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| | | | | | | The Obsidian Wave 1 exercise, September 19-21, was a dry run of the technologies and procedures that would be required in the case of a nationwide “Black Swan” event in which electricity, internet, and commercial communications were interrupted across the country. Under these conditions, HF communications would be a critical long-distance communications capability.
The exercise included the following activities: o This included check-in of all HF participants o Selection of net control stations for directed net and in parallel… A total of 48 stations, including two from Puerto Rico, participated in the first three activities. A map of the participants is shown below: |
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The NTS2 Digital team is reviewing data from the exercise and an after-action report is expected to be issued by the end of October. Based on the improvements identified in that report, it is anticipated that a second exercise will be held in early 2027, probably in March. Our thanks to the stations who participated in the exercise and to Mark Jensen, KKØV; Brian Wright, W7OWO, and John Uhorchak, W2JMU, for taking NCS duties for the directed net, and to Steve Hansen, KB1TCE, for organizing the health and welfare portion of the exercise. |
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As the plan for what was to become Obsidian Wave was being formulated, it was decided to have an “I Am Safe” welfare messaging component. The logical primary initiator of the messages would be Seattle Emergency Hubs, the driver for the development of the I Am Safe program, along with Radio Relay International (RRI). Radio support is provided by the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (Seattle ACS). For those who may be unfamiliar with the process, people wishing to send a message to family or friends from a disaster area fill out a form with addressing information, a selection of up to three “standard” messages, and some free text. The addressing information is used to determine the routing. If an email address or SMS-capable phone number is provided, the Winlink RRI Quick Welfare Message form is used, and the message goes directly from Winlink to the service. If only the postal address or landline is known, the message will go using the Winlink RRI Welfare Radiogram. Radiograms are sent by Winlink to regional Winlink-RRI Liaison operators who then move the messages to the traffic system for further handling and delivery. Full information is at https://radiorelay.org/iamsafe/. During the exercise period, we received fewer messages than were expected. The liaisons received a total of five TEST WELFARE messages from the Seattle area addressed to diverse locations. Two were for Alabama, one was for Maryland, and two were for delivery within Washington State. The liaisons handled the messages within hours. However, delivery was much slower with messages arriving between 9/20 and 9/23. Puerto Rico’s relatively new program is based on the Seattle model but with traffic being directed to the mainland RRI DTN (Digital Traffic Network) Hub, W4DNA. One message was originated by NP4ZB and relayed to the island Hub using the recently established digital VHF relay system, and then to the mainland. The relay to W4DNA went efficiently but the message (to Texas) took until the 23rd to be delivered. With similar delivery results for all traffic, a detailed trace was conducted for the Puerto Rico-to-Texas message as a representative example. What follows is the analysis by DTN manager KY2D with assistance from NP4ZB, W4DNA, and KE5YTA. Filing date/time in preamble 09/19 1720Z Received into DTN 09/19 1726Z at NP3MJ.NP3MJ.PR.USA.NOAM (6 min later) Received 09/19 1850Z KP4NTS.KP4NTS.PR.USA.NOAM (1 hour 24 minutes later) Received 09/19 1856Z W4DNA.#NC.USA.NOAM (6 minutes later) Received at final destination DTN hub 09/19 2320Z KE5YTA.TX.USA.NOAM (4 hours 44 min later) Taken out of the digital network by digital operator in TX and put on DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) Traffic Net 09/21 (unknown time -- 2 days later) Delivered by phone 09/23 (unknown time -- 2 days later), Killeen, TX
KY2D summarizes, “Total time in DTN from entry hub to destination hub was 5 hours 54 minutes. Transfer to manual net and last mile delivery took 4 more days. This continues to point out the last-mile issues. We need more Digital Traffic Operators who can connect to their hubs frequently to check for and pick up traffic for subsequent relay to manual nets and more of a sense of urgency in the manual nets for moving and delivering traffic.” Other lessons and follow up:
We will work with Seattle Hubs and Puerto Rico (and perhaps some others) on a follow-up exercise. Key objectives (other than more messages) would be more realism (messages originated from the public with address information based on what they normally carry with them). We need a better feel for addressing (email, text, or USPS/landline) as the transport varies. Some initial surveys by Seattle Hubs, based on what people generally carry on their persons or in their heads, are that the majority have email/SMS contact info. Not directly related, but we need more Winlink-RRI liaisons. This is especially important since this is a manual process. All regions are covered but some have only one operator or another region is covering. This is more of an issue in Central and West. Liaisons need to check their Winlink accounts at least daily and have access to a net or the DTN. --Steve Hansen, KB1TCE |
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First, I would like to thank all of you who stepped up to help with this traffic test! A special shout-out to Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, for putting together the web interface. Our Team Message Senders: Michelle Roeten, KM2I; Mark Galbraith, N7YD; Dave Sheppard, W2PAX; Roy Watts, W8ROY, and me, Dan Rinaman, AC8NP. Receiving Stations: Ray Webb, KB8GUN; Tom Davis, NW3X; John Jewkes, KJ7JJ; Bill Heybruck, W4EDN; Greg Peters, W9GRG; Jacob Cuoco, KC1ZLP; Mark Vincett, KD2QAR; Corwyn Miyagishima, KN1OBI; Shawn Dodds, N1CVO; Emmett Ward, WA5EWN, and Matthew Rau, W7AAF.
