Difference between revisions of "Project:Packet Radio"

From London Hackspace Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Some information from the meeting)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
== Aim ==
 +
 +
Several of us on the [[Amateur Radio]] IRC channel expressed an interest in setting up and managing a packet network
 +
for London and a BBS on that network.
 +
 +
== Background ==
 +
 
Back in the 80s and 90s, packet radio linked amateur radio stations together. In fact, it goes back even further than this — the use of TCP/IP on amateur radio preceded the appearance of the public Internet. Anyway, whereas at the time most people were getting their data using modems and telephone lines, radio amateurs were experimenting with terminal node controllers (TNCs) and radio waves.
 
Back in the 80s and 90s, packet radio linked amateur radio stations together. In fact, it goes back even further than this — the use of TCP/IP on amateur radio preceded the appearance of the public Internet. Anyway, whereas at the time most people were getting their data using modems and telephone lines, radio amateurs were experimenting with terminal node controllers (TNCs) and radio waves.
  
Line 5: Line 12:
 
Some TNCs had a feature whereby you could leave messages for their owners. Bulletin board software began to develop partly out of this, allowing one-to-one message exchange and posting on forums, real-time chat, distributing news and data, and whatever the operators of the BBS want to offer. The scene may be quieter, but it isn’t dead. [http://g7vja.co.uk/novbbs.htm Ten or so packet BBSs] still exist in the UK.
 
Some TNCs had a feature whereby you could leave messages for their owners. Bulletin board software began to develop partly out of this, allowing one-to-one message exchange and posting on forums, real-time chat, distributing news and data, and whatever the operators of the BBS want to offer. The scene may be quieter, but it isn’t dead. [http://g7vja.co.uk/novbbs.htm Ten or so packet BBSs] still exist in the UK.
  
−
Several of us on the [[Amateur Radio]] IRC channel expressed an interest in setting up and managing a BBS, perhaps even on a local packet network. We’ve been talking about what other fun features beyond message passing we could implement, like Richard Osgood's [http://www.richardosgood.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-raspberry-pi-packet-radio-node-with-zork/ BBS that allows users to play Zork]. We might be able to reach quite a lot of people from a central London location. However, we’d need somewhere with decent coverage and we’d also need a full license to run an unattended node. Furthermore, to repeat or rebroadcast other peoples’ messages we’d need a Notice of Variation for ''each node'' that is on and unattended.
+
We might be able to reach quite a lot of people from a central London location. However, we’d need somewhere with decent coverage and we’d also need a full license to run an unattended node. Furthermore, to repeat or rebroadcast other peoples’ messages we’d need a Notice of Variation for ''each node'' that is on and unattended.
  
−
== Who has shown interest? ==
+
== Who is involved? ==
  
−
* In or near London: [[User:Marrold|Marrold]]; [[User:MatStace|MatStace]]; [[User:Paul|Paul]]; [[User:Rawles|Rawles]]; [[User:Samuelkf|Samuelkf]].
+
* In or near London: [[User:Marrold|Marrold]] ([https://www.qrz.com/db/2e0sip 2E0SIP]), [[User:MatStace|MatStace]] ([https://www.qrz.com/db/2e0tps 2E0TPS]), [[User:Paul|Paul]] ([https://www.qrz.com/db/m0oke M0OKE]), [[User:Rawles|Rawles]] ([https://www.qrz.com/db/m6osr M6OSR]), [[User:Samuelkf|Samuelkf]] ([https://www.qrz.com/db/m0skf M0SKF]).
 
* From further afield: Baldrick, WSPR.
 
* From further afield: Baldrick, WSPR.
  
 
We chat a lot on [https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=lhs-radio #lhs-radio] on Freenode.
 
We chat a lot on [https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=lhs-radio #lhs-radio] on Freenode.
  
−
== 'Packet Hack-It' meeting ==
+
== How to get started ==
 +
 
 +
(please add to this section with specific help when you work it out yourself)
 +
 
 +
=== Get a TNC and connect it to your computer and radio. ===
 +
 
 +
You may already have a TNC in your radio. APRS-equipped radios like the Kenwood
 +
[http://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/tm-d710ga/ TM-D710],
 +
[http://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/th-d74a/ TH-D74A],
 +
[http://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/th-d72a/ TH-D72A],
 +
[http://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/thd7ae.html TH-D7A] and
 +
even earlier models have
 +
internal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_(TNC) KISS TNC]s.
 +
The AX.25 support in the Linux kernel via
 +
<code>[http://wiki.complete.org/LinuxPacketRadio kissattach]</code>
 +
then enables you to connect to other packet nodes,
 +
use BBSs and so on. The [http://www.db1nto.de/index_en.html PicoAPRS], a 50g
 +
dedicated APRS transceiver, also has a KISS TNC mode.
 +
 
 +
You can also use your sound card as the modem part of the packet radio TNC,
 +
with your computer doing all the processing in the CPU. For this you need the
 +
<code>soundmodem</code> driver.
 +
 
 +
A more plug-and-play way to get going is to borrow a TNC from the
 +
[[/TNC_Pool|TNC pool]].  You can then hook it up to your computer and radio
 +
and run a terminal emulator like
 +
<code>[https://alioth.debian.org/projects/minicom/ minicom]</code> to send
 +
commands to the TNC.
  
