We are excited to announce the formal and permanent QSY of NATA to 7185 kHz effective Wednesday, February 16, 2010! This move comes with the blessing and welcome of the board of directors of the OMISS Net. Both nets view this as a new relationship between both our nets and our users and look forward to the mutual benefits of both NATA and OMISS operating on 7185 kHz.

NATA approached the Board of Directors of OMISS last week after it became increasingly obvious that we were being forced off our former operating frequency which we have used for nearly eleven months without complaint. We made every possible effort to appeal to the chief complainant to achieve a resolution to the problem without success. We are extremely disappointed to find people that we could not reach the same kind of accord that we have with such groups as the Spirit Net and the NW6DX roundtable group on 75 meters.

Out of this problem has come an amazing opportunity where NATA can not only grow but can be actively supportive of another organization with whom we have much in common! We are grateful to the OMISS Board of Directors for welcoming us to 7185 kHz and the potential benefits for BOTH of our net organizations!

NATA's 40 meter SSB net presence will make several changes as part of this new arrangement:

1. NATA's 40m SSB Net will start 30 minutes earlier at 2330z with pre-list beginning at 2315z or as soon as NCS is available.
2. Our 40m net will close at 0030z or as soon thereafter as the designated OMISS NCS comes up on frequency.
3. We will query all check-ins to determine if they will be staying on frequency to participate in OMISS (which we will ENCOURAGE!) and work with the OMISS NCS to ensure that these stations get checked in to that net.
4. On Thursday evenings, NATA will NOT operate at 2330z yielding that time to the OMISS net which currently operates an early net session on that evening. We will start our net AFTER the OMISS net concludes.
5. We will soon reinstate our 40m Late Net to coincide with the time that our 75m would normally meet on Thursday nights. This net will return to the air when our late net coordinator, W7DMV, completes his move to Alabama and is on the air from his new QTH.
6. Effective 0001z, February 16, 2010, all contacts made on OMISS nets are valid for NATA awards credit and may be applied to NATA awards without the regular 25% outside contacts restriction. This is our way of thanking OMISS for it's support and help in resolving our need for a frequency to call home.

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to Greg, AE9W (OMISS President) for his support and helping us come together as two nets with common purposes and mutual interests! We look forward to seeing this relationship continue to grow and develop as both organizations support each other!

NATA is about to celebrate the one year anniversary of our return to the bands! Since January 1, 2009, the North American Traffic and Awards Net has been operating on 75 and 40 meters with nets on all modes (CW and RTTY are currently "on hold"). As we reach this important milestone we wish to thank everyone who has been so helpful in bringing this classic awards nets back to life.

Our tireless team of net control operators of 2009: K5TRM, KU0G, K5SMH, KG5RJ, K0JSC, KC9LGW, W7DMV, WC2Z, W5BLH and all of the great folks who serve as relays on the nets!

Our QSL bureau manager and keeper of the NetLogger club file: W5BLH

On January 1, 2010, we turn "one" but really we aren't just one year old! We're actually more like 12 (give or take a year!) as NATA originally operated from 1977 through the late 1980's before it went QRX. Now we're making a come back and we're dedicated to making NATA THE place for fun operations and challenging awards!

We will issue special First Anniversary awards for all net participants which make at least two completed (signal reports of 2x2 or better and acknowledged both ways) on any of the nets which meet on January 1st and 2nd, 2010.

To commemorate our first anniversary NATA is issuing a special Anniversary Award Certificate. To qualify for the certificate, check in to one (or more!) of the following nets on January 1 and 2, 2010 (local calendar date) and make at least TWO completed contacts on the nets your participate in. Net control will keep record of operators who qualify for the Anniversary Award and submit those for processing immediately after each net closes.

Special endorsements will be available for working Original NATA members (stations who were participants in the original NATA net from the 1970's and 80's, these stations will identify themselves and that will be noted in the online logging system)

The net schedule for January 1, 2010, is as follows:

TIME       FREQ.    MODE     NCS
0000z    7.195    SSB       KU0G
0100z   7.070    PSK-31  K0JSC
0230z   1.905    SSB       KC9LGW
0345z   3.905    SSB       KU0G

The net schedule for January 2, 2010, is as follows:

TIME    FREQ.     MODE      NCS
0000z  7.195     SSB        KU0G
0200z  3.57815 PSK-31   K0JSC
0345z  3.905     SSB        KU0G

Awards will be available starting January 2, 2010. Access your award through the online Awards Retrieval system via the page menu. All NATA awards are FREE (if you use our online system) and are delivered as professional quality, high-resolution PDF files which you can print yourself or store on portable drives and take to your local print shop for printing. We recommend printing on 110# glossy cardstock for best results!

NATA nets use N1HWQ's NetLogger software for live online check-in listings and live chat with other net participants. To download this free software please visit www.netlogger.org.

Thanks for your participation and we look forward to having lots of folks, both old AND new, participating in on First Anniversary Celebration.