28 Aug
2006
28 Aug
'06
4:42 p.m.
On Mon, August 28, 2006 3:27 pm, William Donzelli wrote:
...
As for Ebay - I tried selling some packet stuff over
the past few
months, and buyers were not much around.
--
Will
What a coincidence - this morning I started looking into what I'd need to get
into packet radio. There's a couple of hams here who'll help me out, I have
no license, equipment, or anything (except computers). What packet stuff do
you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect this is OT)
On-topic, though, is that I wanted to use some of my vintage computing gear to
do packet radio (too bad I missed those c64 carts - that'd be a hoot!). I was
trying to think of what to do with an old machine that would be productive,
and packet radio popped in my head. I have an old Sun 3/80 or a Sparcstation
10 I could set up. Is there any packet software for old 68k macs (I have a
clean mac II that's begging to be used for something).
jdavis
28 Aug
28 Aug
4:54 p.m.
What a coincidence - this morning I started looking
into what I'd need to get
into packet radio. There's a couple of hams here who'll help me out, I have
no license, equipment, or anything (except computers). What packet stuff do
you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect this is OT)
Nothing anymore, I purged it out at a local hamfest. Mostly it was
C64, PC, and Apple 2 based stuff.
--
Will
5:02 p.m.
On 8/29/06, William Donzelli <wdonzelli at gmail.com> wrote:
Back in the day, I remember some VIC-20 stuff, too (since at the time
the C-64 was
running $400-$600, a bit too expensive to put in dedicated use, but
the VIC-20 was
under $100). If I had any part numbers, I'd give them; I just
remember folks with
VIC-20s and external TNCs at the Dayton Hamvention.
Essentially, stuff for the user port should be portable between the
two, like the
C= RS-232 cart. ROM cartridges, though, are entirely specific to each model
(totally different memory maps and physical connectors).
-ethan
What a
coincidence - this morning I started looking into what I'd need to get
into packet radio. There's a couple of hams here who'll help me out, I have
no license, equipment, or anything (except computers). What packet stuff do
you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect this is OT)
Nothing anymore, I purged it out at a local hamfest. Mostly it was
C64, PC, and Apple 2 based stuff. 
29 Aug
29 Aug
6:35 p.m.
You need the license, to start with. Then a 2-meter (144-148 MHz) radio.
It's much easier if there's a data jack on it, like most mobile radios have
now a days. Packet radio only requires a few watts output, so a mobile
radio set on low power is more than enough. Then you need a TNC, a terminal
node controller, which is a modem for radio. The KPC-3 by Kantronics is by
far the most popular, though the KPC-3+ is better. Either should set you
back less than $100, maybe much less.
The TNC is setup and talked to over a serial link from... anything that
speaks serial. The TNC itself runs a BBS for messages, and you use the
device connected to the serial port for K-K stuff (keyboard to keyboard).
K-K is now known as instant messaging by another crowd.
Getting the license is trivial. You can download the current question pool
(with answers) from hundreds of places. Search for "technician exam
question pool" and find one that has the 2006 question pool. Better yet,
run down to Radio Shack and buy a copy of "Now You're Talking" which
explains the questions, the answers, and why each one is right (or wrong.)
With pictures, yet.
No morse code required.
73 de N9QQB
At 04:42 PM 8/28/2006 -0700, you wrote:
On Mon, August 28, 2006 3:27 pm, William Donzelli
wrote:
...
[Environment] It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's
the impurities in our air and water that are doing it. --Dan Quayle
--... ...-- -.. . -. ----. --.- --.- -...
tpeters at nospam.mixcom.com (remove "nospam") N9QQB (amateur radio)
"HEY YOU" (loud shouting) WEB ADDRESS http//www.mixweb.com/tpeters
43? 7' 17.2" N by 88? 6' 28.9" W, Elevation 815', Grid Square
EN53wc
WAN/LAN/Telcom Analyst, Tech Writer, MCP, CCNA, Registered Linux User 385531
As for Ebay - I tried selling some packet stuff
over the past few
months, and buyers were not much around.
--
Will
What a coincidence - this morning I started looking into what I'd need to get
into packet radio. There's a couple of hams here who'll help me out, I have
no license, equipment, or anything (except computers). What packet stuff do
you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect this is OT)
On-topic, though, is that I wanted to use some of my vintage computing gear to
do packet radio (too bad I missed those c64 carts - that'd be a hoot!). I was
trying to think of what to do with an old machine that would be productive,
and packet radio popped in my head. I have an old Sun 3/80 or a Sparcstation
10 I could set up. Is there any packet software for old 68k macs (I have a
clean mac II that's begging to be used for something).
jdavis 
30 Aug
30 Aug
1:54 p.m.
