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Chapter Nine: NTS Traffic Routing

Chapter Nine: NTS Traffic Routing

The following example shows how traffic is or can be routed through the National Traffic System. In each case, perfect (ideal) operating conditions and 100% adherence to system as previously outlined are assumed.
 

9.1 Example of NTS Message Routing
 

This example demonstrates how a message originating in Florida finds its way to Los Angeles in the evening cycle. W4ABC is an amateur in St. Petersburg, Florida who has been asked to originate a message to Los Angeles. All times are UTC, assuming local standard time is being observed throughout.

  1. W4ABC reports the message into the West Central Florida Section Net at 0000 and transmits it to W4ANK, the station designated to take traffic to 4RN.
  2. W4ANK takes the message to 4RN at 0045, gives it to N4GHI, the station designated to take traffic to EAN.
  3. N4GHI reports the message into EAN at 0130, gives it to W3PQ, who is TCC Station B.
  4. W3PQ keeps a TCC out-of-net schedule with N6GIW (TCC Station H) and sends him the message. This is a transcontinental hop, but the two stations involved may pick any frequency or mode in any band. The exchange must have been completed by 0430, when PAN meets.
  5. N6GIW reports the message into PAN at 0430, gives it to W6JXK, the RN6 (receive) representative.
  6. W6JXK reports the message into RN6 at 0530, gives it to W6INH, the Los Angeles Section representative.
  7. W6INH reports it into Southern California Net at 0600, gives it to K6INK, the Los Angeles station nearest the destination.
  8. K6INK can telephone or otherwise deliver the message to the addressee upon receipt. The message originated in South Carolina at 0000, was delivered in LA at about 0630.

In addition to the NTS routing system, wide-coverage independent nets and direct connections to key cities in foreign countries are also available. These key cities, usually accessed through the independent nets, have been especially valuable in assisting with disaster communications in Central and South America. The independent nets take on a wide variety of types and forms with many of the most active heard daily on 40 and 20 meters. The 20-meter nets, particularly the International Assistance and Traffic Net, are especially important in covering the areas of the Caribbean, Central, North and South America.

 

9.2 NTS Routing Guide
 

State/Province        Abbr.   Region  Area
Alaska                AK      7       PAN
Alabama               AL      5       CAN
Alberta               AB      7       PAN
Arizona               AZ      12      PAN
Arkansas              AR      5       CAN
British Columbia      BC      7       PAN
California            CA      6       PAN
Colorado              CO      12      PAN
Connecticut           CT      1       EAN
Delaware              DE      3       EAN
District of Columbia  DC      3       EAN
Florida               FL      4       EAN
Georgia               GA      4       EAN
Guam                  GU      6       PAN
Hawaii                HI      6       PAN
Idaho                 ID      7       PAN
Illinois              IL      9       CAN
Indiana               IN      9       CAN
Iowa                  IA      10      CAN
Kansas                KS      10      CAN
Kentucky              KY      9       CAN
Labrador              LB      11      EAN
Louisiana             LA      5       CAN
Maine                 ME      1       EAN
Manitoba              MB      10      CAN
Maryland              MD      3       EAN
Massachusetts         MA      1       EAN
Michigan              MI      8       EAN
Minnesota             MN      10      CAN
Mississippi           MS      5       CAN
Missouri              MO      10      CAN
Montana               MT      7       PAN
Nebraska              NE      10      CAN
Nevada                NV      6       PAN
New Brunswick         NB      11      EAN
New Hampshire         NH      1       EAN
New Jersey            NJ      2       EAN
New Mexico            NM      12      PAN
New York              NY      2       EAN
Newfoundland          NF      11      EAN
North Carolina        NC      4       EAN
North Dakota          ND      10      CAN
Nova Scotia           NS      11      EAN
Ohio                  OH      8       EAN
Oklahoma              OK      5       CAN
Ontario               ON      11      EAN
Oregon                OR      7       PAN
Pennsylvania          PA      3       EAN
Prince Edward Island  PE      11      EAN
Puerto Rico           PR      4       EAN
Quebec                PQ      11      EAN
Rhode Island          RI      1       EAN
Saskatchewan          SK      10      CAN
South Carolina        SC      4       EAN
South Dakota          SD      10      CAN
Tennessee             TN      5       CAN
Texas                 TX      5       CAN
Utah                  UT      12      PAN
Vermont               VT      1       EAN
Virginia              VA      4       EAN
Virgin Islands        VI      4       EAN
Washington            WA      7       PAN
West Virginia         WV      8       EAN
Wisconsin             WI      9       CAN
Wyoming               WY      12      PAN
APO New York          APO NY  2       EAN
APO San Francisco     APO SF  6       PAN

 

9.3 Message Routing in the Digital Station Network
 

In the HF system of NTS Digital Relay Stations, routings are more flexible, and are left to the discretion of the individual mailbox operators, under the general direction of the Area Digital Coordinators.

Routings should, of course, be planned with the goal of moving the traffic as close to its destination as quickly as possible, and/or to fill a liaison function that cannot be met in the traditional system. Routing should always be made with stations that can be relied upon to handle the traffic expeditiously and responsibly, under NTS official authority and direction.

The same principles apply to the VHF packet network of NTS nodes at the local and Section levels. It is the responsibility of the Section Traffic Manager and the Net (Node) Managers to ensure that NTS traffic is cleared, or otherwise forwarded or handled expeditiously, on a daily basis.

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