jak@mtunh.UUCP (Jim Kutsch) (09/21/85)
Gateway: The ARRL Packet-Radio Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 4, 1985
Published by:
ARRL
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
203-666-1541
Editor:
Jeffrey W. Ward, K8KA
TNC 2 HITS THE MARKET
The long-awaited Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) TNC 2 went on
sale August 19, as scheduled. Volunteers staffed the TAPR office
from 9 AM to 9 PM throughout the week, and at the height of the
ordering rush, a TNC-2 order was processed every three minutes.
The number of phone calls coming into Tucson on the 19th and 20th
overloaded the Tucson telephone center several times. Callers
had to be both persistent and lucky to place one of the first 300
orders. Those first callers have already received their TNCs.
Those that weren't in the first 300 orders will receive their
TNCs from a mid-September and an October shipment. TAPR has
accepted 832 orders. Packeteers from all over the U.S. and from
foreign countries on every continent ordered TNC 2s.
The kits have gone together easily, although IC sockets damaged
in shipping and some faulty ICs have hampered the assembly of
some TNCs. If you have built a TNC 2 and it passes all tests up
to the power-up LED sequence, you may have a bad IC at U13. TAPR
has always had a policy of replacing defective parts, and will
continue to offer this support. If you suspect that have a bad
IC, call the TAPR office and they will send you a replacement
74HC4066. New packaging for the kits should protect IC sockets
from damage.
Comments on the documentation, which includes an extensive
introduction to packet operation, have been positive. The
software, with a real-time clock and a new, more-informative
monitor mode, has also gotten good reviews.
Tom Clark, W3IWI, one of the TNC-2 beta testers, has compiled
some notes on operating and customizing the TNC 2. These notes
are posted on many packet bulletin board systems (PBBSs) around
the country, as well as on some telephone BBSs. Further notes,
along with suggestions and comments from kitbuilders will appear
in the October issue of the Packet Status Register, quarterly
publication of TAPR. If you want immediate up-to-the-minute
information on TNC 2 and other developments in packet radio,
consider joining the HAMNET (part of the Compuserve on-line
information service).
Ed.
220-MHz FREQUENCIES FOR 1200 BIT/S
The ARRL is interested in finding out what frequencies are
allocated for or used for 1200-bit/s packet operation on 220 MHz.
Art Reese, K9XI, editor of 220 Notes would like publish this
information so that his readers will know where to expect packet-
radio operation. If you are operating at 1200 bauds on 220 MHz,
or if a frequency-coordinating body in your area has allocated a
channel for low-speed packet radio, send the information to
Gateway.
Ed.
CALL FOR PSR ARTICLES
Submissions for the October issue of the TAPR Packet Status
Register (PSR) should reach the editor by September 15. The
issue will include TNC 2 news, updates on TAPR projects, and
discussions of linking hardware and software. Of course,
articles covering other topics, especially articles on the
history of packet radio, are welcome.
Editor of the PSR is Gywn Reedy, and his address is:
812 Childers Loop
Brandon, FL 33511.
Via DRNET.
PENNSYLVANIA SITES NEEDED
In late July, packet-radio operators from West Virginia, Ohio and
Pennsylvania met in Breezewood, Pennsylvania. The meeting was
organized by Gary Hoffmann, AK3P, and Bill Stash, WA3AOQ, and was
attended by 14 other packeteers. The discussions at the meeting
centered on how to link EASTNET to Pittsburgh, Pensylvania, and
then into Ohio.
Several of the operators from Ohio reported that they can
regularly work east into Pittsburgh, but there is still no link
between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, the western outpost of
EASTNET. Those at the meeting agreed that a digipeater at Blue
Knob, Pennsylvania, would be ideal. An amateur-radio voice
repeater on this site has very good coverage of the central part
of the state. Nobody has been able to get permission to place a
digipeater on this site yet.
If you have access to a digipeater site that can put a good
signal into both Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, please contact
Gary Hoffmann, AK3P
1235 Middletown Road
Hummelstown, PA 17036,
or
Bill Stash, WA3AOQ
421 Daily Drive
North Huntington, PA 15642.
From AK3P.
PACKET SOFTWARE AVAILABLE ON BBS
The W0RLI MailBox/Gateway program and the KE3Z multiport
digipeater program are now available for downloading from the Ham
Radio Net BBS in Newington, Connecticut. Ham Radio Net, run by
Ed Raso, WA2FTC, can be accessed at either 1200 bauds or 300
bauds, and it is usually in service around the clock.
