Just because a particular technology has been around for a while does not make it

obsolete. In fact, a long track record of a process or a product is often an indication of its

quality, usefulness, reliability, flexibility, or a number of other attributes, and can be a

combination of two or more of those. Packet fits into this category, as we will see during

the first part of this workshop.

• Cessna 150 – introduced in 1958, some are still flying today.

• Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk – first flight in 1981, revealed to the world in 1988. Retired

by the USAF in April 2008.

Which one has more capability? Is it more expensive to operate and maintain? Is it more

reliable?

Which one is simpler to operate? It is also cheaper to operate, easier to troubleshoot, and,

yet, can still perform the same basic functions as the more expensive and complicated

aircraft.

1

This packet workshop is divided into three different modules:

In the first module, we’ll briefly discuss the different components of a packet station.

Starting from factory defaults with a Kantronics KPC-3 TNC, we will get it working with your

computer. Then we’ll talk about the basics of what packet radio can do and how it’s done.

• In the 2nd module, we’ll use the command line interface of the IPSerial terminal program

to connect to another packet station, and use a Bulletin Board System (BBS) to send and

receive messages. We will also have a brief unconnected “chat” among several stations,

using UNPROTO in converse mode (roundtable keyboard chat).

• In the last module, we learn how Outpost can “automate” the functions and commands

required to send and receive packet messages through a BBS. We will configure the

Outpost Packet Message Manager to work with your TNC and your local BBS, and explore

some of its more advanced features.

2

To get the most benefit from this workshop, you will need: a computer (Windows 98 SE or

later) with Outpost either already installed or downloaded and ready to install

• TNC. Kantronics KPC-3 preferred. If other brand/model, it should already be configured to

work with a terminal program on your computer

- Serial port cable (25-pin for KPC-3 to 9-pin on computer), and/or appropriate

serial-to-USB adapter

- Power supply for the computer and the TNC

• 2m transceiver with an antenna & feedline, or a dummy load

- Proper cable to connect your specific TNC to your specific radio

- Power supply for the transceiver

3

Governmental bodies, healthcare institutions, schools, and disaster relief organizations

provide services of various types. All of these groups need information in order to make

decisions and respond effectively. Depending on the situation, the need for information

may cover only a small area (a single building or a city block), or perhaps a large area (such

as an entire county or region).

• What do we bring? First, we love to help out – we’re volunteers! But we bring a unique

ability – the ability to communicate effectively over a wide area. We also bring a lot of

structure to the table – we typically like to enforce the way messages are defined and

handled.

4

We are communicators. But beyond that, we have more than just the ability to

communicate and get a message from point A to point B. These are some of the

capabilities that we bring to the table, including the ability to move information either via

voice, or by digital means.

When comparing voice versus digital, there are some stand-out differences as shown by

the chart. Voice is easy – push the button and talk. But digital, and its form that we use

known as packet radio, is known for being harder to implement and requires more

equipment. The plus of packet is that you can transmit a lot more information in a shorter

time. And this data can be formatted, such as lists or spreadsheets.

The reason we are here discussing packet is because there is an ever-growing demand for

our resources and capabilities. More and more public agencies are wanting to use ham

radio as their backup method of communications in case of disaster. The other reason that

we are here is just the sheer volume of data that will need to be communicated from one

site to another. As we know, voice is good for short messages. Digital (packet) is much

better for longer, more complex messages.

5

Packet radio is a method of passing text messages or files between two or more

computers using a radio link to connect and pass the information. Packet is one of many

digital modes that Hams can use to build wireless computer networks.

• Amateur Packet is built on the AX.25 protocol, a mature extension of the industry

standard X.25. With this protocol, comes transparency, error correction, and automatic

control

• Data transfer speeds range from 300 baud (on HF) up to 19.2 kb, and is frequency

dependent. Higher data speeds require wider bandwidth, which, in turn, makes it

necessary to go higher in frequency.

Most amateur packet operation is at 1200 baud on 2M, and at 1200 baud or 9600 baud on

the 222 or 440 MHz bands.

6

Packet establishes a “private connection” between two stations while sharing a frequency

with others. While nothing on amateur radio is truly “private”, a direct connection

between two packet users allows them to have a keyboard-to-keyboard “chat” and pass

data between themselves “error-free” and with assured delivery. Others may use the same

frequency without interfering, and without even being noticed by the two connected

stations.