You need the license, to start with. Then a 2-meter (144-148 MHz) radio.=20
It's much easier if there's a data jack on it, like most mobile radios ha=
ve=20
now a days. Packet radio only requires a few watts output, so a mobile=20
radio set on low power is more than enough. Then you need a TNC, a termin=
al=20
node controller, which is a modem for radio. The KPC-3 by Kantronics is b=
y=20
far the most popular, though the KPC-3+ is better. Either should set you=20
back less than $100, maybe much less.
I've never seen a US amateur radio license, but the UK one says that the
license is for 'self training in wireless telegraphy'. Now, I will
happily agree there's a lot more to wireless telegraphy than making
transmitters and receivers, but I am a little curious as to what 'self
training' you get by buying a transciever, buying a TNC, plugging them
together (and presumably use the standard 'rubber duck' aerial of the
portable transceiver). Oh, and running pre-written software to talk to
the TNC.
There's nothing wrong with buying equipment, but IMHO you really should
be thinking about doing some experimentation, modifications, and so on.
Actually, one reason I've never got into packet radio is a lack of
information one the internals of the TNC. I've not found an 'open' one --
as in published schematics and ROM source listings.
-tony
8 p.m.
On Wednesday 30 August 2006 16:54, Tony Duell wrote:
I've never seen a US amateur radio license, but
the UK one says that the
license is for 'self training in wireless telegraphy'. Now, I will
happily agree there's a lot more to wireless telegraphy than making
transmitters and receivers, but I am a little curious as to what 'self
training' you get by buying a transciever, buying a TNC, plugging them
together (and presumably use the standard 'rubber duck' aerial of the
portable transceiver). Oh, and running pre-written software to talk to
the TNC.
I'm pretty sure that the US one doesn't say anything like that.
Also, in the US, we're a bit farther along than using ham radio only for
sending morse code...
There's nothing wrong with buying equipment, but
IMHO you really should
be thinking about doing some experimentation, modifications, and so on.
Actually, one reason I've never got into packet radio is a lack of
information one the internals of the TNC. I've not found an 'open' one --
as in published schematics and ROM source listings.
Well, there's a software-based packet radio module in the Linux kernel.
There's some details about it in the AX25-HOWTO:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/text/AX25-HOWTO
Perhaps you could use that to figure it out. ;)
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing -- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcac
31 Aug
31 Aug
7:49 a.m.
On Wednesday 30 August 2006 11:00 pm, Patrick Finnegan wrote:
On Wednesday 30 August 2006 16:54, Tony Duell wrote:
I have files here covering that function done with a Xerox 820 (MULRPT.ZIP) or
H/Z-89 or -90 (PACKET89.ZIP) that appear to include source, if anybody wants
them...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
I've never seen a US amateur radio license,
but the UK one says that the
license is for 'self training in wireless telegraphy'. Now, I will
happily agree there's a lot more to wireless telegraphy than making
transmitters and receivers, but I am a little curious as to what 'self
training' you get by buying a transciever, buying a TNC, plugging them
together (and presumably use the standard 'rubber duck' aerial of the
portable transceiver). Oh, and running pre-written software to talk to
the TNC.
I'm pretty sure that the US one doesn't say anything like that.
Also, in the US, we're a bit farther along than using ham radio only for
sending morse code...
There's nothing wrong with buying equipment,
but IMHO you really should
be thinking about doing some experimentation, modifications, and so on.
Actually, one reason I've never got into packet radio is a lack of
information one the internals of the TNC. I've not found an 'open' one --
as in published schematics and ROM source listings.
Well, there's a software-based packet radio module in the Linux kernel.
There's some details about it in the AX25-HOWTO:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/text/AX25-HOWTO
Perhaps you could use that to figure it out. ;)
4:44 p.m.
Also, in the US, we're a bit farther along than
using ham radio only for
sending morse code...
I'm not sure where that came from, but in the UK, you can end up with a
full HF transmitting license without ever doing Morse.
Well, there's a software-based packet radio module
in the Linux kernel.
Sure, it's written in C, and if yoy think a non-progammer like me is
going to attempt to translate that into a microcontroller machine code,
you must be joking :-)
There's some details about it in the AX25-HOWTO:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/text/AX25-HOWTO
Perhaps you could use that to figure it out. ;)
I do have the AX25 documents somewhere...
-tony
6471
days inactive
6474
days old
7 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
jdaviscctalk＠soupwizard.com -
rtellason＠verizon.net -
tpeters＠mixcom.com -
vax＠purdue.edu -
wdonzelli＠gmail.com