LESSON 29

Net operations, responsibilities of the net control station,
message handling, interfacing with public safety officials

Emergency or distress traffic is one area in amateur radio, or any other form of communications, that neither the FCC nor any other authority takes lightly. If a distress call is given or heard it will take priority over all other communications.

If emergency traffic is being conducted on an amateur radio frequency then only those operators who are directly involved in the emergency and those who are directly involved in assistance should transmit. All other stations should not transmit. To minimize disruption of an emergency traffic net participating operators should not transmit on net frequency until asked to do so by the net control station.

During net operations if there is a break in with emergency traffic the net control station should stop all other net activity until the emergency traffic has been handled.

Emergency traffic must include the name of the person originating the message and if transmitted over amateur radio frequencies it should not include personal information concerning victims. Some messages are best not transmitted by voice transmissions to prevent casual listeners from receiving. Non voice methods of transmission such as packet or CW are better ways to handle such traffic. Never encrypt messages because it is a violation of FCC regulations to do such on the amateur radio frequencies.

If a large scale emergency has just happened and there is no net control operator available any amateur station operator should immediately open a net and ask for check-ins. It is important that a net control station have a strong and clear signal so if the station which starts an emergency net does not have such a signal that operator should, if possible, relinquish the net control position to another station which can perform the function more effectively.

The preamble of any message is the information needed to track a message as it passes through the amateur radio traffic handling system. The preamble includes a “check” which is a count of the number of words in the message. There should be no more then 25 words included in the text of an emergency message.



1. T8C01 (A)
Which type of traffic has the highest priority?
A. Emergency traffic
B. Priority traffic
C. Health and welfare traffic
D. Routine traffic
~~
2. T8C02 (B)
What type of messages should not be transmitted over amateur radio frequencies during emergencies?
A. Requests for supplies
B. Personal information concerning victims
C. A schedule of relief operators
D. Estimates of how much longer the emergency will last
~~
3. T8C03 (C)
What should you do to minimize disruptions to an emergency traffic net once you have checked in?
A. Whenever the net frequency is quiet, announce your call sign and location
B. Move 5 kHz away from the net's frequency and use high power to ask other hams to keep clear of the net frequency
C. Do not transmit on the net frequency until asked to do so by the net control station
D. Wait until the net frequency is quiet, then ask for any
emergency traffic for your area
~~
4. T8C04 (B)
What is one thing that must be included when passing emergency messages?
A. The call signs of all the stations passing the message
B. The name of the person originating the message
C. A status report
D. The message title
~~
5. T8C05 (A)
What is one way to reduce the chances of casual listeners
overhearing sensitive emergency traffic?
A. Pass messages using a non-voice mode such as packet radio or Morse code
B. Speak as rapidly as possible to reduce your on-air time
C. Spell out every word using phonetics
D. Restrict transmission of messages to the hours between midnight and 4:00 AM

6. T8C06 (C)
What is of primary importance for a net control station?
A. A dual-band transceiver
B. A network card
C. A strong and clear signal
D. The ability to speak several languages
~~
7. T8C07 (B)
What should the net control station do if someone breaks in with emergency traffic?
A. Ask them to wait until the roll has been called
B. Stop all net activity until the emergency has been handled
C. Ask the station to call the local police and then resume
normal net activities
D. Ask them to move off your net frequency immediately
~~
8. T8C08 (C)
What should you do if a large scale emergency has just occurred and no net control station is available?
A. Wait until the assigned net control station comes on the air and pass your traffic when called
B. Transmit a call for help and hope someone will hear you
C. Open the emergency net immediately and ask for check-ins
D. Listen to the local NOAA weather broadcast to find out how long the emergency will last
~~
9. T8C09 (D)
What is the preamble of a message?
A. The first paragraph of the message text
B. The message number
C. The priority handling indicator for the message
D. The information needed to track the message as it passes
through the amateur radio traffic handling system
~~
10. T8C10 (A)
What is meant by the term "check" in reference to a message?
A. The check is a count of the number of words in the message
B. The check is the value of a money order attached to the message
C. The check is a list of stations that have relayed the message
D. The check is a box on the message form that tells you the message was received
~~
11. T8C11 (B)
What is the recommended guideline for the maximum number of words to be included in the text of an emergency message?
A. 10 words
B. 25 words
C. 50 words
D. 75 words


Answers: A B C B A C B C D A B