From owner-freebsd-hackers Tue Apr 15 17:27:16 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id RAA23717 for hackers-outgoing; Tue, 15 Apr 1997 17:27:16 -0700 (PDT) Received: from argus (pm3-p5.tfs.net [206.154.183.197]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id RAA23708 for ; Tue, 15 Apr 1997 17:27:12 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from jbryant@localhost) by argus (8.6.12/8.6.12) id TAA12436; Tue, 15 Apr 1997 19:27:11 -0500 From: Jim Bryant Message-Id: <199704160027.TAA12436@argus> Subject: Re: question about X.25 drivers To: kgor@inetspace.com (Kent S. Gordon) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 19:27:10 -0500 (CDT) Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Reply-To: jbryant@tfs.net In-Reply-To: <199704151916.OAA00697@chess.inetspace.com> from "Kent S. Gordon" at Apr 15, 97 02:16:39 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Content-Type: text Sender: owner-hackers@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk In reply: > >>>>> "jbryant" == Jim Bryant writes: > > almost everyone on this list could probably get the capability > > for a few hundred dollars [one-time cost] and a day or two of > > studying for the license... nodes exist in almost every major > > city on the planet, as well as the arctic, antarctic, every > > ocean, countless satellites, as well as a certain manned space > > station, not to mention the radio backbones which criss cross > > BFE in almost every country on the planet [except maybe > > N. Korea], even where phone service is nonexistant... > Could you suggest a couple of possible pieces of equipment and what to > study ( and information sources) if someone was interested in doing > this. I looked at www.arrl.org. Is the technician class license the > correct one ( I would prefer not to have to relearn morse code)? > What is the best way to find other local people doing packet radio? any 2-meter (144-148MHz) or 70cm (420-450MHz) FM radio will do. i use a radio-shack htx-202 for my packet stuff. it regularly goes on sale for $199, 0.5W and 6 watts out, any decent antenna [i use a 3/4" copper j-pole, it'll handle at least 5kW, about $25 or make one yourself], a power supply helps... i use a kpc-3+ from kantronics - slow, but usable... total cost for above, shrink-wrapped, under $400, even less used... your local radio shack sells a q&a book called "Technician No-Code" for around $10... No-Code limits you to 50MHz to infinity using any standard or experimental mode of operation [cw, ssb, fm, fstv, data, spread-spectrum, etc] with a 1.5kW power limitation [hmmmm... i wanna bounce FreeBSD AX.25 off the moon]... you still have to have code for HF [the good stuff]... check your local ham club, or listen on a scanner, or get the license and ask on the air for what local frequencies to use for data, and where/when testing sessions take place, you don't have to go to the FCC field office to take the test anymore... again, another source of packet/Spread-spectrum data mode info is: www.tapr.org jim -- All opinions expressed are mine, if you | "I will not be pushed, stamped, think otherwise, then go jump into turbid | briefed, debriefed, indexed, or radioactive waters and yell WAHOO !!! | numbered!" - #1, "The Prisoner" jbryant@tfs.net - KC5VDJ 2M, 70cm, KPC-3+ - kc5vdj@wv0t.#neks.ks.usa.noam