Posted: 1/26/2011 10:46:43 AM EDT
Does anyone here still use packet radio? I don't mean APRS, I mean good old fashioned packet. There's a VHF packet BBS not far from here that I think I can hit even with an indoor quarter wave antenna. Of course that was a good excuse to buy another FT-2900R just for packet  And it has nothing to do with the fact that two of them fit so nicely stacked above my FT-950! 
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packet is how i got into amateur radio. i was a summer student at AT&T Bell Labs during undergrad, and there was a guy in my department who was a ham. i knew not much about ham radio –– theory and practice of RF communications yes, but not amateur radio. anyway he tells me he is going to a talk over at Bellcore (at the time the R&D arm of the baby bells) on packet radio. i naively ask, "what's that?". he says "well, come along and see..." the speaker was Phil Karn, KA9Q. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Karn i was hooked. then, ampr.net 44.0.0.0/32 IP address, MFJ 1270B TNCs in KISS mode, Grapes/WA4DSY 56K modems, UUCP-packet bridging on an early Linux kernel, using KA9Q NOS reading netnews in my backyard using a Mac laptop and a 2m radio with the modem hooked directly to the discriminator. good times. but now, it's been at least 10 years since i did any RF packet. ar-jedi |
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know who Phil Karn is the other interesting thing about Phil is that he has been waging war against the US Patent office *forever*, regarding issuing thousands of idiotic patents that are neither novel nor useful. he went absolutely batshit postal when this was given by the patent office: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=OfwkAAAAEBAJ&dq=patent:5443036 scroll down on that page ... best. patent. drawing. ever. ar-jedi |
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Wow, that's pretty damn sad. Thanks USPTO for keeping another generation of patent trolls well fed. Nice drawing though. I wonder if they did anything special to remove the logo from the cocktail napkin after they scanned it, or if they just got lucky.
We got a letter from a patent troll last year who holds a patent for sending information relating to real estate by text message. We just ignored it but still the whole thing is just ridiculous. |
| I'm packet capable on HF, mainly 20m. There doesn't seem to be any on VHF here. Back in the 90's I had two packet stations up and running. One monitoring the DX cluster, and one linked to a ham friend on 220 mhz. I have equipment to dedicate to a node or BBS, but since there is no activity, I'll keep the TNC on HF. |
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I had been running a packet BBS on BPQ32 for about the last 6 months. VHF or internet only. I turned if off a week or two ago.
While there are a lot of winlink stations out there, no one is using packet (in my area). I was actually getting a little pressure from the guy who came in on the net tuesday to get it back online or help someone in the area to set up another one. Without users it just doesn't seem like it's worth the equipment. Even another APRS digi seems like it would be more useful. |
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During my trip to the state EOC old school packet was mentioned. From their experience it's rock solid in passing the traffic. Add WinLink capability and it's a big tool in the box. They are in the process of installing a closed repeater system backbone and other stuff that I didn't understand to link the major population areas. Dude highly suggested that I set up one at the house.
There is currently a big push in ARES to get folks back into packet for use with Winlink 2000. Which brings up the question. Just how should I go about setting one up? Mainly do I have to use a TNC or is there some other method? Getting another computer is no big deal. Can get obsolete desttops for $250 all day long if that is required. Is there a "Packet for Dummys" site somewhere? [off_topic] The US Patent Office is out of control and has lost it. Giving a patent to the cat exerciser is a prime example. My grandfather was granted a patent for a camshaft bearing installation tool. I have the original document in the safe. The drawing for the tool is pure art. Stunning. http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=81luAAAAEBAJ&dq [/off_topic] |
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Which brings up the question. Just how should I go about setting one up? Mainly do I have to use a TNC or is there some other method? If you have a sound card interface you can use software to emulate a TNC. sound card packet |
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I keep trying to decide if I want to put my packet station on the air or not. On one hand most everything has gone to APRS around here so there isn't a lot of packet activity but their is some. I have a couple of KPC-3's and Alinco DR-135 have used the Alinco and one of the KPC-3's for mobile APRS but it wouldn't be that hard to set it up on regular packet.
I know in the past packet was great for message handling would be neat to see a ARFCOM packet network.
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I know in the past packet was great for message handling would be neat to see a ARFCOM packet network. the *entire* 44.0.0.0/8 netblock (more than 16 million IP addresses) is assigned to AMPR and is currently unused. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assigned_/8_IP_address_blocks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMPRNet if you can find a use for this before someone gets the idea of reallocating it, by all means...
ar-jedi |
I thought I beat this horse into the ground.  And NOW it's a good idea? 
Shesh. 
General packet radio question Packet IS ALIVE! Who's up for a contest! |