NTS Rule Number One: Deliver The Message!

If I have received a National Traffic System message from any source (usually an NTS net) then I am obligated to deliver that message to the recipient by whatever means at my disposal. This seems to me to be the "Golden Rule" of handling NTS traffic.

Recently, I had a Field Day message to be delivered to my Section Manager. I tried to send the message on three different nets but, due to band conditions, I was not successful. As a last resort, I sent the message by email.

Wow, did I get slammed! One of the more experienced message-handlers listening on the net complained to the Section Manager that I was cheating! Evidently, he was listening to my attempt to send the message but made no effort to help with a relay. He did complain strenuously enough that I was asked to send the message via another net when possible.

Fortunately, conditions were better the day after Field Day and I was able to successfully send the message to the Section Manager. So, there was no harm done other than to my reputation and my ego.

Needless to say, I gave this some thought and went back and forth over some of the issues. Does it really matter HOW I deliver an NTS message? The "purist" might say that it does matter, but let's talk about this a little bit.

Delivery Methods:

The accepted practice is to PHONE the recipient via the phone number included in the message and read the message text (translating the ARRL Codes if needed).

If the received message has a bad phone number, then what do I do?

If the recipient is not a ham, then I research the phone number in the phone book (or online) to see if there is a new number listed. Then I call and deliver the message after making sure I'm talking to the intended recipient. If there is no phone number, I return the message as undeliverable (ARL FORTY SEVEN).

If the recipient is a ham and there is no new listing in the phone book, I look the recipient up on QRZ to verify the street address and see if there is an email listed. If there is, then I email the recipient the message; if not, then I return the message as not deliverable.

And, at times, I have even MAILed a message via postcard to the recipient's address on the message.

But I get the message delivered to the best of my ability!

Just so you'll know (especially if you're a Monday Morning Quarterback}, I'll use email delivery when I have to.

PS - Get off the sidelines and into the game - its FUN!

...AR