Over the course of about one week, we sent 55 messages and successfully confirmed 50 of them as delivered! Traffic was handled across a wide footprint by 48 unique operator call signs utilizing 38 specific nets. You can view the raw data spreadsheet via Google Docs. Route Highlights and Extremes
The Longest Journey: Message 706 This message crossed a highly complex web of standard regional, local, and high-level area networks to travel from Ohio to North Carolina and Maryland: Origination: AC8NP created the message on the Ohio Single Sideband Net. Relayed: KA8BJA picked it up and passed it to W9PC on the Indiana Section CW Net. Relayed: Moving into regional distribution, AA3SB forwarded it to W4JF on the Eastern Area Net. Relayed: AA4MP received it via the Central Area Net and pushed it down to the Third Region Net via AA3SB. Relayed: W4EDN picked it up on the Carolinas Net and transferred it to N4CNX via the North Carolina Morning Net. Relayed: In a parallel path, W4JF doubled a copy back to W4EDEN (likely a typo for W4EDN) on the Carolinas Net. Relayed: NW3X picked it up from the North Carolina morning network and pushed it back north onto the Eastern Area Net to AD3J. Delivery #1: AD3J completed the first successful phone delivery from the Third Region Net. Delivery #2: KD2QAR picked up a final copy via the Maryland Emergency Phone Net to complete the secondary localized drop-off.
Runner-Up Long Routes Message 711 (second instance): Logged eight active entries while hopping between the Hudson Valley Net, New York Public Operations Net, Second Region Net, Eastern Area Net, and the EPA Emergency Phone & Traffic Net. Message 106: Logged eight active entries, starting at Daytime Region 7 Net (DRN7) in the Pacific Northwest and traveling all the way down to Florida’s QFN and Seminole VHF nets via the Transcontinental Corps (TCC).
The Lightning-Fast Routes o 23:01: AC8NP originates the message on the Ohio Single Sideband Net and sends it to W8MAL. o 23:12: KN1OBI receives the message from W8MAL via a direct digital connection and immediately delivers it. o Total Time: 11 minutes! |
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| (Note: While some logs show "delivered" times that look instantaneous, items like Message 700 dropped off without a logged final delivery timestamp and weren't counted as complete routes.) The Scenic Routes (Slowest Traffic)
The Longest Bottleneck: Message 3135 August 18 @ 00:15: W2PAX originates the message via digital mode on the Fourth Region Hub. August 18 @ 04:03: NS7K catches the traffic from KY2D on the Digital Traffic Net and routes it out west to KØNTS via the TWN Digital Net. The Stall: The message unfortunately stalled for nearly 10 days in the digital routing system. August 28 @ 14:20: W9GRG finally delivers it to the recipient using a Winlink digital packet connection. Total Time: 10 days, 14 hours, and 5 minutes.
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| Moving Traffic Forward This test highlighted several structural challenges across both our voice and digital routing modes. Also, some had trouble with the web interface. We will be addressing these bottlenecks soon as we investigate how to move traffic faster and more reliably across region lines.