• Packet can use Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) for dropping off and retrieving messages

between users. Hams were using “email” years before the Internet was even heard of by

most people.

• Packet can also be used for keyboard “chatting” by several stations at once, though this

method does not guarantee that every station will always be heard by the others.

7

There are several reasons that packet radio continues to be relevant after 30 years. It provides

error-free delivery of a message’s content.

• When providing emergency communications support for a served agency, logging and

documenting are very important. Packet provides an easy means of recording all communications

with date and time stamps, and can even provide a “hard-copy” printout of messages for the end

user.

• Packet conserves bandwidth by utilizing only one frequency for most local operations. It employs

a “store and forward” process to move the data, rather than needing two frequencies and

expensive duplexers like voice repeaters require.

• Packet is very low cost compared with commercial means of moving data from point A to point B.

Most hams already have a radio, power supply, and antenna that can be used, and a high-quality

TNC can be bought brand new for about $200. Used equipment can be had for much less.

• As a time-proven mode, packet has shown itself to be very reliable. It is also scalable, meaning

that increased data needs can quickly and easily be provided by utilizing additional packet stations.

The same network is easily expanded and enhanced by each packet station that comes on the air.

The network becomes more robust with each new station that joins in. Every packet station

becomes part of the packet network infrastructure. This can be compared to how the Internet

works; the more servers and nodes that are available, the more “paths” there are to route the data.

8

9

Packet is certainly not without its weaknesses. It requires some significant operator training in

order to be effective, and specialized hardware (in the form of a TNC) that is used only for packet.

• If there aren’t many packet stations on the air in your vicinity, network paths may be very limited.

While each station that comes on the air is helpful, high-profile nodes and digipeaters can greatly

benefit your ability to connect with others outside your immediate area.

• If you are using packet to augment voice operations during, for example, an emergency or a

public service event, then a separate transceiver dedicated solely to packet will be required. This is

necessary to allow you to maintain contact with a voice net on the local 2M or 440 repeater, while

simultaneously providing packet capability on 2M. This arrangement may also be further

complicated if your voice net is being conducted on 2M. Special precautions will be necessary to

prevent interference, in the form of receiver “desense” or front-end overload, when the other

radio is transmitting.

• As more stations need to pass messages at the same time, there is the likelihood that the capacity

of the single packet frequency will become overloaded. This effectively reduces the overall data

transfer rate, or “throughput”. And, at a rate of 1200 baud, it is considerably slower than the

broadband Internet speeds most of us are used to. But, packet is more than capable of effective,

error-free delivery of text files and text messages, even of considerable length.

Now let’s talk about the components of packet radio.

10

Power – without it, no part of the packet radio network will function. Too often taken for

granted, a dependable, uninterruptible power supply is vital for a packet station that you

want to work when all else is failing. This is true for not just your own packet station, but

for all of the digipeaters, nodes, and BBSs you expect to be able to use.

11

You’ve likely already thought about a long-lasting, reliable power source for your TNC and

radio.

12

But what about your laptop computer? Most laptop batteries will last only a very short

number of hours, and that’s at their best, starting from a full charge.

• Does your “bargain” generator have a well-regulated, well-filtered output that won’t

cause any problems with sensitive computer equipment?

• If you don’t have a generator, do you have a DC-to-DC adapter to power your laptop from

a high-capacity external 12V battery?

13

If commercial AC power fails, can you still operate that printer to deliver a hard copy

message to the incident commander?

14

What about lights? It may seem off-topic to be discussing these things when this is

supposed to be a workshop focused on packet. But what good is a packet operator who

can’t see, when searching for that much-needed serial cable in the bottom of their jump

kit?

15

And while we’re talking about providing “power”, for the operator, there are “creature

comforts” to consider, such as keeping cool or warm, hydrated, …

• …out of the extreme weather elements, and so forth. Except for remotely-located,

stand-alone digipeaters and nodes, the operator is indeed a vital “component” of a packet

radio station, and his or her “maintenance” must be planned for ahead of time.

Now that we’ve discussed how essential a reliable, flexible power source is, let’s look at the

rest of the components that make up a packet radio station.

16

The computer runs a “terminal emulation” program to communicate with your TNC. If you

plan to use the Outpost Packet Message Manager with a TNC, a PC running Windows 98

Second Edition or later is required, along with a serial port, or a USB port with a USB-to-

serial port adapter.

