NTS Letter for May 5, 2026 undefined

National Traffic System®

 

 

 

Editor: - May 5, 2026

 

 

 

Digital Presentation at Dayton Hamvention® May 17

The National Traffic System Digital Committee (not to be confused with the Digital Traffic Network, DTN) has been experimenting with proposals to support nationwide "Black Swan" emergency events (in which there is a total outage of communications/electrical power) using amateur radio digital communications.

 

If you will be attending Hamvention® in Xenia, Ohio, and would like to hear more about the efforts of this team, see the following announcement from National Traffic System Digital Committee chair Don Rolph, AB1PH:

 

In a session at Hamvention: Sunday May 17, 11:40 AM, Room 4, we will hold a forum on:

  • understanding the need for such capabilities
  • discuss the nature of communications required
  • committee explorations of options
  • exercise test data to date
  • proposal for a Sept 2026 country-wide exercise

We hope you will join us for the discussion! 73, Don Rolph, AB1PH

 

Traffic Performance Test Set for May 11

Greetings NTS traffic handlers!

 

The NTS 2.0 Performance and Standards Committee is gearing up to begin a new round of NTS traffic performance testing this month. We are planning to introduce the latest set of test radiograms into the NTS system on Monday, May 11. In the past, our messages were sent by and addressed to stations in New York, Ohio, Michigan, and Washington. This time, we’re adding Florida to the list.

 

As a reminder:

  • The traffic test radiograms contain a handling instruction of “HXT” followed by the Test Set ID. This time around the Test Set ID will be 12, so the handling instruction will contain “HXT12”.
  • The text of the message will direct you to a web address containing a link to the Traffic Test Reporting Page. All stations handling the radiogram at any point along its journey (not just the initial and final stations) are requested to please go to the page specified in the radiogram text and enter the prompted information. Everyone’s input into the reporting tool is important to ensure that we have complete and usable data for reporting and analysis.
  • Traffic Test Reporting tool developer Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, has been working on improvements to increase its usability. Most folks seem to have been able to use the tool successfully, but a few have experienced difficulties. This time around, the radiogram will include an op note containing an email address that you can use to report any issues.

To all those traffic handlers who handle one (or more) of these radiograms and utilize the reporting tool, thank you very much for your participation! We appreciate it! -- Michelle Roeten, KM2I, on behalf of the NTS 2.0 Performance and Standards Committee

 

 

NTS Treasure Hunt Update

Hello, NTS Treasure Hunters!

 

The second NTS Treasure Hunt for 2026 is complete!

 

Eleven stations completed all five rounds in the January 2026 Treasure Hunt.

  • K5ANP Alan Prager
  • KA9IKK Bill Novak
  • KC1TLF Dave Marcucci
  • KE8HKA Matthew Foltz
  • KFØPZP Juanita Moore
  • KN1OBI Corwyn Miyagishima
  • N1CVO Shawn Dodds
  • N3KRX Jerry Palmer
  • W1LEM Lem Skidmore
  • W1OTW Doggone Dave Marsh
  • W4EDN Bill Heybruck

Mug Award Winner for March/April 2026 is Lem Skidmore, W1LEM

 

The mug is awarded following a random drawing from all hunters who complete the hunt.

 

March/April Questions

 

THR1

WHAT NEW CONTEST WAS

ACOUNCED IN THE JAN 1938

QST QUERY REPLY TO DAN

AC8NP TIFFIN OH 44883

 

Answer: ARRL QSO Party

Reference:

 

THR2

WHEN RELAYING A RADIOGRAM WHAT

TWO PARTS ARE SPECIFICALLY PROTECTED

AGAINST ALTERATION QUERY ANSWER TO

BOB WB2JNQ BROOKLYN NY 11234

 

Answer: Text and check

 

Reference:

Section 1.1.5 specifically addresses this and states in bold: "The text or check is not altered to force agreement!"

