wheatley@inuxi.UUCP (Steven Wheatley) (11/15/85)
Gateway: The ARRL Packet-Radio Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 6
November 11, 1985
Published by:
ARRL
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
203-666-1541
Editor:
Jeffrey W. Ward, K8KA
GATEWAY TO CHANGE EDITORS
This will be the last issue of Gateway that I edit. In mid-
November, I will begin a two-year leave of absence from the ARRL.
I will spend the two years working and studying with the UoSat
project at the University of Surrey, in England. Since I will be
working on the UO-11 Data Communications Experiment (DCE) and on
PACSAT, I hope to remain involved in amateur packet radio and to
provide you with packet-radio news from Europe.
The new editor of Gateway will be Ed Raso, WA2FTC. In the past,
Ed was editor of the ARRL Radio Club News, and he is now sysop of
the Ham Radio Net BBS and chairman of a new Amateur-Radio
information service called HAMLINK (see the "HAMLINK" item in
this issue). Ed is enthusiastically involved in packet radio and
in distribution of packet-radio information. I am sure that you
will enjoy his tenure as Gateway editor. You can help him get
started by sending news items to Gateway at ARRL headquarters.
Thanks for taking over, Ed.
I have enjoyed editing Gateway, and would like to thank you all
for supporting our effort to keep the packet-radio community
informed.
Jeffrey W. Ward, K8KA.
PACKET ON SHUTTLE?
AMSAT and the ARRL have sent a proposal to NASA requesting
permission to develop a second Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment
(SAREX). SAREX I was the well-received W0ORE SSTV experiment,
and the proposed SAREX II would be a packet-radio experiment
conducted by Dr. Ron Parise, WA4SIR. Ron, who will be a payload
specialist on STS 61-E, has expressed a great desire to use
packet radio from the shuttle.
SAREX II, if approved, will use a modified TAPR TNC-2, the
Motorola 2-meter HT used by Drs. Garriott and England, and a
lap-top microcomputer. The following "wish list" of operation
modes is from in the AMSAT/ARRL proposal:
"The SAREX II experiment will have the capability to
operate in several modes. Actual selection will depend on a
number of factors including power considerations, operator
availability, Shuttle location and other mission activities. The
modes available are as follows:
"BEACON: (Unattended) Periodic transmission of an identifying
text sequence. This sequence can be used by all ground
stations for tracking and identification. Depending on
configuration, this text can be from one line to several lines
in length and may consist of a mission status report entered by
the operator.
"KEYBOARD TO KEYBOARD EXCHANGE (Attended): This involves two-way
real-time communication between the SAREX II operator and
specific ground stations...
"STORE AND FORWARD MESSAGE DELIVERY (Unattended): This mode
allows designated ground stations to access the SAREX II
computer to post and retrieve stored messages. Such messages
might be either for the SAREX II operator or another ground
station, perhaps on the other side of the earth. (It is
envisioned that this mode might be used to demonstrate the
PACSAT concept...
"REAL-TIME RELAY (Unattended): This allows the use of the
SAREX II to relay data between ground stations, just as
Packet ground stations customarily do. This mode allows the
SAREX II computer to be powered down to conserve power.
"ROBOT (Unattended): This mode allows ground stations to
establish contact with SAREX II and receive a customized,
but automated, acknowledgment. The rapid handling of such
automatic contacts permits a large number of stations to
participate in the experiment."
The SAREX II proposal has just been submitted to NASA, and the
AMSAT Board of Directors will be discussing financing for the
project at their general meeting (November 8 and 9). If SAREX II
is approved, it will be up to packet radio clubs to make good use
of the mission. It will be a good opportunity to show high-
technology Amateur Radio in action.
Via DRNET.
PACKET TRAFFIC DURING EARTHQUAKE
During the recent Mexico City earthquake, Syl Gookin, N1DKF, used
packet radio to forward health and welfare messages to NTS
stations in Texas. The messages were stored on Syl's MailBox in
Rhode Island, went from there to W0RLI on 2 meters, and then on
to the W5XO MailBox on 20 meters. Syl says that most of the
messages made the trip in less than 24 hours, and some replies
reached his MailBox in as little as 36 hours. The messages were
written as standard NTS radiograms, so that the Texas stations
would have no trouble introducing them to NTS voice nets. Syl
summarizes that "this method required minimal operator time, used
alternatives to otherwise busy traffic channels, is error free,
fast, and it works...because packet folks have exerted a large
effort to put the packet network in place prior to the emergency
and the folks at both ends of the link made the effort to handle
the traffic."
From N1DKF and NEPRA PacketEar.
HAMLINK
For several years, CompuServe HAMNET has been providing an
electronic conference addressing all aspects of Amateur Radio.