Again, a huge thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this test a success! -- Dan Rinaman, AC8NP |
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For much of the history of NTS, the overarching imperative has been to route messages to their destination. Ideally, this policy ensures that the individual operators are not starved of traffic, thereby discouraging participation. This policy likely worked well at a time when traffic nets were busy with numerous participants. Unfortunately, this policy does not work so well today. Traffic can sit for days awaiting an “outlet.” Sometimes, traffic just disappears. RRI developed the certified message precedence to address this problem. By setting an expiration time for certain classes of routine traffic, timely delivery can be ensured. Simply put, certified messages must be delivered no later than 48 hours from their time of origin regardless of where within the system they are. The purpose of this program is to prioritize customer service (delivery) for unique, personal radiogram messages. The certified precedence recognizes the reality that most traffic nets lack a sufficient diversity of outlets (volunteers) to ensure rapid relay and last-mile delivery. The goal of getting the message as close as possible to its destination remains, but timely delivery is the goal. Similar rules should apply to all higher precedence messages during both exercises and actual operations. Welfare, priority or emergency precedence messages each bring different requirements for delivery, but in each case, the primary requirement is timely and accurate delivery. Perhaps the best approach may be to do what’s necessary to ensure timely delivery of certified and higher priority messages while simultaneously investing the energy needed to attract new traffic operators to NTS. Above all, it’s important to understand that the reputation of NTS is built on timely and accurate delivery of messages. If we fail in these latter tasks, the reputation of the traffic system suffers and participation is discouraged. In other words, quality organizations attract quality volunteers, and in the case of the traffic system, the measure of quality is often the timely, intact, arrival of a radiogram. Lastly, perhaps the time has also come to ensure we can meet our EmComm mission. The development of a cadre of operators who can serve as target stations for higher priority traffic in time of emergency may be necessary to ensure timely message routing to the last mile or efficient delivery services in the event that sufficient points of contact are unavailable in the immediate vicinity of an addressee. Let’s get busy addressing the last mile problem. If we don’t, the reputation of NTS will suffer as will volunteer recruitment and retention. |
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It seems that we are hearing, more often these days, reports of messages not being delivered, and not only that, but no service messages were also received as to the status of a message. The author of the message is left totally in the dark. This does not inspire confidence in the NTS as a national messaging service and likely turns many away. Perhaps more important are the questions, why is this happening and what can we do about it? For example, John sends a birthday greeting radiogram via NTS to his niece in another part of the country. Later, having not heard from her, he calls her on the phone and discovers she never received it. There was an HXC handling instruction on the radiogram, which should have generated a service message stating the date and time of delivery. If the message couldn’t have been delivered, there should have been a radiogram back to the station of origin with something like an ARL SIXTY SEVEN stating why it couldn’t be delivered. So, what happened? There is a way to trace the routing of a message using the HXD handling instruction, requesting from the station to whom you sent it, to whom they sent it, and then contact that person. Then continue with the path until you find where it failed. But the question remains, why is this happening, seemingly increasingly often? Each operator along the way has a responsibility to move a message toward its destination. This is what we are known for. Why is this happening? Is it a lack of training? Is it a lack of sense of responsibility and accountability for the messages we relay for others? While we as traffic handlers enjoy our hobby, do we understand the mission of NTS, to be prepared to function as a reliable messaging service when commercial infrastructure fails? Or do we just have a lack of operators? Likely there is a combination of these. What can we do? ARRL Section Traffic Managers have an obligation to train amateurs and ensure that not only do the operators in their Section practice standard protocol, but that they understand the importance of the amateur radio messaging service. Is this happening in your Section? Perhaps STMs need training themselves. ARRL provides training for its Section Managers, so why not Section Traffic Managers? If NTS is to be a reliable functioning service, we can’t rest on our laurels of the past but need to ensure its future operation. Granted, a very big problem is the shortage of personnel. How do we interest a younger generation of amateurs in learning message handling skills? How do we first get newly licensed operators aware of NTS and its importance and then get them to be able to create and relay a message when the need arises?