 

THR3

WHERE IS THE TEST SET

ID LOCATED IN A SPECIAL

TRAFFIC TEST RADIOGRAM QUERY REPLY

TO MICHELLE KM2I POUGHKEEPSIE NY

12603

 

Answer: In the handling instruction (or HX section) of the preamble

Reference:

 

THR4

WHICH RADIOGRAM PRECEDENCE CANNOT USE

HXR QUERY ANSWER TO JON

N1ILZ EASTHAM MA 02642

 

Answer: ROUTINE

Reference:

 

THR5

WHAT YEAR WAS THE FIRST

DXPEDITION QUERY ANSWER TO RAY

KB8GUN LAURELVILLE OH 43135

 

A: Bob Dennison, WØDX, led the first DXpedition to the Bahamas operating as VP7NG in 1948

Reference:

 

May/June 2026 NTS Treasure Hunt

 

This hunt will have 4 or 5 rounds this time. Can you get through all the rounds by June 26?

 

For those of you who have trouble finding a net into the NTS, you are free to use the or Winlink RRI Radiogram (not Winlink email). In the message templates, you will find the RRI Radiogram under "Select Template" --> "Standard Forms" --> "Radiogram & RII Forms" --> "Radiogram.txt". It will open in your web browser. Follow the instructions and be sure to select a liaison so your message will then be sent to a liaison station for input to the Digital Traffic Network side of NTS and work its way through the system. Do not send directly to the judges. Feel free to send it via radio or telnet at this point.

 

So here is the first-round question:

 

NR1 R HXG KB8GUN 19 TIFFIN OH MAR 3

NTS TREASURE HUNTERS

 

BT

THR1 WHAT WAS THE INITIAL

NAME OF THE DAYTON HAMVENTION

QUERY REPLY TO RAY KB8GUN

LAURELVILLE OH 43135

 

BT

RAY KB8GUN

 

Please remember to start your message with the THR1-5 answer, which means Treasure Hunt Round Number.

 

The judges will generally respond with a radiogram back to you within 24 hours of receipt of your message, although at times they may miss a day here and there due to family obligations or illness, and sometimes we sneak off on vacation. Our judges are on traffic nets almost daily. The in-transit time will vary. So, if it has been 5 or 6 days and you do not receive a reply radiogram, try sending an email message to the judge.

 

Try to learn about the NTS in your section. Who is your Section Traffic Manager (STM)? The STM can answer your questions on how to move traffic in and out of your section.

 

The NTS Treasure Hunt is a fun, on-air, multi-step competition in which you will respond to a “judge” with your answer to an initial clue or question via radiogram. The judge will reply via radiogram with the identity of the next judge, along with the next question or clue in the hunt.

 

If you have any comments or suggestions, please email Dan Rinaman, AC8NP, at .

 

Introducing the QTC App

In the long history of the National Traffic System, traffic handlers have come up with all sorts of clever methods of managing the messages they receive, send, and deliver. Five-by-seven-inch note cards, long rolls of Teletype paper, and ARRL message blanks were once popular; more recently, it's been Windows Notepad documents, spreadsheets, or even a sophisticated purpose-built program such as Lane Kendall’s “Ready to Copy.”

 

Web browsers have become powerful application platforms recently, and they’ve emerged as the basis for many popular apps. One advantage of these types of apps is that they can run almost anywhere, and don’t need to be installed. With that in mind, the NTS2 team has built the Radiogram Portal and the Radiogram Postcard apps on the browser platform, and now there’s a browser-based message management application available, called QTC.

 

For traffic handlers, QTC offers the basic functions of filing away radiograms that you send, receive, or deliver, so that you can see a summary list of them and quickly locate a specific message that you’ve handled in the past. It also calculates and presents monthly reports on your traffic-handling activity. It links directly to the Postcard app so that you can quickly send a postal mail confirmation copy of any radiogram that you deliver. The app also has convenience features for looking up mailing addresses and generating message numbers and timestamps.

 

QTC is a free-of-charge app that runs on any modern web browser, on desktop operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Once you’ve loaded the app once, you can still use most of its functions when you’re offline, such as during an internet service outage; the app keeps a local database of your messages and syncs them automatically with the cloud. This also means you can log in to QTC from any web browser anywhere in the world and have full access to all of your data.

