Amateur Packet Radio Networking Returns to Adelaide

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After a number of years of no packet radio amprnet-editedactivity in Adelaide (except for APRS), Grant VK5GR, a member of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group, has commissioned a new AX.25 Packet Radio / Internet gateway on the 2m band for everyone to access. The system, built on a Linux platform, will allow amateur radio operators across much of the Adelaide metropolitan area to connect to a range of amateur networking services.

The system is operating on 147.575MHz @ 1200bps using AX.25. It currently offers:

  • DX Cluster Access – internet linked – connect to VK5GR-2f6fbb
  • FBB BBS – with mail and bulletin forwarding – connect to VK5GR-0
  • NET/ROM Network connectivity – internationally linked – VK5GR-10
baycom

BayCOM Serial AX.25 Modem

Note: It is rather experimental still so do not be surprised if it is offline at times or doesn’t quite work properly. There are some quirks in the system that are still being ironed out 🙂

There are also plans to open a 9600 baud port possibly on 70cm. More on this once Grant unpacks more of his ’90s equipment and blows the cobwebs out of it….

How do you get involved?

So, now is the time to dust off all your old Packet TNCs or BayCOM modems, plug them back into your 2m radio and have a go!

PK87E_1

Typical AX.25 Packet Radio TNC

 

Software for driving TNCs and BayCOM equivalent modems is available online. TPK was one of the popular DOS based ones. There are Windows equivalents as well or you can just talk to your TNC (if thats what you are using) using any serial communications program.

 

There are also plans to get Net-44 routing amprnet-logoproperly established as well once new TCP/IP addresses can be registered. This is for the slightly more hard core among you who are interested in learning about TCP/IP networking. You can find many resources online describing how to take part in the ampr.org network.

If you would like to know more about this system, contact Grant VK5GR or come to an AREG meeting and chat to him about it. A talk is being planned at a future meeting to explian a little more about what has gone into building the node and how to access and use it’s services as well.