The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Incorporated

2002 NZART CODE OF PRACTICE
for DIGITAL MODES (Part 1)

Approved by Council February 1996  (Revised May 2002)

Radio Bulletin Board Services, Store & Forward Stations, Digital Repeaters, “Gateway” Stations, and similar stations that provide a service for use by other amateurs, are referred to as “Service Providers” in this Code.

Definition:  “Digital Modes” includes: RTTY, PACKET RADIO, AMTOR, PACTOR 1 & 2, G-TOR, CLOVER, STREAM, HELLSCREIBER, THROB, and similar modes irrespective of the emission mode or signal protocol used and includes any new digital systems that may be developed.

1. This document shall be known as the: NZART Code of Practice for Digital Modes.

2. The purpose is to provide guidelines for the operation of Service Provider stations and for other operators using Digital Modes on amateur bands.

3. Except as may be otherwise provided for in various Acts and Regulations, this Code is a guide to the efficient and correct manner in which Digital Mode communications should be conducted within New Zealand.

Should any inconsistencies arise between the wording of this New Zealand Code and the wording of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Code of Practice for Packet Radio Operations, the IARU Code shall prevail for all international communications.

4. “Self regulation” of all aspects of amateur radio operations shall be the guiding principle of all Digital Mode Operators and, in particular, all operators shall observe published band plans and the current Regulations appertaining to the Amateur Service.

5. NZART encourages Branches to act as Service Providers and to support groups who are prepared to act as Service Providers.

GUIDE FOR SYSTEM OPERATORS (Sys-Ops) of SERVICE PROVIDER STATIONS:

(a) Any amateur establishing a Service Provider station for the use of other amateurs shall, as best as possible, ensure that the Service is reliable, is available consistently within a defined geographical area for a defined purpose and shall advertise any restrictions placed on message content.

(b) Any amateur establishing a Service Provider station that is not consistently available to other amateurs shall advertise the operating hours of the Service and its purpose.

(c) Any Sys-Op wishing to close a Service Provider Station, either temporarily or permanently, excluding such irregular short periods of time required for system maintenance, should give adequate notice of closure to the users of the system.

(d) Except as provided in sub-clause (e), a Sys-Op shall not deny the use of the Service to any amateur.

(e) As far as possible a Sys-Op shall not permit any of the following types of material to be re-transmitted by the Service:

    Statements of political propaganda or religious subjects.

     Inappropriate language, such as swear words, obscenities, defamatory or libelous language, graphic representation of obscene or offensive subjects.

     Material which may infringe copyright.

     Material which infringes personal or corporate privacy.

     Advertising of goods and services except as provided for in 6(h) below.

(f) Where a Sys-Op identifies an amateur who is sending inappropriate material, as noted above, the Sys-Op may take action to exclude that inappropriate material and/or deny the use of the Service to the amateur involved.

(g) Whereas a Sys-Op shall endeavour to limit the re-transmission of all inappropriate material, the RESPONSIBILITY for such material shall rest with the person introducing the inappropriate material to the Service. 

(h) A Sys-Op may allow the re-transmission of messages WITHIN NEW ZEALAND ONLY advertising second-hand amateur radio equipment or other equipment directly related to amateur radio available for sale and the price thereof, providing the sellers are amateurs and the sale is of a non-commercial nature.  Also, Sys-ops may allow the re-transmission of the advertising of non-profit services related to amateur radio.

(i) A Sys-Op may allow the re-transmission of material from an ‘internet’ node or other such systems providing such material is introduced to the Amateur system by an amateur and is of non-pecuniary interest or is not as noted in 6(e) above. To this end the Sys-Op should employ automated filtering systems. Please refer to the NZART Internet Guidelines document.

(j) Sys-Ops are encouraged to initiate measures designed to authenticate the identity of stations introducing material to their system and may, by prior arrangement with the station introducing material that purports to be of an official nature, require the use of a means of identification.

