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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