HowTo.NTS Sending NTS messages on packet is simple and easy. If you have a friend that is already on packet and 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 on any linked w0rli type bbs 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. See the file desig.nts on most WestNet BBS. 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. Some examples for sending NTS traffic are: ST 60625 @ NTSil QTC 1 Chgo Il 312 453 ST 94610 QTC 1 Oakland CA 415 763 ST 06111 @ NTSCT QTC 1 Newington CT 203 594 ST 91006 QTC 1 Arcadia CA (no phone) 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. When connected to the WestNet linked BBS, the following commands should be used and the message format adhered to: Comments prompt > (Note the ">" is your prompt) ST 60625 @ NTSIL Use ST 5 digitzip @ NTSXX, where xx is Enter title for message> the state or province abbreviation. QTC 1 Chicago Il 312 453 give quantity,qth, first 6 digits of Enter text and close with a Ctl-Z (^Z): telephone number. Nr 1 W6ABC 20 San Francisco Ca 1230Z Nov 25 (Standard nts format) Mr George Smyth (Addressee) 2315 North Oak St (Give FULL address) Chicago Il 60625 (Include Zip as shown) 312 453 1793 BT (Give Phone number) use BT to separate text Hi Dad arrived safely at (five words per line San Francisco X stop over makes it easy to only two hours then Guam check the word count) X will write soon love BT (give BT at end of text) John AR (Use AR at end of message) Include all helpful information in the address. 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 QTC 1 W6ABC SF CA nr 5 k9ozm arl 21 Chicago il dec 5 alan allen w6abc 2345 mercenary dr san francisco 94102 bt arl sixty seven 1 phone incorrect and no listings for george or g smyth or smith x address incorrect also 73 bt Don K9OZM at w9cd bbs 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". UNBUNDLE YOUR MESSAGES (No Book Traffic) If you have more than one message even if they are going to the same state or section, please send them as individual packet BBS messages. Please remember that traffic eventually will have to be broken down to the individual addressee somewhere down the line for ultimate delivery. When the originator places two or more NTS messages destined for different addresses within one packet message, eventually the routing will require the message to be broken up by either the bbs sysop or the relay station; placing an additional unreasonable burden being on them both. Therefore it is suggested that the originator to expend the extra word processing in the first place and create individual messages per city regardless if there are common parts with other messages. This means that book messages are not suitable in packet at this time unless they are going to the same city. NCN AND SCN 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. For a further elaboration of SCN and NCN boundaries, see the file, "CALNVNET.NTS" in most WestNet BBS. 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--- Mexico City, etc.) 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 The following files are found on most WestNet BBS: CalNvnet.NTS : A list of all the NTS section nets in California and the breakdown of section boundaries. Please note that the May 1986 issue has the incorrect time for SCN. SCN begins at 1830 local time not 1900 local. Desig.NTS : A list of the up-to-date valid designators that are supported by the packet system at this time. This list is periodically updated. Please note there are still a few states and provinces that are not yet interfaced with packet and thus should not be used at this time. Whatis.NTS : Short history of NTS and what it does. The above files may be under different names on your BBS. Ask your sysop. More info to NI6A @ W6CUS. 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" $1.00 (FSD 50) "The ARRL Field Resources Directory" "The ARRL Numbered RADIOGRAMS" CD-3 (Rev 0188) *