Here are the detailed plans for the Fall 2024 SET, scheduled to start running on Monday, October 5th.

The SET includes an activation of the Delco ARES Unit and check-in of member capabilities, and 4 other activities which all members are strongly encouraged to participate in as well.

Activation

  1. Activation of the Delco ARES Unit and check-in of member capabilities

    1. Perform unit activation. Deliver the exercise scenario. Inform members of the SET activities

    2. Open a net and check-in members. Deliver the exercise scenario. Inventory member Emcomm capabilities.
      1. Base and/or Deploy.
      2. Hours of emergency power operation possible
      3. Major capabilities (Examples: HF 100 watts, mobile 50 watts, HT, Winlink, Packet, FLdigi) 

NTS Activities

  1. Check-in to a traffic net via radio (use NTS Net)

    1. Net times vary, See EPA TRAFFIC HANDLING NETS below. 
    2. Check in to one of the EPA traffic nets. Report to your EC that you checked in. You do NOT need to send or receive any traffic, just check-in. 

  2. Radiogram to EC via telephone (phone call to EPA Traffic Handler)

    1. Anytime until Friday, October 11th.
    2. Connect with an EPA traffic handler by telephone and send an NTS ARRL radiogram to your EC.  See EPA TRAFFIC HANDLERS for a list of traffic handlers who have agreed to take messages by telephone for this exercise

      1. Address to: Chris Kelleher, W3CTK, Delaware County, w3ctk@delcoares.net, 484-425-2125
      2. Message is: YourCall YourName YourCounty EPA SET. See SET MESSAGE CONTENTS for details. 

  3. Radiogram to SEC via radio (use NTS Net)

    1. Net times vary, See EPA TRAFFIC HANDLING NETS below. 
    2. Connect with a traffic net by radio. See SENDING A MESSAGE USING NTS for how to join an NTS net and send a message.

      1. Address the ARRL Radiogram to: EPA SEC Jay King, W2AFE Chester County, Phoenixville, W2AFE@arrl.net, 408-835-9202
      2. Message is: YourCall YourName YourCounty EPA SET. See SET MESSAGE CONTENTS for details. 

  4. Radiogram to KC3QVF (use Winlink RF or Telnet)

    1. Anytime until Friday, October 11th.
    2. Use the WINLINK ARRL Radiogram form to send a Radiogram to KC3QVF. 

      1. Address To: Chris Beggy, KC3QVF, Philadelphia PA, KC3QVF@arrl.net, 215-740-3900 (has agreed to be the target recipient for these exercise messages)
      2. Message is: YourCall YourName YourCounty EPA SET. See SET MESSAGE CONTENTS for details. Winlink Telnet is acceptable for this exercise. 


SET Instructions

SET 2024-10 Outline - 2024-09-20.pdf

Exercise Scenario

There are spot internet and telephone interruptions across Pennsylvania creating a potential for disruption of emergency services. ARES units are requested to provide a list of available emcomm support. The ARRL National Traffic System (NTS) is being activated to provide support. Participants are asked to send check-in messages via NTS to county and section leadership.

Exercise Activities

SET Message Contents

Exercise messages should be kept short and include only the information vital to the SET. The suggested message format is YourCall YourName YourCounty EPA SET. For example: W3CTK CHRIS KELLEHER DELAWARE EPA SET 

Preparing to Send a Radiogram Using NTS

Before checking in to a traffic net or contacting a traffic handler, write down the message and delivery details. This includes 1) The destination contact's information (name, call, phone, email, etc.), 2) any “Handling Instruction” (likely HXC – confirm delivery) and 3) the message contents. 

You are not required to use the Radiogram template, but it may help. See ARRL RADIOGRAM for a blank template and an example. 

For the purposes of this exercise, you are NOT acting as a traffic handler, you are a customer of the process. The traffic handlers are accustomed to working with people who are new to the process. They will format and route your messages. 

Radiograms are limited to 25 words and no punctuation. 

The following destinations are used for this exercise 
1) Delco ARES EC: Chris Kelleher, W3CTK, Villanova, PA Delaware County, w3ctk@delcoares.net, 484-425-2125 
2) The EPA SEC: Jay King, W2AFE, Phoenixville PA, Chester co, w2afe@arrl.net, 408-835-9202 
3) Chris Beggy, KC3QVF, Philadelphia PA, KC3QVF@arrl.net, 215-740-3900 

Addressing a Radiogram

NTS needs a minimum of the recipient’s full name and either email or phone number. Providing the recipient’s call, and postal address helps assure efficient message routing and successful delivery. 

The address information provided, determines how messages are delivered. 

  • If an email address is provided. then the message will likely be delivered by email.
  • If a phone number is provided and email is not, or email bounces, then the message will be delivered by telephone.
  • If the receiving station is on the air (this happens mostly during traffic nets) then the message may be delivered by radio.
  • If none of the above work, then efforts are made to deliver the message to the physical address. 

The NTS team will make several delivery attempts using any, and all, available delivery information. 

Delivery Confirmation

To receive delivery confirmation, use the HXC handling instruction. It’s in the Radiogram template, upper left, after message number and precedence. 