The packet-radio section on HAMNET has been a vital meeting place
for those interested in computers and Amateur Radio. Now, there
is another on-line Amateur Radio conference. The conference is
called HAMLINK, and it is a part of PLINK, a new low-priced time-
sharing service. HAMLINK's chairman is Ed Raso, WA2FTC, who is
soon to be the editor of Gateway. Ed has been running a dial-up
BBS called Ham Radio Net for more than a year, and the popularity
of this BBS convinced Ed to become part of the PLINK time-sharing
system. All of the programs that have been mentioned in Gateway
as being available on Ham Radio Net are now available on HAMLINK,
including the W0RLI MailBox, the KE3Z Multiport Digipeater and
the WDCG PBBS-PC. For more information on PLINK call 800-524-
0100. Mention HAMLINK to receive a special bonus.
From WA2FTC.
CANADIANS WORK ON PRESENTATION LAYER
We received the following from Syd Horne, VE3EGO:
"At the Radio Society of Ontario / CRRL Convention in London,
Ontario in September, Syd Horne, VE3EGO, and members of the
Belleville TELIPAK group presented a paper on TELIPAK -- a system
which provides the capability for amateurs to exchange high-
resolution, error-free, digital color images, text and speech.
We expect that such a system will be of interest to all
packeteers.
"TELIPAK is an acronym derived from TELIDON and packet radio.
TELIDON is the Canadian version of VIDEOTEXT, and is based on
NAPLPS, the North American Presentation Level Protocol Syntax,
which is an ISO layer-6 protocol.
"The TELIPAK software package is easy to use and runs on an IBM
PC or compatible...The software package includes page creation
software together with the ability to remotely control the ROBOT
1200C scan converter (used as a digitizer), a TNC and a text-to-
speech convertor."
Syd reports that the group will be transmitting their first
pictures this month. The software will be customized for each
user and should be available early in 1986. For more
information, contact:
Syd Horne, VE3EGO
531 Victoria Ave.
Belleville, ONT, K8N 2G6
From VE3EGO.
TNC-2 UPDATE
With 1200 TNC-2 kits sold and two commercial manufacturers
marketing TNC-2 clones, TAPR is "basically done" with TNC-2
production. The TNC-2 has been another success for TAPR, and
software enhancements introduced in the TNC-2 are already
appearing in commercial TNCs.
People who bought TNC-2s early on (before serial number 501)
should watch the next issue of the TAPR PSR Quarterly. This
newsletter will provide details on how to upgrade TNC-2 Rev-1 pc
boards to TNC-2 Rev-2 boards. Rev-2 boards have extra RAM, a
better heat sink for the power supply, less RFI, enhanced
software and a few other nice additions.
If you still want to build a TNC-2 kit, don't despair. GLB,
manufacturer of the PK-1 and PK-1L TNCs, is introducing a TNC-2
clone called the TNC-2A. The TNC-2A kit uses the same
documentation, software and hardware (including the low-profile
cabinet) as the TAPR TNC-2. Although standard TNC-2As will use
some NMOS parts, a low-power, all-CMOS version will also be
available. TNC-2A is priced at $170, and should be available
before Christmas. To place an order, contact:
GLB Electronics
151 Commerce Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14224
716-675-6740.
From WB9FLW and GLB.
TUNING INDICATOR FOR HF PACKET
If you are looking for a commercial tuning indicator for use with
packet, an item in the October issue of the NEPRA PacketEar
describes how to modify the AEA TI-1 for packet. According to
the article "AEA would be pleased to modify and calibrate the TI-
1 for a small charge (plus return shipping). Performing the
modification yourself does not alter the warranty in any way."
For more information, contact:
Advanced Electronic Applications, Inc.
P.O. Box C-2160
Lynnwood, WA 98036.
From the NEPRA PacketEar.
NEW MISSISSIPPI CLUB ADDRESS
The address of the Mississippi Amateur Radio Digital Association
(MARDA) has been changed to:
MARDA
c/o Patrick J. Fagan, WA5DVV
2412 E. Birch Drive
Gulfport, MS 39503.
From WA5DVV.
PACKET REPORT FROM IOWA
The Central Iowa Technical Society (CITS) meeting in late October
generated a couple of newsworthy items. First, CITS members
voted to move to the recognized national packet frequencies:
145.01 through 145.09 MHz. This will help Iowa link to
surrounding states. At least until the end of this year, the
WA0JFS MailBox will provide service to both 147.555 MHz and
145.01 MHz, easing the transition to 145-MHz bandplan.
Packeteers in eastern Iowa will be moving down to 145.01 MHz by
the end of the year, helping complete links from Iowa to Illinois
and Minnesota. A second item of interest is that the CITS Link
Management Unit (LMU) project is slowly moving forward, with two
K9NG 9600-bit/s modems and two FM-5 transceivers on hand. The
LMU is a network controller that will be used to pass traffic
between a 2-meter network and a 220-MHz backbone system.
Via WA0JFS, DRNET.