 

To get started, visit . If you’re not already logged in to NTS2.0, you’ll be prompted for your login name and password. If you’ve never logged in to the NTS2.0 website, you’ll have the opportunity to register (and choose a password). Your call sign will be used as your login name.

 

To get a sense of what QTC can do, and how to use it, take a moment to read the Help page at . For help and support – as well as bug reports and feature requests – there's now a dedicated discussion group; visit . -- Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD

 

Amateur Radio in an Academic Environment

Today’s radio amateur averages 65 years of age or older. Meanwhile, ham radio is increasingly invisible amid the noise of a popular culture lost in the din of social media and incessant, almost juvenile, entertainment. Overcoming these modern obstacles to generate interest in the Amateur Radio Service often seems a herculean task.

 

If amateur radio is going to outlive those of us who are now in our 60s and 70s, it will require a concerted effort to introduce young people to the art and science of radio communications. Much of this effort will need to take place at the local level.

 

Career Technical Education

 

Beginning in 2024, our school system began looking into establishing a Career Technical Education (CTE) electrical course for high school juniors and seniors. Input from an industrial advisory committee showed strong agreement that the prior decades of emphasis on software skills and IT had left a serious knowledge void in areas such as power distribution, electrical systems, industrial controls and RF technology. Simply put, many new employees entering industry lacked the fundamental knowledge and analytical skills needed to succeed in an increasingly technological world.

 

For the average American, infrastructure itself is dismissed as somehow magical. One turns up the thermostat and the furnace comes on. One flips a switch and the light comes on. The cellular mobile phone seems to work as if by magic. Little or no thought is given to the massive infrastructure behind it all and the army of engineers and technicians who maintain the foundation of these incredibly reliable systems.

 

The CTE electrical program is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of electricity and electronics. Students receive a thorough introduction to basic DC theory and circuit analysis, which then transitions into AC theory with its emphasis on inductive and capacitive reactance, power factor, RF systems and the like. These theoretical concepts are periodically reinforced through practical, hands-on activities. For example, students might assemble a basic power supply. They might use a Z-meter (bridge) to determine the values of an inductor and capacitor in a parallel L-C circuit, perform the calculations needed to predict resonant frequency, and then verify the resonant frequency using a grid dip oscillator. In doing so, they begin to understand the behavior of voltage and current in reactive circuits. From basic electrical power distribution and wiring practices to the design of relay-based and PLC control systems, to RF systems, students begin to understand the basic theory that is the foundation of the infrastructure systems they use every day; skills that position them well for success in continuing education or an entry-level position in industry.

 

Amateur radio plays an important role in this process. The FCC exams serve as a basic certification en route to higher-level professional certifications or credit received for advanced education. Through amateur radio, they are introduced to the RF spectrum, principles of antenna systems, RF propagation, modulation techniques, and so on.

 

CTE vs. STEM

 

Various amateur radio organizations seek access to students via STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities or through a “radio club” concept. While such efforts are to be commended, the integration of amateur radio into an academic program offers advantages because students can see the connection between the art and science of radio communications and the knowledge base associated with career success. Likewise, parents can more readily understand that amateur radio can enhance their child’s academic success while contributing to future career opportunities. Within this context, ham radio is not a hobby, but an exploratory activity that enhances education.

 

The first year of this new CTE program has required significant investment in the development of a curriculum, the creation of educational materials, the development of a suitable classroom (provided by the local college), and the assembly of suitable lab equipment.

 

Of the many hands-on activities for this year’s class, one of the projects involved assembling and programming hardened digipeater systems for shipment to Puerto Rico. These systems are a gift to the people of Puerto Rico, which will be used by ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and Radio Relay International volunteers to enhance emergency communications capabilities on the island in advance of this year’s hurricane season.

 

For the 2026-2027 school year, we hope to add a permanent amateur radio station through which the basics of RF systems and communications techniques can be illustrated (as funding permits). This amateur radio station will serve primarily as an educational tool, but in the process, students will also be exposed to the social and public service side of ham radio.