17

The “TNC”, or Terminal Node Controller, is similar to a telephone modem used to connect to the Internet. One difference is the TNC is used to interface the computer into the "RF“ world via your radio.

There is one other, very significant difference. Inside the TNC there is some added internal firmware called a "PAD." The PAD, or “Packet Assembler/Disassembler”, captures incoming and outgoing data and assembles it into "packets" of data that can be sent to and from a transceiver. In addition to the data stream conversion to and from packets, the PAD also enables the Push-To-Talk (PTT) circuits of the radio.

Incoming (received) data from the radio is also converted within the PAD, and sent to the TNC’s modem. From there, the data from the modem is sent to the serial port of the computer for further processing by your software, or to just simply be displayed in your terminal emulator.

The TNC’s function and how to control it, is the focus of this first workshop module. More about the TNC shortly.

• You may have heard that packet can be done without a hardware TNC, using just the computer soundcard with a piece of software called AGWPE (ag-wipe). It was developed by SV2AGW, hence the name AGW Packet Engine. While it is significantly more involved to set up and operate on packet than using a TNC, it can be an alternative for those without one.

Outpost does the support the use of AGWPE. It is a major subject within itself, and our intent is not to replicate the excellent information and documentation that already exists on the Internet. The “How-To” section of the Outpost web site is an excellent place to get started.

WARNING: IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH AGWPE, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE OUTPOST WITH AGWPE WITHOUT SPENDING SOME TIME LEARNING THAT APPLICATION. Having said that, once you figure out AGWPE and have it up and running, you can take advantage of your PC’s soundcard and implement soundcard packet, with a performance on par with a hardware TNC. But, our focus at this workshop is the hardware TNC.

18

The radio. Not much to explain here. Just about any 2M amateur transceiver made in the

last 25 years will do. The more modern ones will be better performing and easier to

interface with a TNC. The ones with a 6-pin, mini-DIN connector on the rear panel are

absolutely ideal to work with. You can either make your own cable, or buy one “ready-

made” to fit your specific model of radio and TNC.

An HT can be used for packet, provided its output power is sufficient to reach your favorite

digipeaters and nodes. But just like a VHF/UHF voice radio for portable EmComm work, a

mobile transceiver is recommended for packet, as well.

19

I'm not suggesting that any packet user should select one antenna over another. Use

whatever you have, or choose the antenna that best fits your mission and environment.

Packet is one of those communications modes that will reflect on the system operator if he

or she fails to provide the antenna that has the best radiating and capture effect to it. In

fact, if the antenna is not constructed and installed so as to provide good signal capture,

and have the lowest noise component with respect to terrestrial noise, then no one is to

blame except the operator who is in charge of the installation.

• I am very particular where my antennas are concerned. When I go to buy cable and

connectors, I purchase the best quality I can afford. Over the years, that is the part of my

station that will get the least attention after it is installed, so I want it to withstand the

elements and provide dependable communications for a long time. SIGNAL QUALITY

begins at the antenna, and it travels down through the transmission-line.

• Antennas: Pretty Darn Important (PDI) - The higher, the better. When deciding between

using more power or raising your antenna, choose more height. Every time!

20

The last component of a packet station is the most problematic part of the entire system,

more prone to failure than any other. Its quality and reliability is amazingly inconsistent,

and causes more packet network failures than all of the other components combined…

• …the OPERATOR. And that is why we are here today. Our goal is to troubleshoot that

component of the packet radio system, improve its quality and reliability, and reduce its

mean time between failures.

• So whether your level of packet radio knowledge is comparable to the guy on the left, or

the right, or somewhere in between, you should be able to leave this workshop with a

better understanding of it all than when you came. That’s our goal.

21

22

What is Outpost? Generally, outpost is just a piece of software that hides the complexity of

the TNC commands and the BBS commands. It manages the communications to these

devices as well as managing the messages that we send and receive.

As a comparison, many of us use e-mail which uses a protocol called SMTP. Did you know

that SMTP has about 15 commands, and those 15 commands can generate about 25

responses? Do you know those commands and responses? Probably not. Most of us use

an e-mail client like Outlook, or whatever e-mail package is provided to us by our network

provider. The e-mail client that we use performs the same function that Outpost does – it

hides the complexity of SMTP from us. None of us would think about learning all of the

SMTP commands. So packet should be thought of in the same light – there isn’t a need to

learn all of the TNC and BBS commands – let Outpost do it for us.

