77 lines
3.5 KiB
Plaintext
77 lines
3.5 KiB
Plaintext
DESIG.NTS (6/89)
|
|
Designators for Third Party Traffic
|
|
|
|
The National Traffic System traces its roots back to H.P. Maxim,
|
|
the Old Man, himself, and attempts to carry on this 75 year old
|
|
tradition to send messages to friends (hams or not) in the most
|
|
efficient manner that it can achieve. It remains the only way
|
|
within amateur radio to send third party traffic during
|
|
disasters. It is hoped that packet NTS message forwarding will
|
|
make it possible for the Amateur Radio Service to be able to
|
|
handle high volume disaster traffic both accurately and speedily.
|
|
For this traffic to move both automatically and efficiently a
|
|
continental standardized system is necessary requiring
|
|
continental cooperation.
|
|
|
|
In the past NTS traffic was routed using all sorts of methods,
|
|
most of which demanded much sysop intervention and so both delays
|
|
and burnout were not uncommon. It took much work to have
|
|
implemented the current designator format of ST ZZZZZ @ NTSXX
|
|
where ZZZZZ is the five digit zip-code and XX stands for the two
|
|
letter Postal Code abbreviation as found in the ARRL Net
|
|
Directory, the U.S. Postal Zip-code books for States and/or
|
|
Canadian Provinces, and the file POSTAL.ZIP.
|
|
|
|
The current NTS designator evolved from an older system of using
|
|
NTSXX @ BBSCALLSIGN and later NTSZZZ. The next evolution appears
|
|
to be one that will do away with the NTS prefix and make it @ XX.
|
|
Within the USA, ST ZZZZZ without the NTSXX can currently be implemented
|
|
at most BBSs. However these changes will take some time as national
|
|
standards require cooperation and communication and often much time.
|
|
The present abbreviations and related zip-codes are presented here as
|
|
an operations guide. It is important that users enter the correct
|
|
designators in the correct format and for sysops to support these
|
|
designators in order for the system to operate efficiently.
|
|
|
|
ST ZZZZZ Sufficient and preferred for in-state traffic
|
|
ST ZZZZZ @ NTSXX Preferred for out of state traffic
|
|
|
|
If the five digit zip-code is not known, it can always be obtained
|
|
from a U.S. Postal zip-code directory. If the zip-code prefix cannot
|
|
be obtained, the message may be sent ST NTSXX @ NTSXX; but this is the
|
|
last choice because of the inevitable need for manual intervention at
|
|
the NTS clearinghouse BBS on the delivery end.
|
|
|
|
Examples:
|
|
|
|
ST 60625 @ NTSIL (if 5 digit zip is known)
|
|
ST 60600 @ NTSIL (if only City zip or zip prefix is known)
|
|
ST NTSIL @ NTSIL (if only State is known)
|
|
|
|
The top designator format will get the message through the
|
|
fastest and most reliably.
|
|
|
|
Foreign Country Third Party Traffic
|
|
|
|
The ARRL Publishes a list of countries in "QST" magazine every
|
|
few months with whom third party traffic agreements are in effect
|
|
(See 3RDPARTY.NTS file). NTS traffic is normally only permitted
|
|
to those countries listed. To send NTS traffic to listed foreign
|
|
countries the current approved NTS policy is to send all third party
|
|
traffic via the IATN International Traffic Net. Send such traffic
|
|
ST IATN @ NTSFL.
|
|
--
|
|
Additional Third Party California Designators
|
|
|
|
OESSAC Office of Emergency Services Sacramento (toward WA6NWE-1)
|
|
REDCRS West Operations HQ AM. Red Cross-Burlingame (toward N6IIU)
|
|
NCN Northern California Net (Toward W6PW) for routing
|
|
SCN Toward Southern California Net (toward AJ6F) for routing.
|
|
RN6 Toward W6PW for routing aid
|
|
|
|
Thus any problems for identifying Southern California Designators
|
|
send ST SCN @ AJ6F. For Northern California send ST NCN @ W6PW.
|
|
For out-of-state re-routing ST RN6 @ W6PW.
|
|
|
|
EOF
|