National Traffic System OK (NTSOK) Organization

NTS NetsNTS LocalNTSOK WinlinkNTSOK OperationNTSOK Winlink SoftwareNTSOK Radiogram

NTSOK Organization

The NTSOK operation is staffed by volunteer Winlink operators from around the state. Three or more hams in each ARES OK district will serve as the entry and exit points of the network, another three hams serve as the state handlers, and the net manager monitors the activities and keeps looking for more volunteers.

NTSOK Roles and Responsibilities

There are six major roles for amateur operators in the NTSOK system. These levels are designed to provide a scalable, systematic way to deliver messages in emergency and non-emergency modes.

Traffic Generators

The Traffic Generators (TGs) are the people that actually create the messages that we handle in the NTS. These people are typically not a part of the formal NTS. These are the people that want to get involved in NTS by creating a message to send to their Aunt Mary, across the country. Or, these are people that send messages to others so they can play a trivia game, or chess, or are NTS penpals. Traffic generators are also organizations like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Civil Air Patrol, or local Emergency Management departments.

All levels of NTSOK need to find these Traffic Generators during “fair-weather days”, so they know where to find the local NTSOK Local Traffic Handlers during the “bad days”. The traffic generators need to have a way to contact either local traffic handlers or district traffic handlers during emergency operations.

NTSOK Local Traffic Handlers

The role of the NTSOK Local Traffic Handler is the main entry or exit point for messages that travel along the Winlink NTSOK system. An outgoing message would be obtained by the local traffic handler and entered into the NTSOK system. Messages can be either entered directly into the Winlink system, or they can be transferred to the district traffic handler by phone, email, direct delivery, or some other method for the district traffic handler to enter.

Incoming messages will be routed from the district handler by Winlink, phone, email, direct delivery, or some other message. The local traffic handler will make the final delivery to the recipient by the method that the sender has indicated.

The local traffic handler role is optional, and the NTSOK District Traffic Handler may choose to deliver messages directly to the recipient or obtain messages directly from the traffic generators.

NTSOK District Traffic Handlers

The NTSOK District Traffic Handlers manage an ARES District tactical mailbox, namely NTSOK-DIST01 through NTSOK-DIST12. These twelve mailboxes match the ARES districts, as described earlier in this document. There should be three NTSOK District Traffic Handlers for each district and each of these roles should be held by someone in the district. These people actually deliver, or arrange for the delivery, of the messages to the recipients, and process the outgoing messages to the Winlink system.

Some specific tasks for this role are as follows:

  • Monitor the assigned tactical mailbox NTSOK-DISTxx on a daily basis.
  • Deliver, or arrange for delivery any in-district messages that appear in the mailbox. Messages can be delivered by phone, radio, printed message, text, courier, or a NTSOK Local Traffic Handler.
  • Manage any special delivery instructions that the sender may have assigned.
  • Generate RRI Radiogram.txt template messages for any out-of-district messages that appear in the mailbox.
  • Maintain an Internet connected Winlink VARA HF station that is capable of connecting to at least three different RMS servers on at least two of the 20 meter, 40 meter, or 80 meter bands.
  • If RMS servers can’t be reached, contact a NTSOK Section Handler to locate new routes.
  • If possible, one or more of the NTSOK District Handlers should be emergency power capable.
  • Work to build/train/develop a network of NTSOK Local Traffic Handlers and Traffic Generators to assist in generating traffic for the system, or to help deliver the traffic locally.

The NTSOK District Traffic Handler roles are currently held by:

Name Callsign – City – email phone – District

  • Mark Clayton N5AZQ – Moore – hamsat2959@gmail.com 479-629-2568 – District 01
  • Mark Clayton N5AZQ – Moore – hamsat2959@gmail.com 479-629-2568 – District 02
  • Trey Traughber KG5NSU – Elgin – kg5nsu@gmail.com 580-483-7414 – District 03
  • Jim James KG5BIM – Blanchard – jjames5419@yahoo.com 405-818-7806 – District 04
  • Bob Rogers WA5EEZ – Tuttle – bobrgrs@hotmail.com 405-392-5562 – District 04
  • Jim James KG5BIM – Blanchard – jjames5419@yahoo.com 405-818-7806 – District 05
  • Bob Rogers WA5EEZ – Tuttle – bobrgrs@hotmail.com 405-392-5562 – District 05
  • Andy Askey KG5UIS – N OKC – andy@askewmail.com 405-820-0237 – District 05
  • Andy Askey KG5UIS – N OKC – andy@askewmail.com 405-820-0237 – District 06
  • Jeff Scoville AE5ME – Broken Arrow – ae5me@yahoo.com 918-906-4819 – District 07
  • Jeff Scoville AE5ME – Broken Arrow – ae5me@yahoo.com 918-906-4819 – District 08
  • John Brackett N9JYJ – Ponca City – jbrackett063@gmail.com – District 09
  • Jim Ross W5ACR – Vian – rosjames@gmail.com 918-773-7209 – District 10
  • Mark Kleine N5HZR – Norman – mkleine@live.com 405-410-6756 – District 11
  • Mark Kleine N5HZR – Norman – mkleine@live.com 405-410-6756 – District 12

NTSOK Section Traffic Handlers

The NTSOK Section Traffic Handlers manage the main tactical mailbox, NTSOK.

Some specific tasks for this role are as follows:

  • Monitor the tactical mailbox NTSOK on a daily basis.
  • Forward any in-section traffic to the appropriate tactical mailbox, NTSOK-DIST01 through NTSOK-DIST12, based on the delivery location provided by the sender.
  • Forward any out-of-section traffic to the appropriate tactical mailbox. Outbound routes have been defined earlier in this document.
  • Maintain an Internet connected Winlink VARA HF station that is capable of connecting to at least three different RMS servers on at least two of the 20 meter, 40 meter, or 80 meter bands.
  • Experiment with connecting to different RMS servers to locate additional delivery points that may change due to varying atmospheric conditions, or server operational status.
  • At least one of the NTSOK Section Traffic Handlers should be capable of emergency power transmissions to keep traffic moving in a power out situation.

The NTSOK Section Traffic Handler role is currently held by Ed Hatch AG5DV.



NTSOK Section Traffic Manager

There is one NTSOK Section Traffic Manager and the person in this role oversees the entire NTSOK traffic system. One or more of the NTSOK Section Traffic Handlers may assist this role to allow for cross-training of the different tasks, or to spread the load a bit.

Some specific tasks for this role are as follows:

  • Negotiate section traffic inbound and outbound routes with regional or national traffic handling organizations.
  • Work with state and federal served agencies to integrate NTSOK with the emergency message requirements of organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Civil Air Patrol, FEMA, SWIC, and more.
  • Oversee the delivery of messages, and monitor the message queues to make sure the traffic stays flowing.
  • Work with the NTS Section Traffic Handlers to optimize the VHF/UHF/HF traffic routes for the section to use.
  • Locate, train, and develop NTSOK District Traffic Handlers and NTSOK Section Traffic Handlers.
  • Review Winlink logs to ensure District and Section traffic is moving over the appropriate VHF/UHF/HF routes.
  • Produce/review/update this document to make sure everyone gets the training they need.
  • Serve as the public face for the NTSOK system.
  • Work to develop ways to increase the volume of traffic handled by the organization.
  • Handle delivery issues as the occur.

The NTSOK Section Traffic Manager role is currently held by Mark Kleine N5HZR.