dna@dsd.UUCP (David Altekruse) (04/11/85)
C2977 CC4 JEFF WARD (ARRL,2977) 4/10/85 9:14 PM L:416
KEYS:/GATEWAY/VOLUME 1/NUMBER 16/MARCH 26/1985/
Gateway: The ARRL Packet-Radio Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 16
March 26, 1985
Electronic Edition
SPECIAL ISSUE
This issue of Gateway is tailored to provide information to those
attending the West Coast Computer Faire and the Fourth Amateur
Radio Computer Networking Conference. We have attempted to
provide an overview of packet-radio activity in the United States
and a fairly complete list of U.S. packet-radio clubs.
PACKET RADIO IN 1985
The past year has seen packet radio grow from a few hundred
isolated stations into a few dozen tentatively-connected local-
area networks (LANs). There are now between 2,000 and 3,000
packet-radio terminal node controllers (TNCs) operating on the
amateur bands. The following list of clubs gives a fair idea of
where the activity is concentrated: The San Francisco Bay area
and the Los Angeles basin are the hotspots of "WESTNET" activity.
These two centers are linked by a string of mountaintop
repeaters. In the Northwest, there are organized groups pushing
packet radio from Vancouver, BC toward Northern California.
There are two paths taking shape from West to East: Arizona - New
Mexico - Texas - Arkansas, and Utah - Colorado - Nebraska - Iowa
- Illinois. The Chicago-area has recently produced a 9600-bit/s
modem (designed by Steve Good, K9NG) and promises to be a center
of network development. The east coast from Washington, D.C. to
Boston is tenouosly linked, and there are many areas of high
activity along this "EASTNET." In the south, Florida has the
largest packet-radio population, and Alabama and Georgia are
beginning to come on-the-air. Terminal node controllers have
been sold in every state in the U.S. and in several overseas
countries.
The U.S. is being covered by LANs, and the next leap for amateur
packet radio will be to link these LANs using a "network-layer
protocol." Many LANs are already linked in a store-and-forward
mail network designed by Hank Oredson, W0RLI. Hank's MailBox
software, running at dozens of sites throughout the world,
forwards a message from one node to another, until the message
reaches its destination. This taste of networking is driving
several software and hardware teams in the development of real-
time networking equipment.
If you are excited by the idea of an amateur data network, or if
you have some use for such a network (emergency traffic, weather
networking, message handling, etc.) contact a packet-radio group
and join the fun.
Jeff Ward, K8KA, Editor.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
o The Amateur Radio Research and Development Corp. is a group
interested in advanced amateur-radio techniques. Members of
AMRAD have been responsible for many advances in packet radio.
AMRAD
P.O. Drawer 6148
McLean, VA 22106-6148
o The Amateur Radio Satellite Corp. has ongoing interest in the
development of amateur packet-radio standards, and they are
currently involved in the construction of PACSAT, a packet-radio
satellite.
AMSAT 850 Sligo #601
Silver Spring MD 20910
301-589-6062
o The Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corp. (TAPR) is best known
for the TNC kit that it designed, tested and markets. With the
TNC now being produced by two commercial companies, TAPR
continues to be instrumental in packet-radio development.
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR)
P.O. Box 22888
Tucson, AZ 85734-2888
ALABAMA
In the Huntsville area, contact:
Frank Emens, W4HFU
3714 Lakewood Circle
Huntsville, AL 35811.
Near Birmingham:
Henry Wingate, K4HAL
104 Von Dale Drive
Birmingham, AL 35215
ARKANSAS
Elmer Wingfield, W5FD
26 Belmont Drive
Little Rock, AR 72204
CALIFORNIA
o Recently, the Sacramento Packet Group (SACPAC) became a
special interest group under the Sacramento Amateur Radio Club,
Incorporated. This club, W6AK, is the area's oldest ham club.
While Sacramento packet stations are able to get into the San
Francisco Bay Area with moderate success, plans are to install a
high-level digipeater in the Sierra Nevada this year which will
allow for more reliable links into the Bay area and down the
Coast Range. Even better, the digipeater is planned to be a major
node in the proposed Central Valley chain which will provide
North-South path through the center of the state. SACPAC is also
working on a W0RLI MailBox in Sacramento which should be
functioning on 145.09 MHz by early summer. SACPAC is coordinating
with PPRS to ensure that operating parameters remain standardized
not only between these groups, but also within the rapidly
expanding group of newcomers to packet radio in this area. All
local operations are on 145.01 and 145.03 MHz.
