NTS RadiogramSend a Radiogram by Amateur Radio

Send a free Radiogram by Amateur Radio to a friend or family member anywhere in the United States or Canada. ARRL National Traffic System (NTS) volunteers will relay your message by ham radio and arrange for delivery to the recipient.

What’s a Radiogram?

You’ve probably heard of amateur radio (“ham”) operators, and you might know a friend, family member, or neighbor who loves to build radio equipment and talk to thousands of other ham operators around the world!

But, you might not know that amateur radio operators are primed and ready to step in and provide valuable communications to the general public, when all else fails. Even if Internet service, power lines, and phone lines are all down, amateur radio still can get the message through. To be ready for this, many amateurs have joined a network called the National Traffic System (NTS), which is like a telegraph office over radio. NTS volunteers spend their free time relaying messages, called Radiograms, entirely by amateur radio, completely free of charge. This is great practice to be sure they can serve the public during a true emergency!

Send a Radiogram Now — It’s Free!

Now, there’s a way that YOU can try Amateur Radio messaging! Think of a friend or family member you’d like to contact by Radiogram. You can send any short message, as long as it’s not business-related, urgent or critical, or too private or personal. Your message will be picked up by an Amateur Radio volunteer operator and relayed across the country to near its destination; finally, the recipient will get a local phone call from a nearby ham, or the message might even be delivered in person. Along the way, ham operators will be relaying your message by voice, digital, or even Morse code, and getting valuable practice in emergency public service.

Your Message

To make it easy, please choose one of the standard message texts below. (Note: Both the sender and the recipient must be in the United States or Canada).

From: (you)
Your Name:
Your Email:
Your ZIP or Postal Code:
To: (the recipient)
Name:
Street Address:
City:
State/Province:
ZIP or Postal Code:  Look Up from Address
Phone:[phone OR email required]
Email:[phone OR email required]
Choose your Message:
Fill in the blank with:
Choose your Signoff:

Frequently-Asked Questions

How does a Radiogram work?

A Radiogram is a short, simple text message to a friend or loved one which is sent across the country “off the grid”, using Amateur Radio, instead of via e-mail or cell phone text messaging. Think of it as a postcard being sent over the air. “Ham” radio operators relay the message from one city to the next until it arrives close to its destination.

Who delivers the message?

The message is delivered to its recipient by the “ham” operator who is the last link in the chain. The most common method of delivery is a local telephone call, but the message can also be sent via US Mail, or even hand-delivered like a telegram.

How long does a Radiogram take?

Many factors can affect the delivery time, but a message is typically delivered within 24-48 hours from the time it is submitted.

Does it cost anything?

There is no cost. Amateur radio operators are all-volunteer; they relay these messages because they enjoy using radio equipment they’ve often built and maintained on their own, and they appreciate having the opportunity to use their stations for public service.

What messages can I send?

The best messages are short, simple messages which aren’t too personal. It could be a simple greeting, a happy-birthday message, or a “wish you were here”. In fact, FCC rules specifically prohibit any kind of business-oriented message from being sent over Amateur Radio.

Learn more about the ARRL National Traffic System (NTS), including how Amateur Radio operators relay Radiograms,
on the NTS 2.0 website here.