Digital Group 2008

D-Star Repeaters

KP2X said that the test of relaying data by VHF packet and Pactor 3 from Mt. Shuksan was very successful. Pactor 3 data was moved via 80 meters from the Blaine ACS van using their vertical mobile antenna.  The packet data was relayed through W7RE’s digipeater to the KP2X-10 Telpac at Ferndale.

KC7OAS related his success in finding a method to access the separate ports on the Kantronics TNC’s.  The input is directed by prefacing the command with 1: or 2: for the desired port number.   Some degradation in the 9600 signal strength between the OAS and KP2X 9600 baud stations has been observed lately.

KC7OAS, KAØWFI, KP2X and other members discussed the state of RMS, Packlink MP, AirMail, and other Winlink2000 client and server software.  Some of us are discouraged at the apparent lack of support for updates to Airmail.  Most of the active development for clients seems to be supporting PacklinkMP so perhaps we should be looking at implementing it, especially in an emcomm “agency base” deployment.  Telpac is “dead” and has been pulled from distribution so RMS appears to be the de facto choice for server implementation, even though it is apparently not yet out of beta testing.

John K7QAJ gave a live demonstration and talk on fast scan Amateur Television.  He showed a Videolynx 70 cm transmitter that puts out around 100mw.  John also had a four channel converter that takes a selectable ATV input and gives a signal on channel 3 hooked to a standard analog TV set.  The antennas were a pair of handheld 2-element yagis that can adjust from 130-500 MHz that performed so well that they had to be aimed off-polarity to keep the signal from overdriving the receiver across the room.  Thank you John for hauling all the gear and setting up in Ferndale for the demo- we really enjoyed it.

Chuck KAØWFI brought his son’s OLPC and passed it around the room.  This is the “One Laptop Per Child” computer that was supposed to be built for under $100 and scattered around the globe.  Chuck related how that goal is slow in passing, but the technology is pretty neat.  Rugged cheap devices are just the kind of tool that Hams like to find.  Look at OLPC.org for info.  It was this OLPC initiative, some three years ago, that has led to the current trend for other manufacturers to produce slower, but lower cost, low energy computers like the ASUS EEE PC and the Everex Cloudbook.

 73, Brian Lawler KNØN