A radiogram is an instance of formal
written message traffic routed by a network of
amateur radio operators through traffic nets.
It is a plaintext message, along with relevant
metadata (headers), that is placed into a
traffic net by an amateur radio operator. Each
radiogram is relayed, possibly through one or
more other amateur radio operators, to a radio
operator who volunteers to deliver the radiogram
content to its destination.
Form
overview
Radiogram forms facilitate a standard protocol
between amateur radio operators, allowing much
faster relay of formal messages. They do this by
always having the message headers in a certain
order, allowing operators to read and understand
the headers without explicit verbal labels. This
is especially important in hectic and stressful
environments such as during a disaster, when
many parties call upon radio operators to
quickly transfer messages in and out of the
affected areas.
A typical form has a place for the plaintext
message, as well as for several headers that are
important for routing the message to its proper
destination in a timely manner. These fields
include the message's priority, the callsign of
the station of origin (the amateur radio
operator who placed the message onto the message
net), the date and time of origin, contact
information of the message's recipient, as well
as the callsign of the station that delivered
the message.
The headers' purpose and order is logical and
intuitive enough that many amateur radio
operators have memorized it and in extremis can
transmit and receive radiograms without
referring to the form.
Preamble
part
All messages must have a preamble. The preamble
of the message contains information about the
message necessary to keep track of it as it
passes through the amateur system. The parts of
the preamble, except for the check as noted
later, are NOT changed by any station relaying
or delivering the message. They are permanent
parts of the message created by the station of
origin and must remain with the message all the
way to the delivery point. Preamble information
is used to service undeliverable messages and to
generate replies to specific handling
instructions.
Message number
The message number is selected by the station
originating the message and it must be on all
messages. It stays with the message all the way
to the point of delivery. The delivering station
may need to reply to the station of origin and
refer to this number. Use number digits only, no
letters, leading zeros, or dashes. Numbers are
usually begun with 1 at the start of a year or
month at the pleasure of the originating
station.
Message precedence
Letter(s) used to indicate the precedence of
the message, and must be on all messages. See
the latest Precedence full definitions from ARRL
(From ARRL FSD-3).
Precedences
PRECEDENCES (ARRL FSD-3, 2/94) EMERGENCY
(Spelled out on form.): Any message having life
and death urgency to any person or group of
persons, which is transmitted by Amateur Radio
in the absence of regular commercial facilities.
This includes official messages of welfare
agencies during emergencies requesting supplies,
materials or instructions vital to relief of
stricken populace in emergency areas. During
normal times, it will be very rare. On CW/RTTY,
this designation will always be spelled out.
When in doubt, do not use it.
- EMERGENCY: Emergency is always spelled out
in the preamble. Means other than Amateur
Radio should be included in the delivery
options. EMERGENCY messages have immediate
urgency. They should take priority over any
other activity and should be passed by the
best means available with the cooperation of
all stations.
- PRIORITY (P): Use abbreviation P on CW/RTTY.
This classification is for a) important
messages having a specific time limit, b)
official messages not covered in the emergency
category, c) press dispatches and emergency
related traffic not of the utmost urgency, d)
notice of death or injury in a disaster area,
personal or official.
- WELFARE (W): This classification,
abbreviated as W on CW/RTTY, refers to either
an inquiry as to the health and welfare of an
individual in the disaster area or an advisory
from the disaster area that indicates all is
well. Welfare traffic is handled only after
all emergency and priority traffic is cleared.
The Red Cross equivalent to an incoming
Welfare message is DWI (Disaster Welfare
Inquiry).
- ROUTINE (R): Most traffic in normal times
will bear this designation. In disaster
situations, traffic labeled Routine (R on
CW/RTTY) should be handled last, or not at all
when circuits are busy with higher precedence
traffic. ----- Notes: These precedences are
not meant to prohibit handling lower level
traffic until all higher levels are passed.
Common sense dictates handling higher
precedence traffic before lower when possible
and/or outlets are available.
- EXERCISE MESSAGES: Messages in the ARRL
format passed for test and exercise purposes
may be given a precedence preceded by the word
“TEST”, as in “TEST R”, “TEST P”, “TEST W”, or
“TEST EMERGENCY”. It is customary to indicate
within the text of such messages the words
“TEST MESSAGE”, or “EXERCISE”. Using
“EXERCISE” as the first and last groups of the
text helps alert listeners to the nature of
the content to avoid undue alarm. In some
exercises, the life of the message may be
terminated when the exercise period is
terminated, i.e., any such messages are not
handled after the exercise. Consult with the
ARES/RACES/NTS group conducting the test to
determine if such messages should be filed,
handled and delivered afterwards to permit a
full evaluation of the exercise.
