C64 Packet carts

On Mon, August 28, 2006 3:27 pm, William Donzelli wrote:
...
> As for Ebay - I tried selling some packet stuff over
the past few
> months, and buyers were not much around.
>
> --
> Will

What a coincidence - this morning I started looking into
what I'd need to get
into packet radio.  There's a couple of hams here who'll
help me out, I have
no license, equipment, or anything (except computers).  What
packet stuff do
you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect this is
OT)

On-topic, though, is that I wanted to use some of my vintage
computing gear to
do packet radio (too bad I missed those c64 carts - that'd
be a hoot!).  I was
trying to think of what to do with an old machine that would
be productive,
and packet radio popped in my head.  I have an old Sun 3/80
or a Sparcstation
10 I could set up.  Is there any packet software for old 68k
macs (I have a
clean mac II that's begging to be used for something).

jdavis

> What a coincidence - this morning I started looking
into what I'd need to get
> into packet radio.  There's a couple of hams here
who'll help me out, I have
> no license, equipment, or anything (except computers). 
What packet stuff do
> you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect
this is OT)

Nothing anymore, I purged it out at a local hamfest. Mostly
it was
C64, PC, and Apple 2 based stuff.

--
Will

You need the license, to start with. Then a 2-meter (144-148
MHz) radio. 
It's much easier if there's a data jack on it, like most
mobile radios have 
now a days. Packet radio only requires a few watts output,
so a mobile 
radio set on low power is more than enough. Then you need a
TNC, a terminal 
node controller, which is a modem for radio. The KPC-3 by
Kantronics is by 
far the most popular, though the KPC-3+ is better. Either
should set you 
back less than $100, maybe much less.

The TNC is setup and talked to over a serial link from...
anything that 
speaks serial. The TNC itself runs a BBS for messages, and
you use the 
device connected to the serial port for K-K stuff (keyboard
to keyboard). 
K-K is now known as instant messaging by another crowd.

Getting the license is trivial. You can download the current
question pool 
(with answers) from hundreds of places. Search for
"technician exam 
question pool" and find one that has the 2006 question
pool. Better yet, 
run down to Radio Shack and buy a copy of "Now You're
Talking" which 
explains the questions, the answers, and why each one is
right (or wrong.) 
With pictures, yet.

No morse code required.

73 de N9QQB


At 04:42 PM 8/28/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>On Mon, August 28, 2006 3:27 pm, William Donzelli wrote:
>...
> > As for Ebay - I tried selling some packet stuff
over the past few
> > months, and buyers were not much around.
> >
> > --
> > Will
>
>What a coincidence - this morning I started looking into
what I'd need to get
>into packet radio.  There's a couple of hams here
who'll help me out, I have
>no license, equipment, or anything (except computers). 
What packet stuff do
>you have available ? (reply via email, as I suspect this
is OT)
>
>On-topic, though, is that I wanted to use some of my
vintage computing gear to
>do packet radio (too bad I missed those c64 carts -
that'd be a hoot!).  I was
>trying to think of what to do with an old machine that
would be productive,
>and packet radio popped in my head.  I have an old Sun
3/80 or a Sparcstation
>10 I could set up.  Is there any packet software for old
68k macs (I have a
>clean mac II that's begging to be used for something).
>
>jdavis


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environment. It's
the impurities in our air and water that are doing it. --Dan
Quayle
--... ...--  -.. .  -. ----. --.- --.- -...
tpetersnospam.mixcom.com   (remove "nospam")
N9QQB (amateur radio)
"HEY YOU" (loud shouting)  WEB ADDRESS
http//www.mixweb.com/tpeters
43° 7' 17.2" N by 88° 6' 28.9" W,  Elevation
815',  Grid Square EN53wc
WAN/LAN/Telcom Analyst, Tech Writer, MCP, CCNA, Registered
Linux User 385531

> 
> You need the license, to start with. Then a 2-meter
(144-148 MHz) radio.=20
> It's much easier if there's a data jack on it, like
most mobile radios ha=
> ve=20
> now a days. Packet radio only requires a few watts
output, so a mobile=20
> radio set on low power is more than enough. Then you
need a TNC, a termin=
> al=20
> node controller, which is a modem for radio. The KPC-3
by Kantronics is b=
> y=20
> far the most popular, though the KPC-3+ is better.
Either should set you=20
> back less than $100, maybe much less.

