Guide to filling out monthly NTS reports

Station Activity Report (SAR)

Enter your Call Sign, then the number of messages handled in each of the four highlighted groups, and finally the total of the four groups.

Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR)

Each month in QST's Field Organization Reports column, the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR) recognizes the efforts of Amateur Radio operators who are active in many aspects of public service.  This includes net operations, traffic handling, emergency operations and public service communication support.   There are chances that you're already involved with some aspect of Amateur Radio that would apply to the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR).

Take a look at these categories and descriptions to see where your Amateur Radio activities fit in.   At the end of each calendar month, just add up your qualifying points.  If it reaches the 70-point level (or more), you've qualified for the Public Service Honor Roll!  Report the good news with your call sign and monthly PSHR point total to your ARRL Section Manager or Section Traffic Manager.  The ARRL section leaders, in turn, would forward the report onto ARRL Headquarters so that Headquarters staff may prepare these for listing in the Field Organization Reports segment of QST.

Public Service Honor Roll Categories:

Category 1:  Participation in a public service net -- 1 point, maximum 40.

One example of a public service net is one that is regularly scheduled and handles Amateur Radio formal messages.  There are many such public-service nets: local and section nets that are affiliated with the National Traffic System (NTS); NTS region, NTS area, and independent nets that handle messages.  ARES, RACES, SKYWARN nets that meet on a regular basis would also qualify.

Another example is when an NTS Digital Relay Station manually logs onto an automated digital system.  This action, too, qualifies under the intent of PSHR Category 1.

Public service or emergency nets that are activated to support an actual emergency or potential emergency or public-service event would be part of this first category.   How about the net that has been established for training radio amateurs in public service and emergency communications?  Why sure!  Are you looking for a public net to check into?  Try the on-line ARRL Net Directory.

Category 2:  Handling formal messages (radiograms) via any mode -- 1 point for each message handled; maximum 40.

The ARRL's Public Service Communications Manual explains how to count your individual messages. Here is a reference from Section 2, NTS Chapter 10.2. (You may find the entire manual at this Web page.)

Originated--One point for each message from a third party for sending via your station.  This "extra" credit is given for an off-the-air function because of the value of contact with the general public.

Sent--Every message sent over the air from your station to another amateur receives a point in this category.  Thus, a message that is eligible for an Originated point as above receives another point when it is sent on the air.

Likewise, a message that is received on the air conveys a Sent point when it is relayed to another station.  A message that you initiate yourself, while it gets no Originated point, gets a Sent point when cleared.  All Sent points require on-the-air sending.

Received--A message received over the air gets a Received point, whether received for relaying (sending) or for delivery to the addressee.  Any message received which is not eligible for a Delivery point (such as one addressed to yourself) is nevertheless eligible for a Received point.

Delivered--The act of delivery of a message to a third party receives a point in this category, in addition to a Received point.  This is strictly an off-the-air function and must be coupled with receipt of the message at your station.  Thus you can't get a Delivered point unless you first get a Received point.

For additional details on traffic handling and net operations and the National Traffic System, the NTS Methods, Practices and Guidelines is a resource available to you via the ARRL Web page.

Category 3:  Serving in an ARRL-sponsored volunteer position:  ARRL Field Organization appointee or Section Manager, NTS Net Manager, TCC Director, TCC member, NTS official or appointee above the Section level. -- 10 points for each position; maximum 30.

ARRL Field Organization appointees (in alphabetical order) include the following:   Assistant District Emergency Coordinator, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, Assistant Section Manager, District Emergency Coordinator, Emergency Coordinator, Local Government Liaison, Net Manager, Official Emergency Station, Official Observer, Official Observer Coordinator, Official Relay Station, Public Information Coordinator, Public Information Officer, Section Emergency Coordinator, Section Manager, Section Traffic Manager, State Government Liaison, Technical Coordinator and Technical Specialist.

