Project:Packet Radio/Bulletin/1804

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   _____
   \ | /    L O N D O N   H A C K S P A C E            April 2018 update
    \|/     P A C K E T   R A D I O                        to HACKRS@GBR
     |      ____________________________________________________________
  .-"""-.
 /    \\ \      We are working together to build and maintain an amateur
| \\,='\\ |     radio packet network in and around London, UK.
 \ \\    /
  '-...-'                               Internet email: packet@m0hsl.org
   __|__                          AX25 email: HACKRS@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
    ===                     Internet IRC: #lhs-radio on irc.freenode.net
     =    https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Project:Packet_Radio

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     ..::[ THE FORMER SPACE AT 447 HACKNEY ROAD IS NOW CLOSED ]::..

Everything is in storage in preparation for a move to a new location,
and no further events will be held at Hackney Road. Social activities
and group meetings continue at alternate locations. Speaking of which...

       ..::[ NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY, 24TH APRIL 2018, 19:00 ]::..

Depending on the venue, this will combine a social get-together, a
show-and-tell, and a discussion about next steps for the project.
Anybody interested is welcome to join us.

Our next major step will be to get permission to set up an unattended
digipeater. This will mean a permanent node via which participants can
connect, rather than waiting for people to temporarily enable their own
digipeaters. It might also provide a home for a packet BBS. However, we
are still in the early stages and things are far from being set in
stone.

We haven't yet decided on a venue for the meeting but once we do, we
will announce it on the wiki.

                  ..::[ THE STATE OF THE NETWORK ]::..

We have been testing out links between our home stations to see who can
talk reliably to whom. The (geographically-accurate) map of our
"network" --- the users interested in connecting via packet --- now
looks like this:

,----------------------------------------------------------------------.
|                                                                      |
|                                                           .-+ M0SKF  |
|                                           M0OKE +     _.-" .         |
|                                            2E0TPS _+-"    .          |
|                                           M6OSR +"      .            |
|                                                 |      .             |
|  + M0PLL                                       .'    .               |
|                                                |    .                |
|                                               .'  .                  |
|                                               |  .                   |
|                                              .'.                     |
|                                              |.                      |
|   ----- reasonably reliable        (GB7CIP) +.                       |
|   . . . occasional success                                           |
`----------------------------------------------------------------------'

Our success so far is thanks to help and guidance from Paul G4APL, who
has operated lots of local packet infrastructure for many years. In
particular, he operates the local BBS GB7CIP. Several of us are
'regulars' there. More details are available at
http://www.theskywaves.net/

Hackspace members and friends: If you successfully connect to another
station, or just would like to be an interested party with a lone node,
please let us know so we can expand this map.

                  ..::[ IMPROVING APRS COVERAGE ]::..

Some of us have been trying to improve the coverage of APRS in London
with new iGates. M0HSL-10 and M6OSR-10 are now relaying packets to the
internet, but a test on Waterloo Bridge from M0SKF's handheld saw no
packets being relayed, so there's still work to be done...

                          ..::[ TNC POOL ]::..

We have established a Terminal Node Controller (TNC) pool so that
members of the hackspace can borrow the hardware to try out packet for
themselves at home. Our pool will expand significantly to around five
TNCs in the next few days, thanks to the generosity of WSPR. Those who
would like to take a TNC home to check connectivity at home and/or set
up a node are welcome to sign one out. If you are interested, have a
look at the wiki for details.

If anyone out there has a TNC at the back of the cupboard and would like
to lend or donate their old hardware to the pool, please contact us.

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