−
'''PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DATE OF THE MEETING HAS CHANGED'''
+
=== Connect to an existing node ===
  
−
If people can make it, let's aim to meet at the Hackspace just before the [[Weekly Open Evenings|weekly open evening]] at '''18:30 on Tuesday 13th February 2018'''.  
+
While its likely that there are packet users around repeating packets,
 +
[http://www.theskywaves.net/ GB7CIP] is a well-connected packet radio node
 +
listening in Caterham, Surrey. Several of us have been connecting to it and
 +
its BBS and learning the ropes.
  
−
We can work out what we all know and what we need to know, look that stuff up and generally educate each other in the ways of packet. We could even start to follow [http://www.richardosgood.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-raspberry-pi-packet-radio-node-with-zork/ the Zork instructions].
+
There was a node in Amersham, GB7IPF, but that's now IP-only.
  
−
If that's a bad time for people, we'll change the date, so please check back here before the meeting to avoid a wasted journey.
+
You can also join in by connecting over IP, that is, if you have a UK
 +
amateur radio licence. You need to <code>telnet gb7cip.theskywaves.net 6300</code> to
 +
access the BBS. You can register from there.
  
−
== Ideas for next steps ==
+
== Ideas for other next steps ==
  
−
* We could try to set up a small packet network.
 
−
* [[User:Rawles|Rawles]] has an [http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/218 AEA PK-232] (untested), which can operate in KISS mode.
 
 
* There's a VHF Tait 8110 in the shack that would make a nice Packet / APRS radio
 
* There's a VHF Tait 8110 in the shack that would make a nice Packet / APRS radio
 +
* Meeting in the hackspace, we can work out what we all know and what we need to know, look that stuff up and generally educate each other in the ways of packet. We could even start to follow [http://www.richardosgood.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-raspberry-pi-packet-radio-node-with-zork/ the Zork instructions].
  
 
== Links ==  
 
== Links ==  

Revision as of 09:52, 14 February 2018

Aim

Several of us on the Amateur Radio IRC channel expressed an interest in setting up and managing a packet network for London and a BBS on that network.

Background

Back in the 80s and 90s, packet radio linked amateur radio stations together. In fact, it goes back even further than this — the use of TCP/IP on amateur radio preceded the appearance of the public Internet. Anyway, whereas at the time most people were getting their data using modems and telephone lines, radio amateurs were experimenting with terminal node controllers (TNCs) and radio waves.

The TNC takes a chunk of data, splits it into packets, and sends it over VHF/UHF, and a TNC on the other end decodes, error-corrects and delivers it. TNCs are also digipeaters, repeating traffic for a further-flung station. An adaptation of the AX.25 protocol is used to handle many TNCs using one frequency. The result is an error-corrected, transparent and automatic network. Such networks are still in use; APRS, a protocol to share tactical information and short messages, is built on top of packet.

Some TNCs had a feature whereby you could leave messages for their owners. Bulletin board software began to develop partly out of this, allowing one-to-one message exchange and posting on forums, real-time chat, distributing news and data, and whatever the operators of the BBS want to offer. The scene may be quieter, but it isn’t dead. Ten or so packet BBSs still exist in the UK.

We might be able to reach quite a lot of people from a central London location. However, we’d need somewhere with decent coverage and we’d also need a full license to run an unattended node. Furthermore, to repeat or rebroadcast other peoples’ messages we’d need a Notice of Variation for each node that is on and unattended.

Who is involved?

We chat a lot on #lhs-radio on Freenode.

How to get started

(please add to this section with specific help when you work it out yourself)

Get a TNC and connect it to your computer and radio.

You may already have a TNC in your radio. APRS-equipped radios like the Kenwood TM-D710, TH-D74A, TH-D72A, TH-D7A and even earlier models have internal KISS TNCs. The AX.25 support in the Linux kernel via kissattach then enables you to connect to other packet nodes, use BBSs and so on. The PicoAPRS, a 50g dedicated APRS transceiver, also has a KISS TNC mode.

You can also use your sound card as the modem part of the packet radio TNC, with your computer doing all the processing in the CPU. For this you need the soundmodem driver.

A more plug-and-play way to get going is to borrow a TNC from the TNC pool. You can then hook it up to your computer and radio and run a terminal emulator like minicom to send commands to the TNC.

Connect to an existing node

While its likely that there are packet users around repeating packets, GB7CIP is a well-connected packet radio node listening in Caterham, Surrey. Several of us have been connecting to it and its BBS and learning the ropes.

There was a node in Amersham, GB7IPF, but that's now IP-only.

You can also join in by connecting over IP, that is, if you have a UK amateur radio licence. You need to telnet gb7cip.theskywaves.net 6300 to access the BBS. You can register from there.

Ideas for other next steps

  • There's a VHF Tait 8110 in the shack that would make a nice Packet / APRS radio
  • Meeting in the hackspace, we can work out what we all know and what we need to know, look that stuff up and generally educate each other in the ways of packet. We could even start to follow the Zork instructions.

Links

  • BBS lists here and here.
  • The Skywaves, including some stuff on AMPRnet.
  • Baldrick introduced us to TARPN, a project 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.
  • G1NNA's stuff and G8BPQ's stuff.
Retrieved from ‘https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Project:Packet_Radio&oldid=51391’