I hope to expand on this in future issues of this newsletter. I know one STM who has used AI to come up with some answers and I want to hear from others with their ideas. We say amateur radio is there when all else fails, but are we? Hopefully, each one of us will ponder these questions to produce some viable solutions. -- James Wades, WB8SIW |
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After discontinuing mandatory Morse training around 2002, the US Navy determined that a generation of communications specialists lacked backup skills for environments in which primary systems fail. CW is not a requirement for all sailors, but the specialists responsible for maintaining communication links under adverse conditions now need to learn Morse as a backup. Official reasoning centered on three factors: satellite vulnerability to anti-satellite weapons and jamming, GPS denial in contested theaters, and the need for low-probability-of-intercept communication methods that require minimal infrastructure. Morse code over HF radio addresses all three simultaneously. Modern warfare targets communication infrastructure aggressively. Electronic warfare units jam voice radio, disrupt satellite uplinks, spoof GPS signals, and disable cellular networks. How does this affect the amateur radio operator? We know that communication is a necessity of life. Yet there are those who would, and have, shut down communications networks. Morse code in the hands of the radio amateur operator has the following advantages: Narrow bandwidth: CW occupies roughly 150 Hz versus 2.4 kHz for voice SSB — harder to target and easier to copy through noise Low-power effectiveness: A five-watt Morse signal can span oceans; voice at the same power often fails Human in the loop: No dependency on digital protocols, encryption key management, or network routing Equipment simplicity: A basic transceiver, wire antenna, and battery suffice — no satellite terminal required Jam resistance: Skilled operators copy through interference that destroys voice intelligibility
If the Navy has come to this conclusion about the use of CW, how about the amateur radio community? Food for thought! For the full interesting story on the Navy’s use of CW go to https://morsecoder.us/blog/morse-code-navy-2026/. |
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While CW is a valuable skill to have when it comes to communication needs, there are other tools in the toolbox. You have read about the Digital Traffic Network (DTN), which runs parallel to the manual traffic nets with regional hub stations and a host of digital relay stations which connect with the hubs to upload and download message traffic. These regional hub stations operate both PACTOR and VARA on HF and some also operate VHF packet where practical. There is a definite need for more digital relay stations! Information on DTN and how to get started has been written by Jim Kutsch, KY2D, the National Digital Coordinator. This has been updated and now can be found on the Radio Relay International website on the Publications page, in the Training section. It’s called DTN – How to Set up VARA to Access DTN Hub Stations. The direct link to the article is DTN_VARA_Setup.pdf There are other digital options available. A growing number of radio amateurs are using NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System), a suite of software including fldigi, flmsg and flamp. This free, open-source software is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems and is suitable for use on traffic nets. More information on NBEMS can be found at ARRL.org, keyword NBEMS. Massachusetts began operating MARIDN, the Mass Rhode Island Digital Net, nearly 4 years ago. It is one of our several Section nets and operates weekly on Tuesdays at 6:00PM Eastern time on 3582.5 kHz USB. We also meet on Zoom prior to and during the net to help with any problems anyone has with the operation of these modes. Digital nets exist in other Sections as well. Look for one near you and give it a try. |
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Hello, NTS Treasure Hunters! Here are the questions with answers for the July/August Hunt: THR1: WHICH NUMBERED RADIOGRAM IS USED TO CONFIRM A QSO Answer: ARL SEVENTY Reference: https://nts2.arrl.org/numbered-texts/ THR2: DURING FIELD DAY COMMA WHAT TWO SECTION POSITIONS CAN YOU SEND AN NTS MESSAGE TO FOR BONUS POINTS QUERY Answer: Section Manager and Section Emergency Coordinator Reference: 2026 Field Day Rules Section 7.3.5 THR3: WHAT DOES THE SUFFIX STROKE MM AFTER THE ORIGINATORS CALLSIGN SIGNIFY QUERY Answer: A callsign with /mm means the radio station is operating as maritime mobile, meaning it is transmitting from a boat, ship, or vessel at sea Reference : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_sign THR4: WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE NTS TEST
TRAFFIC QUERY Answer: Yes or No September/October 2026 NTS Treasure Hunt is ongoing! There is still time to enter, so originate your radiogram.
