Check around with the local hams, and see if other hams share your interest.
It may be that IP over AX25 is already being done in your area, that you can
hook right up to. Without other stations (hams) to connect to though, packet
is not much fun. Also, if you do not have a well-developed sense of
community, packet will be no good for you. It is a cooperative venture, to
be part of a network of independent amateur radio operators.

The most common "newbee" mistake made by hams interested in IP packet radio
is the "loner" approach, where they do things without even checking with
other hams in the area to see whats already being done and perhaps *join in*
with the local hams in their efforts. - Participate.

Hams are generally pretty friendly. There's no guarantee of 100% acceptance
no matter what you do, but if you make an effort to work "with" the other
hams in your area, I think you will find that they are nice to work with.

Charles Brabham, N5PVL


"Mark Carroll" wrote in message
...
I am seeing if I can persuade myself that digital communications
protocols run over amateur radio bands might be a good thing for me to
get into. Maybe some of you guys can usefully comment.

My skills, inclinations and circumstances, which I'd probably be
wasting readers' time to go into, make it fairly clear to me that if I
were to get into amateur radio, mostly I'd interested in running an
AX.25 node that talks IP and mostly runs unattended.

So, the obvious question is, to what extent is it legally possible,
and useful to others, to do that? If both possible and useful (but
how? running a local-weather-data server? better connectivity for
everyone through another node being around?), maybe I could do some
good by studying over coming months to get started.

-- Mark