On Jun 4, 2008, at 1:09 PM, w8oaj wrote:
I used to operate packet radio actively. The last time I had a station
up and running was about 2003. BTW, I put together my first packet
station in the Fall of 1987. Back then I used my TRS-80 Model 100
laptop and my trusty MFJ 1270 Terminal Node Controller. Imagine my
dismay when I went to MFJ's website and discovered that they don't
even
make a TNC anymore :(
The internet, with unlimited downloads and uploads, happened. In other
parts of the world, where there is capacity limited access, innovation
has continued. Perhaps that will change now in the US, given that
TimeWarner is testing a capacity limited model in Beaumont TX.
Hopefully,
all the carriers will pick up this model motivating packet radio's
return to US ham radio.
There are modems still available here in the US. Universal Radio
provides
an easy list:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/tnc.html
If you don't mind proprietary pactor III living in your modem, SCS has
a viable one:
http://www.scs-ptc.com/controller.html#ptc2pro
And here's another interesting one from across the water:
http://www.symek.com/g/tnc3s.html
(I personally like this one, and would buy it, but I seem to live in a
vhf packet radio deadzone. What's the point of having technology that
isn't used??)
I, too, used packet radio eons ago. My poor old KAM requires a firmware
upgrade and, alas, kantronics no longer provides support for a 20 year
old modem.
I have a desktop PC and I can use my sound card for packet but I
prefer
operating packet in a dedicated stand alone system.
73's
Alan
cheers,
robert
