Packet Radio

[N8YX]

I'm pretty sure Luke and Corey use it.

Who else does at the moment?

Which frequencies do you use the most?

[KC2UGV]

I do (well, not right now, my station is packed up), but usually 145.010, 030, and 050; then 2.4GHz band (All over).

[KC9ECI]

No real packet activity around here short of the DX cluster via RF and a fair bit of APRS.

[kb2vxa]

I started in 1996 when I bought a computer and TNC from a ham in Hillside, NJ and for a time I was a remote sysop for the CNJ BBS/node in Lakehurst. I watched the decline, now without antennas I use a Telnet link to a BBS in Australia. Overall it's pretty much on its last legs especially in the US but you'll see me @WW when there's something of interest to reply to. Well, at least there is a little ham left in me...

[KJ3N]

I haven't done any serious packet work in over a decade. I used to do quite a bit of it on 10m in the 90s. In fact, I once had a 2 hour QSO with a guy from France. The only thing that ended it was propagation fell out.

[KC9ECI]

I'm kind of jazzed up to do some packet-lite this weekend. The 2012 Brute Challenge http://www.spreetouring.com/ is Saturday and the Winona club has launched a massive APRS effort to support this event. I was contacted a few weeks ago and invited to assist. I'm pulling the camper over Friday night and getting some stuff set up and then overnighting on my own, just me and case of my closest friends. Could be dangerous though, I worked in Arcadia for almost a decade at Ashley Furniture in the 90's and I've been thrown out of every bar in town at one point or another. Saturday morning I'm getting up ahead of the sun and hiking up to a ridge top to place a portable digipeater and then back to the camper where I will spend the day doing net control.

[N2RJ]

One guy here uses it for the DX cluster. Honestly that's what I'd use it for.

In 9Y I was very active on packet. We used to chat it up and send email. It was great.

As time marched on and I changed countries, I lost interest in packet. I bought an Elcom but never really used it much. I have it laying in a drawer, maybe I'll resurrect it.

[N8YX]

I'm thinking about putting a 20-to-2M gateway online, possibly as part of Network 105. If I can set my KAM's serial port to do null-modem 'node' connections to a KPC4, I might configure 3 or 4-port Ka-Node system. HF on 20M; VHF ports on 2, 223 and 6. Or 10M at 1200 baud.

[KC9ECI]

Went to the location we'd scouted for the portable digipeater Saturday morning and found it being occupied by a badger. I opted to find another location. I snapped a few pics, none of which are very good, but they give an idea of what we were working with. The antennas you can't see because of my fine photo taking skills are a dual band Arrow j-pole on the tripod mount, a 7 element Cushcraft 2M yagi on the drive on mount. The portable digi was using a 20W solar panel, some small gel cells, and a homebrew dual band j-pole on a MFJ tripod. I was monitoring the voltage over the course of the day and there was a good while where it was actually going up even though the TR-7850 was transmitting on high power almost non-stop. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/edhwnqaua9kdx70/lwYVhcGd7T

[NQ6U]

Went to the location we'd scouted for the portable digipeater Saturday morning and found it being occupied by a badger.

Man, don't you just hate it when that happens?

[kb2vxa]

"Or 10M at 1200 baud."

Uh uh, there it's 300bd same as any HF frequency.

"Went to the location we'd scouted for the portable digipeater Saturday morning and found it being occupied by a badger."

Well what did you expect in the Badger State??? I'm surprised he didn't yell ON WISCONSIN and throw a football at you, his way of saying get off my lawn.

[KC9ECI]

Man, don't you just hate it when that happens?

It happens more often than you would think, but then again this IS the Badger State.

[N8YX]

"Or 10M at 1200 baud."

Uh uh, there it's 300bd same as any HF frequency.

Check again. 1200 baud is allowed at 28MHz and up. See 97.307f(4).

[K7SGJ]

This thread has remined me that somewhere around here, I have an AEA Packet Modem (at least I think that's the brand) with all the documentation. As I remember it was popular during the paket boom. If anyone is interested in it, let me know and it's your for the shipping. A guy I used to work with gave it to me years ago, and I never powered it up, so I can't even verify it works. (From my private collection:rofl:) I believe it's out in one of the sheds or one of the trains, so I'll have to find it. I'm at the age and mentality that I know I don't have enough time left to fix/play with all the stuff I have around here, so I'm going to start weeding it out. Although, a little weed can be a good thing.

[NQ6U]

Is that a radio in your packet or are you just glad to see Mae West?

[K7SGJ]

Is that a radio in your packet or are you just glad to see Mae West?

I was even happier to see Mae South.