Links to Packet-Related Sites

TwinsLAN Amateur Packet Radio Club

Links to Related Topics

Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) is probably the best place to start when looking for information about Packet Radio.

Lots of information regarding Packet Radio, PSK31, and other digital modes as well as radio-to-tnc connection information can be found at www.packetradio.com.

Lee Lorentz, WBØTRA, in Annandale maintains the Minnesota Packet Services Directory.

Want to make your packet radio station work better? Read "Let's Not Forget Layer One -- Optimizing Packet RF Performance". This online article at www.febo.com shows why proper setup of your radio/TNC combination is important. Information is provided on adjusting 1200 baud deviation and the importance of having the levels set correctly.
Here's an interesting compendium of various packet-based technologies (not all amateur) used in various parts of the world. Interesting...

Wireless networking offers amateurs an opportunity to explore the way that the modern networking industry is using technology to accomplish high data rate (11+ Mbsp) networking and data communications. The issue of encryption is a sticking point for direct application of these technologies to amateur operations but the RF/computer side is do-able if we are so inclined (and we should be!) A quick introduction to the basics of wireless networking and IEEE 802.11b can be found here.
Check out the ARRL HSMM (High-Speed Digital Networks and Multimedia) web page.
The Twin Cities Wireless Users Group -- TCWUG -- "was founded to promote wireless use for the greater Metro Area"
Here is a brief discussion of 802.11b and amateur radio by sbay.org (South Bay/Silicon Valley Community Network)
A short tutorial on IEEE 802.11b
Amateur Radio, Wireless Networks, and the Information Age
Low-cost Wireless Network How-to. (Despite the occasional lapse into childish banter there is good technical detail here. Note that there are also a number of dead links...). A related website is Using Part 15 Wireless Ethernet Cards For Amateur Radio
An Experimental Microwave Data Link for 10 Megabit Ethernet by KE5FX

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, invented the APRS concept. APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) provides an international simplex network for exchanging position data, weather data, and short messages via Packet Radio. If you have a GPS your position can be reported dynamically. The 2-meter APRS frequency is 144.390 MHz.

Local amateurs with interests in weather-reporting and severe weather-spotting are trying to breathe some new life into APRS networking around the MSP metro area as well as the state. Any TwinsLAN member with similar interests, i.e., weather-reporting via APRS or improving the APRS infrastructure should check out The Minnesota APRS and Severe Weather website.

Steve Dimse, K4HG, has replaced his Java-based APRS application -- javAPRS -- with the many filtering functions of findu.com. Steve recommends using www.findu.com and all of its capabilities for monitoring and viewing live APRS data. If you want to read Steve's note regarding this decision you can go to www.aprs.net.

Clay, WØLED, has an experimental webpage showing current Twin Cities APRS activity.

PSK31 is one of the most popular amateur digital modes used on HF today. To learn more about PSK31, here's a good place to start.
If you want to learn about PSK31, MFSK16, and other digital modes check out N6BZ's web page.
And here is the "official" PSK31 WWW Webpage.

BeaconNet is the subject of a May, 2001 QST article. BeaconNet uses Packet Radio to send unconnected packets (UI frames) as beacons for the purpose of testing the current state of propagation on amateur frequencies from ten meters up to 1-1/4 meters. Frequencies currently proposed for BeaconNet are 28.128, 50.620, 147.585, and 223.780 MHz (check with your local amateur community before blindly sending out beacon packets on any frequency)

This page last updated 07.06.2003