TPRFN Newsletter (updated 4/6/25)

 

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 oices... 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) ining 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. NTS© Resources The National Traffic System© (NTS©) is a network of amateur radio operators who move information during disasters and other emergencies. General messages offering well wishes also move through the NTS© to help test the system and to help amateur radio operators build traffic handling skills. While the NTS© is primarily set up to serve the United States and Canada, it is possible to move traffic internationally through the NTS© 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 NTS© Letter is published monthly and is free of charge to ARRL members. Subscribe: www.arrl.org/opt-in-out If anyone has not received copies of The NTS Letter by email, be sure to check www.arrl.org/opt-in-out to confirm that you are opted in. If you don't see The NTS Letter listed among the publications you are opted into, click on "Edit," and you will have the opportunity to check the box to receive The 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 Support NTS©: Join ARRL NTS© is a program of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio©. 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April 2025 NTS Letter