1.1 PREAMBLE PART

All messages must have a preamble. The preamble of the message contains information about the message necessary to keep track of it as it passes through the amateur system.

The parts of the preamble, except for the check as noted later, are NOT changed by any station relaying or delivering the message. They are permanent parts of the message created by the station of origin and must remain with the message all the way to the delivery point. (Only the Check may be amended - the original preserved. See 1.1.5) Preamble information is used to service undeliverable messages and to generate replies to specific handling instructions.

The HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS, [HX__], and TIME FILED, [TIME], are OPTIONAL, chosen by the station of origin based on the need for their inclusion (see sections 1.1.3 and 1.1.7).

The parts of the PREAMBLE are as follows:


NR	PREC	[HX]	STN-ORIG	CK	PLACE-OF-ORIG	[TIME-FILED]	MON	DAY
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Each of these parts of the preamble are discussed in the following paragraphs (numbered according to their position).