(k) In the case of a Service Provider operated by a Branch of NZART or a radio club, the Sys-Ops operating the Service shall liaise with the Call Sign Trustee on all matters that may affect the license held by the Trustee.

NZART CODE OF PRACTICE
for DIGITAL MODES (Part 2)

For all amateur radio operators using ‘Digital Modes’:

1. In the spirit of ‘self regulation’ all operators shall refrain from transmitting any messages that contain any inappropriate material and, specifically, shall not transmit any of the material noted in Part 1, 6(e).

2. Operators should not transmit material on behalf of non-amateur ‘third parties’ except as may be provided for in the case of emergencies or in the New Zealand license conditions and other approved uses.

3. Operators should not send, either directly or via a Service Provider, any advertising material to stations other than those within New Zealand.

4. All operators should ensure that the call sign of the message originating station, including the name of the person responsible in the case of a Club or collective station, is clearly shown on every message so the sender can be identified.

5. All operators using a Service Provider shall respect any advertised restrictions regarding the nature of the material that the Service Provider will forward.

6. Operators are SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for the material they introduce into any Service Provider or transmit by any means.

7. Any operator that is advised by the Sys-Op of a Service Provider that the material he/she is introducing or attempting to introduce into ‘the system’ is of an inappropriate nature, shall henceforth cease to transmit any such inappropriate material.

8. Operators wishing to send messages that are too long for efficient relay through “the system” should send such messages as a series of messages rather than as one large message.

9. All transmitted material should be in plain text, however, where encoding to facilitate transmission is used, the technique or system used to encode the message should be of a format that has been previously promulgated and available to all interested parties. Note: The use of “encryption” for secrecy is against the Radiocommunications Regulations.

10. Any operator not complying with 9 above, must accept that a Sys-Op may reject   such encrypted messages.

11. Operators on channels where more than one communication protocol is used are strongly encouraged to adjust their system parameters so that no other operator suffers more impediment than is inherently unavoidable.

12. Note:

Sys-ops are encouraged to hold, where-ever possible, forums on all matters related to Digital Modes and the provision of Services to the amateur community and from such forums make collective comments and submissions to NZART so that this Code may be kept in line with current practices and developments.

NZART POLICY

‘DIGIMODES’

1. The term ‘Digimodes’ includes all forms of digital radio transmissions irrespective of the transmission mode or the protocol used to transmit a ‘Digimode’ signal.

2. NZART endorses the IARU Administrative Council Resolution 91-2 and the subsequent IARU Region 3 Policy for Digimode Operations formulated at the 1994 Region 3 Conference in Singapore.

3. NZART encourages the further development of all forms of Digimode systems including but not limited to the national and international BBS systems both terrestrial and via satellite.

4. NZART shall publish from time to time a Code of Practice for the guidance of Digimode operators, BBS System Operators and Administrators, and Operators of any Relay, Repeater System, or ‘Gateway’ in a Digimode network.

5. The Code of Practice shall be reviewed from time to time as decided by NZART Council.

6. Any Digimode Operator may submit to NZART Council suggestions for updating or other changes to the Code of Practice.

7. Special Interest Groups holding Seminars and similar meetings at NZART Conferences are invited to formulate suggested amendments to the Code of Practice.

8. Any inconsistencies that may arise between the wording of the IARU Resolutions, referred to in 2 above, and the NZART ‘Code of Practice for Digimode Operations’, shall be resolved as follows:

(a) For International operations the IARU ‘Code’ to have precedence.

(b) For internal NZ operations, the NZART ‘Code of Practice' may be used.

