Is anyone doing packet anymore? I mean K2K and BBS/Nodes not so much the APRS or WINLINK flavor of the mode. I have a PK232 in the box still and am really trying to justify setting up the thing and one of my old 2m radios. I have family with some prime real estate for a node that would really give some coverage too. It would be nice to have a BBS that was a sort of IGATE that could function both radio and TELNET too. 1200bps is pretty painful though...

Anyone in New York with any sense of what's left of VHF packet? There used to be node maps, (35 years ago) and we were pretty connected across the state. I think I'd like to stay off the HF 105net, it seems even less reliable and slower connection speeds yet!

NPR New Packet Radio proposes a sort of IP over the radio thing. ARDEN is doing the same, but we're landlocked here for lack of participation.

Is there anything similar to store and forward type communications going on that I just haven't heard about? Any new sound card modes out there? It feels like the hobby has stagnated to a degree as the internet took over.

Thoughts?

|////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\|
| best 73 de N2QFD AR SK ..|
| DMR TalkGroup 31367 |
|\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////|

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Queen City BBS (21:1/154)

So I found an old backbone ASCII map for the state of NY but better still EastNet Packet who produced the mapping I printed off in 2016 still has a web presence at least. The last update to the roster was in June of 2023 which is better than I expected. It does look like I'm still in radiolocked patch of the state and that HF might be the only answer.

|////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\|
| best 73 de N2QFD AR SK ..|
| DMR TalkGroup 31367 |
|\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////|

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Queen City BBS (21:1/154)

On 07 Feb 2024 at 03:58p, N2QFD pondered and said...

Is anyone doing packet anymore? I mean K2K and BBS/Nodes not so much the APRS or WINLINK flavor of the mode. I have a PK232 in the box still and
am really trying to justify setting up the thing and one of my old 2m radios. I have family with some prime real estate for a node that would really give some coverage too. It would be nice to have a BBS that was a sort of IGATE that could function both radio and TELNET too. 1200bps is pretty painful though...

Where in New York? Charles Hargrove (N2NOV) runs packet
stations near the city; I run one in the Boston area. There
are RF links between all these. Do a search for EastNet
packet; I'm not a member per se; my stuff is (mostly) documented
at https://kz2x.radio/

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

Is anyone doing packet anymore? I mean K2K and BBS/Nodes not so much the APRS or WINLINK flavor of the mode. I have a PK232 in the box still and

Hello N2QFD,

I am not sure about New York, but Ohio seems to be quite busy with packet. I am across the lake from Cleveland and was hoping to link South-Western Ontario to their network. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a stable radio link set up from my location. I have collected some 1200 baud packet gear and was planning a radio backbone to carry Winlink and BBS traffic. I may still build out a network at some point, but for now the project is on hold. Nice to see someone else is interested in packet!

73
SetiOp - Scott, VE3CGN

... Error 3032 - Recursion error. See error 3032.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Alien Signals BBS (21:1/105)

I'm out in Elmira so southern tier.
just testing my pakratt and think HF is my lot!

|////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\|
| best 73 de N2QFD AR SK ..|
| DMR TalkGroup 31367 |
|\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////|

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Queen City BBS (21:1/154)

On 11 Feb 2024 at 01:39p, N2QFD pondered and said...

I'm out in Elmira so southern tier.
just testing my pakratt and think HF is my lot!

Oh, ok. Well, good luck with it! 73

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)

Is there anything similar to store and forward type communications going on that I just haven't heard about? Any new sound card modes out there?
It feels like the hobby has stagnated to a degree as the internet took over.

Hey N2QFD
On HF we have JS8Call that can be used to store and forward messages.
Stations have their own 'Inbox' and you can also use other stations to store/relay messages. It's fun to play with and some people have
established groups. There are even hams playing chess that way.
Not to take away from that cozy old school packet feeling of Network105,
it is a lot easier and faster if your looking for store/forward messaging


.:[ Exit stage left ]:.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Bottomless Abyss BBS * bbs.bottomlessabyss.net (21:1/172)

SOooooo...

I had my first QSO in the JS8Call mode with K4XTT this morning. It does work pretty well for a K2K and at a fraction of the power. I was using my S-Low setting on the Alinco and that's only 1W out! Not bad for 259 Miles away, although I have taken the 1:1000w award twice now with CW so...
Thanks for suggesting the mode and I hope to keep playing around with it.

