[HCRA] N1TOY signs up for message handling at HCRA Field Day

[Jim Mullen]

Thanks for taking the challenge Mary, much appreciated.

Message handling is an important part of Field Day and can represent as much
as 200 bonus points - the equal of 200 phone QSO's. That's a significant
part of our score and one we've missed many times in years past.
Specifically there's 100 bonus points for generating a message to the
Section Manager and 10 points each for each piece of NTS traffic orginated
(with a maximum of 100 points). So even if we do the SM message and one NTS
piece of traffic that's 110 points.

I'm certainly not the one to recommend the best avenues to get this
accomplished. My knowledge of NTS could be put in a thimble and still leave
room for your finger! But that's never stopped me in the past so here's a
few recommendations. Hopefully those more experience than me will comment
and get you pointed in the right direction.

For starters there's the Field Day rules concerning these two categories.
I've copied them below to save you the time of looking them up.

7.3.5. Message Origination to Section Manager: 100 bonus points for
origination of a National
Traffic System (NTS) style formal message to the ARRL Section Manager or
Section Emergency
Coordinator by your group from its site. You should include the club name,
number of
participants, Field Day location, and number of ARES operators involved with
your station. The
message must be transmitted during the Field Day period and a fully serviced
copy of it must be
included in your submission, in standard ARRL NTS format, or no credit will
be given. The
Section Manager message is separate from the messages handled in Rule 7.3.6.
and may not be
claimed for bonus points under that rule. Available to all Classes

7.3.6. Message Handling: 10 points for each formal NTS style originated,
relayed or received and
delivered during the Field Day period, up to a maximum of 100 points (ten
messages). Properly
serviced copies of each message must be included with the Field Day report.
The message to the
ARRL SM or SEC under Rule 7.3.5. does not count towards the total of 10 for
this bonus.
Available to all Classes. All NTS messages claimed for bonus points must
leave or enter the
site via amateur radio RF.

Next up you may want to print out some message forms for use at Field Day.
You can do that at this link:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/radiogram2.pdf

Our Section Manager for WMA is Ed Emko/W1KT and you can check out the
section news at:

http://wma.arrl.org/news.php

I believe the messages can all happen on the Sunday morning net, either on 2
meters or later on 75 meter phone. I could be mistaken on this so fi anyone
knows the real answer please chime in.

That's about it from my end. Hopefully this email/facebook posting will
garner some conversation and the REAL way this should be accomplished. As
always if you've got a question drop it off to the list and we'll do our
best to get it answered. Thanks again for taking on this important Field Day
activity!

Two days and counting.....

Jim/KK1W