Project:Packet Radio/Bulletin/1805
From London Hackspace Wiki
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_____
\ | / L O N D O N H A C K S P A C E May 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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..::[ NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY 19 JUNE 2018 AT 19:00 ]::..
A get-together, a show-and-tell, and a time to discuss our next steps.
Since the former space at 447 Hackney Road is now closed, the meeting
will be held at an alternate venue yet to be decided. The weather will
likely have improved by then, and a meeting on a nearby hilltop has been
proposed.
..::[ A DIRE WOLF DIGIPEATER AND I-GATE ]::..
Marrold 2E0SIP has built an APRS node based on the Dire Wolf software
soundcard AX.25 packet modem/TNC. It consists of an Orange Pi, a USB
isolator and a cheap USB soundcard interfaced to a Tait UHF radio. The
soundcard has GPIO pins intended to be used for setting mute and volume,
but which has been repurposed for controlling PTT.
The node was tested very successfully with Paul M0OKE's Baofeng
connected to APRSDroid and Sam M0SKF's Kenwood handheld with built-in
APRS. It may be that such software TNCs provide better decoding of weak
signals than traditional hardware TNCs.
..::[ CLARITY ON LICENSING ]::..
So that we may continue with our various projects, the group are trying
to get definitive answers on licensing conditions for various forms of
packet operation and specifically what is permitted at each licence
level. We are unsure about whether (i) APRS i-gates need to be licensed
and (ii) whether unattended RF-only digipeating is permitted without an
NoV. Our aim is to compile a concise list of licensing questions in
order to get a clear answer from Ofcom.
..::[ PACKET ON THE 4M BAND ]::..
The group are interested in the possibility of packet on the 4m (70MHz)
band, and whether it would give greater propagation than the more
conventional 2m or 70m bands. Phil M3LVI and Sam M0SKF are doing some
testing with a crystal-controlled single-channel radio, of which they
have five. One possibility is that such radios could form the basis for
robust links between nodes.
..::[ TOWARDS A NOV FOR A PACKET REPEATER ]::..
Equipment is being finalised by Sam M0SKF for a packet repeater, after
which the group will fill out the application for a NoV (Notice of
Variation). Even if rejected, this will give us a better idea of how to
proceed when the hackspace has its new premises.
..::[ THE TNC POOL ]::..
Any member of London Hackspace who would like to try out packet with
real hardware can borrow a TNC from the TNC pool. You can sign one out
on the wiki. 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.
We thank LHARC member WSPR for his donation of five TNCs which hopefully
will soon be added to the pool.
..::[ NETWORK MAP ]::..
The network map shows the users interested in connecting via packet and
the success with which they have established connected between them. It
remains unchanged from last month. Reports of successful connections are
welcome!
,----------------------------------------------------------------------.
| |
| .-+ M0SKF |
| M0OKE + _.-" . |
| 2E0TPS _+-" . |
| M6OSR +" . |
| | . |
| + M0PLL .' . |
| | . |
| .' . |
| | . |
| .'. |
| |. |
| ----- reasonably reliable (GB7CIP) +. |
| . . . occasional success |
`----------------------------------------------------------------------'
..::[ LINK OF THE MONTH ]::..
http://tarpn.net - a project, similar to ours, to encourage builders to
build the largest amateur radio packet network that they can. The TARPN
is based on G8BPQ nodes running on a Raspberry Pi computer with outboard
TNCs or TNC emulators.
..::[ CONTRIBUTIONS ]::..
If you have any contributions for the June 2018 bulletin, please send
them via mail (internet or packet radio) to the addresses shown at the
top of this message.
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