 

In a sense, the incorporation of amateur radio into an academic program is a “back-to-the-future” activity. The laws of physics never change. The fundamentals of electrical and electronic systems never change. By using RF systems and amateur radio as one of several tools to enhance understanding, one builds a solid foundation upon which students can further their education in engineering and technology while positioning themselves for a valuable career. See the links below for additional information. -- James Wades, WB8SIW

 

 

 

 

National Traffic System Update

The ARRL National Traffic System® (NTS®) is an important network of amateur radio operators who move information during disasters and other emergencies. General messages offering well wishes also move through the NTS® to help test the system and to help amateur radio operators build traffic handling skills. While the NTS® is primarily set up to serve the United States and Canada, it is possible to move traffic internationally through the NTS® via various local, regional, area, and international network connections.

 

Modernization of NTS (The NTS 2.0 Project)

 

The current National Traffic System (NTS) is comprised of dedicated operators well trained and practiced in the art of traffic handling. They participate in nets at the local, Section, region, and area levels 365 days per year.

 

Yet we cannot ignore reality: the proliferation of low-cost/free telephone calls, text messaging, and the World Wide Web means today’s general public has many alternatives to traditional radiograms. As a result, much of today’s NTS traffic consists solely of amateur-to-amateur messages: “welcome to amateur radio,” “license expiration,” etc. In addition, there are serious questions as to the accuracy and reliability of our networks. Finally, it should be noted that some public agencies have never heard of NTS or have begun creating their own backup messaging systems.

 

Historically, NTS and ARES were two branches of the old ARPSC, the Amateur Radio Public Service Corps. While the ARPSC is gone, the two branches remain tied together and serve in a symbiotic way. For more information regarding the modernization of NTS, visit web page. -- Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor, The ARES Letter

 

[The above article, reprinted from the March 2026 edition of The ARES Letter points out the reality, as we are aware, that “the proliferation of low-cost/free telephone calls, text messaging, and the worldwide web means today's general public has many alternatives to traditional radiograms” and that “some public agencies have never heard of NTS.” If we who participate in this amateur radio messaging service expect ever to be taken seriously, we have a lot of work to do, especially since, as the article points out, there are serious questions as to the accuracy and reliability of our networks.

 

This should be a wake-up call. True, more than 99% of our traffic is routine with a delivery standard of up to 5 days. Even then, however, many radiograms are not only undelivered but seem to go into a black hole with no clues as to their whereabouts. One might remind us that there are less-populated regions with fewer amateur operators. I suspect, however, that this only accounts for a small number of undelivered messages.

 

Do we want to have pride in our service? Do we want a reputation that says amateur radio operators reliably get the job done? I believe most traffic handlers would say “yes.” The NTS Subcommittee of the ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee is trying to find where problems exist so that we might look for solutions. For this reason, I hope that anyone handling a radiogram with an HXT ## handling instruction will help us by following the instructions in these radiograms, going to the noted website and recording the information requested. With many thanks on behalf of the NTS Subcommittee. -- Marcia Forde, KW1U]

 

NTS Table at Raleigh Amateur Radio Society (RARS) Hamfest

The Raleigh (NC) Amateur Radio Society (RARS) held a hamfest in Raleigh on April 4, 2026, where a table was set up to disseminate information about the National Traffic System. North Carolina Section Traffic Manager Dave Roy, W4DNA, provided a photo of the traffic handlers present. Many traffic handlers will recognize their call signs, especially some of those who are active on region and area nets.

 

Providing an NTS table at such gatherings lets others know we are still active. If you are involved in such an activity, let us know, with pictures if possible.

 

In front of the NTS booth at the RARSFest held April 4, 2026 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC. [Photo courtesy of North Carolina Section Traffic Manager Dave Roy, W4DNA]

 

Section Traffic Managers to Meet in June

Planning is in the works for a second Section Traffic Managers meeting to be held in June. The date has not yet been set, but a notice will be forthcoming to all STMs and Section Managers. One of the topics for discussion will be performance testing, which as noted above in this newsletter, is being conducted by the NTS 2.0 Performance and Standards Committee. Some other potential topics could include reporting, third-party messaging, and others. It is also an opportunity to see in one place your counterparts in other parts of the country. Think about topics you would like to hear discussed and send your thoughts to Marcia, KW1U ().