23

The key point here is that since Outpost hides the complexity of sending and receiving the

message, we can focus on the message itself and not worry about packet or the commands

necessary to get the work done.

Before we hook up the TNC to our computer, we must have the software installed to be

able to communicate with it. Outpost Packet Message Manager includes everything we

need (almost), so let’s quickly go through the installation.

24

It is always a good idea to read the important information during the software installation

when it says “Please read the following important information before continuing.”

25

If you have a previous version of Outpost already installed on your computer, be sure to

select “Upgrade”. Otherwise, be sure to select “First time installation for new users”.

26

Once again, another important information screen to read. This one lets you know about a

handy new feature in the latest version of Outpost – automatic generation of the standard

ICS309 Communications Log Report.

27

Once installation is completed, there should be 5 shortcuts on your desktop (if you selected

to install them).

• For this workshop, we will focus mainly on two of them – Ipserial and Outpost PMM.

28

The computer communicates with the TNC through a serial port, or “com port”. If you have

one of these hardware ports on your computer, it can make life a little easier. But, a lot of

modern computers no longer include hardware serial ports.

• If your computer does not have a com port, then you’ll need to use a USB-to-serial port

converter. These are relatively inexpensive ($20-$40) and come in a variety of shapes,

sizes, and colors. Converters that use the FTDI chipsets seem to work best with amateur

radio hardware devices, and this is one of the most common types. I would avoid the ultra-

cheap $4 converters that are found on popular Internet auction web sites.

• You want to also be sure to check the web site of your converter’s manufacturer and get

the very latest drivers for your particular device and your operating system.

• For your computer at home (non-laptop), you can also purchase a PCI expansion card

that will add true serial ports to your system.

29

Follow the instructions that came with your USB-to-serial converter to install it on your PC.

Now we must find out what “COM port” number Windows assigned to your new hardware

device.

• To do that, bring up the “Device Manager” in Windows.

• Then, look down the list for “Ports (COM & LPT)”. Click on the little arrow to the left to

expand the list. You should see your newly installed device listed there, with the COM port

number indicated in parenthesis. Make note of this as you will need it to configure

Outpost.

A word of caution here: the next time you use your USB-to-serial port converter, Windows

may decide to assign it a different COM port number! This can happen without you

realizing it, and leave you scratching your head as to why Outpost won’t control your TNC.

This happens most frequently when you plug your converter into a different USB port than

what you used previously. Windows also just decides to do this on its own sometimes, too.

So, the next time you plug in your converter, do a quick check to see what COM port

Windows assigned to it. If it’s different than before, you can either change the port setup

in Outpost to match the current number, or force Windows to assign it the COM port you

already have Outpost set up to use.

30

Let’s get our PC talking with the TNC. Open IPSerial. Note the status line at the bottom of

the program window. It indicates whether or not you are connected, the program’s current

COM port settings, and how long you have been connected. Most likely, you will need to

change the default COM port settings to start communicating with your TNC. To do that,

click on “File” from the menu at the top of the window, and select “Comm Port Setup”.

• At the Comm Port Setup screen, change the port to the one the TNC is connected to. If

using a USB-to-serial port converter, select the COM port assigned by Windows that you

noted earlier. If you’ve already had your TNC working with Outpost on this computer,

then don’t change your settings! But if you are doing this for the first time, or want to

initialize your TNC and start from scratch, then leave all other settings on this screen set to

their default, and click “OK”.

• Notice the status bar in IPSerial now reflects any changes you made to the COM Port

settings.

31

Check to make sure you’ve connected your TNC to your computer with the proper serial

cable. Note that the big 25-pin connector on the rear panel of the KPC-3 is the serial

connection. The smaller, 9-pin connector is used to connect your radio. Verify that you’ve

got 12V DC plugged into the power jack. Do NOT power on the TNC just yet.

• Click the “CONNECT” button in IPSerial.

• Turn on your TNC.

32

If your KPC-3 has been reset (initialized), after a moment you will see a string of characters

as shown here and a message to “PRESS (*) TO SET BAUD RATE”. This is the TNC

performing its “autobaud” routine. Once you see this, type the asterisk (*) key on your

computer keyboard. If you previously had your TNC working with your computer, you

should see the normal TNC boot-up message. If you have a KPC-3 that is already working

with your computer, you can type “restore default” to reset it to its factory settings.