All of the files necessary for configuring and running version
10.0 W0RLI MailBox and Gateway are on the Ed's system, as are all
of the files that you would receive if you sent a disk to the
ARRL for the multiport digipeater code. These files are stored
in File Area 2 of the BBS -- the Packet Radio Section. Because
the programs and documentation are large, they have been squeezed
and placed in library files. The program that will unsqueeze and
separate them is the CP/M utility NULU11. NULU11 is also in File
Area 2 on the Ham Radio Net.
Distributing W0RLI's software electronically should allow new
versions of the popular MailBox and Gateway to spread rapidly.
Hank Oredson, W0RLI, has put a lot of time into support of his
software, and the latest release, Version 10.0, has several
useful new features.
You can call Ham Radio Net at:
203-665-1114.
Via WA2FTC, KE3Z.
EASTNET UNIX UPDATE
Several improvements have been made to the UNIX-based news and
mail gateway run by Jim Kutsch, KY2D. [See Gateway Issue 19.]
Jim reports that the system, running as KY2D-2, is now operating
24 hours per day on 145.01 MHz. It can be reached reliably
through the WA2VKH, WA2SNA-2 and WB2VTN-1 digipeaters. There are
10 frequent users of KY2D-2 as well as several casual users.
Jim has recently developed and installed software that will
accept automatic forwarding of mail and bulletins from systems
running the W0RLI MailBox program. Mail received by KY2D-2 can
be further forwarded into the USENET (an international network of
UNIX systems), if the correct USENET address is included as the
first line of the message.
Right now, mail is accepted only from the WA2VKH MailBox, but the
system can be instructed to receive mail from any MailBox. You
do not need to modify the W0RLI software in order to forward to
KY2D-2.
[UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories.]
From DRNET.
TUNING INDICATOR FOR HF PACKET
If you are frustrated by the difficulty of tuning in HF packet
stations, you may be looking for a good FSK tuning indicator. An
interesting crystal-controlled digital tuning indicator is
described in an article called "RTTY Tuning: The New Solution,"
by John Langner, WB2OSZ in the March 1983 issue of 73 magazine.
John also discusses the design in the August issue of the NEPRA
PacketEar, newsletter of the New England Packet Radio
Association. The tuning indicator is actually a simple frequency
counter that displays the mark and space frequencies on an LED
bar graph. It looks useful, and it should be inexpensive. If you
read the article and want to build one of the indicators, Jon has
a few PC boards available for $10.
Contact:
John Langner, WB2OSZ
115 Stedman Ct.
Chelmsford, MA 01824.
From The NEPRA PacketEar.
GEORGIA CLUB ADDRESS
The address for the Georgia Radio Amateur Packet Enthusiast
Society (GRAPES) that was previously published in Gateway is no
longer valid. The new address is:
GRAPES
P.O. Box 1354
Conyers, GA 30207.
Ed.
HF GATEWAY LIST
Don Simon, NI6A, is compiling a list of HF gateway stations. If
you operate an HF gateway, even part time, send a letter to Don.
Be sure to tell him your station callsign, location, coverage and
hours of operation.
Don is also discussing with William Smith, W7GHT, the use of
packet radio to pass messages to Australia and New Zealand. The
two are looking for HF packet stations that might be able to
connect to stations in those countries.
If you can assist with either of these projects, contact:
Don Simon, NI6A
2327 Alva Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530.
From NI6A.
MOBILE RADIO TECHNOLOGY ARTICLE
If you are looking for an article that describes packet radio to
people who are familiar with communications but not with amateur
radio, look at "Packet Radio Combines Computer, RF Technologies,"
in the August 1985 issue of Mobile Radio Technology. This
article, written by John Gates, N7BTI, describes the basics of
packet radio, its advantages, the digipeater and the TNC. The
second part of the article will describe packet-radio equipment
and applications.
John's article includes a sidebar on the history of packet radio,
which shows how radio amateurs have influenced and developed
packet-radio technology. At the end of the sidebar, John says
that he "believes those of us in the business radio environment
would do well to avoid encroachment on [the 220-MHz] and other
amateur experimental bands. The results of work carried out on
amateur frequencies may yield decided benefits for the commercial
sector." The editorial comment in the magazine that carried
John's article states: "We welcome the opportunity to tell the
story when amateurs help commercial users by way of
experimentation. We avoid contrasting amateurs with
'professionals.'"
Packet radio is bringing Amateur Radio a lot of favorable
attention from communications professionals. Congratulations and
thanks to John Gates and the others who have had papers about
amateur packet radio published recently in the professional
press.
Ed.
CONNECTICUT PACKET CLUB FORMED
On September 3, the Southern New England Association of
Packeteers (SNAP) adopted a constitution and formally became a
club. SNAP hopes to organize the growth of packet radio in
Connecticut. The club will meet on the first Tuesday of every
month at 7:30 PM at ARRL Headquarters, Newington, Connecticut.
