wb4moz.home.comcast.net/~wb4moz/ Packet Radio Using it! John H. Green WB4MOZ wb4moz@comcast.net wb4moz.home.comcast.net/~wb4moz/

Packet Radio – Using IT. There are several ways to get on Packet today. RF Internet

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF Basic User Station – Several components make up a typical user station: - Terminal – can be a PC with a terminal program or a dumb terminal. - TNC – can be a simple TNC, multimode, dual port, 1200b / 9600b, etc., or a sound card interface. We’ll use a tnc here as a sound card uses different software. - Radio / Antenna – appropriate for the operating band and data speed. Terminal TNC Radio Antenna

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF Once you have all the components lets set them up. Connect the computer to the tnc and startup the terminal program. Some tnc’s use n81 and some use e71. Some tnc’s use switches for baud rate and some use autobaud. Set the switches and term to the same baud – 9600 is usually good. Turn on the tnc. If autobaud is used set the term. To 9600 and turn on the tnc. When clear text displays enter the appropriate character – usually an asterisk (*)

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF If all goes well you should see the tnc boot: TINY-2 MARK-2 Packet Controller (c) Copyright 1985-1994 PacComm Technical Support - (813) 875-6417 AX.25 Level 2 Version 2.0 Features: KIPacCommSS PERSONAL MESSAGE SYSTEM CLOCK CHIP SUPPORT Expanded NMEA 183 (GPS) SUPPORT Release 3.2b August 24, 1994 cmd:

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF Now that we have the tnc talking to the computer lets make it ours: At the cmd prompt enter my – the response should be MYcall NOCALL or whatever call is in the tnc. Enter my callsign-ssid. Response - MYcall was NOCALL Enter txd 30 Enter sl 15 Enter per 15 Enter maxf 3 (range is 1 to 7) There’s lots more (entering disp will display all commands) but this will get things going..

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF Now lets hook up and turn on the radio – tune to 145.030 (145,630 for 9600b) simplex – no tone. If possible use a dummy load. We’re assuming the proper cable is used. Enter cal and cause the radio to tx. Set the deviation to 3.5 to 4.5 khz. Change the tone and adjust if needed. If no service monitor is available a rough setting follows. Using a second receiver adjust the volume by listening to someone for a reference level. Put the tnc into cal and tx. Adjust the tnc deviation control until a noticeable reduction in volume is heard. Adjust up slightly – tone should sound smooth with no harshness. Check the second tone and adjust if needed. Note – not for 9600b. For 9600b set the deviation to 1.8 – 2.0 khz.

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF Set the rx volume by opening the radio squelch. If the tnc to radio connection is a data one then ignore this part. Start with the vol off. Bring the vol up slowly till the tnc dcd led is on solid – go up just a little more. Now, adjust the sq till the dcd led just goes out and stays out. Now that everything is adjusted and calibrated lets try it. Make sure the antenna is connected to the radio! At the cmd prompt enter c wb4moz-3 or well3 If all goes well you should receive: *** Local Connected *** Welcome to WB4MOZ's Packet Switch in Wellington, FL. Type I for Information.

Packet Radio – Using IT - RF OR at the cmd prompt enter c k4pkt-8 You should receive: Connected to K4PKT-8 connection in progress...NODE -0 Connected to NODE-0 @ 3100561655 [DWJ-2.0r5-C] NODE : K4PKT-9 Position: !08012.50W/2648.43NxF145.030 Type <ENTER> or ? for COMMAND help. K4PKT-9 @ 19:58:32 : (A,B,C,H,H(num),HL,I,L,M,R,RX,S,T,U,UX,?) > At this point you should be connected with a working packet station. If not, Murphy must have been helping so you need to find out where he was. Sometimes antenna location is the culprit.. We’ll come back to using your packet station in a bit.

Packet Radio – Using IT - Internet In the past several years G8BPQ has released/updated several programs that allow one to use the internet to access the packet network. Among those are: A telnet interface to bpqnode. A web page interface to bpqnode A tcp term program (bpqtermtcp.exe) It should be noted that 2 things are required to use any of these programs: First (obviously) an amateur radio license! Second – register with the sysop of the system you want to access.

Screenshot of the WB4MOZ Packet Radio Computer.

Screenshot of a connection to k4pkt-8 and requesting a (h)eard list.

Packet Radio – Using IT We’ll now switch to a handout document that goes a little deeper into using the Packet network. I hope to have bpqtermtcp.exe, the handout and these presentations available on my web site: wb4moz.home.comcast.net/~wb4moz/