LONG ISLAND PACKET CLUB
Packeteers of Long Island (POLI) is a new packet radio club that
covers all of New York's Long Island. Long Island is in an
interesting position, in that those on the east end of the island
can get into Boston, Massachusetts, and those on the western end
of the island communicate easily with New York City and the
population centers in New Jersey. The "POLINET" on Long Island
will connect two of the busiest parts of EASTNET. For more
information on POLI, contact:
POLI
c/o L. Jacobs, KA2EYW
3 Jet Lane
Holbrook, NY 11741.
From POLI Newsletter.
PACKET RADIO ON THE MOVE -- THE CLUB CONNECTION
(Third in a series by Steve Place, WB1EYI, Manager, ARRL
Volunteer Resources Office.)
The long-anticipated harvest has arrived. You and your
packeteering cohorts have plowed the local ham radio soil deeply
and sowed the seeds of the packet mystique on fertile ground.
The result? A bumper crop of potential packet radio novitiates.
What if You Threw a Party and EVERYONE Showed Up?
The gang is here. Your Section Manager and a number of his
appointees: STM, TC, ATCs, PIOs and ACC. A few techno-klutzes, a
few techno-whizzes and a skeptical bunch from the local computer
club. And rounding out the team is the usual crowd of curious
thrill seekers. They mumble softly in restless clusters around
the meeting room, eager to be initiated into the loudly heralded
wonders of packet radio. Hmmm . . .
Obviously, your club's first official meeting is the key event in
getting packet radio rolling locally. Now what? The answer lies
in knowing what you want to accomplish. The typical reasons for
holding a "kick-off" meeting (and for originally forming the
club) can be summarized as follows:
* expanding the local packet radio user base (the Numbers and
Nodes game, not to be confused with Dungeons and Dragons)
* getting more people to participate actively in cooperative,
local packet radio projects
What must you accomplish at the kick-off meeting to begin gnawing
away at skepticism, cynicism and all the other "-isms" that sap
enthusiasm and get in the way of progress? All you have to do
is:
* conduct your meeting so that every person in your widely
varied audience feels you're talking to him -- command his
attention and fire his enthusiasm;
* convince each person in attendance that packet radio meets a
personal need and is an essential addition to his shack;
* convince each participant that your club offers
a variety of irresistible opportunities for his
active involvement -- chances to make truly
meaningful contributions to the local community
through the club.
If you can accomplish all that in one meeting and walk away with
sincere commitments from everyone, put down this issue of Gateway
immediately, run (don't walk) to your wordprocessor and write to
ARRL, Personnel Office, 225 Main St., Newington CT, 06111. The
rest of us mere mortals, however, will be faced with an ongoing
task and the need to persevere. Though you won't conquer all
your visitors at the kick-off meeting, you can stack the deck to
improve your chances.
The Welcome
The gang must be made to feel welcome. If you want them to
listen (let alone show up again), your "inner core" of diehard
packeteers must become an "outgoing corps" of packet radio
evangelists. No hand can go unshaken; no nervous smile can go
ignored; no question, however obvious, can go unanswered.
Placing a stack of stick-on name tags and marking pens at the
door and writing your guests' first names, callsigns and
organizations boldly and legibly on the non-sticky side (just
checking...) will help as the night progresses. A table or two
of complimentary refreshments can give people something to do
while they're trying to figure out what to do. All of your
preparation and all of your rehearsing should long since have
been done, and each of your founding packeteers should be
"working the crowd."
Startup and Reading Your Audience
Within a few minutes of the scheduled starting time, your
warmest, most personable and well-spoken packeteer should call
the meeting to order -- informally and with a broad smile. Keep
it light and loose. He should extend a formal welcome on behalf
of the club and work his way (conversationally) around the room.
Who's there? Where are they from? Are they equipped for packet
radio? What are their ham radio and/or computer interests? In
fifteen minutes or so, you and everyone else will have a pretty
good idea of how the group stacks up and where your focus should
be -- and latecomers won't have missed anything essential.
Packet Radio Overview and Tutorial
When everyone has settled in comfortably, note aloud that the
assemblage is surely a mixed bag: Extra Class through Novice
licensees, non-ham computer hobbyists, experienced packeteers and
neophytes, and representatives of a diverse wealth of amateur
radio expertise and experience. The one thing they all have in
common is an interest in exploring the world of packet radio.
It would make sense, therefore, to briefly go over what packet
radio is, how it works, what its advantages are over other modes
or techniques and the state of the local packet scene is. If
your gang of packeteers is blessed with more than one warm,
outgoing, well-spoken member, have your welcomer hand the ball
off to him. No successful club is a one-man show; this is a
great chance for your guests to meet several of those who are
already members of the club.
At this point, your meeting will be running under full
steam...just as this installment at this point is running out of
steam (i.e. space).
What remains? The menu for the next installment includes the
introduction to packet radio, a multistation hands-on
demonstration, special-interest working groups, study assignments
for the following meeting, and most important in getting the real
work of the club done, adjournment to a local eatery/bistro for
creative brainstorming and -- the cornerstone of any successful
club -- having fun!
From WB1EYI.
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.