- SERVICE MESSAGES: The precedence of a SVC
message should be the same as that of the
message being serviced. SVC ahead of a message
number indicates a service message sent
between stations relative to message handling,
or delivery. Since they affect timely
delivery, they are handled before routine
messages. SVC is not a precedence
Handling
instructions
OPTIONAL. Do not use handling
instructions unless a particular need is
present. Handling instructions are used to
instruct the relaying and/or delivering operator
to handle the message according to the following
codes (Refer to ARRL CD 218, pink card.). If
used, handling instructions must stay with the
message to the point of delivery.
Handling
instruction details
- HXA__ (Followed by number.) Collect landline
delivery authorized by addressee within [....]
miles, (If no number, authorization is
unlimited.).
- HXB__ (Followed by number.) Cancel message
if not delivered within [....] hours of filing
time; service originating station.
- HXC Report date and time of delivery of the
message back to the originating station.
- HXD Report to originating station the
identity of station from which received, plus
date and time. Report identity of station to
which relayed, plus date and time, or if
delivered, report date and time and method of
delivery (by service message).
- HXE Delivering station get reply from
addressee, originate message back.
- HXF__ (Followed by a number.) Hold delivery
until [date].
- HXG Delivery by mail or landline toll call
not required. If toll call or other expense
involved, cancel message and send service
message back to originating station.
More
than one HX code may be used
If more than one code is used, they may be
combined provided no numbers are to be inserted,
otherwise the HX should be repeated, thus: NR 27
R HXAC W1AW..., or, NR 27 R HXA50 HXC
W1AW...(etc.).
Station of origin
The call sign of the amateur station
originating (creating) the message for first
introduction into the amateur system is the
station of origin and must be on all messages.
This call sign must stay with the message to the
point of delivery. Service messages go to this
station.
Check
The check is the number of word "groups" in the
text of the message and must be used on all
messages. This number is used by operators to
verify that the text has been copied with the
correct number of groups.
Place of origin
The PLACE OF ORIGIN is the location (city and
state) of the party for whom the message is
created, not necessarily the location of the
station of origin.
Time
filed
OPTIONAL. "TIME FILED" is used only when
filing time has some importance relative to the
precedence, handling instructions, or meaning in
the text. TIME FILED is the time when the
message is created by the station of origin. The
time figures are in the 24-hour format followed
by the letter "Z" to denote UTC time, or local
time, as in "0215Z" or "2215EDT". It is
acceptable to specify local time as "L", as in
2215L.
UTC (Z) date and time is customary on ARRL
messages (an unmarked time is assumed to be
UTC). To avoid ambiguity, mark the time with a
Z, time zone designator, or L. Time and date
must agree, that is be related to the same time
zone.
The TIME FILED is normally omitted on routine
traffic having no special time concerns. If
used, the filing time must stay with the message
to the point of delivery.
Month
filed
Month must be used on all messages. (If TIME
FILED is used, this date must agree with that
time); This entry is the month in which the
message is created and is written in the
preamble as the three letter abbreviation: The
month/day is assumed to be UTC unless marked
otherwise by a time.
Day
filed
The DAY FILED is the day of the month on which
the message was originated and must be used on
all messages. (If TIME FILED is used, the date
and time must agree). The day is written in
figures only, no leading zeros.
Address
The second section of the message is used to
specify the name, address, city, state, zip, and
telephone number of the addressee.
Addressee
Line 1 should contain the full name of the
addressee and, if possible, it should be the
name as it is most likely to be found in the
local telephone directory at the point of
delivery.
Street address
Line 2 is the street address (or institution
name which might require an extra line in the
address). Enter figures, street name (spell out
east, west, north and south for clarity), and
apartment or unit number. Sections of a city, as
in SE or NW, are usually left abbreviated.
City, state, zip
The CITY, STATE (using standard two letter
abbreviations), and ZIP code are entered without
punctuation. NINE DIGIT ZIPs are written with a
spelled DASH, i.e. OWINGS MILLS MD 21117 DASH
2345
Telephone number
Telephone numbers are written as three groups
of digits with no punctuation; area code,
exchange, and number (only two groups if the
area code is not required): 212 555 3245, or 555
1200 (note no hyphens used)
Address op note
An OP NOTE may be inserted after the telephone
figures, before the text, relating to handling
and/or delivery matters. The words “OP NOTE” are
used to introduce this information when
transmitting the message. OP NOTES are optional,
and are generally not considered part of the
message to be delivered to the addressee. They
are primarily for use by the handling operators.
