WELCOME TO THE NET

Did you know that ham radio operators send telegrams all over the continent? These non-commercial Radiograms, very much like telegrams, are a free public service provided by ham radio operators all over the globe. You don’t have to be a ham radio operator to send a Radiogram, and you don’t have to be a ham to receive one.

Why?

• For emgergencies when there are no other form of working communications in the affected area. When cell phones, regular phone lines, even electrical power fails...ham radio still works.

• Because hams have already built their own network to get messages anywhere in America, any time, under any conditions. It’s called the National Traffic System.

• Because hams train year-round, sending and delivering routine Radiograms, to stay in practice for the real thing.  Next time an emergency breaks out, the Traffic System will be ready, and everybody involved in the Traffic System will know exactly what to do. 

That’s the purpose of Tri-County Traffic Training Net.

IF YOU'RE A HAM, please join us. Traffic handling is rewarding, fun, and the oldest tradition in ham radio. We train people on all aspects of efficient traffic handling. In the next emergency, message traffic may be coming your way.

IF YOU'RE NOT A HAM, you can help us keep the machinery well-oiled by sending Radiograms to friends and family. It doesn’t have to be anything of great importance; see below for suggestions. And of course, if you ever worried about someone in a disaster area, that you just can’t reach, the hams of Tri-County Traffic Training Net will be standing by to make inquiries on your behalf.

We hope to hear from you soon!

-Gregg WB8YYS, Assistant Net Manager

About Tri-County Traffic Training Net

TCTTN is part of the Ohio Section of the National Traffic System. The messages that we handle, collectively known as traffic, are sent on to the Ohio Single Sideband Net, where hams all over the state meet three times daily on short wave. Traffic bound for other states goes to the Eighth Region Net, which covers Ohio, Michigan, and West Virginia. Other nets cover other regions and states in an interlocking system designed to ensure that the message always gets through. It’s sort of like the Pony Express, with radios.

The ham operators who staff the Tri-County Traffic Training Net are volunteers from Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, and surrounding counties. Thanks to the tremendous range of the Newbury repeater, hams from all over Northeast Ohio can check in to TCTTN, even with low-power hand-held radios.

TCTTN is a friendly place. People will be happy to help you get the hang of this traffic handling stuff. Nobody will criticize you if you make a mistake; we’ll just help you do it better. And, once official business is squared away, the net moves to a comment round where friends catch up on what’s new in their lives.

Suggested Radiogram Topics

Choose any combination of the topics below. Or, make up your own topic. Please limit the message to 25 words or less.

• Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Get Well, Hope you’re feeling better.

• Hope to visit you soon, nice seeing you recently, Please stop by and say Hello.

• Congratulations on graduating, getting married, getting promoted, birth of a child, or any worthy event.

• Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Thanksgiving, Joyous Groundhog Day

• Greeting by ham radio, just thinking of you.

• For hams: Congratulations on license upgrade, Congratulations on new toy for the shack, Thanks for the recent QSO, QSL on the way, Please QSL, Hope to see you on the bands, check in to TCTTN.

How to send a Radiogram

Contact a ham with the following information:

• Name, address, and phone number of the recipient.
• The message should be limited to 25 words or less, not counting address or signature.
• The message must be non-commercial in nature.
• There is never any charge for sending or receiving a Radiogram. There’s not even any tipping. Send as often as you like.

Don’t know any hams that handle Radiograms? No problem–contact the Tri-County Assistant Net Manager and we’ll ask a nearby ham to contact you. Or, simply email us the message and we’ll take it from there.

Common Messages

Performance 

looking for a few good net control stations

LIKE THE MARINES, TCTTN is looking ror a few good people to move up to Net Control status. Maybe you've already had some experience in calling another net. This is an excellent opportunity for you to gain some experience in keeping everything organized and moving along. Download the NCS Training Package at right, and dig in. Contact Gregg WB8YYS and he will set you up for your first night calling TCTTN!

TCTTN ADMINISTRATION  

List of Jobs and the people who fill them along with NCS SCHEDULE and the Script we use on the net.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES  

147.015 Antenna Video

2 Meter Nets 

Times and Frequencies

NEWS FLASH

Net Schedule

Sunday, Tuesday, Friday

9:00pm Local Time

147.015   PL 110.9 Hz

Alternate Frequency
146.85 (-)   PL 110.9 Hz
All stations should move to alternate frequency whenever the primary repeater is unavailable

TRAining Materials

Our Training Manual covers everything: how to check in, how to format a radiogram, how to send, how to deliver radiograms. Includes blank forms and many examples. If you’re new to the Tri-County Net, download it here. 

If you’ve been participating in TCTTN on a regular basis, maybe you have what it takes to be a Net Control Station. First, review the NCS Training Package. Download the PDF file here.

Problems? Contact the Webmaster.

Interactive Radiogram Form

Our interactive Radiogram form lets you type perfectly formatted messages right into your Adobe PDF Reader! Now Just use the TAB key to move from one field to the next. Thanks to Eddie KD8FTS for the new version.

Try the 3x5 Post Card Radiogram form for those messages that can only be sent by mail.

Emergency nets like ARES and RACES use the ICS-213 form for traffic handling. We are pleased to offer the first-anywhere Interactive ICS-213 form, similar to our interactive Radiogram forms. 

Other Area Traffic Nets

Ohio Single Sideband Net
Daily at 10:30 am, 4:15pm, 6:45pm Frequency: 3972.5 KHz

Burning River Traffic Net serving Cleveland and North Central Ohio.
Daily at 9:30pm  
Frequency:147.15 MHz (+)
Frequency:146.700 MHZ (+) Wed

Eighth Region Net 
Daily at 1:45pm local and 3:30pm local
Frequency: 7235 KHz

Midwest RTTY Net 
Sunday - Friday at 8:30pm
Frequency: 3587 KHz

Morse Code Traffic Nets

Besides voice traffic nets like TCTTN, a parallel system of Morse Code traffic nets operates in conjunction with us. In Ohio, the Buckeye Net meets twice daily at 6:45pm on 3580 KHz and 10:00pm, on 3590 KHz.

If you’d like to explore the world of traffic handling in Morse code, the Ohio Slow Net is ideal. This training net operates at 10 words per minute, and meets daily at 6:00pm on 3535 KHz. Check it out!

If 6:00 is your dinner hour, Maryland Slow Net convenes at 7:30pm on 3563 KHz. 

Both nets feature training messages designed to familiarized newcomers with the ins and outs of Morse Code message handling. Just ask net control for training.

Personnel

Net Manager    Gregg WB8YYS

Asst. Net Manager    Brian AC8RV

Net Controls   
                      
                      Gregg WB8YYS
                      Linda WB8QLT
                      Brian AC8RV
                     

Statistics        Gregg WB8YYS

Webmaster     Brian AC8RV

Web Hosting   Steve K8SRR

Links

Want to spiff up your CW skills? We recommend the following FREE software:

• Start here to learn Morse Code

• Great contest simulator

• Build your speed.

Find your local Skywarn net on this list. 

Big list of ham radio nets.

Ham station locator

ARRL, (American Radio Relay League) the national organization of ham radio  
    Great Lakes Division  
    Ohio Section
    ARES District 10
    National Traffic System
    Net Directory search

Area ham radio clubs

Many Thanks to N.O.R.M.A.

The 147.015 repeater that we use is graciously provided by the folks at NORMA, who gladly accept your donations to keep the system up and running.  Send your contribution to: