traffic station. In 2022, I was appointed the
Section Traffic Manager for the Southern Florida Section. My STM appointment
was "trial by fire," as it happened as a major hurricane was making landfall
and the section was fully activated. I am also an Official Relay Station and
an Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Lee County, Florida.
As a former volunteer first responder from New Jersey, I feel a commitment
to EmComm and the NTS role in supporting our served partners. Activating
during two major hurricanes in as many years has been an amazing learning
experience in station preparedness and making sure our section NTS resources
are staffed and available.
I encourage outreach to local VE teams and clubs. Building interest in the
NTS on the local level has proved incredibly successful in our area. With
the help of our local group of regular traffic handlers in southwest
Florida, we've developed a half-day training program that we present at
least annually in the region. We're looking to expand that training program
into the other portions of our Section in 2025.
When not on the air with traffic handling, you can find me on FT8 or SSB on
the bands. I've spent 30 years in the land surveying profession, and
currently work for a national civil engineering and land surveying firm. My
wife Jennifer and I have lived on the fringe of the Everglades in Collier
County, Florida, for the last 24 years. - Dave Sheppard, W2PAX
NTSİ Resources
The National Traffic Systemİ (NTSİ) is a network of amateur radio operators
who move information during disasters and other emergencies. General
messages offering well wishes also move through the NTSİ to help test the
system and to help amateur radio operators build traffic handling skills.
While the NTSİ is primarily set up to serve the United States and Canada, it
is possible to move traffic internationally through the NTSİ through various
local, regional, area, and international network connections.
NTS 2.0
NTS Manual
NTS Methods and Practices Guidelines
Handling Instructions
Numbered Texts
Form Encoding Rules for Form
Sign Up to Receive The NTS Letter
The NTSİ Letter is published monthly and is free of charge to ARRL members.
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NTS Letter. If you have missed any issues, you can find them all at
www.nts2.arrl.org/nts-letter-issues as well as on the ARRL website.
Editor: Marcia Forde, KW1U, Section Traffic Manager -- Eastern
Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
ARRL Director of Emergency Management: Josh Johnston, KE5MHV
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