____________________________________________________

 

 

The International Amateur Radio Union

RESOLUTION 91-2

(Revised 1995)

concerning guidelines for "DIGIMODE"

The IARU Administrative Council, Bandung, October 1991,

considering the growing popularity of "DIGIMODE" for the relaying of messages between radio amateurs,

recognizing that a medium as effective as "DIGIMODE" can invite abuse through the introduction of traffic that is inappropriate to the Amateur Service internationally,

noting Resolution 87‑2 (Revised 1989) which urges adherence to the spirit and intentions of the ITU Radio Regulations in handling traffic, and calls attention to the undesirable aspects of the uncontrolled proliferation of unattended store‑and‑forward "mailbox" stations,

resolves that the attached "Guidelines for 'DIGIMODE' Operators" and "Guidelines for 'DIGIMODE' Bulletin Board Operators" first adopted at the IARU Region 3 Conference, Bandung, 1991, and later revised, shall be distributed to IARU member‑societies worldwide with the request that they be shared with the amateurs of each country; and

further resolves that future IARU regional conferences are invited to suggest improvements to these guidelines so they will continue to be representative of good Amateur Radio operating practices as these practices evolve over time.

Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators

1. Amateur Radio takes pride in being self‑regulated. "DIGIMODE" Operators should continue this tradition.

2. "DIGIMODE" Operators, like all Amateur Radio Operators, should observe published Band Plans.

3. A "DIGIMODE" Operator should not send the following traffic either direct or via mail boxes:

a. All advertising for selling, buying or trading goods, including amateur equipment (except if permitted by local regulations);

b. All statements or propaganda on political or religious subjects;

c. All inappropriate language, as, for instance, the use of swear words, obscenities, defamatory or libellous language, etc.;

d. All material which may infringe Copyright;

e. All material which infringes privacy, whether personal or corporate.

4. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should avoid transmitting unnecessary or redundant messages and documents in order to enhance network efficiency.

5. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should ensure that the callsign of the originating station, including the name of the person responsible in the case of a club station, is clearly shown on every message so that the sender can be identified.

6. A "DIGIMODE" Operator should avoid messages that are too long for efficient relay though the network.

7. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should ensure that all messages transmitted are addressed to the appropriate group of recipients and not addressed to inappropriate areas in order to enhance network efficiency.

Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operators

1. The Operator of a "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board is obliged to provide a reliable service, within a defined area for a defined purpose.

2. A "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operator is morally responsible for all messages forwarded by his/her system. He/she should make his/her best efforts to insure that the traffic forwarded is appropriate to the Amateur Radio Service and in accordance with the Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators.

3. HF Mailboxes should only be used where there is a genuine need that cannot be provided by VHF or other means.

4. A "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operator may take action to exclude a User who persistently contravenes the Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators. Excluding a User should only be done as a last resort after the User has been warned and where exclusion does not contravene local regulations.

5. "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operators should be aware of their responsibilities for the content of messages and are encouraged to use authentication mechanisms.

______________________________________________________

The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Incorporated

2002 NZART CODE OF PRACTICE for DIGITAL MODES    (Part 1)

Approved by Council February 1996  (Revised May 2002)

Radio Bulletin Board Services, Store & Forward Stations, Digital Repeaters, “Gateway” Stations, and similar stations that provide a service for use by other amateurs, are referred to as “Service Providers” in this Code.

Definition:  “Digital Modes” includes: RTTY, PACKET RADIO, AMTOR, PACTOR 1 & 2, G-TOR, CLOVER, STREAM, HELLSCREIBER, THROB, and similar modes irrespective of the emission mode or signal protocol used and includes any new digital systems that may be developed.

1. This document shall be known as the: NZART Code of Practice for Digital Modes.

2. The purpose is to provide guidelines for the operation of Service Provider stations and for other operators using Digital Modes on amateur bands.

3. Except as may be otherwise provided for in various Acts and Regulations, this Code is a guide to the efficient and correct manner in which Digital Mode communications should be conducted within New Zealand.

Should any inconsistencies arise between the wording of this New Zealand Code and the wording of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Code of Practice for Packet Radio Operations, the IARU Code shall prevail for all international communications.

4. “Self regulation” of all aspects of amateur radio operations shall be the guiding principle of all Digital Mode Operators and, in particular, all operators shall observe published band plans and the current Regulations appertaining to the Amateur Service.

