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CX2SA > NTS 06.04.25 14:00l 384 Lines 19035 Bytes #253 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: April 2025 NTS Letter
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Sent: 250406/1159Z @:CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM #:50108 [Salto] FBB7.00e $:NTS042025
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To : NTS@ARRL
=====================
April 2025 NTS Letter
=====================
Editor: Marcia Forde, KW1U - April 1, 2025
- Virtual NTS Traffic Net
- RRI Training Nets
- Treasure Hunt Update
- Radiogram Portal Query
- Traffic Reporting - The Station Activity Report
- From the Field
- From Southwest Florida
- From Georgia
- Spotlight: Jay Fox, NK2Y
Virtual NTS Traffic Net
-----------------------
Many Technician-Class amateurs miss out on the fun and skills-learning of
traffic handling because they reside in areas of the country where local
traffic nets on VHF repeaters don't exist. The Virtual NTS Training Net
(VNTN) seeks to address this problem with the creation of a Zoom-based local
traffic net that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection.
VNTN will accept check-ins and radiogram traffic utilizing standard
phonetics and prosigns; in short, participants will enjoy the same
experiences as those who check into conventional "RF" traffic nets. The net
will incorporate a hands-on training approach in traffic procedures,
radiogram creation, and relay.
"It is our hope that new amateurs who participate in VNTN will be motivated
to join Section and Region nets on HF after upgrading to a higher license
class," said ARRL New England Division Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, who
chairs the EC-FSC NTS Subcommittee.
VNTN meets Wednesdays at 7:00 PM ET. In the future, it is hoped that a west
coast version will be established at around 7 PM PT. The VNTN URL is
bitl.to/3xj4.
RRI Training Nets
-----------------
Radio Relay International (RRI) has announced that its Zello channel will be
available to simulate traffic nets for training purposes.
"This app will be used in the near future for simulating traffic nets to
train new operators and as an option to qualify those RRI-certified radio
operators who do not have documented experience transmitting and receiving
radiograms," said RRI Chair James Wades, WB8SIW. "Zello offers some
advantages in that it does function like a two-way radio circuit and
therefore simulates 'real world' net conditions."
James adds that RRI has used Zello for training in the past. "We had a joint
training net operating in partnership with the REACT organization that met
weekly. Radiograms were exchanged and those wishing to originate radiograms
had access to RRI volunteers who would then transfer them to the traffic
system." James requests individuals with net control experience and who
would be interested in hosting a weekly Zello-based training net to contact
him at jameswades@xxxxx.xxx.
Treasure Hunt Update
Hello, Treasure Hunters! The March NTS Treasure Hunt is well under way.
During the last two hunts, I have noticed some of the treasure hunters have
shown some creativity in their answers. This helps traffic handlers as it's
not the same message over and over.
Please remember that if you get the first-round question in to the first
judge by the last day of the month, you may continue with the hunt until the
next hunt starts. The next hunt will start with the publication of the May
NTS Letter. The judges will usually respond with a radiogram back to you
within 24 hours of the receipt of your message. Our judges are on traffic
nets almost daily. The in-transit time will vary. So, if it has been 4 or 5
days and you do not receive a reply radiogram, try sending a new one with a
new message number.
Try to learn about the NTS in your Section. Who is your Section Traffic
Manager (STM)? The STM can answer your questions on how to move traffic in
and out of your section.
If you missed the official Treasure Hunt announcement in the December 2023
issue of The NTS Letter, here is a recap: This is a fun, on-air, multi-step
competition in which you will respond to a "judge" with your answer to an
initial clue or question via radiogram. The judge will reply via radiogram
with the identity of the next judge, along with the next question or clue in
the hunt.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please email Dan Rinaman, AC8NP, at
ac8np@xxxxx.xxx
Radiogram Portal Query
The following comment was recently received regarding the Radiogram Portal:
"People are confused by portal messages where the place of origin is in
California but was originated by someone on the east coast." Understandable!
But suppose my Aunt Susie, who lives in San Francisco and knows I'm a ham
who does this "traffic thing," asks me to get a message to my cousin in
Detroit, Michigan. She gives me the address information and the message she
wants to send. I then format that message into a radiogram and send it on a
traffic net. The message originated with Aunt Susie in San Francisco and
that is what goes into the header as the place of origination. But, as the
one who formatted the message and put it on the air, my call sign goes into
the header as the station of origin. Radio amateurs understand this is
called a third-party message.
