1. Do not interrupt the NET CONTROL STATION unless you have emergency Traffic! We are here to handle traffic only for a short time. Keep non-traffic conversation to minimum. This can be conducted after Net. Thanks for your cooperation on this.
2. “73” is never used in the Signature of the radiogram, only in the text.
3. Use X (X-ray) in your text as a period, it is counted as a word, never used as the last word in a text, and it is introduced as “Intial Xray”, not Xray>
4. You should have on your desk for Net time, the following:
a. Blank radiogram and a blank ICS-213 form.
b. Copy of the Latest ARRL Numbered Radiograms. Can be found at nts2.arrl.org
c. Copy of the ARRL Handling instructions or the Pink Card available at ARRL.org
d. Telephone
e. Emergency phone numbers
f. Access to the Common Messages from this website
g. Plenty of pens or pencils.
5. Please learn to send your messages slow enough for the receiving station to be able to copy everything accurately. Some new receivers may not indicate they need you to slow down. Practice writing the word down with a pen or pencil as you send it. This will give you the correct speed.
6.Do not use extraneous words when relaying a message. in the Preamble boxes, such as, Station of Origination, Check of, City of, State, Time, Todays Date. Just send the Data in the box!
7.Do not use extraneous words when relaying a message in the Addressee, such as Going To, Address Figures, Direction WEST, NORTH, EAST, SOUTH, Sounds like, Same as, Zip figures, Telephone figures.
Telephone figures can be said if there is no Zip Code!
8.Do not use extraneous words when relaying a message in the text, such as, Back stop, that’s 2 words, Break for text, Q signals are not sent. However Q signals are allowed in the text only. “Common Spelling” is never used or said on Emergency Nets!!
9.Do not use extraneous words when relaying a message in the Signature, such as, Break for signature, Signed by, or the signature is!
10. Do use Prowords: 2.1.4 Such as, Number, End, Book of, Break, I spell, I say again, End more , End no more, 2.1.4.9. End Book no more Over, Roger, Affirmative, Negative, Go ahead, Charley.
These words are spoken to begin or end the message, indicate information for the receiving operator, or to seperate parts of the message or books. they are not counted in the check.
11. Do use Introductory Words: 2.1.5
Such as,
Initials, figure(s), Mix Group, or Mix Group Figure(s), Amateur Call Sign, (Amateur call sign not used in the preamble), I Spell, Email Address, Internet Address, Telephone Figures, used to introduce the telephone number in an address or signature when no zip code is used. Introductory words not counted as a word group in the text.
All Characters in introduced Words are voiced one character at a time. All letters in introduced words are voiced with ITU phonetics
12. When you are sent off frequency to pass traffic please make sure the frequency is not being used.
Ask, “Is the frequency in use”?
13.The letters ARL precede the check in messages containing ARRL numbered radiograms in the text. They are voiced as 3 letters without introduction, as in ARL 20: “ARL TWO ZERO” The letters ARL are customarily voiced without Phonetics, but may be so voiced in severe conditions.
ARL In the text: simply voiced as “ARL” Not spelled phonetically. The spelled out numbers of the radiogram are each spelled out phonetically using the introductory words “I Spell” Such as “ARL Sixty One”: ARL Sixty I spell SIERRA INDIA X-RAY TANGO YANKEE. ONE I spell OSCAR NOVEMBER ECHO. Three Groups.
14. Do not use Q signals on voice nets. Say it with words.The sign of a good Radio Operator, during drills, and an emergency situation will say it in plain language to get the message across fast and accurate on voice nets. If you do not have traffic, then say “NO TRAFFIC” NTS Manual 2.1.4.12 Q signals are designed for CW only. Please do not confuse new operators that are coming aboard. I have many of them asking what the Q signals are. We do not use them on voice nets. Please say it with plain words on the phone nets.
Q signals can be used in the text of a message as initials.
15. Use The ITU Phonetics alphabet only. Some Amateur call phonetics are fun, but never used on an NTS net.
16. The Training Manual, “The Methods Practices and Guidelines” can be found at the link on the Membership and Training page of this site.
17. NO early checks-ins on ATEN. We start the net at the assigned time only. Early check-ins can delay the start of the net on time and confuse new-comers. If you have to leave early, check with the Net Control Station to see if any traffic is listed for your area. Our goal is to have stations available to take traffic for their area, not to just check in for the numbers.
18. Please keep the non net chatter to a minimum You can converse after net on any other subject.
19. Phone numbers in a text: counts as three groups or three words. Example: 928 123 4567
20. Dates in a text: are listed like, JAN 21 2008 three words or groups
21. Emails are listed in a text: as follows: kf7gc at arrl dot net, this email has five words or groups.
22. Love, sincerely, regards, take care, thanks again are used in the text only never in the signature
23. Examples of word groups:
ONE WORD GROUP
x, 145R67 34TH 34TH/CMD SIXTY FIFTEEN 7035R7KHZ APR/22
TWO WORD GROUPS
X 73 555 5678 34TH CMD ARL SIXTY APR 22 7035R7 KHZ
THREE WORD GROUPS
THANKS X 73 301 555 3456 55 DASH 56XA ARL SIXTY SEVEN,
THREE ZERO SIX 7035 DECIMAL 7 APR 22 2010
24. Note: 7035R7 means 7035.7. The period symbol is not permmitted. The letter “R” is used as a decimal point. So you can put it in the text as 7035R7, one word group, or 7035 decimal 7, which is three word groups.