The Section Manager is the ARRL-member elected League official in the section.   An NTS official or appointee above the Section level would include Region and Area Net Managers, and TCC (Transcontinental Corps) Directors who are in charge of organizing TCC membership rosters of operators that comprise the corps.  TCC members are those operators that are assigned to relay traffic from one NTS area to another, conducting liaison with NTS nets to do so.   NTS Members at Large, NTS Area Staff Chairs, NTS Area Digital Coordinators and Digital Relay Stations would also be included in this category.

To read more about the ARRL Field Organization and these appointments, read the article, "The ARRL Field Organization:  Something for Everyone," by Dave Hassler, K7CCC, in March, 2003, QST, pp. 50-54.

Category 4:  Participation in scheduled, short-term public service events such as walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, parades, simulated emergency tests and related practice events.  This includes off-the-air meetings and coordination efforts with related emergency groups and served agencies.

-- 5 points per hour (or any portion thereof) of time spent in either coordinating and/or operating in the public service event; no limit.

This category recognizes the value of public safety communication events that Amateur Radio is often called to participate in.  Simulated emergency tests, exercises, and drills are covered by this category.  Points are gained by the amount of time that an Amateur Radio operator spends directly involved in operating the event.  This also recognizes the value of off-the-air time it takes to meet with the organization or public service agency to plan and coordinate Amateur Radio involvement.

PSHR Category 4 is set up to recognize Amateur Radio operators for what they do in performance of public service events.  Therefore, time spent in group and one-on-one ARES/RACES meetings, phone calls, email, and group administrative duties (processing and maintaining ARES/RACES member records and planning/conducting member training, for example) all are part of the 'public service communication event support' definition and would count.

Category 5:  Participation in an unplanned emergency response when the Amateur Radio operator is on the scene.   This also includes unplanned incident requests by public or served agencies for Amateur Radio participation.

--5 points per hour (or any portion thereof) of time spent directly involved in the emergency operation; no limit.

This category recognizes an Amateur Radio operator who is directly involved in an actual emergency operation.  This includes the operator who is on the scene or out in the field, in the shelter, at the emergency operations center, at the hospital, or other served agency's headquarters or their temporary command center.

If you are an active participant in an unplanned incident -- or in other words, an emergency operation--you may take credit for this participation even though you may not be physically at the emergency scene.

Category 5 covers all the Amateur Radio operator participants such as net controllers, net liaison stations and other radio amateurs that support communications in unplanned incidents.  Even if you are not actually on the emergency scene or at the shelter, etc, but are spending time and efforts for supporting the same emergency communication effort, then this time would count for points in Category 5.

As an example, if the National Weather Service activates SKYWARN, Amateur Radio operators serve as weather spotters from their home (or car, or work, or other locations) during the weather event.  Then, a tornado strikes and the American Red Cross calls out the ARES members to serve in shelters and to provide support for damage assessment communications.  These operators would be able to qualify for Category 5 points.

There would likely be several net control operators, net liaison operators, traffic handlers, etc, who are away from the disaster scene, but are spending time to support the Amateur Radio emergency communication effort on behalf of the served agencies (American Red Cross and National Weather Service, in this example).   They, too, would qualify for points under Category 5.

Category 6:  Providing and maintaining a) an automated digital system that handles ARRL radiogram-formatted messages;
b) a Web page or e-mail list server oriented toward Amateur Radio public service -- 10 points per item.

Category 6 (a) recognizes the efforts it takes to provide and maintain an automated digital system (like a packet bulletin board or a PACTOR system) that handles ARRL radiogram-formatted messages.

Category 6 (b) recognizes the Web pages and e-mail list servers have become popular and effective ways to communicate news and information to the community of radio amateurs that are involved in emergency and public service communication operations and preparedness.  If you are involved in any of these activities, keep track of your efforts and the time involved and report your results accordingly.

Format:

PSHR 1/# 2/# 3/# 4/# 5/# 6/# total (sum of #'s)

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