• The KPC-3 should automatically set the TNC to communicate at the speed you have set in

the terminal program (IPSerial), and you will be prompted to enter your callsign.

Or, you may see a lot of “garbage” or your screen, or nothing at all. This indicates that the

TNC communication parameters are not set correctly in IPSerial, you have a bad serial

cable, or there is a problem with the TNC. If you have a KPC-3, a “hard reset” is

recommended (by opening the cover and briefly moving a small jumper – consult your

owner’s manual). If you have another brand or model of TNC, you will need to

troubleshoot it using your owner’s manual.

Our goal right now is to get your computer communicating with the TNC. Until that is

accomplished, nothing else will work. Let’s work on that for a moment before proceeding

any further.

33

Hopefully, IPSerial is now displaying something legible on your computer screen. If the TNC

did its autobaud routine and you typed an asterisk to set it, then you should be seeing a

prompt to enter your callsign. Go ahead and do that.

• Getting your TNC and computer talking with one another is the number one hurdle to

getting on the air with packet. The 2nd hardest part of the process is properly connecting

your radio to your TNC. Hopefully, you’ve already taken care of that. Now we can focus on

setting up the TNC to make it play well with Outpost.

34

If you performed a hard reset on your KPC-3, the TNC is in “New User” mode with access to

only a limited number of commands. We will need access to all of them. To make that

change, type “int” (short for interface), a space, then “term” and press “ENTER”. You

should see the TNC respond as shown.

• Enter “int” to show the current setting of that parameter. You will see that it is now set

to “terminal”. You now have access to all of the TNC’s commands. You only need to do this

once, unless you perform a reset on your TNC.

35

While we’re here, let’s make a few more changes to the default settings in a KPC-3 TNC so

it will play nice with Outpost.

Enter “streamsw 0” (that’s a zero) on the command line.

• Enter “mcom off”

That’s good for now. There’s not much need to explain what those commands are for at

this point, but now you have your KPC-3 ready to work with Outpost.

• Before we move on, type “help” and hit ENTER. This shows you the entire list of the

TNC’s parameters and commands (well, almost).

36

Let’s get to know a few of the basic commands. Even though Outpost will automatic many

of the normal functions of sending and receiving messages to and from a BBS for us, we

still need to be able to control our TNC using the command line interface. When you

entered your callsign into the TNC, it automatically assigned a specific call to your TNC’s

internal Personal Bulletin Board System, or PBBS. Several different types of TNCs have this

feature. It is your own personal mailbox built into your TNC.

The KPC-3 took the callsign you entered and added a Secondary Station IDentifer, or SSID,

to assign to your internal mailbox. An SSID is simply a number from 1 to 15, added to the

end of your callsign with a dash. The PBBS in a KPC-3 will have an SSID of -1, by default.

So, my PBBS is set to WR9A-1.

• To verify this, and to see the contents of a few other settings, enter “disp id” in your KPC-

3. Notice that the KPC-3 also assigns your callsign-7 to your TNC’s node, enabling your

station as a KA-Node.

37

38

Many selfless amateurs have invested much time and money into setting up, configuring

and maintaining routes in which to pass traffic via packet and other modes. Digipeaters,

Nodes, BBS’s and Clusters are tools that can be used to communicate with packet over a

wide area.

Each of these network parts has an amateur callsign and SSID assigned to them. They may

also have an Alias. Using an alias instead of a callsign and SSID can help amateurs

remember nodes. Some examples of aliases used in our area are TCARES, CYCLON,

INHOWA, PUTNAM, PARKE, and NOIRAM.

The network is very similar to a computing network. If you were to divide the Packet

Network into two parts, it would be ‘User Area’ and ‘Backbone’. User Areas are available to

anyone, but Backbone stations and frequencies should be avoided. If someone tries to

utilize the backbone for connecting to remote sites, they could very well bring a major

part of the network down.

39

Digipeater is the term we use to describe a packet radio digital repeater. Unlike the FM

voice repeaters, most digipeaters operate on simplex and do not receive and transmit

simultaneously. They receive the digital information, temporarily store it and then turn

around and retransmit it. Your TNC can be used by others as a digipeater if you have the

command DIGIPEAT turned ON.