Here is the first-round question: N1 R HXG AC8NP 17 TIFFIN OH JAN 2
TREASURE HUNTERS
BT
THR1 WHAT HAMFEST IS THE
GRANDDADDY OF THE ALL QUERY
REPLY TO BILL W4EDN CHARLOTTE
NC 28227
BT
Dan AC8NP For more information about the Treasure Hunt go to https://nts2.arrl.org/treasure-hunt.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please email Dan Rinaman, AC8NP, at ac8np@ac8np.com. |
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Reminder: The VNTN meets weekly on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM ET. October 7 will be the first Wednesday of the month so the basics of message handling will be covered. All hams and even non-hams are welcome and encouraged to join the net whether to receive training or just to observe. See https://nts2.arrl.org/virtual-nts-training-net for more information and Zoom link to join in. |
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The ARRL Section Traffic Managers met Tuesday, September 29 and one of the topics was the need for increasing our numbers of local traffic nets to encourage new Technician-class amateur radio operators to get on the air and learn the basics of message handling. Tom Inman, KC8T, announced the formation of a new VHF traffic and training net in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area. If you are in the Harrisburg area, look for them on their repeater noted below. For those who are more distant, they can also be found on IRLP. Stop in and give them some encouragement. This is Tom’s announcement: We are pleased to announce the formation of a new traffic handling network. The Harrisburg Area Traffic & Training Network (HATTN) meets at 9:00 PM Eastern time Sundays on the WA3TKW repeater, 145.21, with a PL of 123 Hz. The repeater covers the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. This net gives the NTS an opportunity to get radiograms delivered by an amateur operator very close to the recipient. The net started slowly with Tom, KC8T, acting as a temporary net manager and as a trainer. So far, the net has not missed any meetings since it started in August. So far, the net has delivered one radiogram by a local (and new) traffic handler. The repeater is always connected to IRLP node 9204, so if you have the capability of connecting via that mode, you are invited to check in and give local Harrisburg hams inspiration. |
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| | | I’m married and live in the Missouri Ozarks, on the edge of the Mark Twain National Forest. After spending 46 years in the Department of Defense, both in and out of uniform, I retired in 2019. My military career began in 1973 when I joined the Air Force from a small town in Missouri. That career took me around the world and ultimately led to the final 19 years with Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Colorado. It was while living in Colorado that my interest in amateur radio began. In 2012, I became interested in amateur radio as a practical tool for emergency preparedness. A year later, I joined the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®). That interest quickly became more than a hobby. I deployed twice with Colorado ARES as a radio operator supporting Red Cross shelters during major wildfires. Those fires overtook two large residential areas, destroyed more than 600 homes, forced the evacuation of thousands of people, and resulted in two fatalities. Seeing firsthand what happens when communities are in crisis gave me a lasting appreciation for the role amateur radio can play when everything else fails. It also created a strong personal commitment to amateur radio emergency communications. Today, I serve as the Missouri Section Traffic Manager, Missouri ARES District G Emergency Coordinator, and a Net Control Station for the Missouri Emergency Services Net. Those experiences have reinforced something I have come to believe strongly: ARES and the National Traffic System are not separate efforts. We are one team with the same core mission — providing reliable communication when it is needed most. My interest in formal traffic handling began with the 7290 Traffic Net, and I quickly became a strong advocate for what traffic nets bring to amateur radio and emergency communications. I began participating in the Missouri Traffic Net several years ago and became a Net Control Station for the voice Section Traffic Net two years ago. Since January 2026, I have also served as a digital traffic station. I currently sit on the NTS 2.0 Performance and Standards Working Group, which has given me another perspective on the importance of developing and maintaining effective traffic-handling capabilities. All of these experiences have reinforced my belief that traffic handling is one of the most valuable and rewarding opportunities available to amateur radio operators. It combines technical skill, discipline, teamwork, and service—and, most importantly, it develops a capability that can make a real difference when conventional communications are disrupted. |
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The NTS® Letter is published monthly and is free of charge to ARRL members. Subscribe: www.arrl.org/opt-in-out
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Editor: Marcia Forde, KW1U, Section Traffic Manager -- Eastern Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Director: Josh Johnston, KE5MHV |
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NTS® is a program of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®. No other organization works harder than ARRL to promote and protect amateur radio! ARRL members enjoy many benefits and services including digital magazines, e-newsletters, online learning (learn.arrl.org), and technical support. Membership also supports programs for radio clubs, on-air contests, Logbook of The World®, ARRL Field Day, and the all-volunteer ARRL Field Organization. |
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The NTS Letter is published every month (12 times each year). ARRL members can unsubscribe on their Member profile page at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out. Copyright © 2026 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission. |
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