INTRODUCTION TO PACKET RADIO

Photo of Larry

By Larry Kenney, WB9LOZ

This series of eighteen articles was originally written in 1988 to appear in Nuts & Volts, the newsletter of the San Francisco Amateur Radio Club. The series has been widely distributed since then, with revisions issued in 1991, 1993, and 1995. Occasional revisions were made to this version on the web thereafter, in the late 1990s.

The author is no longer active in packet radio and is unable to provide up to date information on packet radio; however he has left this material on the Internet for access by those who might find it helpful.

CONTENTS

Part 1.........What Is Packet Radio?
 
Part 2.........Getting on the Air With Packet
 
Part 3.........TNC Commands - Part 1 of 3
 
Part 4.........Digipeaters and Nodes - the basics
 
Part 5.........Introduction to the Bulletin Board System
 
Part 6.........BBS Commands - Using the Packet BBS
 
Part 7.........Packet Message Addressing
 
Part 8.........The Packet Message - A Detailed Look
 
Part 9.........Packet Radio White Pages Database
 
Part 10........Using the Node Network - Part 1 of 2
 
Part 11........Using the Node Network - Part 2 of 2
 
Part 12........National Traffic System and Packet Radio
 
Part 13........TNC Commands - Part 2 of 3
 
Part 14........TNC Commands - Part 3 of 3
 
Part 15........Tips for Better Packet Operation
 
Part 16........Packet Radio Review - Quiz
 
Part 17........Packet Radio Review - Answers
 
Part 18........WB9LOZ's Parting Comments

INDEX

Subject               Part         Subject               Part
A                                  L
Awlen.................13           List Commands.........5,6
AX25L2V2..............13           M
B                                  Mall..................3
BBS...................5,6          MaxFrame..............14
Beacon................13           Mcon..................3
Bye Command...........6,11         Message Nomenclature..8
Bulletins, Send.......6            Message Structure.....6
C                                  MFilter...............14
Check.................13           MHeard................14
Cmsg..................13           Monitor...............2,3,6
Connect...............2            Mrpt..................3
Converse Mode.........2,3          Mstamp................3
CQ Command............11           Mycall................2
D                                  N
Digipeaters...........4            National Traffic Sys..6,12
Disconnect............2            Node Commands.........10,11
Download Command......6            Node Network..........4
Dwait.................3            Nodes Command.........4
E                                  P
Echo..................3            Packet Message Parts..8
F                                  Packet Test...........16
File Directory Cmds...6            Packet Test Answers...17,19
Frack.................3            Packet Tips...........15
G                                  Paclen................3
Gateways..............7            Parameters, TNC.......13,14
H                                  Parms.................11
Headerln..............3            R
Help..................5,6          Read Commands.........5,6
Hierarchical Address..7            Retry.................3
I                                  Routes................11
Ident.................11           S
Info Command..........6,11         Send Commands.........6
Introduction..........1            Status Command........6
J                                  T
J Command.............6            TNC...................1,2
K                                  U
Kill Commands.........5,6          Unproto...............3
Kiss..................13           Upload Command........6
                                   Users.................11
                                   V
                                   Via...................2
                                   W
                                   White Pages...........9
                                   8
Index by Hal Godfrey, N6AN         8bitconv..............13

COPYRIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

The eighteen parts of this "Introduction to Packet Radio" are not copyrighted. They may be copied, printed, duplicated, distributed, and published in newsletters without further permission from me. I, however, request the following:

This material is no longer actively updated, although corrections to outdated information are welcome.

73, Larry Kenney, WB9LOZ
Write Larry

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