The Sacramento County Office of Emergency Operations plans to
have a TNC installed by the end of this summer and is
coordinating with the State Office of Emergency Services to
establish links and work out details for use of packet systems in
emergency and disaster situations. The plan is to have packet
"teams" within the County's newly-revitalized RACES program and
ARES. The teams would set up communications at appropriate sites
during drills and actual emergencies. A good framework should be
developed over the next year to accomodate the projected growth
in this emergency network.
o LAPG is the local Los Angeles packet-radio club. LAPG runs
a voice net every Monday night at 8:00 PM local time on 145.36
MHz simplex. Meetings are on the last Saturday of every month
near the TRW swap meet.
Los Angeles Area Packet Group (LAPG)
P.O. Box 6026
Mission Hills, CA 91345
o The Southern California Digital Coordination Council (SCDCC)
is an organization formed by the packet radio operators in
Southern California to serve as a central point for
communications between packet users and other amateur groups. It
also serves as a clearing house for information on local packet
activity. Membership is open to anyone; packet radio users are
encouraged to join. SCDCC has a technical committee to help
track and promote the rational growth of packet radio equipment,
repeaters, gateways and protocols on frequencies assigned to
packet radio.
SCDCC serves all of Southern California and has members in San
Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Lancaster, Lompoc,
and other areas.
SCDCC
P.O. Box 6026
Mission Hills, CA 91345
o The Pacific Packet Radio Society was one of the first North
American packet-radio clubs. PPRS serves the San Francisco Bay
area, and is the co-sponsor of the Fourth Amateur Radio Computer
Networking Conference.
Pacific Packet Radio Society
P. O. Box 51562
Palo Alto, CA 94303
o There is also a packet-radio club in San Diego.
San Diego Packet Group (SDPG)
c/o Mike Brock, WB6HHV
10230 Mayor Circle
San Diego, CA 92126
COLORADO
Rocky Mountain Packet Radio Association
% Andy Freeborn, N0CCZ, Secretary
5222 Borrego Drive
Colorado Springs, CO
(303) 598-8373
FLORIDA
The Florida Amateur Digital Communications Association is an
organization interested in digital communication techniques such
as packet radio. Since its founding in 1983, FADCA has grown to
be one of the major regional packet organizations in the nation.
FADCA members are from Florida, Georgia, and many other states.
FADCA provides a structure for planning orderly growth of packet
networking, and has been designated as the agent of the Florida
Repeater Council for administering packet frequencies and
repeater sites. FADCA's newsletter, the BEACON, provides
technical information and operating news to over 250 persons each
month. FADCA is the coordinator of the SOUTHNET packet network
which is rapidly expanding from Florida through the entire
Southeast.
Florida Amateur Digital Communications Association (FADCA)
812 Childers Loop, Brandon, FL 33511
(813) 689-3355
GEORGIA
Georgia Radio Amateur Packet Enthusiast Society
GRAPES
P.O. Box 1354
Conyers, GA 30207
Southern Amateur Packet Society (SAPS)
c/o Wayne Harrell, WD4LYV
RT 1 Box 185
Sycamore, GA 31790
ILLINOIS
Chicago Amateur Packet Radio Assn. (CAPRA)
P.O. Box 8251
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
St. Louis Area Packet Radio
9926 Lewis & Clark
St. Louis, MO 63136
IOWA
The Central Iowa Technical Society has helped build a widespread
packet network throughout Iowa.
Central Iowa Technical Society
c/o Ralph Wallio, W0RPK
RR 4
Indianola, IA 50125
KANSAS
John Anderson III, WB0SKL
305 Brittany
Olathe, KS 66061
MASSACHUSETTS
New England Packet Radio Assn. (NEPRA)
P.O. Box 15
Bedford, MA 01730
MICHIGAN
Eastern Packet Radio Of Michigan (EPROM)
c/o J. Nugent, WB8TKL
307 Ross Dr.
Monroe, MI 48161
MINNESOTA
MAPR hosts a Tuesday-evening voice net on 146.04/64 MHz at 7:45
PM. Packet operation is on 145.010 MHz with additional channels
on 145.3, 145.5, 145.7, and 145.9 MHz.