I've never seen a US amateur radio license, but the UK one
says that the 
license is for 'self training in wireless telegraphy'.
Now, I will 
happily agree there's a lot more to wireless telegraphy
than making 
transmitters and receivers, but I am a little curious as to
what 'self 
training' you get by buying a transciever, buying a TNC,
plugging them 
together (and presumably use the standard 'rubber duck'
aerial of the 
portable transceiver). Oh, and running pre-written software
to talk to 
the TNC.

There's nothing wrong with buying equipment, but IMHO you
really should 
be thinking about doing some experimentation, modifications,
and so on.

Actually, one reason I've never got into packet radio is a
lack of 
information one the internals of the TNC. I've not found an
'open' one -- 
as in published schematics and ROM source listings. 

-tony

On Wednesday 30 August 2006 16:54, Tony Duell wrote:
> I've never seen a US amateur radio license, but the UK
one says that the
> license is for 'self training in wireless
telegraphy'. Now, I will
> happily agree there's a lot more to wireless
telegraphy than making
> transmitters and receivers, but I am a little curious
as to what 'self
> training' you get by buying a transciever, buying a
TNC, plugging them
> together (and presumably use the standard 'rubber
duck' aerial of the
> portable transceiver). Oh, and running pre-written
software to talk to
> the TNC.

I'm pretty sure that the US one doesn't say anything like
that.

Also, in the US, we're a bit farther along than using ham
radio only for 
sending morse code...

> There's nothing wrong with buying equipment, but IMHO
you really should
> be thinking about doing some experimentation,
modifications, and so on.
>
> Actually, one reason I've never got into packet radio
is a lack of
> information one the internals of the TNC. I've not
found an 'open' one --
> as in published schematics and ROM source listings.

Well, there's a software-based packet radio module in the
Linux kernel.

There's some details about it in the AX25-HOWTO:
http://www.
tldp.org/HOWTO/text/AX25-HOWTO

Perhaps you could use that to figure it out. ;)

Pat
-- 
Purdue University Research Computing --  http://www.itap.purdu
e.edu/rcac

On Wednesday 30 August 2006 11:00 pm, Patrick Finnegan
wrote:
> On Wednesday 30 August 2006 16:54, Tony Duell wrote:
> > I've never seen a US amateur radio license, but
the UK one says that the
> > license is for 'self training in wireless
telegraphy'. Now, I will
> > happily agree there's a lot more to wireless
telegraphy than making
> > transmitters and receivers, but I am a little
curious as to what 'self
> > training' you get by buying a transciever, buying
a TNC, plugging them
> > together (and presumably use the standard 'rubber
duck' aerial of the
> > portable transceiver). Oh, and running pre-written
software to talk to
> > the TNC.
>
> I'm pretty sure that the US one doesn't say anything
like that.
>
> Also, in the US, we're a bit farther along than using
ham radio only for
> sending morse code...
>
> > There's nothing wrong with buying equipment, but
IMHO you really should
> > be thinking about doing some experimentation,
modifications, and so on.
> >
> > Actually, one reason I've never got into packet
radio is a lack of
> > information one the internals of the TNC. I've
not found an 'open' one --
> > as in published schematics and ROM source
listings.
>
> Well, there's a software-based packet radio module in
the Linux kernel.
>
> There's some details about it in the AX25-HOWTO:
> http://www.
tldp.org/HOWTO/text/AX25-HOWTO
>
> Perhaps you could use that to figure it out. ;)

I have files here covering that function done with a Xerox
820 (MULRPT.ZIP) or 
H/Z-89 or -90 (PACKET89.ZIP) that appear to include source, 
if anybody wants 
them...

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting
-- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter
that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein,
"The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled
by lies. --James 
M Dakin

> Also, in the US, we're a bit farther along than using
ham radio only for 
> sending morse code...

I'm not sure where that came from, but in the UK, you can
end up with a 
full HF transmitting license without ever doing Morse.

> Well, there's a software-based packet radio module in
the Linux kernel.

Sure, it's written in C, and if yoy think a non-progammer
like me is 
going to attempt to translate that into a microcontroller
machine code, 
you must be joking 

> 
> There's some details about it in the AX25-HOWTO:
> http://www.
tldp.org/HOWTO/text/AX25-HOWTO
> 
> Perhaps you could use that to figure it out. ;)

I do have the AX25 documents somewhere...

-tony