Digipeaters are used primarily to assist low power stations to reach further. Sometimes

your propagation path will not allow a direct connection to your intended recipient – a

digipeater may be able to provide a solid connection.

Your TNC will allow you to enter up to eight digipeaters in your connect sequence, but

using more than 3 usually means long waits, lots of repeated packets, and frequent

disconnects, due to noise and other signals encountered on the frequency.

You will need to know what digipeaters are out there before you begin randomly trying to

connect to someone. Watch for the paths that other stations are using.

40

Part of the packet network, a node is a device that allows you to connect to other parts of

the network - similar to a telephone switchboard. Nodes establish routes and remember

where other nodes are. Properly configured nodes can have a very extensive list of routes

to other nodes even in different states. A node may have multiple ports as well as multiple

operating frequencies.

Nodes are more effective at “getting someplace” than digipeaters, as they have established

links and can provide the most direct route. A node is a tool to allow users to get to other

places easier and faster. There are usually menu options available when you are connected

to a node – simply enter “help” to get the list of commands available on that node.

41

A BBS, or Bulletin Board System, is a message center and information store. You are able to

connect to the BBS, send messages, retrieve messages, and read bulletins or

announcements. Not only is a BBS a User Area, it’s designed to be user friendly. One of

the most common features of a BBS is online extensive help. Try typing help or simply

typing a question mark to get this help file.

A cluster is a conference room, a Node, a BBS all rolled up into one. When you connect to

a cluster you can retrieve messages, read news and bulletins, send messages, as well as

participate in conferences. Behind the scenes, the cluster is communicating on the

Backbone and transferring messages, news and network updates to other parts of the

packet network. It’s a multi-user, multi-connect tool designed for a specific purpose or

group use. A cluster is very effective for Emergency Communication use because of it‘s

real-time functionality.

42

Let’s try connecting to the PBBS within our own TNC. As we talked about earlier, the KPC-3

should have assigned an SSID of -1 to your PBBS. So, your PBBS callsign should be your

callsign-1. Let’s confirm this by entering “MYP” at the command prompt. The TNC should

respond with the callsign of your PBBS.

• To connect to any packet station, we use the command “Connect”. You can use just a

“C” as a shortcut.

So, let’s make sure we’re seeing our command prompt in IPSerial. (If not, try typing a

CNTL-C).

Type C <space> then your callsign with a “-1” at the end of it, and hit ENTER.

• You should see your TNC respond with something like this.

43

Congratulations! You have just connected to your TNC’s mailbox or PBBS. Here, you can

type “help” or just “h” and hit ENTER to see what the available commands are when

connected to the PBBS. Let’s try this.

• The help command shows you all of the PBBS commands and what they are for. Notice

that the last line is once again the PBBS command prompt. Now, look over at your KPC-3.

You will notice that the LEDs for “Con” and “Mail” are lit up solid. These indicate that your

TNC is “connected” to a station, and that your mailbox is being accessed.

44

Let’s do something a little silly here. You are going to send a packet message to yourself.

The help file shows that to send a message to someone, we use “S”, followed by a space,

then the callsign of who we want to send it to. So, at the PBBS prompt, type “s”, space,

then your callsign and hit ENTER. Now you should see the PBBS prompting for a subject.

Just enter something here.

• Now that your message has a subject, you can start typing the text of the message.

Notice the prompt that tells you how to end your message text. This must be done to let

the TNC know that you are done typing your message and ready to return to the PBBS

prompt.

• I have typed my message, and included “/EX” on a line all by itself to signify the end of

my message. Now, I will hit ENTER.

• Notice the TNC responds with ‘MESSAGE SAVED” and returns me to the PBBS command

prompt. You’ve now sent yourself a packet message!

45

Before we leave the PBBS, type a “J” and hit ENTER. The PBBS responds with a list of all the

packet stations it has heard recently, along with the date and time each station was last

heard.

• Let’s disconnect from the BBS by issuing the BYE command with the letter “B”. You

should always disconnect from any BBS or node using the appropriate command. Now you

should see the “DISCONNECTED” message and be back at the TNC’s familiar command

prompt (cmd:)

Now, look at your KPC-3. Notice that the “Connect” LED is no longer illuminated, but your

“Mail” LED is now flashing. This indicates that there is a packet message on your own PBBS

addressed to your callsign.