For further information, write:
Jon Bloom, KE3Z
c/o ARRL
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
From WA2FTC.
PACKET DEMONSTRATION
The Society for the Promotion of Amateur Radio Communications
(SPARC) will be conducting a packet-radio demonstration in
conjunction with its October swap meet. The swap meet will be
held on October 19 in Opelika, Alabama. The packet demonstration
will be conducted by Bob McGwier, N4HY, who will also have some
amplitude-compandored single-sideband (ACSSB) gear to display.
Via ASR.
JAPANESE PACKET
The following update on Japanese packet radio comes from Tac
Okamoto, N6MBM/JA2PKI. Tac is temporarily living in Irvine,
California, and is a regular on Compuserve HAMNET.
"You are interested in packet activity in Japan. Hummmm...
Where should I start? A couple of years ago, a group called
JAMSAT received a pair of TAPR beta-test TNC boards. As you may
know, JAMSAT is a group like AMSAT, working to build the first
Japanese amateur-radio satellite, JAS-1. JAS-1 has a packet-
radio transponder [See Gateway issue 23]. When TAPR started
distributing the TNC 1, JAMSAT bought 6 of them to use as
development tools for JAS-1. Those TNCs were also used for
JAMSAT's information network, JASNET. JASNET was the first
packet-radio net in Japan. Now JAMSAT has finished hardware for
two JAS-1 satellites. Yes, JAMSAT has built two JAS-1s. One of
them will be launched in August, 1986. [The other one will be a
back up. -- Ed.] So, the packet activity in Japan was started by
JAMSAT with help of AMSAT and TAPR.
"Can Japanese amateurs buy a Japanese TNC? Yes, they can. A
company in Japan bought a manufacturing license from AEA and is
making a TAPR TNC 1/AEA PKT 1 clone. The TNC costs around $300.
"How many TNCs are in Japan? I don't know exactly, but there may
be 300 or more. Do they send and receive Kanji [Japanese
alphabet] via packet? Yes, there is even a a Kanji BBS!"
Via HAMNET.
K9NG MODEM PROJECT
The modem design presented by Steve Goode, K9NG, at the Fourth
Amateur Radio Computer Networking Conference generated a lot of
excitement among packet-radio experimenters. The 9600-bit/s
modem is necessary for planned intercity "trunk lines" or
"backbones." Since Steve's presentation at the conference, TAPR
has been working on making available a PC board and a kit of
hard-to-find parts for the circuit. The project took a little
longer than expected, but the PC boards have been tested, and the
final package should be ready for shipping before the end of this
month. The PC board is designed to connect a TNC and a
Hamtronics FM-5 220-MHz transceiver. Other transceivers can be
substituted, with appropriate modifications to the modem board.
TAPR will not be selling a complete kit of parts for this
circuit. The boards will probably come with the critical
capacitors and the state-machine PROM. This will not be a step-
by-step project for the beginning kitbuilder, but the
documentation provided with the board and the article that Steve
submitted to the Proceedings of the Fourth ARRL Amateur Radio
Computer Networking Conference (available for $10 from the ARRL)
should allow experienced builders to assemble and test the modem.
When the kits are available, announcement will be made in Gateway
and on packet-radio and telephone bulletin boards.
Ed.
HAWAIIAN ERRORS
In the last issue of Gateway, we incorrectly stated that Maui is
the largest of the Hawaiian islands. Several people have pointed
out that Hawaii is the "Big Island" and Maui is the second-
largest Hawaiian island. The link discussed in the Gateway item
was between Hilo, Hawaii, and Kalaheo, Kauai. Maui was not
involved.
Ed.
GATEWAY ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS
Now into its second year, Gateway is as successful as we had
hoped it would be. There are now over 860 paid subscribers to
the newsletter, and several hundred officials of NTS and other
ARRL field organizations receiving complementary copies. We
believe that another thousand people receive electronic copies of
Gateway from packet-radio or telephone bulletin boards.
Now that the summer is over, people will be returning to their
shacks and getting back into packet radio. As this activity
picks up, don't forget to send us items of interest. Gateway
would like to supply up-to-date packet-radio news. To do that,
we need to know what is going on in your part of the network.
You can send this information via Compuserve HAMNET, DRNET, or
through the mail. Just make sure to send it. If you have any
comments on how we can better serve you through Gateway, send
those along too.
This copy of Gateway was delayed by the Labor Day holiday.
Previous issues of Gateway, however, should have been delivered
regularly -- none more than a day or so late. If you are having
erratic delivery, especially if your Gateway comes via First
Class Mail, please send us a letter detailing the problem. If
your Gateway is mailed at bulk rate, there is no way to combat
delivery delays.
Ed.
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.