5. NZART encourages Branches to act as Service Providers and to support groups who are prepared to act as Service Providers.

GUIDE FOR SYSTEM OPERATORS (Sys-Ops) of SERVICE PROVIDER STATIONS:

(a) Any amateur establishing a Service Provider station for the use of other amateurs shall, as best as possible, ensure that the Service is reliable, is available consistently within a defined geographical area for a defined purpose and shall advertise any restrictions placed on message content.

(b) Any amateur establishing a Service Provider station that is not consistently available to other amateurs shall advertise the operating hours of the Service and its purpose.

(c) Any Sys-Op wishing to close a Service Provider Station, either temporarily or permanently, excluding such irregular short periods of time required for system maintenance, should give adequate notice of closure to the users of the system.

(d) Except as provided in sub-clause (e), a Sys-Op shall not deny the use of the Service to any amateur.

(e) As far as possible a Sys-Op shall not permit any of the following types of material to be re-transmitted by the Service:

    Statements of political propaganda or religious subjects.

     Inappropriate language, such as swear words, obscenities, defamatory or libelous language, graphic representation of obscene or offensive subjects.

     Material which may infringe copyright.

     Material which infringes personal or corporate privacy.

     Advertising of goods and services except as provided for in 6(h) below.

(f) Where a Sys-Op identifies an amateur who is sending inappropriate material, as noted above, the Sys-Op may take action to exclude that inappropriate material and/or deny the use of the Service to the amateur involved.

(g) Whereas a Sys-Op shall endeavour to limit the re-transmission of all inappropriate material, the RESPONSIBILITY for such material shall rest with the person introducing the inappropriate material to the Service. 

(h) A Sys-Op may allow the re-transmission of messages WITHIN NEW ZEALAND ONLY advertising second-hand amateur radio equipment or other equipment directly related to amateur radio available for sale and the price thereof, providing the sellers are amateurs and the sale is of a non-commercial nature.  Also, Sys-ops may allow the re-transmission of the advertising of non-profit services related to amateur radio.

(i) A Sys-Op may allow the re-transmission of material from an ‘internet’ node or other such systems providing such material is introduced to the Amateur system by an amateur and is of non-pecuniary interest or is not as noted in 6(e) above. To this end the Sys-Op should employ automated filtering systems. Please refer to the NZART Internet Guidelines document.

(j) Sys-Ops are encouraged to initiate measures designed to authenticate the identity of stations introducing material to their system and may, by prior arrangement with the station introducing material that purports to be of an official nature, require the use of a means of identification.

(k) In the case of a Service Provider operated by a Branch of NZART or a radio club, the Sys-Ops operating the Service shall liaise with the Call Sign Trustee on all matters that may affect the license held by the Trustee.

NZART CODE OF PRACTICE for DIGITAL MODES    (Part 2)

For all amateur radio operators using ‘Digital Modes’:

1. In the spirit of ‘self regulation’ all operators shall refrain from transmitting any messages that contain any inappropriate material and, specifically, shall not transmit any of the material noted in Part 1, 6(e).

2. Operators should not transmit material on behalf of non-amateur ‘third parties’ except as may be provided for in the case of emergencies or in the New Zealand license conditions and other approved uses.

3. Operators should not send, either directly or via a Service Provider, any advertising material to stations other than those within New Zealand.

4. All operators should ensure that the call sign of the message originating station, including the name of the person responsible in the case of a Club or collective station, is clearly shown on every message so the sender can be identified.

5. All operators using a Service Provider shall respect any advertised restrictions regarding the nature of the material that the Service Provider will forward.

6. Operators are SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for the material they introduce into any Service Provider or transmit by any means.

7. Any operator that is advised by the Sys-Op of a Service Provider that the material he/she is introducing or attempting to introduce into ‘the system’ is of an inappropriate nature, shall henceforth cease to transmit any such inappropriate material.

