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LU9DCE > PACKET 28.12.16 15:44l 229 Lines 12133 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: PACKET RADIO - PART 2
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From: LU9DCE@LU9DCE.TOR.BA.ARG.SOAM
To : PACKET@WW
INTRODUCTION TO PACKET RADIO - PART 2
by Larry Kenney, WB9LOZ
GETTING ON THE AIR WITH PACKET
In the first part of this series I told you, in general terms,
what packet radio was all about. Now I'm going to tell you how to
get on the air, make a QSO, and become familiar with your packet
station. Whether you're new to packet, have been involved for just a
short time, or are one of the "old timers", this series should help
all of you. Even if you don't yet have equipment to get on the air,
you should keep this series of articles handy for future use. I'll
bet you'll be joining us soon!
The equipment that's needed to get on the air with packet is a
transceiver, a computer or terminal, and a TNC - a terminal node
controller - the little black box I talked about in part 1. Or, if
you're using a computer, not just a terminal, you can use special
software and a small packet modem instead of a TNC. You need a
special modem, though, not one that's used to connect your computer
to the telephone line. The tones used for packet are different than
those used on the phone.
I highly recommend that you start with a 2 meter transceiver. There
is packet activity on 220, 440 and HF, but 2 meters is where most
of the action is and that's the best place to start.
When you buy a TNC or packet modem and take it out of the box,
you'll find a cable supplied for connecting it to the radio, but
you'll have to attach the appropriate mic and speaker jack connectors
for the radio you're going to use. You'll have to furnish the cable
that connects the TNC to your computer or terminal. In most cases,
the TNC or modem is connected to the standard RS-232 communications
port of the computer. On a PC this port is called a serial or COM
port. On other systems it may be referred to as a telecommunications
port or telephone port. You can make up the cable that goes between
the TNC and computer yourself, or you can purchase it at a local
computer store. As an option, you may be able to purchase one or
both of the needed cables from the manufacturer of your TNC with the
appropriate connectors factory installed for your particular radio
and computer. The operating manuals that are supplied with TNCs and
modems have a good description of the cabling needed for the various
computers. Please read the introduction and set up procedures for
your particular TNC or packet modem very carefully. Most companies
have supplied excellent manuals, and you shouldn't have any trouble
figuring out your particular set up from the information supplied
in the manual.
Once you have everything connected as described above, you've
completed the hardware phase of the installation. Now you need
to turn your attention to software. If you're using a TNC, you'll
need a terminal or communications program for your computer. Any
software used for a telephone modem, such as Procomm or the Windows
Terminal program, will work well for packet. There are also many
special programs that have been developed specifically for packet
radio use, such as PC PACRATT, MFJCOM, PAKET, PacketGold, TPK,
etc. If you're using the small modem instead of a TNC, you'll need
to use the special packet software written for the modem, such as
Baycom. Read the instructions carefully for setting up the program
on your computer.
No matter what software you use, you'll have to specify the
communications port you'll be using and set the baud rate (data
rate) and data parameters for that port. (Note: There are two baud
rates associated with your packet station: 1-the baud rate between
your computer and TNC and 2-the baud rate of the packets on the
air. Here I am discussing the first of these baud rates. The second
will be discussed in part 3 of this series.) Refer to the manual
or help information for the specific program you've chosen, to set
the baud rate and data parameters. The baud rate of your computer
must match the baud rate of your TNC. Some TNCs will automatically
set their baud rate to match the computer. Other TNCs have software
commands or switches for setting the baud rate. Again, you'll need
to refer to your manual for specific instructions. When setting the
data parameters, 8-N-1 is normally used: 8 data bits, no parity,
1 stop bit. But like the baud rate, the computer and TNC parameters
must match.
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; second, you can communicate
with the TNC or packet software; 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! If you're not using a TNC, you will have to figure out
the difference between software set up and software usage. This is
explained in the program instructions.
Once you have your communications program or packet software up and
running, you can move on to the next step. If you're using a TNC,
you now need to set it up. First, turn it on. You should get a
"greeting" or sign on message from the TNC on your screen showing
the manufacturer's name, the software version, a date, etc. If you
see a bunch of gibberish, such as &tf$d.h#sxn, it means that the
parameters of the TNC and computer don't agree and you'll have to
make adjustments. If you don't see a "greeting" or the gibberish,
check your cables and connections. Make sure that you have everything
connected properly, that the right wires are on the right pins,
and so on.