EPA Traffic Handlers

These EPA traffic handlers have agreed to accept Fall 2024 SET traffic via telephone. This is a unique situation. Normally one would place traffic by radio but the emphasis this year is to build working relationships between EPA ARES and EPA NTS. 

Contact any of the NTS staff listed below to place traffic by telephone call.

NameCallPhoneCounty 
Tom InmanKC8T(570) 323-7633 Lackawanna 
Bob MontgomeryW3ZR(570) 478-0024 Sullivan 
Roger BurkhartN3GE(540) 664-1722Lancaster 
Alex MarkK3EAM(570) 313-3458Luzerne 
Bob BrownN3RPB(570) 772-9036Lycoming 
Thomas E. DavisNW3X(570) 687-6137 Lackawanna 
Bill CarltonN3HBY(570) 560-6278 Monroe 
David KirbyN3SRO(570) 954-0087Luzerne


Winlink Radiograms

ARRL Radiograms can be sent using winlink. It is one of the built in templates. In winlink do:

  • New Message / Select Template / Standard Templates / RADIOGRAM and RRI Forms / Radiogram.txt. 

Fill in the Radiogram 

  • Fill in the header with your station and location.
  • Address to: Chris Beggy, KC3QVF, Philadelphia PA, KC3QVF@arrl.net, 215-740-3900
  • Message: YourCall YourName YourCounty EPA SET (ex: W3CTK CHRIS KELLEHER DELAWARE EPA SET)
  • At bottom of form, select Liaison Station: Region 3 

If you are not currently a winlink user, the software can be installed from https://winlink.org/WinlinkExpress. The software requires registration to use. Telnet (no radio) is okay for this exercise. 

Sending a Message Using NTS Net

Tom Inman KC8T, EPA Traffic Manager has provided a presentation and video that includes an example of NTS net operations.

 

Here are simplified instructions for checking into an NTS net and sending a message. NTS welcomes new participants and will guide you through the check-in and sending your message. 

You are not expected to fully format and manage the message. You are a ham using the NTS system to send a message. You need to provide the message destination address and contents. The NTS traffic handler will fill in all the procedural and routing details. Ask for delivery confirmation if you want it. 

  1. Write out your message and destination contact details. Have this in front of you before accessing the net. It will be easier to read it than to compose it on the fly.
  2. Join the net at the appointed time.
  3. Net control will begin by calling for emergency or time valued traffic. Please stand by during this call.
  4. Net control will then call for stations with traffic, and with traffic only. Transmit and say, "this is," and then pause to ensure you are not doubling. If you are not, then continue with "yourcall with traffic." Net control will ask you to list your traffic. Respond with the number of messages and their destinations. For example, "I have one for Hershey." Net control will ask you to stand by, and will continue. 
  5. Net control will also call for stations from Eastern Area, Third Region, and the Digital Traffic Network.
  6. Net control will then process all traffic. Net control may take the messages on the net frequency or, if there is a lot of traffic my direct participants to move to a new frequency to deposit the message and then return to the main net frequency.
  7. Stay on frequency until released by net control. 

EPA Traffic Handling Nets

EPA has several active NTS nets. Newcomers are always welcome. Schedule and frequency information follows. 

If you don’t have an HF station, you can listen to these nets using SDR at http://www.websdr.org/

The Milford PA station is ideally located for the EPA traffic nets. It is at http://websdr.k3fef.com:8901

The Ohio traffic net is well known and a good example to listen to, they meet on 3.972.5 at 1030, 1645 and 1845. 

EPA Nets 

  • Eastern PA Emergency Phone and Traffic Net 3918 kHz 5:00 PM Eastern time, Daily 
  • Western PA Emergency Phone and Traffic Net 3918 kHz 5:30 PM Eastern time, Daily 
  • Pennsylvania Traffic Net (CW) 3585 kHz 7:00 PM Eastern Time, Daily 
  • Luzerne County ARES Traffic and Training Net 146.61 Mhz with a tone of 82.5 Hertz and a negative offset of 0.6 Mhz every Monday at 8:00PM Local Time. The last LCARES Net of the month will be on the N3FCK UHF Linked 
  • Lackawanna County ARES Traffic & Training Net Wednesday evening, 8:00 PM 1st & 2nd Wed: 146.715, -0.6 MHz, tone 136.5 4th Wed. 146.94, -0.6 MHz, tone 127.3 5th Wednesday: N3FCK UHF Link system, 442.55, 443.60, 444.50, and 441.15; all +5.0 MHz, tone 100
  • The RF Hill ARC Southeastern Pennsylvania Practice and Traffic Net, (abbreviated as SEPPTN), are on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:00 PM Local Time on the W3AI repeater at 145.310 MHz (-600) with a PL Tone of 131.8.

Check in daily, once a week, or even once a month. The nets will appreciate your participation. For more information, contact Tom Inman (KC8T), Eastern PA Traffic Manager KC8Tom@comcast.net 

The National Traffic System (NTS) needs volunteers to help move radiogram traffic around the state. Please consider volunteering a few minutes a week to this worthy task. Traffic handling improves your skill level while giving back to the amateur community. Please tune in and check in.

Radiogram

Instructions

ARRL Radiogram Dissected.pdf

Form

ARRL Radiogram Fillable.pdf