8. Operators wishing to send messages that are too long for efficient relay through “the system” should send such messages as a series of messages rather than as one large message.

9. All transmitted material should be in plain text, however, where encoding to facilitate transmission is used, the technique or system used to encode the message should be of a format that has been previously promulgated and available to all interested parties. Note: The use of “encryption” for secrecy is against the Radiocommunications Regulations.

10. Any operator not complying with 9 above, must accept that a Sys-Op may reject   such encrypted messages.

11. Operators on channels where more than one communication protocol is used are strongly encouraged to adjust their system parameters so that no other operator suffers more impediment than is inherently unavoidable.

12. Note:

Sys-ops are encouraged to hold, where-ever possible, forums on all matters related to Digital Modes and the provision of Services to the amateur community and from such forums make collective comments and submissions to NZART so that this Code may be kept in line with current practices and developments.

NZART POLICY

‘DIGIMODES’

1. The term ‘Digimodes’ includes all forms of digital radio transmissions irrespective of the transmission mode or the protocol used to transmit a ‘Digimode’ signal.

2. NZART endorses the IARU Administrative Council Resolution 91-2 and the subsequent IARU Region 3 Policy for Digimode Operations formulated at the 1994 Region 3 Conference in Singapore.

3. NZART encourages the further development of all forms of Digimode systems including but not limited to the national and international BBS systems both terrestrial and via satellite.

4. NZART shall publish from time to time a Code of Practice for the guidance of Digimode operators, BBS System Operators and Administrators, and Operators of any Relay, Repeater System, or ‘Gateway’ in a Digimode network.

5. The Code of Practice shall be reviewed from time to time as decided by NZART Council.

6. Any Digimode Operator may submit to NZART Council suggestions for updating or other changes to the Code of Practice.

7. Special Interest Groups holding Seminars and similar meetings at NZART Conferences are invited to formulate suggested amendments to the Code of Practice.

8. Any inconsistencies that may arise between the wording of the IARU Resolutions, referred to in 2 above, and the NZART ‘Code of Practice for Digimode Operations’, shall be resolved as follows:

(a) For International operations the IARU ‘Code’ to have precedence.

(b) For internal NZ operations, the NZART ‘Code of Practice' may be used.

____________________________________________________

 

 

The International Amateur Radio Union

RESOLUTION 91-2

(Revised 1995)

concerning guidelines for "DIGIMODE"

The IARU Administrative Council, Bandung, October 1991,

considering the growing popularity of "DIGIMODE" for the relaying of messages between radio amateurs,

recognizing that a medium as effective as "DIGIMODE" can invite abuse through the introduction of traffic that is inappropriate to the Amateur Service internationally,

noting Resolution 87‑2 (Revised 1989) which urges adherence to the spirit and intentions of the ITU Radio Regulations in handling traffic, and calls attention to the undesirable aspects of the uncontrolled proliferation of unattended store‑and‑forward "mailbox" stations,

resolves that the attached "Guidelines for 'DIGIMODE' Operators" and "Guidelines for 'DIGIMODE' Bulletin Board Operators" first adopted at the IARU Region 3 Conference, Bandung, 1991, and later revised, shall be distributed to IARU member‑societies worldwide with the request that they be shared with the amateurs of each country; and

further resolves that future IARU regional conferences are invited to suggest improvements to these guidelines so they will continue to be representative of good Amateur Radio operating practices as these practices evolve over time.

Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators

1. Amateur Radio takes pride in being self‑regulated. "DIGIMODE" Operators should continue this tradition.

2. "DIGIMODE" Operators, like all Amateur Radio Operators, should observe published Band Plans.

3. A "DIGIMODE" Operator should not send the following traffic either direct or via mail boxes:

a. All advertising for selling, buying or trading goods, including amateur equipment (except if permitted by local regulations);

b. All statements or propaganda on political or religious subjects;

c. All inappropriate language, as, for instance, the use of swear words, obscenities, defamatory or libellous language, etc.;

d. All material which may infringe Copyright;

e. All material which infringes privacy, whether personal or corporate.

4. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should avoid transmitting unnecessary or redundant messages and documents in order to enhance network efficiency.

5. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should ensure that the callsign of the originating station, including the name of the person responsible in the case of a club station, is clearly shown on every message so that the sender can be identified.

6. A "DIGIMODE" Operator should avoid messages that are too long for efficient relay though the network.

7. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should ensure that all messages transmitted are addressed to the appropriate group of recipients and not addressed to inappropriate areas in order to enhance network efficiency.

Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operators

1. The Operator of a "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board is obliged to provide a reliable service, within a defined area for a defined purpose.

2. A "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operator is morally responsible for all messages forwarded by his/her system. He/she should make his/her best efforts to insure that the traffic forwarded is appropriate to the Amateur Radio Service and in accordance with the Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators.

3. HF Mailboxes should only be used where there is a genuine need that cannot be provided by VHF or other means.

4. A "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operator may take action to exclude a User who persistently contravenes the Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators. Excluding a User should only be done as a last resort after the User has been warned and where exclusion does not contravene local regulations.

5. "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operators should be aware of their responsibilities for the content of messages and are encouraged to use authentication mechanisms.

______________________________________________________

NZART CODE OF PRACTICE
for DIGITAL MODES    (Part 1)

Approved by Council February 1996  (Revised May 2002)

Radio Bulletin Board Services, Store & Forward Stations, Digital Repeaters, “Gateway” Stations, and similar stations that provide a service for use by other amateurs, are referred to as “Service Providers” in this Code.

Definition:  “Digital Modes” includes: RTTY, PACKET RADIO, AMTOR, PACTOR 1 & 2, G-TOR, CLOVER, STREAM, HELLSCREIBER, THROB, and similar modes irrespective of the emission mode or signal protocol used and includes any new digital systems that may be developed.

1. This document shall be known as the: NZART Code of Practice for Digital Modes.

2. The purpose is to provide guidelines for the operation of Service Provider stations and for other operators using Digital Modes on amateur bands.

3. Except as may be otherwise provided for in various Acts and Regulations, this Code is a guide to the efficient and correct manner in which Digital Mode communications should be conducted within New Zealand.

Should any inconsistencies arise between the wording of this New Zealand Code and the wording of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Code of Practice for Packet Radio Operations, the IARU Code shall prevail for all international communications.

4. “Self regulation” of all aspects of amateur radio operations shall be the guiding principle of all Digital Mode Operators and, in particular, all operators shall observe published band plans and the current Regulations appertaining to the Amateur Service.

5. NZART encourages Branches to act as Service Providers and to support groups who are prepared to act as Service Providers.

GUIDE FOR SYSTEM OPERATORS (Sys-Ops) of SERVICE PROVIDER STATIONS:

(a) Any amateur establishing a Service Provider station for the use of other amateurs shall, as best as possible, ensure that the Service is reliable, is available consistently within a defined geographical area for a defined purpose and shall advertise any restrictions placed on message content.

(b) Any amateur establishing a Service Provider station that is not consistently available to other amateurs shall advertise the operating hours of the Service and its purpose.

(c) Any Sys-Op wishing to close a Service Provider Station, either temporarily or permanently, excluding such irregular short periods of time required for system maintenance, should give adequate notice of closure to the users of the system.

(d) Except as provided in sub-clause (e), a Sys-Op shall not deny the use of the Service to any amateur.

(e) As far as possible a Sys-Op shall not permit any of the following types of material to be re-transmitted by the Service:

    Statements of political propaganda or religious subjects.

     Inappropriate language, such as swear words, obscenities, defamatory or libelous language, graphic representation of obscene or offensive subjects.

     Material which may infringe copyright.

     Material which infringes personal or corporate privacy.

     Advertising of goods and services except as provided for in 6(h) below.

