Montana's Ham Radio Forum

Howdy gang - I received a request from Pat Parks KE7DUY about HF to VHF packet gateways in Montana. I am not aware of any VHF Packet to HF packet gateways in Western Mt. I passed on the local vhf packet frequency to Pat.

If anyone out there has any information that I am not aware of regarding hf packet gateways in Montana, you can contact Pat at his email address below.

Bill,
I was talking to Doug K7YD about HF packet and HF/VHF gateways into the VHF packet system on the west side of the state. He said that you would know what nodes or gateways work or don't work. I live in Glasgow and would like to send messages to Doug and Wes K7WES. I would appreciate any suggestions or info about Montana nodes, gateways, or HF packet frequencies that you have.
Pat Parks
KE6DUY Kellie Parks fishparks@hotmail.com
Glasgow, MT

Howdy gang,

I got a nice response from Kantronics regarding my research on a vhf/HF packet gateways The Kam XL has the dual port options to provide a fully operational VHF<>HF gateway. I tested the dual port set up using my Kam Plus and did connect on vhf xconnected to a HF packet station in Colorado and Wisconsin and vice versa HF xconnect to VHF. With this set up, we can setup a digital HF connection frequency to the State DES using sound card modems or older TNCS on HF Packet, Amtor, Pactor I, or G-tor. This is a nice way to fill in areas not covered by VHF packet nodes with a HF connection for EMCOMM.

The KPC-3 Plus, KPC-9612, and the Kam XL have some new addition commands that are only listed in the KPC-3 Plus manual. The 9612 and Kam XL PBUSERS command will allow up to five simultaneous connections to the PBBS (Mail Drop or BBS). It also allows a VHF and HF (HF Packet, Amtor, Pactor I, or Gtor) simultaneous connections to the PBBS. Older Kantronics TNCs do not have all these additional capabilities.

State DES is looking into getting a KAM XL to provide this capability. I will pass the word if it gets approval. If it does, I will pass the word when it becomes operational so outlying folks can test out setup, frequencies, and procedures...

Cheers All
Bill K7MT

Howdy gang,

Success so far. The test vhf (1200 baud on 145.010 FM) <> hf (300 baud on 14.105 LSB) is up and running at the State of Montana DES. Mike Stapp KE7ZVK, Lynn Wagner, K7WGR, and I got it operation this morning in between SHARES, MARS, and Idaho SHARES net.

Station is using a Kam Plus for VHF, HF, and cross band connections. KM7DES-1 is the Mail Drop and KM7DES-7 is the KA-node where the cross connects VHF <> HF are done. If you say log into KM7DES-7 on VHF and do a N for nodes or J for stations heard you will notice the callsigns have /V for heard on the VHF port or a /H for heard on the HF port. Since you are logged in on the vhf port and want to connect to a station on the HF port, use a X to cross connect to the other port. Same goes if your logged in on HF port you can x or cross connect to a station listed as /V on the VHF port.

The Mail Box KM7DES-1 can be accesed on VHF port 145.010 or on HF port 14105.00 SSB to leave a message at the DES's mailbox.

Doug K7YD passed this request from KE6DUY Pat (Think that is his call) in Plentywood, Mt as there is no VHF packet link to the the western part of the state. Anyone can now connect on HF 300 Baud Packet from around the State and leave a message at KM7DES-1 , or connect to KM7DES-7 and cross connect to the VHF network in the Helena area.

It is up and running for testing over the next couple of weeks for folks to give it a try from around the state on HF 300 baud packet. Leave a message in the packet mail box and I will do my best to respond and leave an answer for you to pick up on HF packet.

Have fun and if you have time give it a try.

Cheers Bill K7MT

Howdy gang,

One note I forgot is when you using 300 baud packet on HF set your paclength to 60. That is the recommended length the Network 105 uses. I tested tonight using the default 300 baud Paclength and it cutoff some of the packets. Setting it to 60 will matchup to what everyone else is using. When I did that, all data was received just fine. I logged in on HF to KM7DES-1 and KM7DES-7 did a cross connect to Hogback and all worked well.

Bill K7MT

Hi gang,

I had a question about x for cross connect and it was a good one. When your connected to a node (KM7DES-7 for example) and you do a n for nodes or j for heard I mentioned you will see a /V for heard on the vhf port and a /H for heard on the HF port. Ex:

K7MT-1/V
W7TCK-2/V
AJ0O-7/H
AL7LS-1/H

If your logged in on the KM7DES-7 the VHF port 145.010 fm 1200 baud packet and say you want to connect to AL7LS-1/H on the HF 300 baud HF port, you would enter:

X AL7LS-1

The Kam Plus will cross connect to the HF 300 baud port and connect the AL7LS-1 ( No SSID AL7LS is direct connect keyboard to keyboard, SSID-1 is a mail box, SSID-7 is another node which is a standard for VHF and HF)

Same if your logged in on the HF port and you want to connect to say (K7MT's Mail Box) to a X K7MT-1..