73
N2QFD

... You will have many friends when you use corkscrew.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

I had my first QSO in the JS8Call mode with K4XTT this morning.

Nice! Have not been on HF in about 8 years. Moved into a HOA neighborhood and cannot put a wire antenna up or any antenna of that matter. That was and it a Major mistake I made. I am desperately wanting to dump the house and move into a place without HOA. XYL will not allow. Maybe after 40 years, divorce !

N4TDX BBS - Telnet: n4tdx.ddns.net:2323
FSXnet: 21:1/136 * Fidonet 1:135/383 * Micronet 618:250/35
Titusville, FL.


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/32)
* Origin: N4TDX BBS (21:1/136)

Hi,
I'd like to play around with this mode, but am not sure there are enough options in place for me to do this as a blind op.
Does this program allow you to communicate with the interface from an api prospective where the calls heard are written to text files like ft8 is?
There is a third party program called qlog that uses the api system with in wsjtx to be able to control it from an external source.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Cw Shack Bbs telnet kf4yey.com 2330 (21:2/153)

Hi,
I play on hf even though I live in an hoa.
I do have to setup and take it down before and after each operating spirt, but I can still manage to get on the air sometimes on weekends.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Cw Shack Bbs telnet kf4yey.com 2330 (21:2/153)

Hi,
I play on hf even though I live in an hoa.
I do have to setup and take it down before and after each operating
spirt, but I can still manage to get on the air sometimes on weekends.

I have a very expensive outback antenna, maybe I should do that. put it up when I want and remove when I am done. In a personal dig to myself, I am lazy. LOL

N4TDX BBS - Telnet: n4tdx.ddns.net:2323
FSXnet: 21:1/136 * Fidonet 1:135/383 * Micronet 618:250/35
Titusville, FL.


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/32)
* Origin: N4TDX BBS (21:1/136)

Saw this at AMSAT web site today:
Senate Bill S.3690 to eliminate the HOA issue. It seems we've been arguing about the metaphysical more than the material in DC for too long so not holding the breath, but I hear you.

N2QFD

... Blame Saint Andreas - it's all his fault.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Boy, I don't know the answer to vision challenges with this mode. I'll be sure to pass along if I come across anything.

N2QFD

... CCITT: Can't Conceive Intelligent Thoughts Today

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Hello Ricky,

Ricky DeLuco wrote to n2qfd <=-

I had my first QSO in the JS8Call mode with K4XTT this morning.

Nice! Have not been on HF in about 8 years. Moved into a HOA
neighborhood and cannot put a wire antenna up or any antenna of that matter. That was and it a Major mistake I made. I am desperately
wanting to dump the house and move into a place without HOA. XYL will
not allow. Maybe after 40 years, divorce !

Seems that you don't need to divorce, good things are afoot in the US regarding hams living in HOAs. Read the following ARRL link:

https://www.arrl.org/news/legislation-to-remove-private-land-use-restrictions-on-amateur-radio-introduced-in-congress

If the link does not show up properly, here is a shortened version:

https://t.ly/slfiA

You have two good Ham-related things happening in the US:

* The legislation is being put in place to stop HOA's from restricting
HAM radio operators to erect antennas. This has been sponsored by
senators from both main parties, so the blues and reds agree on this one.
I am surprised, but happily surprised in this case! :-)

* The symbol (baud) rate restrictions on digital modes are to be
lifted, with bandwidth for a single digital signal being limited
to 2.8kHz.

If you still want to remain as inconspicuous as possible, there are
awesome HOA-friendly antenna designs out there ranging from attic dipoles
to flagpoles to clothesline wires (do some research on slot antennas,
it might just blow your mind), so there is no reason at all for you
not to hop on to HF. Now is a good time for 10 meters due to us
still being in a solar maximum, so you can easily DX all over the
globe on 10 with a tiny little antenna. For some off-beat antenna
ideas, watch Walt K4OGO's Youtube channel (link below). He uses
radios with max 20w output, mostly his Xiegu G90.

Walt's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@COASTALWAVESWIRES

Get a nice stealthy antenna design, and hop on the air! Like I
said 10m is wonderful at the moment, and for local NVIS on 40m
you don't need a high antenna. Something camouflaged to look like
a clothesline will do the trick. It won't be the best, but it will
work for sure if you have a tuner.

Get on the airwaves!

73,
Jan M7HNK

... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: UnderZaNet BBS (21:2/152)