Next, do a "control C" (press the CNTL and the letter C
simultaneously); this puts the TNC in COMMAND mode, the level where
you communicate directly with the TNC from the keyboard. You should
see "cmd:" on your screen. Enter: MYCALL ---- with your callsign
in place of the dashed lines, such as: MYCALL WB9LOZ followed by a
carriage return <CR>. (The carriage return key is labeled "Enter"
or "Return" on most keyboards.) All commands must be followed by a
<CR>. This sets into the TNC memory the call that you're going to
use on the air. Now if you type: MYCALL <CR> it should respond with
your callsign. If it does, you've proven that the computer to TNC
link is working fine. If you do not see anything on the screen when
you type, blindly enter the following: ECHO ON <CR> If you see two
of everything that you type, such as MMYYCCAALLLL, enter: ECHO OFF
<CR> Now enter the following commands: MONITOR ON <CR> MRPT ON <CR>
For those using packet software and a modem instead of a TNC, you
should have already entered your callsign in the configuration
file during the set up procedure. If you have not, refer to the
software instructions for preparing the configuration file for
your station. Also note that with this software, you don't enter
Control C to go into command mode. You simply use the ESC (Escape)
key prior to entering each command.
You're now ready to go on the air! Turn on your radio, make sure
the volume is turned up about a third of a turn (about the "10 or
11 o'clock" position) and make sure the squelch is set. It should
be at the point where the background noise disappears, just as it
would be set for a voice QSO. Tune the receiver to any odd numbered
frequency between 144.91 and 145.09 or 145.61 and 145.79 MHz and
set the rig for simplex operation. You might have to tune around
for a frequency with activity in your area. Watch your screen. You
should soon be seeing the packets that are being sent over the air
by other stations.
Let's look at what you might see. You should see something similar
to this:
WB9LOZ > W6PW-3: The meeting will be held at 8:00 pm.
This shows a packet being sent by WB9LOZ to W6PW-3. Watch for
callsigns with asterisks next to them in packets that look like this:
WB9LOZ > W6PW-3,W6PW-1*: The meeting will be held at 8:00 pm.
The asterisk indicates that you're receiving the packet from
W6PW-1, not the originating station, WB9LOZ. The packets are being
digitally repeated, or digipeated, by W6PW-1. The station that's
doing the digipeating is called a digipeater. You'll also note that
some stations are using names or a series of letters rather than
callsigns. You might see something like SFW, BERKLY, or BLUE. These
are packet stations set up to operate as nodes. The stations are
usually located in higher locations, and they're installed to make
connections to other stations easier. They often use a name or
letters, called an alias, that identify their location. They send
both their alias and callsign at 10 minute intervals to identify
themselves and to be legal. (Both digipeaters and nodes will be
discussed in detail in a later part of this series.)
You'll also notice that some callsigns have a trailing number
attached to them. On packet you can have up to 16 different stations
on the air at the same time using the same callsign. That's where
the numbers at the end of the callsign come into play. The calls
W6PW, W6PW-1, W6PW-2, W6PW-3, W6PW-4 and W6PW-5 are all individual
stations operating under the same station license. A callsign
without a number is the same as -0. These numbers are called
Secondary Station IDs or SSIDs, and are used to differentiate
between the various stations. There should never be more than one
station using the same callsign and SSID on the air at the same time.
Now that you're familiar with what you might see on packet, you're
ready to make your first packet QSO! If you're using a TNC, make sure
it's still in command mode. (Remember, it's Control-C.) Watch for a
familiar call on the screen or note calls you see frequently. Be sure
to note whether or not a digipeater is being used. When the station
you want to contact is finished with his QSO, enter the command:
C ---- or C ---- V ---- (depending on whether or not a digipeater
is needed) followed by <CR>. Replace the dashed lines after the "C"
with the call of the station you want to contact and the dashed
lines after the "V" with the digipeater call, if needed. Don't
forget the SSID if the call has one. The C means CONNECT and the V
means VIA. Example: C WB9LOZ V W6PW-1 means connect to WB9LOZ via
W6PW-1. If you're successful, you should soon see "*** CONNECTED TO
(callsign)" on your screen and your first packet QSO is underway!
You have now entered the third level of communications, called
CONVERSE mode, and this is where you communicate from the keyboard
to the radio. Anything you type on the keyboard will be transmitted
over the air as a packet every time you hit a <CR> and it will
appear on the other station's screen. Anything sent by the other
station will be transmitted to you and will appear on your screen.
When you're finished with your QSO, be sure to do a CONTROL C to
get back into command mode on your TNC, or hit the ESC key if
using the packet software, then enter D to disconnect from the
other station. You'll see "DISCONNECTED" on the screen. If you
get connected to a station but you don't receive a response, you
might have reached an unattended station or a node. Don't despair,
disconnect and try someone else.
You're on the way now to lots of packet fun and adventure! If you
are still having problems at this point, contact a friend that
has some experience on packet and ask for help. The initial set up
of the computer, TNC, software and radio is probably the biggest
stumbling block in packet. Any experienced packet operator will be
happy to help you get through this process to get you on the air.
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