25. OP Notes may be inserted after the signature, and are relating to a reply or servicing of the message information. Op notes inserted after the addressee are for delivery of the message information. Op Notes are optional and are not considered part of the message. They are for traffic handlers use only.
Example: (Signature) Diana OP NOTE Reply Via N1ABC QRZ.COM phone 234 333 4567
26. When returning to the net after passing or receiving traffic off frequency, you do not have to tell the net control station in detail what you did unless asked. Just tell the NCS that you are back, “traffic passed“, or “mission accomplished,” The NCS has a record of who brought and recieved the traffic. If you did not pass or receive traffic then you check back into the net saying “NO JOY” No Joy means the traffic that was listed was not passed.
27. No letters, dashes, or leading zeros in the radiogram message number. EXCEPTION: SVC” precedes the message number for Service messages see Common Messages for example.
28. Book Traffic: Can be used if you have the same Addressee or the same text in multiple messages. See Common Messages page for an example.
29. The first BREAK after the addressee is voiced “BREAK” and is before the start of the text, and at the
beginning of each “variable” part of a book message. THIS REQUIRES A STANBY AFTER SAYING THE WORD “BREAK” TO LISTEN FOR FILL REQUESTS! 2.2 4.2
The second BREAK after the text is also voiced as “BREAK” followed immediately, without a standby
for fills, by the signature! 2.2.4.3 sub 9
30. STATION OF ORIGIN – This is the first station that wrote or helped write the message and bring to a NTS Net for relay.
31. PLACE OF ORIGIN – This is the actual place where the message started from, not necessarily the location of the Station of Origin. For example, if the station of origin is in Phoenix, creating a message for a person in Tucson, the place of origin would be Tucson in the preamble. It is the City of the
person named in the signature.
32. Canada Addresses for Radiograms
Postal Codes in Canada are a six Character String Consisting of three
Letters and Three Digits
Remember letter O and Zeros are not interchangeable. The correct postal code is in the format. One example is M5V 3L9
Letter Number letter,space, Number Letter Number for another example: B1P 6J4.
If you see the letter O instead of a Zero in one of the number locations you will know that it is wrong, and it cannot be forwarded with an invalid postal code.
Instructions on how to Originate a Service Message
Messages encountered anywhere in the NTS system that can not be relayed or delivered are NOT discarded. A Service Message back to the originating station must be generated. There are only three things that an operator can do with a message:
THE THREE ITS
1. Relay it
2. Deliver it
3. Service it
Generating service messages is the responsibility of the station holding the message.
Please keep messages for your records for at least one year. You do not need to advise Net Control what you did with the message. This information is for your records only. Once you accept a message, its yours to do one of the three above.
The following is a typical Service Message FROM HXC, CANNOT DELIVER:
SVC 26 R WA9HYM ARL 8 Chino Valley AZ May 15
Loren S. Pimentel N1IQI
5 Evan Rd.
Pembroke MA 02359 (or the address of any one else, some as below)
781 293 3861
BREAK
ARL Sixty seven 3214 wrong
phone number 73
BREAK
Henry WA9HYM
End No More
The following is a typical Service Message FROM HXC, reporting your delivery.
SVC 27 R WA9HYM ARL 9 Phoenix AZ Nov 20
ROBERT J BRUNDIGE N1UAN
1002 MINTON PLACE
KINGSPORT TN 37660-3942
433 245 3391
BREAK
ARL Forty Seven 3216 Wiiiiams
Nov 19 0200Z 73
BREAK
Henry WA9HYM
PRACTICE EMERGENCY DISASTER DRILL
We had a Disaster Drill on May 11, 2007 on ATEN. KF7GC was Net Control. The drill went on without a hitch and everyone had a good learning experience. We had 37 stations checking into the net to help with the handling of radiograms and ICS-213 messages
The Net handled 23 messages, consisting of Priority, Welfare and ICS-213 Traffic. Time 65 minutes. Some difficulty getting Priority traffic into the Phoenix Area.
Joe, W7LUX, DEC, from the Coconino County ARES organization had organized ARES, SATERN, some RACES members, to join us in the NTS, and wrote well over 20 Welfare, Priority, and ICS-213 messages for the drill, thanks Joe. We appreciate all your time and effort.
The drill had activated ATEN to provide Emergency Communications in response to fires south of Flagstaff with two Red Cross shelters in Flagstaff for those evacuated from the affected area. The drill was realistic.
The following stations not only checked into the net but sent, received, and or delivered traffic for the drill:
W7FSX Gene, Chino Valley
AB7NK Mary, Prescott Valley
KD7OED Lee, Sierra Vista
NN7D Rich, Flagstaff
W7JSW Bill, Scottsdale
W7VNO John, Payson
W7LUX Joe, Flagstaff
KE5PZ Jim, Vernon
WA6NWE Jim, Williams
K7PGT Paul, Casa Grande
N7SWI Fred, Las Vegas
WW7J Jim, Tucson
KE7HPI Bob, Flagstaff
K0LQB Bob ,Yuma
KC7PRC Dan, Flagstaff
Thanks, to everyone who took it upon themselves to join in the Drill and helped prepare the net for any future Emergencies that may come up. You Hams are the ones that will join with us in helping our Country, our families, and our community in a time of need. Thanks for a great job! We hope there will be more of you next time.