So, what does this have to do with the Radiogram Portal? This is like
receiving a message from my Aunt Susie over the phone or via email. One of
the goals of the Radiogram Portal is to give traffic handlers an opportunity
to experience generating actual third-party radiograms, radiograms which are
a change from the ham-to-ham traffic with the same text to multiple
addressees which we generally hear, and sending them on a traffic net. It's
all practice, practice, practice.
But shouldn't that radiogram originate in California or at least on the west
coast? Ideally, yes, and the Portal sends out notifications first to
radiogrammers in the region of origination or nearby regions. However, if a
message isn't picked up within a certain period of time, notification goes
to all radiogrammers in order to move that message on its way. Radiogrammers
should take note, however, to give closer stations a chance to retrieve
messages originating in their region or a nearby one.
Remember, too, that one of the primary goals of the Radiogram Portal is to
introduce the message handling capabilities of amateur radio to the public.
It is hoped that fellow amateurs will pass the word along.
Traffic Reporting - The Station Activity Report
-----------------------------------------------
In the March issue of The NTS Letter, we described the Official Relay
Station (ORS) appointment and its importance to traffic handling. Having
such a field appointment is an honor and a testament to one's ability to
serve the public in times of need. One of the responsibilities of an ORS is
to send a monthly report, referred to as a Station Activity Report or SAR,
to the Section Traffic Manager (STM) or Section Manager (SM) with a
breakdown of traffic handled during the past calendar month. The STM will
then compile the reports from all the ORSs in his/her Section and send that
report to ARRL Headquarters.
So why do we bother with reporting? ARRL Director of Emergency Management
Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, states, "Activity reporting is important for
reporting capabilities and activities in the ham community, especially to
people who may not be aware of what amateur radio operators do on a regular
basis. We at ARRL, are advocates for the hobby and these numbers and reports
are extremely important to our advocacy and to painting a picture for
leadership and government officials at all levels of government."
The breakdown is as follows:
* Originated (An off-the-air function) Any ARRL standard format message
traffic prepared by you (the first party) for someone other than yourself
(a third party) and filed at your amateur radio station for initial
transmission over the air. Count one point. In other words, this is a
radiogram which you created for another person using your station's
message number and call sign.
* Received (An on-the-air function) Any ARRL standard format radiogram
received over amateur radio by your station. This will include message
traffic received, whether for yourself, for relay to another amateur
station (the second party), or for delivery to the message addressee
(a third party). Count one point.
* Sent (An on-the-air function) Any message traffic to be sent by your
station to another amateur station (a second party), whether such a
message is initially transmitted from your station as your Originated
message for a third party, a message for yourself, or one that was
received from another amateur station. Count one point. Note: Messages
sent by telephone, postal, email, etc. do not count as Sent; however,
they may qualify for counting as Delivered.
* Delivered (An off-the-air function) Any message traffic that is delivered
by you to the message addressee (a third party), provided that the message
was received at your station by amateur radio and that the addressee is
someone other than yourself. This delivery is done by telephone, postal
mail, email, in person, etc. Count one point. Note: A message sent by
amateur radio to the final addressee at another amateur station is counted
as a sent message, not as a delivered message.
The monthly message traffic total is the sum of the message Originated,
Received, Sent, and Delivered points.
Note that in some cases the same message would be counted twice. For example:
* The same message received by amateur radio and relayed to another station
by amateur radio is counted both in the Received and the Sent categories,
while a message received by amateur radio and then delivered is counted
both in the Received and the Delivered categories.
* A message Originated by you for a third party and then Sent by amateur
radio is counted as both Originated and Sent.
* A message Originated by you, such as a net report for you as the NCS, or a
message from you to a friend, is only counted as Sent when transmitted by
your amateur station.
* A message Received by amateur radio for you at your station is counted
only as Received. A message received for a fellow amateur provides two
choices... deliver it by phone and get a Delivered point or deliver it on
the radio and get a Sent point.
A typical report might look like this: SAR March O/1 R/3 S/2 D/1 T/7 and is
generally sent to the STM or Section Manager (SM) in radiogram format over
RF. This is not only good practice in formatting and sending radiograms but
also adds to the net traffic. (See Methods and Practices Guidelines, Chapter
7.)
From the Field
--------------
I believe it is interesting to share experiences from the community of
traffic handlers, whether it be regarding outreach, training, exercises or
real-life stories where messaging by amateur radio has made a difference in
the lives of others. We can be inspired, receive encouragement, and perhaps
learn a thing or two. For this reason, I would like to hear from readers
from different parts of the country. Send your stories to me or to
ntsletter@xxxx.xxx.
