Imperial County
National Traffic System
THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM ON PACKET
Sending NTS messages on packet is simple and easy. If you have a friend that is already on packet and you wish to send him or her a message, all that is necessary to know is that friend's home bbs (where he/she checks for mail and bulletins regularly.
The format is simply; "SP Callsign @ BBScallsign". An example of sending a personal message to my friend Robby, N6LAM, who uses WD6BFC BBS would be:
"SP N6LAM @ WD6BFC"
This message would be automatically forwarded from my local BBS to WD6BFC BBS and when N6LAM checked into the WD6BFC BBS in Redding he would see that mail was waiting for him.
The "P" in "SP" makes the message personal so that only the originator and addressee can read it and it is not listed with the "L" command to others. This is a recommended practice as it saves congestion on busy BBS channels by not having to list irrelevent data.
Now comes NTS.
What if you want to send a message to a ham friend who is not on packet? He can't pick the message up at a BBS. No one else can kill the message if it's sent to his callsign unless he/she kills it (or you do). Also what if you wanted to send a message to a non-ham (radiogram)? What if there is a disaster and the local disaster agency asks you if you can send thousands of radiograms out to relatives and friends of victims telling them that they are alright?
This is where the National Traffic System (NTS) radiograms can do the job i.e., as a public service. W0RLI devised a way where third party traffic could be deleted by traffic handler. It is the "T"option. If you send a message "ST" then it can be read and killed by anyone. The message may be killed by typing "KT ####" where #### is the message number. Thus third party traffic is allowed to be deleted after it is safely in the hands of a traffic delivering or relay station even though the message is not sent to that person's own callsign.
Let's now see how to actually use NTS and send a message. Remember that the existing packet bbs system works fine for ham to ham communications as long as both hams are on packet and know each other's mailbox. Otherwise the message must be sent to special designators and in NTS format. It is important to use the accepted and nationally recognized designators if we are to not delay the traffic needlessly.
USE THE ACCEPTED DESIGNATORS
Use valid designators.
Currently the nationally recognized and supported designator is the 5 digit zip code in the "to" column with the "ntsxx" abbreviation in the @ column. (Note that xx are the standard Post Office abbreviations found in the ARRL Net Directory for States and Provinces). @ NTSXX can be left out of any Calif bound traffic if sent within California and is only helpful for out of state traffic.
If you do not know the zipcode and do not have a post office zipcode book, then the message may be sent to ntsxx @ ntsxx as we assume that everyone will know the State or Province. Messages sent with inadequate addresses and without phone numbers are not encouraged and delivery may be delayed or impossible. Remember that there is a ham on the other end who will have to deliver the message and we should make his/her job as easy as possoble.
The title should indicate the destination city of the message as well as contain the first 6 numbers of the telephone number so that some delivery stations may be able to ascertain their ability to deliver without having to read the text.
NTS designators for packet depend on a complex system of HF/VHF GateWays, NTS officials, linked VHF systems, BBS software support, and other groups to agree upon more efficeint methods and designators. This system is constantly evolving and is subject to change. For the current list of supported NTS designators, see the file DESIG.NTS found in most WestNet BBS. It is expected that the 5 digit zipcode @ ntsxx format will be supported for quite some time.
NTS MESSAGE FORMAT
NTS radiogram format is like an envelope within an envelope. The outer envelope is the packet bbs message itself being forwarded via W0RLI forwarding protocols and headers. The NTS envelope is the age old NTS radiogram format which can interface with local and section nets and allows delivering stations all the necessary information to trace, service and deliver the message. The following is the standard ARRL radiogram format.
Radiogram format should follow the standard ARRL radiogram message format in order to maintain the necessary information to interface with SECTION nets, tracing originators, and essential record keeping. Delivery nets all across the Continental USA will not accept traffic for delivery unless it is in standard NTS form.
Standard ARRL message form requires a number, station of origin, word count (check), place of origin, date and time. Give as a full an address as possible. Separate the text with a BT. End the message with the signature and the prosign AR. Sending "ctrl Z" will send the message to the mailbox.
Please try, TRY, to supply phone numbers.
After you have given the traffic indicator and the title, you are ready to write your traffic in NTS format.
==========================
NR 1 R W6ABC 20 San Francisco Ca 1230Z Nov 25 (Standard NTS Preamble) Mr George Smyth (Addressee)
2315 North Oak St (Give FULL address)
Chicago Il 60625 (Include Zip as shown)
(312) 453 1793 {======IMPORTANT (Give Phone number)
-BT- (use BT to separate text)
Hi Dad arrived safely at (Five words per line
San Francisco X stop over makes it easy to
two hours then Guam check the word count)
X will write soon love
-BT- (Give BT at end of text)
John (Signature)
AR (Use AR at end of message)
=============================
Include all helpful information in the address. Please try your very best to give a telephone number. This is the one important piece of information which will insure the likelyhood of your message being delivered. If there is an apartment number or a space number (mobile parks), zip code, area code, etc be sure to include it when entering the message. Always check for typos.
