Welcome Newcomer!

We're glad you have checked us out! What you have discovered is the North American Traffic and Awards net. This net originated in 1977 as an extension of the Bicentennial WAS net started by AA4US. When the Bicentennial year was over there was a desire on the part of the participants to keep the net going to help others work toward WAS. NATA ceased operations in the mid-1980's and has been brought back in 2009 to serve amateurs everywhere in North America and the surrounding islands!

• We are here for YOU!
• You will find NO politics here.
• We do not have officers. Everyone is a willing volunteer.
• We are NOT a club and have NO desire to become one!
• You WILL find our net approach will maximize the contacts YOU make each night. No waiting around for 2 or 3 hours and only logging 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.

There are 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).

You will find our net schedule by clicking on the SCHEDULE tab at the top of the every page on the website. We encourage you to check out our schedule and 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. (Note: if you are using Windows Vista on your computer, after installing the software RIGHT CLICK on the NetLogger icon and check "Run as Administrator")

Checking in to our nets is done in one of four methods:

1. Live on-the-air
2. via Echolink to the active NCS (not always guaranteed)
3. via the Shout Out box on our website (right column on the page, click "Add ShoutOut" to open the text box)
4. via the Almost Instant Messaging feature in Net Logger (preferred method if net is active or you can't hear NCS).

If you hold one of the accepted Worked All States awards listed on our website you are not required to submit QSL cards for our awards. 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 offer a QSL Bureau (operated by W5BLH) and you may purchase envelopes on postage directly through the website (see right column, near bottom for payment through PayPal).

Want a quick, easy award? Try our DIRTY DOZEN AWARD! Work 13 states in 13 days on our nets and you've earned it! Once you earn your first NATA award you are also exempt from sending in QSL cards.

QSL cards should be scanned and converted into PDF files (take them to your local copy store) for submission if you need to submit cards for an award.  We try to do everything electronically to help you avoid any extra costs!

We handle written message traffic first on every net. After that we go down the list and offer each participant the opportunity to work as many stations as they can in about 2 minutes. Once that is completed we go back and ask the net for stations that would like to make additional contacts and then honor those requests. Net Control will vary from this as circumstances warrant. Just check in and hang on for a fun ride!!! We make it a practice to run our check-in list for any new station(s) that check in to give them an opportunity to log a bunch of contacts plus give them an opportunity to see how things work on the nets without having the extra pressure of having to figure out who to call!

Again, welcome to the NATA nets and we look forward to logging you soon! We're here for YOU! Please count on us to make you feel welcome at all times. Don't be afraid to ask questions. We want you to have fun and keep coming back!!!