From Southwest Florida
----------------------
On February 28, members of the Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club and LeeARES
(Lee County ARES team), as well as staff from the Southwest Florida Traffic
Net, attended the annual CERT picnic in North Fort Myers. Several amateur
radio participants checked into the SWFTN (Southwest Florida Traffic Net)
from the site, showing attendees how a traffic net operates. The NTS2
brochure was available at the table for distribution. FMARC President and
SWFTN net control station Carmine Vetrano, K1CJV, said "Attendees were
impressed with the ability of the SWFTN in being able to get welfare
messages out of the area via radio. Very few of them were aware that NTS
messaging was even available."
Taking advantage of cooperation between local clubs, ARES, and CERT teams is
the grassroots approach to expanding the reach of the National Traffic
System. The Southwest Florida Traffic Net operates Monday through Saturday
at 10 AM on the N1NQU repeater in Fort Myers.
NTS at Florida CERT picnic. Pictured left to right: Steve Clayton, K4SJC,
FMARC Past President & LeeARES member; Carmine Vetrano, K1CJV, FMARC
President, Lee ARES member & SWFTN net control station, and Ron Hendershot,
KA8FTP, FMARC & LeeARES member. [Photo]
Submitted by Dave Sheppard, W2PAX, SWFTN Net Manager, SFL STM
From Georgia
------------
I am Frank Hobbs, KN4QJ, Georgia Section Traffic Manager and am also
involved in two of the NTS 2.0 working groups. I would like to share my
recent experience of conducting a presentation about the National Traffic
System.
On March 8, I joined a couple of others from Walton County ARES at the
annual GA ARES meeting at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in
Forsyth. The meeting began at 8:30 AM and everyone met in the auditorium for
a general meeting with updates on ARRL and ARES items. At 9:20 AM, we broke
to attend various scheduled training programs. There was a total of 10
classes for the day that consisted of various areas of interest for amateur
radio operators.
I had the privilege of conducting a presentation on ARRL traffic handling
that covered a review of the National Traffic System radiogram form and then
focused on details of relaying and delivering radiogram traffic. The room
accommodates 30 students, and there were 27 in attendance. I had great
input, comments and questions from a lot of the class. They asked excellent
in-depth questions and were very attentive to the answers. They also took a
lot of pictures of the slides and a couple of the last slides listed ARRL
websites for additional information on the NTS and the NTS 2.0 project.
Since attending the training, several of the attendees volunteered to
receive radiogram traffic to deliver messages to recipients. They told me
that they enjoyed the experience of meeting addressees and delivering the
traffic, and that the recipients were inquisitive about the National Traffic
System. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to help others gain
knowledge as well as interest in the National Traffic System.
Submitted by Frank Hobbs, KN4QJ, GA STM
Spotlight: Jay Fox, NK2Y
------------------------
Jay Fox, NK2Y
When I was a brand-new ham, I received a radiogram which would intrigue me
and guide my pathway into becoming the radio operator I am today. It was
with wonder that I opened the envelope and removed the yellow triplicate
paper that bore the welcome to amateur radio message. Even more than the
message itself, I marveled that radio operators had taken their time to
compose and then handle it on its way to me. I immediately wanted to learn
how to be a part of this group that uses their skills and equipment to help
others.
The details provided by the radiogram directed my attention to Morse code
(CW) and the New York State CW Net, prompting me to commence learning this
communication method. After a few years of continuous practice, CW is now my
preferred mode of operation, and I now handle traffic into and out of both
the NYS CW net and Empire State Slow Speed CW net. I also join the Hudson
Valley Net as a liaison station. Traffic handling has helped me improve my
operating skills, refine my equipment setup, and make meaningful friendships
that I imagine will last a long time.
I believe that anything that you enjoy and find interesting you should
engage with. That is why I am involved in the NTS project. I find that as a
relative newcomer, I can bring a unique perspective. Currently, besides
volunteering on two NTS working committees, I am involved with developing
training materials for newcomers to traffic handling and assisting in
creating materials for the NTS project website.
I am a career public school teacher, currently in my twenty-third year as an
Earth science teacher in Westchester County, New York. I am finally in the
position to start an amateur radio club at the high school I work at and am
hoping to bring traffic-handling into the operation of the club as a focal
point of how amateur radio is used to help others in our communities and
country. I hope to make the transformative experience that I had when I
opened my first radiogram a reality for others.
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
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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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