46

Connect to your PBBS using the “C callsign-1” command. Notice as soon as you connect, it informs you of the number of messages on the PBBS, and the number of messages waiting for you.

• If you recall from the list of PBBS commands, “L”, will list all of the messages available. “LM” will show only the messages addressed or sent by you (List Mine). Enter either command.

Now you should see the message you just sent to yourself listed. The message number is assigned by your TNC, and you use it to perform actions on a particular message. Now, let’s read your message by using the “R” command, followed by a space, then the number of the message you wish to read. Go ahead and do that.

• The message should be displayed on your screen and you are once again back at the PBBS command prompt. Now that you’ve read your message, you can delete it from your TNC, to reclaim the memory space. To do that, we use the “K” command (for Kill), followed by a space, and the message number we want to delete. Go ahead and Kill that message.

• You should see a line with the message header, followed by a line that says “MESSAGE DELETED”, and a return to the PBBS command prompt. Go ahead and leave the PBBS (“B” command for BYE). Now, the Mail LED on your TNC should no longer be blinking.

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The second most difficult part of getting a packet station on the air, is connecting the TNC

to the radio. Only 4 connections need to be made, but it must be done correctly.

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The 6-Pin Mini-DIN "DATA" or "PACKET" connector is an industry standard adopted by all

the Japanese ham radio manufacturers. It is now superseding the various proprietary 7, 8

and 13-pin full-sized DIN connectors used by various manufacturers.

This connector is the perfect point to connect packet TNCs, soundcard interfaces, phone

patches, IRLP/EchoLink controllers, APRS trackers, paging encoders, or any other device

that needs access to the transmit and receive audio of a radio. You may notice that this

type of connector is the same one used on computer PS/2 keyboard and mouse cables.

However, most mice do not have all pins wired through, and most keyboards only use 5

wires and a shell ground. But, you may be able to use an old keyboard cable as long as you

do not need the discriminator audio for 9600 baud for your application.

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Whether you make your own TNC-to-radio cable, or buy one already made, keep in mind it

must be customized for your specific brand and model of radio, and your specific brand and

model of TNC. Here’s a tip: When you make or buy your cable, use some durable tags and

mark each end of the cable with what it is made to attach to. Then later, when you have it

disconnected and lying in a pile of other cables, you can easily identify which radio and TNC

it is made for.

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Just as the right audio levels are important for PSK31, Olivia, MFSK, or other digital soundcard modes, they are also critical for proper operation of packet. If you have a radio with the 6-pin, mini-DIN connector and are using it to connect your TNC, the audio levels are usually good to go. But if you’re using the radio’s speaker jack to feed received audio into the TNC, and the radio’s mic jack for transmit audio, then some tweaking is probably in order.

For received audio through the speaker jack, start with your radio’s volume up about 1/3 of the way, usually about the 10 or 11 o’clock position. Watch your screen when there is packet activity on the frequency. If you’re not seeing anything and your RCV light on your TNC is not lighting up, then try adjusting your volume either up or down slightly. Also, make sure your TNC has its MONITOR setting turned on.

If you’ve got a KPC-3 with the Carrier Detect (CD) set to “software”, then unsquelch your radio completely. Otherwise, set your squelch like you normally would for voice operation – just above the noise threshold.

• If you’ve got a proper cable between your radio and TNC, then the transmit audio should be okay. Not usually optimum, but usable. There are transmit audio level adjustments that can be made in most TNCs. The easiest way to see if your audio level is about where it needs to be is to listen on another receiver to your transmitted packet signal and compare it to others on the frequency. If it sounds close to the others, it’s likely usable. If you’re really interested in optimizing your transmit audio level, check out this web page.

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Now I need to point out the various levels of communicating you can do from the

keyboard. First, you can communicate with your computer for setting up your software

program. At this level you are not communicating with your TNC. You are just telling your

computer and software what it needs to do.

• Second, you can communicate with the TNC. This is what we’ve been doing so far, since

we’ve not actually done any transmitting on the air yet.

• And, third, you can send data over the radio. It's very important that you know which

level you're in when working packet. You need to know where your keystrokes are going!

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So now your packet station should be assembled and connected, ready to go on the air.