For example, the following address with OP NOTE
relates to when to attempt delivery by
telephone:
DONALD R SMITH
164 EAST SIXTH AVENUE
RIVER CITY MD 00789
301 555 3470
OP NOTE WORKDAY ONLY
Messages for
other services
Messages which must be re-filed with other
systems, such as MARS or RACES, may require
additional information such as rank, unit
information, APO, etc. Find out what is required
by consulting an operator in that system before
accepting the message so that you are prepared
to ask for what is needed.
Text
part
The text contains the actual message
information authorized by the person for whom
the message was originated. Note that the
amateur does not originate messages for a person
without permission from that person! The text is
entered in section 3 of the message form. (When
transmitting a message, the text is separated
from the preceding address, and the signature to
follow, by the use of the word "BREAK" on voice,
the prosign <BT> on CW, to allow the
receiving operator to know its beginning and
end. BREAK and <BT> are not counted as
groups.) The text is divided into word "groups",
five or ten to a line for easy counting, and is
usually limited to 25 words or less.
Punctuation
PUNCTUATION characters are not used in the text
except as follows:
/
The slash, "/", is used to separate characters
within a group, as in 304/BA. Since the “/” is
part of the group it does not qualify as a
separate group for the check. Although usually
not used as a group by itself (a space on the
left and on the right), if so used it would be
counted in the check.
X
The letter "X" used to denote a period. The
letter "X" is never used as the last group of
the text. The “X” is a separate group and IS
counted for the check.
R
The letter "R" is used in place of a decimal in
mixed figure groups, as in 7013R5 (7013.5), or
146R670 (146.670). Since the “R” is part of the
group it does not qualify as a separate group
for the check. (The inclusion of the “R” makes
the group a “mixed group” for transmission on
voice.)
Other punctuation
OTHER PUNCTUATION is spelled out (in order to
avoid confusion with prosigns used in the
transmission of the message) as in "QUERY" for a
question, "DASH" to separate special number or
mixed groups, "EXCLAMATION", "COMMA", etc.
(Hyphens are NOT used in telephone number groups
or anywhere else in the text.) Such punctuation
words are separate groups and ARE counted for
the check.
Salutations
Words like "love" and "regards", often
associated with signatures in formal letters,
are put in the text in amateur messages (not in
the signature).
Counting
word groups for the check
The number value to be entered in the "CHECK"
in the preamble of the message is the total
number of groups in the text between the start
and end prosigns (but not counting the
prosigns). An easy rule to remember about
counting word groups: ANY GROUP OF ONE OR MORE
CONSECUTIVE CHARACTERS WITH NO INTERRUPTING
SPACES, WITH A SPACE BEFORE IT AND AFTER IT, IS
COUNTED AS ONE GROUP. Such a group may be all
letters, all numbers, or any mix of numbers,
letters, or slashes (/), so long as there are no
spaces within the group. Each word, group of
connected digits, connected mixed characters,
spelled punctuation word, “X”, or ARL
constitutes one group for the purpose of
calculating the total count to enter in the
check section of the preamble. The prosigns
"BREAK", or <BT> on CW, at the start and
end of the text are not counted.
Signature part
Signature
The signature of the message is the name of the
person for whom the message is created (not
necessarily the station of origin), and any
other information that person wishes to include
(such as address, telephone number, title,
etc.). The Place-of-Origin given in the Preamble
is the location of this individual.
Words like love and regards, often associated
with signatures in formal letters, are put in
the text in amateur messages.
Amateur call signs, titles, QCWA or OOTC
numbers, etc., in the signature follow the name
on the same line.
Addresses for the signing party are optionally
included (upon request) on subsequent lines,
exactly as done in the address section, but are
included only if important to the originator,
message purpose, or replying. Since most
addressees know the party from whom messages
originate, most messages in daily NTS service
have simple one-line signatures.
Messages for served agencies, particularly
during disasters, generally require an
authorizing signature in full. Messages without
same may be refused. It is IMPORTANT for
originating stations to get full information
about persons for whom messages are originated
in order to be able to re-contact them should a
problem arise in the delivery of their message,
or if a reply is received.
Signature op note
An OP NOTE may be inserted after the SIGNATURE,
before the end of the message, relating to reply
and/or servicing matters. The words “OP NOTE”
are used to introduce this information when
transmitting the message. OP NOTES are optional,
and are generally not considered part of the
message to be delivered to the addressee. They
are primarily for use by the handling operators.
References
External links
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