Welcome to the North American Traffic and Awards Net and thanks for your participation and interest in us!

NATA was founded in January, 1977, growing out of the Bicentennial Worked All States Net which originally met on 3903 kHz late nights during 1976. The net existed to provide amateurs a gathering place to make the contacts necessary to earn the ARRL's special Bicentennial WAS award. When the American Bicentennial Celebration year ended the BWAS folks did not want to see the new on-air friendships go by the side of the road and founded NATA. Over the next 15 years NATA operated a daily late-night net (0500z) on 3903 kHz and subsequently moved to 3905 kHz where it remained until it ceased operations in the mid-1980's. The net was brought back to life January 1, 2008, by Jim Duncan, KU0G, to offer amateurs a new option for WAS and awards pursuits where the need for completely contacts and doing so expeditiously is the primary purpose.

NATA nets serve YOU. On our nets, our website, and email group you will find...

• We are here for YOU!
• NO net politics or rules police here
• We do not have officers. Everyone is a willing volunteer.
• We are NOT a club and have NO desire to become one!
• Our nets maximize the contacts YOU make on the net. No waiting around for 2 or 3 hours to log only 1 or 2 contacts.
• There are no rigid rules here. We go with the flow! NCS has complete discretion on how each session is run and will adapt to the circumstances, special stations, newcomers, etc. as they present themselves.
• No memberships and, best of all, our awards are FREE! (subject to using our online application and retrieval system, $3.00 charge otherwise to cover postage and printing costs only).

NATA nets generally last one hour or less. Your on-air time is not spent sitting around waiting for a long list of check-ins to get to you only to get one contact. It is our policy to offer you no less than 2 contacts on any call. In fact on most of our nets you are offered the opportunity to "take any calls you like." We simply ask that you respect the needs of the many and limit your time on any one turn to 2 or 3 minutes maximum. We will help arrange contacts but it is ultimately up to the stations making contact to hear and respond to each other and confirm the signal reports sent both ways with a minimum acceptable report of 2-by-1 (21) up through a maximum of 59.

You will find our net schedule by clicking on the SCHEDULE tab at the top of the every page on the website. The nets scheduled for each day are posted at the top of the website homepage and update daily. We encourage you to check in with us!

The best way to find out who's on the net and to log your contacts is to use N1HWQ's NET LOGGER software. You can download it at www.netlogger.org.

Checking in to our nets is done in either of two way:

1. Live on-the-air
2. via the Almost Instant Messaging feature in Net Logger (preferred method if net is active or you can't hear NCS).

We offer a QSL bureau which you may use to exchange hard cards but we do not require cards for our awards. We work on an honor system that says that the amateur radio operator is trustworthy. The QSL bureau is operated by Barry Hiddema, W5BLH. You may purchase postage and envelops directly through this website or you may mail your own SASE's to Barry.

NATA nets You need only complete the online application form and submit a log worksheet for the award application you are submitting. We DO expect participants to QSL using one of the following methods: ARRL Logbook of the World (preferred!), eQSL, or paper QSL cards.

If you need assistance getting set up on Logbook of the World or eQSL, please contact GREG HALL, KG5RJ ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Greg works with eQSL and is our primary point of contact for electronic QSL-ing! 

We also maintain an email communications group on Yahoo where the check-in lists, current news and information, and general conversation/communications pertaining to our nets may be posted. To join that email list, please enter your email address in the space below and click on the Yahoo! icon to be taken to the group registration site.

Click this button to join the NATA Net Email Group!

Thanks for joining us on NATA! We look forward to your participation and to making a new friend in you!

COME JOIN US FOR A FUN NET AND GOOD FRIENDS!!!