HOW TO HANDLE N.T.S. TRAFFIC
                      ============================

AN NTS MESSAGE CONSISTS OF FOUR MAIN PARTS: (1) PREAMBLE, (2) ADDRESS
BLOCK, (3) TEXT, AND (4) SIGNATURE.

NTS MESSAGES YOU ORIGINATE SHOULD BE NUMBERED SEQUENTIALLY. MOST OPERATORS
START WITH NR1 AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH.

PREAMBLE:  THE FIRST LINE OF THE NTS MESSAGE CONTAINS THE MESSAGE NUMBER,
PRECEDENCE, HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS (IF ANY), CALL OF THE STATION OF ORIGIN,
COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF WORDS IN THE TEXT, CITY AND STATE OF ORIGIN, TIME
OF DAY (OPTIONAL), AND DATE.

NR3 R HXC W8KCN 21 PARKERSBURG WV 0345Z MAY 9

THIS PREAMBLE IS FOR MESSAGE NUMBER 3 ROUTINE WITH HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS
"C" FROM W8KCN CHECK 21 ORIGINATING IN PARKERSBURG, WV AT 0345Z MAY 9.

NR17 W W9GT 10 CHICAGO IL MAY 12

THIS PREAMBLE FOR MESSAGE NUMBER 17 HEALTH AND WELFARE FROM W9GT WITY A
WORD COUNT OF 10 IN THE TEXT, ORIGINATING IN CHICAGO ON MAY 12.

ADDRESS BLOCK:  THE ADDRESS BLOCK IS BLOCKED OUT JUST LIKE ON A MAILING
ENVELOPE.  IF THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE ADDRESSEE IS AVAILABLE, IT SHOULD
BE ON THE NEXT LINE FOLLOWING.

MR AND MRS JEFF R JONES
911 32ND STREET
JEFFERSON CITY MO 34567
(345) 567 8907

THE ADDRESS BLOCK IS FOLLOWED BY A LINE SPACE, THEN THE TEXT. FOR THIRD
PARTY MESSAGES KEEP THE TEXT BRIEF: USUALLY LESS THAN 40 WORDS.  USE X FOR
PERIOD AND SPELL OUT COMMA WHERE USED.  IF YOU USE ANY OF THE STANDARD
ARRL "CANNED" MESSAGES, THE ARRL NUMBER  SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT IN THE
TEXT, AND ADD THE GROUP "ARL" IN FRONT OF THE CHECK IN THE PREAMBLE TO
INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF EMBEDDED ARRL TEXTS.  A SAMPLE TEXT MIGHT BE:

ARL FIFTY THREE WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
THIS JULY AT THE STATE FAIR IN PUEBLO X BE
SURE TO TELL GRANDMA HI FOR US

THE WORD COUNT OR "CHECK" IN THE PREAMBLE OF THIS MESSAGE WOULD BE ARL27.
THIS TEXT HAS THE EMBEDDED ARRL TEXT #53 IN IT, WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE
"DECODED" PRIOR TO TELEPHONE DELIVERY.  NOTICE THERE IS NO "X" AFTER
"FIFTY THREE" BECAUSE THERE IS AN INFERRED PERIOD AT THE END OF THE
(DECODED) ARL MESSAGE.  A COMPLETE LIST OF ARRL "CANNED" MESSAGES MAY BE
FOUND IN THE ARRL NET DIRECTORY, OR OBTAINED AS AN OPERATING AID FROM THE
ARRL.

WHERE POSSIBLE, IT IS CONSIDERED A COURTESY FOR THE ORIGINATING STATION
TO PUT NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS ON ANY LINE.  THAT WAY OPERATORS WHO ARE
WATCHING FOR ERRORS CAN COUNT LINES AND THE PARTIAL LINE, I.E., THE ABOVE
TEXT WORD COUNT IS

          2 X 10 + 7 = 27.

THE TEXT IS FOLLOWED BY A BLANK LINE, THEN THE SIGNATURE.  WHERE NEEDED,
THE SIGNATURE MAY CONTAIN ENOUGH LINES TO ACCOMMODATE AN ADDRESS BLOCK FOR
THE REPLY.  THE END OF MESSAGE SEPARATOR AR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THE
SIGNATURE BLOCK.

     SAMPLE NTS MESSAGES FOLLOW:

     NR204 P HXA 500 WB0GTY 21  AURORA CO 0455Z MAY 9

     MR JAMES L THOMPSON
     911 32ND STREET
     PARKERSBURG WV 26101
     (305) 428 7787
     BT
     PLANS CHANGED X CANNOT MEET YOU IN BOGATA UNTIL THURSDAY
     MAY NINETEEN X WILL PHONE YOU AT HOTEL BY EIGHT
     PM
     BT
     BROOKS WB0GTY
     80234 / WA6ERB
     AR

     NR25 R KB5EQ 15 SMITH AK MAY 14

     MARY QUINTEN
     234 10TH AVE
     SIMPSONVILL AK 23456
     PHONE LISTED
     BT
     HOPE WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET ONCE AGAIN AT
     THE TENTH REUNION IN JULY
     BT
     BILL SQUARE
     CLASS OF 78
     AR

HINTS:  SPELL OUT MOST NUMBERS IN TEXT EXCEPT TELEPHONE NUMBERS, REFERENCE
        TO PREVIOUS MESSAGE NUMBERS, ETC.  WORD COUNT FOR "23" IS ONE, FOR
        "TWENTY THREE" IS TWO.  THERE IS NO NEED TO END THE TEXT WITH "X"
        AS THE ENDING PERIOD IS INFERRED.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION YOU MAY OBTAIN THE (PINK) OPERATING AID FROM
THE ARRL TITLED "AMATEUR MESSAGE FORM". (FSD-21:(585)).  IT CONTAINS
INFORMATION ON THE MEANING OF HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS (WHICH ARE OPTIONAL).