[KYHAM] KEN Training for June 3: Service Messages

[Ron Dodson]

Many times on nets and during discussions of Radiogram
messages we hear mention of what is referred to as the
service message.  

This scares many people away from handling traffic as they
fear finding a situation in which they must actually send a
service message!  Once you understand them, they are not so
different from other meassages at all and are certainly
nothing to be afraid of.

Let's say you receive a radiogram for which you can find no
valid address or phone number and no information is
available or in the case of a situation I personally had one
time, I found that the Addressee was transferred from Ft.
Knox to an unknown location.

In such cases, a service message should be sent to the
originating station.  

In sending a service message it is customary to send the
initial group SVC in front of the message number in the
Preamble.  Service messages should carry the same precedence
as the message they service.

Service messages usually are like any radiogram except that
they usually read something like Your Message number -----
undeliverable X Addressee moved X Address unknown.

or in my case ... Your message number 5 undeliverable X
		Addressee transferred X
		No further information available

ARRL numbered radiogram text Number 67 is a similar short
version of this...
ARL Sixty Seven X 5 X Addressee Transferred X No information
available

As stated earlier, service messages are not to be feared,
once understood they are simply a common courtesy from a
responsible ham to his fellow Ham.