PACKET RADIO: NTS Basics

Steve Wolf, W8IZ@W8IZ


(This text from the W8IZ packet radio bulletin

board. It's formatted to fit a 80 character screen.)


For clarification, NTS is an acyronym for "National Traffic System".

NTS is a way to handle messages from non-amateurs over an amateur network.

Handling NTS traffic is a public service performed by amateur radio.


WHY THE GOOFY FORMAT?

Your message may not stay on the packet network. It may be
forwarded by nets using RTTY, CW, phone or whatever. These other
modes are NOT error free. The preamble and format of your message
will help standardize and check your message for better handling.


NTS IS PICKY

Danged right, they are! NTS operators want to insure that the
system works now, before the disaster. If they can get you using the
standard now, you will not be a problem later.
Right now you are handling messages that might not mean much
if they don't get to their destination. After a disaster, your
message content may have much more meaning. You may be transferring
messages about critical supply needs, about medical supplies that will
save someone's life. Information to a family who's relatives assume
they are dead.

If you do something wrong while handling NTS traffic, expect
to get corrected. You will be one heck of an asset in a disaster if
you know what you are doing. You will be one heck of a liability if
you don't.


A TYPICAL MESSAGE

------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
ST 44070 @ NTSOH
TITLE: QTC-1 North Olmsted, OH
Enter message--End with /EX or CTRL-Z
NR 15 R HXG N8GNJ 4 Seattle, WA 9-18-89 0045Z
To: Steve Wolf
North Olmsted, OH
216-777-1177
-bt-
Request home PBBS call
-bt-
Steve N8GNJ, Seattle, WA
Operator's note: Reply to
N8GNJ@N8GNJ.WA.USA.NA Seattle, WA
------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------


----------------
ST 44070 @ NTSOH
----------------
When you send a piece of NTS traffic, it has a special <S>end
command. The traffic indicator will help it on its way. It will also
(sometimes) cause the last PBBS in the line to generate a message back
to you telling you who took it off the packet system and where. In
many cases, this might not be at its destination. An operator in Iowa
might pull an Ohio message because he knows he can get it there
quickly. He might be getting on a net that has an operator in the
town that the message is destined for.

-----------------------
QTC-1 North Olmsted, OH
-----------------------
This title line tells that there is one message in the packet
message and that it is destined for Ohio. There may be many messages
in the packet messages, as long as they are destined for the same
location.

---------------------------------------------
NR 15 R HXG N8GNJ 4 Seattle, WA 9-18-89 0045Z
---------------------------------------------
This is the preamble. NR 15 is the number of the message at
the sender's station. On January 1, you start with message one. You
assign each message going out of your station a number.
"R" is ROUTINE. Other precedents are "W"elfare, "P"riority
and "EMERGENCY". EMERGENCY is always spelled out!
The HX- is the handling instructions (if any):

<<<<<IF THERE IS A CHANCE THE MESSAGE MAY GO OUTSIDE
THE USA, DO NOT USE HX- INSTRUCTIONS. THESE
INSTRUCTIONS MAY BE SEEN AS A CODE OR CYPHER AND THE
SYSOP COULD END UP IN TROUBLE.>>>>>

HXA# ---- Collect call within # miles (or unlimited if no #).
HXB# ---- Cancel if not delivered within # hours.
and notify originator.
HXC ----- Report time and date of delivery.
HXD ----- Report time, date, method and call delivering.
HXE ----- Obtain and send reply.
HXF# ---- Hold message until # (date).
HXG ----- Mail or toll call delivery not required.

The number five is the check of the message. It is how many
words you are sending. The stop character, the "x", is counted.
The rest of the line is self-explanatory. For gosh sakes, use
UTC! There are other people in the world and they don't all use EDST!

-----------------------
To: Steve Wolf
North Olmsted, OH
216-777-1177
----------------------
This is the address that the message is to go to. The phone
number is almost always mandatory. It will probably just be serviced
back without it.

-------------------------
-bt-
Request home PBBS call
-bt-
------------------------
The meat, the message. Preceded and followed by a -bt- to set
it off, the message should be no longer than 19 words. Rambling messages
do not make it!

