National Traffic System Primer

Handling communications for a third party has always been a technology and art form capturing the imagination of people throughout the history of civilization. Such communications have played an important role in the development of the world as we know it. It is no surprise that this fascination persisted and flourished with the introduction of the telegraph and radio.
From smoke signals to semaphore, telegraph to email, the art form has adapted to the prevailing technology of the time. Over the years the mechanism of getting the information from point A to point B may have changed, but the basic steps of creating the transmission-ready final form of the communication, the handling of it through the system, and the reception and delivery have remained essentially the same.
In Amateur Radio today we find many adaptations to the technology of the time and, in fact, are involved in developing new technologies as we go along. The basic underlying purpose and act of communicating for a third party, or for ourselves, is still fascinating and useful regardless whether we are using CW, Voice, RTTY, PSK-31, packet, or WinLink gateways. The use of today's modes has expanded our abilities far beyond the time when Hiram P. Maxim wanted to send his message on CW to order a new tube and seized upon the idea of having a system of scheduled and reliable nets to handle such message traffic.
We began this Amateur Radio journey in an organized way in 1914 when the American Radio Relay League was founded, and the NTS net system has developed and adapted over the years. Today the ARRL manages and operates the National Traffic System (NTS/NTSD) to assure a continuing and reliable structure to handle formal message traffic in the US. Many other countries participate in the system as permitted by treaty or convention. CW, Voice, and a variety of digital modes and structures are operating to assure the use of all Amateur Radio resources in the public service effort.
There is a large body of experience and literature available to guide amateur operators in using radio to establish contact. This experience is in many ways unique to Amateur Radio due to its flexibility and resourcefulness driven by personal interest and motivation. This manual will not deal with this art except where the specifics of radio operation are conducive to effective message transmission and reception.
The public and our served agencies appreciate our ability to send formal written message traffic efficiently and accurately. When we combine our traffic handling, radio and net operating skills to provide professional service we earn their trust.
The process is simple, yet there are details to learn about how to make it all happen efficiently and with precision. We must interface with those we serve and gather the information required to prepare the message in the proper format. We must be skilled at exchanging the message with another station to pass it along, and be able to participate in and run organized nets to efficiently handle large amounts of message traffic. We must know how to deliver the message to the addressee, and create a reply or a service message back to the originator when required.
reprinted from: http://www.arrl.org/appendix-b-nts-methods-and-practices-guidelines

73
Thomas
K4KH
Amateur Extra Class
Club President: Lake Wales Rptr. Assn.
Member: ARRL
Club web site: www.LWRA.US