In article ,
Rob writes:
Bill Gunshannon wrote:
This group seems as dead as the 2 Meter Packet Frequencies around here
but I'll ask here anyway.

Is packet radio dead? Has the proliferation of Internet and Cell Phones
made it so meaningless that no one is doing anything anymore?

Over here, classic packet radio and TCP/IP over packet radio are
completely dead. The only thing left is APRS on a single channel
on 2m and 70cm. There still are digipeaters optimized for APRS
and often with a connection to Internet, but all the NET/ROM nodes,
BBS systems, DX-clusters etc seem to be turned off.

By "over here" I assume you Europe, yes?


Oh yeah, Is Howie Goldstein, N2WX around here by any chance? I would
still like to get a copy of the source for the "Howie Code" that ran
in my DR-200's back in my digi-peating days. And a copy for the TNC-2
as well if there ever was one. I have always wanted to experiment with
it and if packet is pretty much dead then there is probably no problem
with me doing some stuff on two meters around here. Especially if I
could find some kindred spirits who shared some of my interests.

Is that the KISS code or the original TNC2 firmware?

Actually, neither, althought I wouldn't mind having the original TNC2
source as well as what I want to play with will require changes to
that code as well.

The "Howie Code" was a different kind of connection code much like
NETROM but it actually preserved the originators callsign from end
to end. It is what ran in the DR100 and DR200 digipeaters from PACCOMM.
I ran a couple of them doing dual band gatewaying and providing rather
extensive coverage from a mountaintop in New York (north of NYC) for
several years in the early 80's. I always thought that it was never
given a real chance to show its capabilities or develop.


I should have the source for the KISS code somewhere, but I am not sure
if I can still get at it. (it may be on backupmedia for which I no
longer have a drive connected)

I imagine everyone has a copy of the KISS source. :-)

My desire is to use software that already existed at the time the packet
BBS's were coming into being. These other methods were never given any
consideration either although I had some luck with my early experimentation.
BUt ham radio has always suffered from a bad case of NIH syndrome which
frequently results in a lot of effort being directed away from what might
have been a very good solution to a problem. Of course, at this point it
is all academic and little more than "proof of concept" experimentation.
I see little liklihood that anything would revive packet radio even if
it still has practical uses.

bill
KB3YV

--
Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves
| and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include std.disclaimer.h