(f) Where a Sys-Op identifies an amateur who is sending inappropriate material, as noted above, the Sys-Op may take action to exclude that inappropriate material and/or deny the use of the Service to the amateur involved.

(g) Whereas a Sys-Op shall endeavour to limit the re-transmission of all inappropriate material, the RESPONSIBILITY for such material shall rest with the person introducing the inappropriate material to the Service. 

(h) A Sys-Op may allow the re-transmission of messages WITHIN NEW ZEALAND ONLY advertising second-hand amateur radio equipment or other equipment directly related to amateur radio available for sale and the price thereof, providing the sellers are amateurs and the sale is of a non-commercial nature.  Also, Sys-ops may allow the re-transmission of the advertising of non-profit services related to amateur radio.

(i) A Sys-Op may allow the re-transmission of material from an ‘internet’ node or other such systems providing such material is introduced to the Amateur system by an amateur and is of non-pecuniary interest or is not as noted in 6(e) above. To this end the Sys-Op should employ automated filtering systems. Please refer to the NZART Internet Guidelines document.

(j) Sys-Ops are encouraged to initiate measures designed to authenticate the identity of stations introducing material to their system and may, by prior arrangement with the station introducing material that purports to be of an official nature, require the use of a means of identification.

(k) In the case of a Service Provider operated by a Branch of NZART or a radio club, the Sys-Ops operating the Service shall liaise with the Call Sign Trustee on all matters that may affect the license held by the Trustee.

NZART CODE OF PRACTICE for DIGITAL MODES    (Part 2)

For all amateur radio operators using ‘Digital Modes’:

1. In the spirit of ‘self regulation’ all operators shall refrain from transmitting any messages that contain any inappropriate material and, specifically, shall not transmit any of the material noted in Part 1, 6(e).

2. Operators should not transmit material on behalf of non-amateur ‘third parties’ except as may be provided for in the case of emergencies or in the New Zealand license conditions and other approved uses.

3. Operators should not send, either directly or via a Service Provider, any advertising material to stations other than those within New Zealand.

4. All operators should ensure that the call sign of the message originating station, including the name of the person responsible in the case of a Club or collective station, is clearly shown on every message so the sender can be identified.

5. All operators using a Service Provider shall respect any advertised restrictions regarding the nature of the material that the Service Provider will forward.

6. Operators are SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for the material they introduce into any Service Provider or transmit by any means.

7. Any operator that is advised by the Sys-Op of a Service Provider that the material he/she is introducing or attempting to introduce into ‘the system’ is of an inappropriate nature, shall henceforth cease to transmit any such inappropriate material.

8. Operators wishing to send messages that are too long for efficient relay through “the system” should send such messages as a series of messages rather than as one large message.

9. All transmitted material should be in plain text, however, where encoding to facilitate transmission is used, the technique or system used to encode the message should be of a format that has been previously promulgated and available to all interested parties. Note: The use of “encryption” for secrecy is against the Radiocommunications Regulations.

10. Any operator not complying with 9 above, must accept that a Sys-Op may reject   such encrypted messages.

11. Operators on channels where more than one communication protocol is used are strongly encouraged to adjust their system parameters so that no other operator suffers more impediment than is inherently unavoidable.

12. Note:

Sys-ops are encouraged to hold, where-ever possible, forums on all matters related to Digital Modes and the provision of Services to the amateur community and from such forums make collective comments and submissions to NZART so that this Code may be kept in line with current practices and developments.

NZART POLICY

‘DIGIMODES’

1. The term ‘Digimodes’ includes all forms of digital radio transmissions irrespective of the transmission mode or the protocol used to transmit a ‘Digimode’ signal.

2. NZART endorses the IARU Administrative Council Resolution 91-2 and the subsequent IARU Region 3 Policy for Digimode Operations formulated at the 1994 Region 3 Conference in Singapore.

3. NZART encourages the further development of all forms of Digimode systems including but not limited to the national and international BBS systems both terrestrial and via satellite.