OPERATING PROCEDURES
Remember to use the "T" in the "ST" command or your message will not be able to be killed with the "KT" command at the end point.
When you check into a mailbox type "LT" to get a list of NTS traffic. If you can deliver any, type "R Number" and after making sure you have 100 % copy, delete the message. To kill (delete) NTS traffic use the "KT" command followed by the message number. *Do so only after you are sure you have confirmed copy*. This erases the message so it won't be delivered twice. On some systems it also services a message back to the originator that the message has been picked up and by whom and when.
Summary: LT
Lists all NTS traffic on the BBS
R #### - Reads the message number ####
KT #### - Kills the message number #### (Use only after you are sure of 100% copy)
ST ZZZZZ @ NTSXX
Sends an NTS message to zipcode zzzzz @ the state or province of xx.
SERVICE MESSAGES
If the message that you have QSl'd and deleted cannot be delivered because of an incorrect telephone number, incorrect address, no listing, etc., then we request that all users generate a service message back to the originating station as to the reason why the message was undeliverable.
The message should be sent in standard NTS form and should be sent therefore to the 5 digit zip @ ntsxx of the originating station; who by the way, may not be the station who first put it on packet. You may not have a callbook or a zip code for the originating station but the ARRL radiogram format guarantees that you have a callsign, message number, and place of origin. Thus the message is addressed to the station of origin telling him or her what message number was undeliverable and why. For example, if the callbook says that w6abc in the above example was located in San Francisco with a zip code of 94102, the message may be sent something like this from Illinois:
ST 94102 @ NTSCA (CR)
EL CENTRO, CA (760)352-2737 (Subject or Title)
NR 5 k9ozm arl 21 Chicago il dec 5 (NTS preamble)
ALAN ALLEN W6ABC (Who the message is going to)
2345 mercenary dr san francisco 94102 (The address)
-bt- (Break for Text)
arl sixty seven 1 phone (Text of the message)
incorrect and no listings for
george or g smyth or
smith x address incorrect also
73
-bt- (Break for Signature)
Don K9OZM at w9cd bbs (Signature) {CTRL Z}
(End your message with CTRL Z)
This would give w6abc all the information necessary to be able to see what message did not get delivered and determine why. Maybe his phone book was inaccurate or maybe he made a typo when entering the data or...?
You might have noticed the word arl in the header. That is a NTS symbol to indicate that there is an ARRL arl mesage in the text. The text arl sixty seven is only one of many ARRL canned messages that is sent as an abbreviation over the air. The delivery station then translates the arl number back into English when delivering the message.
In this case ARL Sixty Seven translates as:
Your message number----------undeliverable because of -------. Please advise.
For a list of the ARRL Numbered Radiograms check your packet BBS or write your Section traffic Manager or the ARRL for CD-3 "The ARRL Numbered RADIOGRAMS".
Northern California and Southern California Boundaries
The Boundaries between NCN and SCN are often unclear to many. They are based on the ARRL Division lines which in turn are based on Sections lines which in turn are based on County lines.
SCN is composed of Los Angeles, Orange, Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties.
NCN then is the rest of the California Counties not just mentioned plus the entire State of Nevada.
Amateurs are encouraged to use the NTS frequently - the experience will be fun and your friends will appreciate hearing from you ---but, most important, the experience will also give you training for emergency communications (which all Amateurs should be able to work with when the occasion demands.)
THIRD PARTY AGREEMENTS
The FCC limits our ability to engage in third party traffic with foreign nations.
Currently third party traffic is permitted with...
Antigua
Barbuda
Belize
Canada
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
St. Christopher
Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Columbia
Ecudor
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Trinidad
Tobago
Uraguay
Venezuela
Geneva (4U1ITU)
Israel
Jordan
Ghana
Liberia
The Gambia
Swaziland
Australia
Pitcairn Island
These agreements are constantly changing and "QST" magazine publishes the updates regularly.
FURTHER REFERENCES
Further information on NTS can be obtained from your local Section Traffic Manager or the ARRL, 225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111, especially; "The Public Service Communications Manual" "CD-218" (Net procedure, abbreviation, and message format aid) "The ARRL Field Organization" (FSD 300) "The ARRL Net Directory" (FSD 50) "The ARRL ARES Field Resources Manual" "The ARRL Numbered RADIOGRAMS" CD-3
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Go to Delivering the Message.
This is just a primer for the Packet Series. If you wish to try the series
please click here.