wheatley@inuxi.UUCP (Steven Wheatley) (11/24/85)
Gateway: The ARRL Packet-Radio Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 7 November 22, 1985 Published by: ARRL 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 Editor: Ed Raso, WA2FTC FROM THE EDITOR As reported in the last issue, Jeff Ward, K8KA is no longer the editor of Gateway. Instead, Jeff has decided to pursue a unique opportunity with the UoSat project in England. I know all of you appreciate the superb job Jeff has done editing Gateway, and will join me in wishing Jeff success with his new endeavor -- good luck Jeff. As the new editor of Gateway, I will continue to report the latest news and developments taking place in the packet-radio community. Remember, much of the information contained in these pages comes from our readers. If Gateway is to continue to report the latest news that shapes packet-radio, it needs your input and support. If you have news that you would like to see included in Gateway, mail it to: ARRL Gateway Editor 225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111 You may also send news electronically via CompuServe to ID: 72747,3207 or via American People Link (PLINK) to ID: ED*WA2FTC. I hope you will continue to enjoy Gateway. Ed Raso, WA2FTC KENTUCKY PACKET ASSOCIATION Several local radio clubs in Kentucky have joined together to form a state- wide packet organization. The state will be divided into several regions, with each region represented by its own chapter. The purpose of the organization is to coordinate packet activity and disseminate information throughout the state. The organization plans to publish its first quarterly newsletter later this month. For more information, contact: Dan Hund, KB4CF 3444 Merrick Dr. Lexington, KY 40502 From KE4NS CALIFORNIA PACKET On November 3, 1985, the silence on 145.05 Mhz in the southern half of California was broken with the installation of KB6C-1 on Frasier Peak (8000 ft). The site covers the greater L.A. area, San Diego to the south and Visalia to the north. KB6C-1, along with the existing site of WB6AIE-1 high in the Sierra Mountains, provides coverage from San Diego in the south to Modesto in the North. Plans are in the works to establish a site further north on 145.05 that will extend the coverage near the Oregon border. This system should give users an alternate path while providing the state with a three-hop network for use during times of emergency. A mailbox is available in Fresno (middle of the network) operating under the call of WB6AIE. It is hoped that the central location of the mailbox will provide two-hop access to most users. This system is identical to the coastal 145.01 system operated by W6IXU. The 145.05 system runs north and south in the middle of the state, while the 145.01 system runs along the cost. Comments or suggestions should be forwarded to Dennis, KB6C or Jerry, WB6AIE via the WB6AIE mailbox. From WB6AIE PACKET AND SET On October 19, 1985, five north Texas stations participated in the Simulated Emergency Test (SET). Two local digipeaters, KC5LW-1 and N5EG, proved essential for passing traffic. The method of traffic handling was exclusively off-line message editing and preparation in accordance with ARRL radiogram format. All messages were transmitted as files which reduced the transmit time per message to less then 15 seconds. A test of the prototype PACGRAM software (Packet Status Register, March 1985) was conducted. One PACGRAM was successfully received at the Regional DPS office. This style of semi-automated message handling shows great promise for emergency service activities. Overall, we passed as much, or more traffic than the voice operators, and from a much larger area. Participating stations were: W0DRO, KB5F, WB5IZL, WB5QLD and WA5MWD. From WA5MWD KANTRONICS FIRMWARE UPDATE Kantronics has released a new version of their TNC firmware. The update costs $10.00 and may be ordered by phone. New features include: 1) time and date stamping 2) calls heard list 3) trace command, and 4) path shown for repeaters. Via HamNet PTT MOD FOR TNC2 CORRECTION W3IWI reports that the TNC2 PTT modification published in the Packet Status Register and CTM has one error. The last sentence of the last paragraph indicates that you can reverse the sense of the LED from bright=receive and dim=xmit by attaching the 1k resistor to pin-9 of U14 instead of pin- 8...this is wrong. The problem stems from the fact that U14 is used as part of the BBRAM logic and is powered from the battery when the power is off. If you reverse the sense, you will drive the battery current thru the LED and kill the battery. The modification (dim on xmit) works fine and doesn't drain the battery. When the power is off, pin-9 of U14 is low and no current flows thru the LED. Via DRNET, W3IWI SAREX II The SAREX II packet-radio experiment to be carried aboard Shuttle flight STS-61E by Ron Parise, WA4SIR, has the potential for the greatest number of two-way contacts of any shuttle experiment to date. Operating in robot or monitor mode, the TNC has the capability of logging as many as ten calls every ten seconds. The sheer volume of packet-radio stations (10,000) by the March 1986 launch date precludes carrying any simple