 

NTS Letter Archive

Last month we announced that The NTS Letter archive was now up to date on the ARRL website at . All issues to date can be found there in their entirety. While the ARRL website does not list topics covered, you can still find a listing for each issue on the NTS2 website at

 

Certified Precedence Explanation on NTS2

In the November 2025 issue of The NTS Letter, we reported on the new certified precedence for radiograms with a link to the Radio Relay International website. This information is now also available on the NTS2 website under Training and Documentation at .

 

Spotlight – Michelle Roeten, KM2I

I got a late start in amateur radio, not getting licensed until two years ago when I was 59 years old. Although I’d been exposed to it somewhat in the past, it had never really piqued my interest. My son (Daniel, KD2IQO) obtained his General license in 2015. Although I thought it was a great activity for him to be involved in, the idea of getting licensed myself never crossed my mind. All of that changed when I ended up with his radio equipment after he became a Silent Key in 2020. It was a fairly simple setup – an Icom IC-2730 with a mag-mount antenna along with a Baofeng handheld radio given to him and programmed by one of his friends in the fire department where he volunteered for a few years. Initially, I planned to sell or donate his equipment. However, at some point I read that ham radio could be very useful during an emergency. That’s when the thought occurred to me that maybe I should consider getting licensed myself. I kept the equipment.

 

In spring 2024, our local newspaper contained an article advertising a free Technician-level ham radio licensing course. You needed to purchase and study the licensing manual ahead of time, then take the course, which lasted all weekend beginning Friday night and culminating in an exam session on Sunday afternoon. It seemed like the perfect chance, so I signed up and ended up with a Technician-class license. I have since passed the General and Amateur Extra exams.

 

During the Technician course, one of our instructors told us about Hudson Valley Net, which meets every evening on a local VHF repeater. Not quite knowing what else to do with my new license, I decided to check it out. I was hooked from the very beginning. As I listened to traffic being passed, I was intrigued by the use of the phonetics and various pro-words and the structure of it all. I wrote down everything I heard on the net – call signs of those checking in, the traffic being passed, and as much as I could of the various phrases used by the Net Control Station to run the net. Since that first time, I have checked into HVN almost every night. Within a few weeks, I was starting to step up as Alternate Net Control and had both delivered and composed/sent my first pieces of traffic. The following year, I became Net Control Station on Saturday night for two different NTS nets – Hudson Valley Net and Southern District Net (both in New York State).

 

I am still active in NTS traffic handling on the local nets, but my involvement has extended beyond that. After being a participant in a few rounds of the NTS 2.0 Treasure Hunt, I became one of the judges last July. I am also a “Radiogrammer,” picking up some of the radiograms entered into the NTS 2.0 Radiogram Portal and sending them on one of my local nets. I am one of the originating stations for the NTS 2.0 Traffic Performance Testing and participate in meetings of the NTS Performance and Standards Committee.

 

Together with NTS, my main ham radio interest is emergency communications. I am a member of ARES/RACES in both my own and a neighboring county. I have participated in a number of public service events and have been taking ICS courses, hoping someday to achieve my AUXCOMM certification. I participated in last year’s ARRL Field Day and this year’s Winter Field Day, and am starting to get my feet wet with portable operating. I am also an active member of two local ham radio clubs.

 

Michelle Roeten, KM2I, at Orange County (New York) Emergency Services ready for a RACES exercise. [Photo courtesy of Michelle Roeten, KM2I]

 

For more about Michelle Roeten’s, KM2I, NTS activities, read her article, “My Journey in the National Traffic System,” in the May/June 2026 issue of On the Air. The digital edition of the issue goes live at on May 6.

 

 

 

NTS® Resources

The National Traffic System® (NTS®) is a network of amateur radio operators who move information during disasters and other emergencies. General messages offering well-wishes also move through the NTS® to help test the system and to help amateur radio operators build traffic handling skills. While the NTS® is primarily set up to serve the United States and Canada, it is possible to move traffic internationally through the NTS® via various local, regional, area, and international network connections.

 

 

 

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Editor: , Section Traffic Manager -- Eastern Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and Rhode Island

 

ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Director:

 

 

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