Join Us Nightly on 7.185 kHz        
     1900 EST / 1800 CST
Founded Jan. 1, 1977 by AA4US
Re-Founded Jan. 1, 2009 by KU0G
The Original Worked All States and Awards Net

Created by PA4RM

How to Participate for New Folks

Welcome to the North American Traffic and Awards Net! We're glad you found us and welcome you to our net. Here are some basic FAQs for newcomers which we hope will help you get started with NATA.

HOW DO I CHECK IN TO NATA?

You can check in on the air during the pre-net (2330z if the frequency is open) or during any of the frequent breaks the net control operator takes for check-ins. You can also check in by joining us on the Nata 40m Net on Netlogger.   select download link above NETLOGGER APPLICATION be sure to click the AIM Wndow in top Menu, to send and receive messages, ck in, etc.

HOW DO I QSL FOR NATA CONTACTS?

You can QSL via any means you are comfortable with. We highly recommend signing up for eQSL and Logbook of the World but also encourage you to consider exchanging ""hard cards"" (printed cards). We have a QSL bureau to assist you in forwarding batches of cards to NATA participants. See the QSL section in the NATA FORUM (click the menu item at the top of this page).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "GO UP FOR GRABS?"

Going "up for grabs" is like calling CQ and taking calls from whoever answers. To do this, say "This is [your callsign] in [your state], UP FOR GRABS!" You will get stations giving their callsign in response, pick up to two stations to answer and exchange signal report with for your log. Sometimes NCS will offer you the opportunity to go up for grabs again to accommodate a large number of stations wanting to work you.

WHAT'S A SIGNAL REPORT?

We exchange signal reports using the RS scale (Readability and Strength). We use reports in the range of 2-1 to 5-9. Here's a brief explanation of the numbers:

  • READABILITY - From 2 (barely readable) to 5 (perfect copy)
  • STRENGTH - From 1 (barely registering) to 9 (strongest signal)

A signal report of 5-9 is used when you have perfect copy with a very strong signal being received. You can also add things such as "plus 10" or "plus 20" to a 59 report, but it should only be logged as 59 in your log.

A signal report of 2-1 is the minimum acceptable signal report that we will validate your contacts and we encourage you to avoid using this report.

Some common slang for the most commonly used RS reports are...

  • 22 - ""Rifle Shot"" or ""Bang-Bang"" or ""Minimum""
  • 33 - ""Triplets""
  • 44 - ""Magnum""
  • 55 - ""Nickels Nickels"" or ""Speed Limit""
  • 57 - ""Heinz Variety""
  • 59 - ""Maximum"" or ""Max""

WHAT DOES "GIVE HIM A LONG STRING" MEAN?

When a station is trying to hear you in rough conditions they may ask you to "send me a long string". They are asking for you to send ONLY the signal report numbers several times. We recommend giving the report 5 to 7 times slowly and use the slang terms as well. Often you can complete a "good contact" by using this method.

WHAT IS A ""GOOD CONTACT""?

This is a term used by Net Control or a relay station to let you know that both sides of the contact have each other's signal reports properly logged. This is how we validate contacts made on the net. In order to ensure that you get a good contact we ask that you repeat the report you received and then give your report of the other stations signal. Here's an example:

"KU8F this is ND8F. Roger the 5 and 9. You're also 5 and 9!"

Please note that relaying signal reports is not allowed on our nets. If you can't hear them, you can't log them... We WILL, however, be happy to relay a callsign, name, or location for you!

We are always happy to help newcomers so don't by shy about asking questions on the air or on the Live Web App! You will find the folks that participate in the NATA net to be extremely friendly and helpful! We're all glad you're here!

"