logging scheme on board. Instead, log beacons will be transmitted from the TNC on the downlink frequency for all stations to copy in real-time. Not only does this method give real-time feedback to public demonstration stations, but it also can be used to demonstrate the efficiency of the existing terrestrial packet-radio network during post-flight data collection. By collecting all log packets received on the ground into a database, a complete log of all spacecraft packet activity can be constructed. The purpose of this is to suggest an organized scheme and plan for the forwarding of all log data via Amateur packet-radio or other electronic mail into a central database. Because of the tremendous volume of reports and the regional similarity of most received reports, data reduction should be accomplished by regions and forwarded to a central point in a standard format. Since most local area networks (LAN) are served by at least one W0RLI BBS, a first cut is to suggest that one station per BBS be designated to collect log reports from his LAN in message format. This station will accumulate individual messages into three Xerox 820 summary files: 1) a short file of all stations submitting a log report, 2) a file of all HEARD reports, and 3) a file of all WORKED reports. (One set of files per day of SAREX II packet operation). Each of these BBS files will be forwarded to a regional SAREX II coordinator to eliminate all redundant data and prepare a regional log. These logs will be submitted to Goddard ARC for final processing and assembly. For ease of processing, all logs submitted should be word processed by the originator into a specific format. An optimum solution would be to have the shuttle TNC time stamp each beacon. Using this method, only the exact beacon text string need be included in the collected data from individual stations. The standard format will simplify the data reduction algorithms significantly. These logs will be reduced into regional databases showing a maximum of ten HEARD times and five QSO numbers. Times will be in a six-digit serial UTC (HHMMSS) format. The QSO log is a four-digit hex number allowing as many as 65,000 unique assignments. It is requested that regions select a single data reduction facility that has the capability of reducing data from the Xerox 820 message file format into IBM PC format for reduction using dBASE II. Regions can best be defined by arbitrary groupings of packet activity such as: SOUTHNET, EASTNET, GRAPES, MAPRC, NEPRA, CITS, etc. For more information, contact: W3IWI 59 Southgate Ave. Annapolis, MD 21401 Via DRNET TNC2 UPDATE A problem has cropped up on a very small number of TNC2 boards. The MF10 switched capacitor filter will latch-up to the positive +5 supply causing the regulator to become very hot. To cure the problem, change C10 on the - 5V supply from 10uf to 47uf. If you experience any latch-up problems after changing C10, please notify TAPR immediately. Given our results, I strongly recommend all TNC2 owners institute this change. From AD7I NEW PACKET VENDOR A new company, PacComm Packet Radio Systems, Inc., of Tampa, Florida has announced the availability of its TNC-200 Terminal Node Controllers for packet-radio applications. PacComm has been licensed by Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) to produce packet controllers based on the TNC2 design. The hardware design is the latest TAPR Revision 2 printed circuit board. The standard TNC-200 features 16 kbytes of RAM, 32 kbytes of EPROM, a CMOS Z-80 processor and a long-life lithium battery. The unit is packaged in the familiar extruded aluminum cabinet. The TNC-200 is available in standard low-power CMOS or optional NMOS. PacComm Packet Radio Systems is owned by Andy Demartini KC2FF and Gwyn Reedy W1BEL both of whom are actively involved in FADCA, the Florida Amateur Digital Communications Association. Gwyn Reedy is currently editor of the FADCA>BEACON. For more information, contact: PacComm Packet Radio Systems, Inc. 4040 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 620 Tampa, FL 33609 Via KC2FF Packet Radio on the Move -- The Club Connection (Fourth in a series by Steve Place, WB1EYI, Manager, ARRL Volunteer Resources) When we last left our hero, Pierre Packette, he was stuggling valiantly at the podium, flailing the air with a large club in a selfless attempt to save the townspeople from the evil clutches of Phil la Text . . . Ooops. Sorry. Hallucinating. At times, the bi-weekly serial approach to planning a club meeting gets a bit frustrating for me as well as for you. Thanks for bearing with me so far. At this point in your fledgling packet-radio club's first meeting, you've made your guests feel welcome and have determined just what sort of critter has shown up -- and what sort of task you're faced with. If your gang did its pre-meeting promotional work well, you'll have a broad spectrum of technical sophistication and experience before you. What's the next step? Packet Radio Overview and Tutorial You should decide among yourselves what sort of overview is most appropriate based on your expertise and your audience's sophistication. A few battle-scarred techniques, tested under full combat conditions, however, will