Minnesota Amateur Packet Radio (MAPR)
C/O Pat Snyder, WA0TTW
565 Redwood Lane
New Brighton, MN 55112
NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT
Mt. Ascutney Amateur Packet Radio Association
c/o Carl Breuning, N1CB
54 Myrtle St.
Newport, NH 03773
NEW JERSEY
o The Radio Amateur Telecommunications Society provides
support to amateurs engaging in packet activities. The group's
activities include a packet software library and development of a
cross-state trunking system to be incorporated into EASTNET. A
directory of active amateur packet stations and facilities has
been compiled and is available. Standards documents are kept in
club files and may be distributed upon request. RATS is
developing an interface between the private teleconference DR NET
and the EASTNET packet-radio network. This interface should be
operating soon.
In Northern New Jersey/New York City:
The Radio Amateur Telecommunications Society (RATS-NORTH)
c/o J. Gordon Beattie, Jr. N2DSY
206 North Vivyen St.
Bergenfield, NJ 07621
(201) 387-8896
In South Jersey:
The Radio Amateur Telecommunications Society
(RATS-SOUTH)
c/o Brian B. Riley, KA2BQE
RD 2 Burnt House Rd.
Indian Mills, NJ 08088
RATS BBS Tel: 609-268-9597 (300 baud)
o The Cherryville Repeater Association is also active in
packet radio in New Jersey. Their main concerns are public
service and 220-MHz linking. They maintain a series of linked
220-MHz duplex repeaters that are used for voice and packet.
Cherryville Repeater Association
Box 308
Quakertown, NJ 08868
NEW YORK
Rochester Packet Group
c/o Fred Cupp, W2DUC
27 Crescent Rd.
Fairport, NY 14450
o New York City:
Packet Of New York (PONY)
c/o Bill Schimoler
42-15 172 St
Flushing, NY 11358
o Hudson Valley:
The Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club supports an active packet-
radio group. They are now turning their attention and resources
to 220-MHz network links.
Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 841
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
OHIO
Cincinatti Amateur Packet Radio Experimenters Society (CAPRES)
c/o John Schroer-IV, KA8GRH
984 Halesworth Dr.
Forest Park, OH 45240
Cleveland Area:
Maynard Weston, W8MW
4564 Park Edge Dr.
Fairview Park, OH 44126
TENNESEE
Tennesee packet activity is centered in Memphis, on 145.01 MHz.
Contact:
John Burningham, WB8PUF
Memphis State University
Dept. of Engineering, Technology
Memphis, TN 38152
TEXAS
Dave Cheek, WA5MWD
1510 Treavis St.
Garland, TX 75042
UTAH
UPRA has a voice net on Tuesday evenings, at 8:45 PM, on
146.02/62 MHz.
Utah Packet Radio Association (UPRA)
4382 Cherryview Drive
West Valley City, Utah 84120
WASHINGTON
Northwest Amateur Packet Radio Association (NAPRA)
c/o John Gates, N7BTI
750 Northstream Ln.
Edmonds, WA 98020
TRENTON PACKET FORUM
There will be a packet radio meeting at the Trenton (New Jersey)
Computer Fest on Saturday, April 20 (note the change -- some of
the earlier publicity had indicated Sunday). The Mid-Atlantic
Packet Radio Council (MAPRC) is sponsoring the packet sessions
and the organizers are Harold Winard, KB2M and Jon Pierce,
WB2MNF. There will be a panel of experts to answer questions
about packet radio and presentations by representatives of
various EASTNET LANs.
INTERNATIONAL PACKET ACTIVITY
Although this report and list were biased toward U.S. packet
activity, there is considerable activity in Canada and overseas.
Japan, the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Sweden all
have packet radio activity. Canadian activity-centers include
Hamilton, ON; Vancouver, BC; Toronto, ON; and Ottowa, ON. Back
issues of Gateway provide more information on international
activity.
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.
Gateway is published by:
The American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111