• Take a deep breath and relax. In fact, pat yourself on the back. You’ve already gotten

past the most difficult part of packet radio - hooking up your equipment. Now, let’s have

some fun with it. Like any aspect of ham radio, the more you operate, the more proficient

you become. Learn good operating habits from the start, and your skills will only get better

as you spend time operating.

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There are 4 basic “modes” of operation for TNCs. Some have a few additional ones, but these are the basics. The COMMAND mode is where you interact with the TNC, telling it what to do or changing settings. Look for the familiar command prompt (cmd:). If you are in one of the other modes and need to get back to the command prompt, try typing a CTRL-C. This is where we’ve spent most of our time so far.

• CONVERSE mode. Your TNC will automatically switch to this mode when you connect with someone, but you can also switch to this mode by entering CONV (or K) at the cmd: prompt.

• When you're in converse mode and are NOT connected to another station, anything you type will be transmitted via the path you set with the UNPROTO command. Packets sent via UNPROTO are sent only once and are not acknowledged, so there is no guarantee that they'll get through. This mode is used frequently for sending CQ and for roundtable “chatting”.

• UNPROTO designates the path used when you send BEACONS or when you're in converse mode and NOT connected to another station. The default is CQ, but you can also specify another station (or more) to digipeat your transmissions, if you wish. For our monthly ARES packet chats, we ask participants to set their UNPROTO path to “CQ via W9TCA”. This allows their unconnected transmissions to be digipeated by the Tippecanoe County ARES packet station at Green Hill.

• TRANSPARENT mode is used for special applications, such as sending binary files with packet. This is not a subject we will be covering in this workshop., though there are many online sources of information on using this mode.

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Now that we are ready to get on the air with packet, what can we connect to? For a one-

to-one keyboard chat, we connect directly to another “live” packet station. Obviously,

there will need to be a “live” operator at the other packet station for us to be able to chat

with. Let’s try that and see how that looks. <<LIVE DEMO>>

If a “live” operator is not present at the packet station we want to connect to, then the

request will go unanswered and our connection will time out. You can also issue the

“DISC” command, for DISConnect, at the TNC command prompt. This will stop your TNC

from trying to connect to the other station that is not responding.

• We can also connect directly to another user’s Personal BBS (PBBS), as long as they have

the radio and TNC powered on and have not disabled their local mailbox. Let’s try it…

<<LIVE DEMO>>

• And, of course, we can connect to a regular Bulletin Board System, or BBS. It may be a

stand-alone BBS (like we use for W9TCA-1 at Green Hill), or a “full service” BBS networked

to other BBSs or the Internet. Let’s connect to the BBS we have running here at the

workshop… <<LIVE DEMO>>

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BBSs work just like email, allowing messages to be stored, retrieved, or forwarded

throughout the connected network. The recipient does not need to be on line to get the

message, meaning that messages can be retrieved at the recipient's convenience.

Here in our local area, the W9TCA-1 PBBS serves as the local “maildrop”. It is a stand-alone

KPC-3+, configured to act as a BBS, node, and digipeater. There is no computer attached,

and no Internet access. But, it functions quite adequately as a local BBS.

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Add into the mix, a home packet station with Internet access that can connect reliably to

W9TCA-1, and now we can easily interface with other full-service BBSs.

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For packet BBSs and nodes to be able to communicate with distant BBSs and nodes,

something called a BACKBONE is often used. This is a higher-speed connection established

on a different frequency from the local packet user. Individual users do not use the

backbone, or its frequencies. It is used exclusively by full-service BBSs and nodes to

exchange large amounts of data between them. This is often done at 9600 baud on the

220 or 440 MHz bands.

• In addition to using high-speed packet radio for the link between major BBSs and nodes,

the Internet can also be used for part of the link, or a combination of both.

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DHS suggested to the ARRL that the Amateur community should design and maintain a

national digital network for emergency communication purposes. WinLink 2000 (WL2K)

was adopted as that solution. WL2K provides radio packet users and Internet 3rd party

users with transparent email access.

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Digipeaters and nodes help get your packets where they need to go. You just have to figure

out the most reliable path to your destination.

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The last module of this workshop will be a “hands-on” session, so we won’t be using

PowerPoint. We will learn how Outpost can “automate” the functions and commands

required to send and receive packet messages through a BBS. We will configure the

Outpost Packet Message Manager to work with your TNC and your local BBS, and explore

some of its more advanced features.

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