4. NZART shall publish from time to time a Code of Practice for the guidance of Digimode operators, BBS System Operators and Administrators, and Operators of any Relay, Repeater System, or ‘Gateway’ in a Digimode network.

5. The Code of Practice shall be reviewed from time to time as decided by NZART Council.

6. Any Digimode Operator may submit to NZART Council suggestions for updating or other changes to the Code of Practice.

7. Special Interest Groups holding Seminars and similar meetings at NZART Conferences are invited to formulate suggested amendments to the Code of Practice.

8. Any inconsistencies that may arise between the wording of the IARU Resolutions, referred to in 2 above, and the NZART ‘Code of Practice for Digimode Operations’, shall be resolved as follows:

(a) For International operations the IARU ‘Code’ to have precedence.

(b) For internal NZ operations, the NZART ‘Code of Practice' may be used.

____________________________________________________

 

 

The International Amateur Radio Union

RESOLUTION 91-2

(Revised 1995)

concerning guidelines for "DIGIMODE"

The IARU Administrative Council, Bandung, October 1991,

considering the growing popularity of "DIGIMODE" for the relaying of messages between radio amateurs,

recognizing that a medium as effective as "DIGIMODE" can invite abuse through the introduction of traffic that is inappropriate to the Amateur Service internationally,

noting Resolution 87‑2 (Revised 1989) which urges adherence to the spirit and intentions of the ITU Radio Regulations in handling traffic, and calls attention to the undesirable aspects of the uncontrolled proliferation of unattended store‑and‑forward "mailbox" stations,

resolves that the attached "Guidelines for 'DIGIMODE' Operators" and "Guidelines for 'DIGIMODE' Bulletin Board Operators" first adopted at the IARU Region 3 Conference, Bandung, 1991, and later revised, shall be distributed to IARU member‑societies worldwide with the request that they be shared with the amateurs of each country; and

further resolves that future IARU regional conferences are invited to suggest improvements to these guidelines so they will continue to be representative of good Amateur Radio operating practices as these practices evolve over time.

Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators

1. Amateur Radio takes pride in being self‑regulated. "DIGIMODE" Operators should continue this tradition.

2. "DIGIMODE" Operators, like all Amateur Radio Operators, should observe published Band Plans.

3. A "DIGIMODE" Operator should not send the following traffic either direct or via mail boxes:

a. All advertising for selling, buying or trading goods, including amateur equipment (except if permitted by local regulations);

b. All statements or propaganda on political or religious subjects;

c. All inappropriate language, as, for instance, the use of swear words, obscenities, defamatory or libellous language, etc.;

d. All material which may infringe Copyright;

e. All material which infringes privacy, whether personal or corporate.

4. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should avoid transmitting unnecessary or redundant messages and documents in order to enhance network efficiency.

5. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should ensure that the callsign of the originating station, including the name of the person responsible in the case of a club station, is clearly shown on every message so that the sender can be identified.

6. A "DIGIMODE" Operator should avoid messages that are too long for efficient relay though the network.

7. A "DIGIMODE" Operator utilizing a BBS should ensure that all messages transmitted are addressed to the appropriate group of recipients and not addressed to inappropriate areas in order to enhance network efficiency.

Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operators

1. The Operator of a "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board is obliged to provide a reliable service, within a defined area for a defined purpose.

2. A "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operator is morally responsible for all messages forwarded by his/her system. He/she should make his/her best efforts to insure that the traffic forwarded is appropriate to the Amateur Radio Service and in accordance with the Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators.

3. HF Mailboxes should only be used where there is a genuine need that cannot be provided by VHF or other means.

4. A "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operator may take action to exclude a User who persistently contravenes the Guidelines for "DIGIMODE" Operators. Excluding a User should only be done as a last resort after the User has been warned and where exclusion does not contravene local regulations.

5. "DIGIMODE" Bulletin Board Operators should be aware of their responsibilities for the content of messages and are encouraged to use authentication mechanisms.

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