help you sustain a high level of interest. * keep it light and keep it loose * approach the introduction from the user's perspective and stay there * don't get bogged down in technical detail * impress them with the simplicity and ease of using packet radio, not with your technical prowess * use very simple, clearly sketched depictions of what a packet "looks" like as well as diagrams of uncomplicated networks (well- chosen graphics can create breakthroughs in understanding) * have all such visual aids (including chalkboard, chalk, eraser and handouts) ready before the meeting starts * let them hear what a typical transmitted packet sounds like and gain a sense of the typical time delays in routing a packet through a number of stations * leave the full-blown demonstration(s) for the next portion of the meeting Be prepared to answer cheerfully the ubiquitous inaugural-packet-radio- club-meeting questions that are innocently and sincerely raised by people who should nonetheless know better: * What equipment do I need? (answer at the "black-box" level) * How much will it cost me to get a packet station on the air? (be honest; cover the options and tradeoffs briefly) * Why bother with packet radio? I'm already using my computer on RTTY and CW. * What will joining this club do for me? What's it cost? * Who sells this stuff? How hard is it to build? Do I have to build it? Which brands are best? Everyone has his own definition of what's best: the least expensive; the most reliable; the most compatible/adaptable; or the model sporting the flashiest chrome, brightest blinking lights, most awe-inspiring strap- yourself-in-for-blastoff console and the cutest little baby shoes hanging from the rearview mirror. Be honest. Talk from your own experience. And whatever you do, if you don't know the answer to a question, simply admit it, ask if any of the other club members can help and promise to get the answer for everyone by the next meeting. Honor that promise. When you get right down to the bottom line (final amp in ham radio parlance?) the most effective tutorial overview of packet radio for a first meeting is the simple, informal chat aimed at covering what it's all about and why your guests should be interested. If you do it with a smile and pace your explanations to meet their needs, you'll give them a taste of the adventure, a desire to pursue their interest just a little further and a belief that your club is heaven's answer to their feelings of technical inadequacy. If I'm not mistaken, that sounds a little bit like the objectives you wanted to achieve! But don't stop there. You've cast the net with your welcome and chummed the waters with your tutorial. No self-respecting packet-trawler Captain would hoist anchor and set sail for port without first hauling in his catch. Spark their interest with a hands-on demonstration; convince each guest with carefully-tailored special working groups that packet radio is the solution to his particular problem; give each guest a reason to show up at the next meeting by assigning to each working group a small study on which they are to report back to the club; and then make each guest want to return by welcoming him into your club socially at a local bistro. We'll help you chart a safe return course -- your main hold overflowing with a fresh catch of packeteers -- in the next installment. From WB1EYI NTS Needs Packet Ed Eklund, K6XI, responding to "Does NTS have to stand for Naturally Troublesome System . . ." (in "Packet Radio and Warm Bodies," Gateway, October 1, 1985, Vol. 2, No. 4), writes -- "Amateur Radio is a public service, 'particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.' That does not mean just being around to yell for help at chance encounters; it means organized preparedness. "We are unique among voluntary services in our potential for 'formal written' traffic but unfortunately NTS is slow, inaccurate, undependable and has insufficient capacity for emergency communications. "An increasingly sophisticated public is no longer awed by the performance of amateur radio. A major effort might show that amateur radio is indeed a public service and the biggest bang for the buck would be to vastly improve NTS, something that is now possible thanks to packet radio. "Nationwide packet radio system linking mailboxes serving present general participation nets could make NTS fast, accurate, dependable and have sufficient capacity for emergencies. ARRL Hq could plan a packet system, establish protocols and standards for equipment and do massive promotion. "Many veteran 'higher-echelon' operators would resent having their positions eliminated and they have the clout through area staffs. However, section net operators would like better service as it would greatly increase volume and interest, but unfortunately they, the main body of NTS, have no direct representation. "The public, if asked, would wonder what took us so long. After all, are we not said to be 'expert communicators on the cutting edge of technology?' From K6XI REPRODUCTION OF GATEWAY MATERIAL Material may be exerpted from Gateway without prior permission, provided that the original contributor is credited and Gateway is identified as the source.