----------------------------------
Steve N8GNJ, Seattle, WA
Operator's note: Reply to
N8GNJ@N8GNJ.WA.USA.NA Seattle, WA
----------------------------------
This is the signature, to whom a response is to be forwarded.
It is a real good idea to add your packet address to the end.


CHECKS--COUNTING THE WORDS

If you are going to run into trouble, this is where it will
be. Probably the best available advise is to not banter on the air
about disagreements over the check. If they know more than you, they
are right. If they know less, they are wrong.
Here is a quick list of some sticky check situations:

Alfred E. Neumann --- 3 words
Grand Cayman ------- 2 words
NYC ----------------- 1 word
New York City ------- 3 words
ARL SIXTY THREE - 3 words
Fifty Six --------------- 2 words
6146B ---------------- 1 word

You can change an improper check. DON'T CHANGE THE WORDING!
If you do change the check, use a slant bar between the old and new
values. For example, if you received a check of five and the check
should be seven, note it 5/7.


ARRL NUMBERED RADIOGRAMS

IF THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE MESSAGE WILL BE ROUTED OUTSIDE THE
USA, DO NOT USE ARL NUMBERED RADIOGRAMS. THEY MAY BE MISINTERPRETED AS BEING
CODED MESSAGES.>>>>>

See the file for ARRL Numbered Radiograms (RTARLNUM.INF).
This file contains many "standard" messages. The text of the message
is simply ARL followed by the number spelled out: ARL SIXTY EIGHT.


From the December, 1989 Indiana Packet NTS Newsletter
QUAKE PROMPTS NEW RADIOGRAM FORMAT IDEA
By Herb Salls, WB1DSW (20 Meter SKIPNet Representative on 14.109)

[Ed. Note: When the earthquake hit the San Francisco area October 17,
New Hampshire SYSOP Herb Salls issued a bulletin to his users, which suggest-
ed a new way to format traffic for packet. His bulletin is excerpted below.]

The following special procedures should serve to improve the throughput
of our very sensitive HF links. I am not a traffic handler but I do have
experience with the jam that occurred during Hurricane Hugo. If you follow
the "rules" listed below, the systems we have set up will be able to handle
the load in a very effective manner.

1) Addressing: Use the form ST <zip> @ NTSCA if at all possible. This
format is recognized by not only the state-of-the-art systems but by those
that are not-so-state-of-the-art.

2) Omit blank and short lines: They look pretty and make messages
easier to read, but they represent a severe waste of time and spectrum. To
the extent possible, fill in each line with up to 80 characters of data.
This might mean putting the addressee, name, address, and phone number on a
single line. But it will greatly reduce the number of packets the PBBS must
send for each message.

3) Use Book traffic: Try to "bundle" up messages headed for the area
in groups of 5 to 7 messages in length. Try to arrange them by ZIP. Arrang-
ing them by telephone area code or even by major exchange would be even
better.

[Ed. Note: We'd like to hear how the San Fran. SYSOP's felt about
receiving book traffic.]

4) Complete example: I've made up an complete example so you can see
how this is put together.

ST 99900 @ NTSCA {You enter this when the BBS gives you the "go"}
QTC SF CA AC 902 {Enter when the BBS asks for the "Sj" (Subject)}
Msg: {The BBS has just prompted you for the text}
NR 123 R HXG WB1DSW ARL 3 East Kingston NH 10/16/89
Joseph Jones, 2345 W 67th St, San Francisco CA 99900 902-555-1212 BT
ARL 19 Addressee BT Mary Jones, 111 2nd St, Boston MA 02322 617-555-1212
NR 124 R HXG WB1DSW ARL 3 East Kingston NH 10/16/89
Ken Smith, 888 9th Blvd, San Francisco CA 99900 902-444-1919 BT
ARL 19 Addressee BT Mary Jones, 111 2nd St, Boston MA 02322 617-555-1212
<Ctrl-Z> {You type the Control-Z - this tells the BBS to end it}


Return to Packet FAQuette Index