Tuesday, December 7, 2010

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

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

LWRA -New NET Record:

The LWRA has AGAIN set a NEW RECORD for the Traders net Checkins. We topped our old record of *37* with a Bountiful *38* checkins tonight and thats AWSOME...
We continue to blow out the competition like birthday candles with our GREAT participation and Great Hams that continue to get there and do the deed by checking in.

Thanks, Rich (KJ4INW)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

***NEW EXTRAS***

It's finally official,,,,,,,WN4USA and KJ4INW are in the ULS DataBase as EXTRA CLASS.........

Rich, (KJ4INW)

KD4LRC: 8 Year old Boy Saves Family





HOBOKEN, Ga. -- All Andrew Kirkland wants for his 9th birthday this Friday is clothes to wear and a few toys. He has nothing after a fire destroyed his family's home this weekend. Andrew is the reason they all survived.

"I woke up because of the smell of smoke," Andrew told Action News.

The 8-year-old was asleep in his bedroom when the fire broke out. Andrew woke up to his dresser on fire. His two cousins were also in the room, sleeping.

"It just got bigger and bigger and bigger," said Andrew.

He tried to fan out the flames using the lid of a clothes hamper but the flames continued to get bigger. Andrew says he ran through the house yelling "help" and woke up his mom and cousins. Everyone made it out safely. While Andrew's family lost all their clothes, furniture and books in the fire, a few things survived the flames, including a Bible.

"It survived because it was Jesus'," said Andrew.

The fire didn't touch a few pictures of his sister and some of her baby clothes. She died at the age of 3 so the pictures and clothes mean a lot to the Kirkland family.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The Kirkland family is staying with relatives near the burned-down home.

Andrew's family calls him a hero. He says he just wanted to make sure his family got out of the fire safely. Now Andrew is focused on his 9th birthday this Friday.

This is the Grandson of Randy Kirkland (KD4LRC), one of our Former Lake Wales Ham Operators who now lives in Georgia and I felt the need to post this and wish Blessings on and for his Family.

Rich, (KJ4INW)

Saturday, November 13, 2010

LWRA Repeater: 11-13-10

As most of our Club members and others know, we have had some little gremlins in our Repeater and it's been getting medical treatment. Well, with great sadness I have to report that we finally lost her. With heavy heart, this Reporter is saying goodbye to our beloved machine and we will miss her. HOWEVER, we are currently looking at REPLACING her with a NEW model and getting back on the air with a whole new machine and moving ever Forward with the looks and sounds of New times and progress.
We will all miss our beloved old girl but it's time to move on with the times of progress and keep ourselves from looking back. We are a growing club with new ideas and new projects so let's get this party started with some New Equipment too. In the words of "Larry the Cable Guy"...LET'S GETTER DONE.........

Rich (KJ4INW)

Friday, November 12, 2010

LWRA: November Meeting 11-11-10

The LWRA held it's monthly meeting last night (11-11-10) and we had a GREAT turnout. We did the round table introductions and had several different topics of discussion on the table for the evening. John (WB4KZM) was nominated to gather information details for the possibilities of a new repeater to be discussed at our next meeting. Lynne (KJ4RLG) discussed more about the club shirts and began taking orders for them, if interested contact her for sizes and details.

Thanks, Rich (KJ4INW)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

LWRA TRADERS NET (18) 11-9-10


***AWSOME*** We did it again.. We just broke our old record tonight with an AMAZING *37* Checkins. Congrats to everyone who participated in the net tonight and Thank You for being a part of a Growing Club with wonderful members and great participation. Ya'll make my job worth doing and it's amazing that I get everyone joining more and more all the time..........

Thanks again, Rich (KJ4INW)NCO

K4LKW REPEATER UPDATE:

The K4LKW Repeater is out of ICU and will be going into REHAB for a few days for some testing. It will most likely be back online tomorrow, 11-10-10 in a different location for some extensive testing. We will still be using our regular frequency and everything will run as normal (what ever that may be) to see if it will duplicate the chattering issue. We appreciate your patience while this is being taken care of and hope to have her home again soon. I will keep everyone posted with the updated information as I can...

Thanks again to Richard(N4KEG) for helping us with this in our time of need.....

Thanks again for your patience, Rich (KJ4INW)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

K4LKW Repeater in the Hospital

On Nov 7 early afternoon the K4LKW repeater machine suffered a pulmonary embolism on the receiver side and is currently in route to the radio hospital with KJ4INW and professional EMT WB4KZM  keeping it alive.



Both the cavities and radio are being x-rayed swept to be followed buy surgery. We will be back on the air a.s.a.p.. Please thoughtful during this time of crisis.

Some of us over on the Bartow machine during this time - 146.985 - PL 127.3.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

***NEW EXTRAS***

***CONGRATS** Are in order for the 2 newest EXTRA CLASS operators to the LWRA.

Dorshaine (WN4USA) and Rich (KJ4INW) both took their EXTRA exams this morning at the Red Cross in Winter Haven, FL and passed with flying colors. Finally, no more tests to take or study for and we have FULL priveledges on the Ham Bands.
Thanks to everyone who encouraged us and stood behind us with confidence and good wishes.

Thanks again, Rich (KJ4INW)