As I mentioned previously KM7DES-1 is DES Mail Drop and KM7DES-7 is a KA Node at the DES. If your on VHF or HF you can connect to the mail drop KM7DES-1 to leave a message or connect to the KA Node KM7DES-7 for X or Cross connect.

Hope this makes it a bit clearer.. Or did I muddy the water....

Bill

GM gang, I found out a couple of things about the Network 105 (HF 300 baud packet on 14105.00 LSB). There are some stations connected via telnet and then to some BPQ32 switches. This morning while chatting with the gang on 3862.5, I connected to a BPQ32 switch in Denver, Co (VHF <> HF <> Telnet <> BPQ32) using the VHF<>HF gateway at Ft. Harrision, Mt. (KM7DES-7 KA NODE). I got a chance to say howdy to GM8BPQ John in route on the train from England to his home in Inverness Scotland. (I was stationed at RAF Edzell for two years just 40 KM from Inverness). Below is the log for that connection so you can see how it worked and that it is working ok VHF <> HF.

Cheers Bill
cmd:

*** CONNECTED to HOGBAK
HOGBAK:W7MRI-4} Connected to KM7DES-7
###CONNECTED TO NODE KM7DES-7(KM7DES) CHANNEL A
FT HARRISION, MT 14105 LSB <> 145.010 FM GATEWAY >>
ENTER COMMAND: B,C,J,N,X, or Help ?
WB4QOJ-7/H* 03/16/15 09:06:34
AC0VC/H* 03/16/15 09:06:45
KB9SOZ-7/H 03/16/15 09:07:34
W6OAV-3/H* 03/16/15 09:10:23
KB9SOZ-1/H 03/16/15 09:12:42
W6OAV/H* 03/16/15 09:13:10
K8ZTT/H* 03/16/15 09:13:29
AB4KR/H 03/16/15 09:13:39
KB9KC/H 03/16/15 09:14:22
WA9IPK/H* 03/16/15 09:16:20
KB9SOZ/H 03/16/15 09:16:50
K7MT/V 03/16/15 09:18:47
HOGBAK/V 03/16/15 09:18:48
K7MT-15/V 03/16/15 09:18:48
ENTER COMMAND: B,C,J,N,X, or Help ?
###LINK MADE
MONCTR:KB9SOZ-7} BBS CONNECT BYE INFO KBRD NODES ROUTES PORTS USERS MHEARD TELNET

MONCTR:KB9SOZ-7} Connected to DVRCO:N4ATA-7
Welcome to DVRCO:N4ATA-7 Network Node Server, Denver, Colorado

Commands:

BBS RMS CHAT CONNECT BYE INFO NODES PORTS ROUTES USERS MHEARD

Type ? For Available Commands
73, Doug - N4ATA
DVRCO:N4ATA-7} Connected to CHAT
[BPQChatServer-1.0.5.1]
Welcome to DVRCO:N4ATA-7 ATACHT Console4 Station(s) connected:
9Y4PJ at PJCHT Peter, ?_qth [General] Idle for 12451 seconds
K7MT at ATACHT Bill, Helena, Mt. [General] Idle for 0 seconds
GM8BPQ at HRCHAT John, Train to Inverness [General] Idle for 959 seconds
OH5RM at RMCHAT Jouko, Kouvola S-E Finland [General] Idle for 15456 seconds
GM8BPQ : I gather Direwolf works, but doesn't have a spectrum display, whitch limits its
OH5RM : Yes that is what I ment, for win and linux
GM8BPQ : usefulness on HF
GM8BPQ : Haybe I should try to join their developmeng group. See how far they have got
OH5RM : yes Direwolf maybe good but only VHF/UHF
OH5RM : Yes DO so
GM8BPQ : Ok. I thought it did HF as well.
K7MT : GM JOHN HOWS THINGS IN SCOTLAND TODAY. BILL IN MT K7MT
GM8BPQ : Hi Bill. A pretty damp and dismal day today. How are you. Have'nt seen you on here for
GM8BPQ : a while
K7MT : GM TO YOU BPQ SWITCH HAS BEEN OFF THE AIR FOR OVER A YEAR. I AM ON VHF <> HF 300 BAUD PACKET TO TLENET.
GM8BPQ : Direwolf website says it does 300 baud.
K7MT : I CANNOT STAY LONG JUST WANTED TO SAY HOWDY JOHN HAVE A GREAT DAY IN SCOTLAND.
K7MT : I HAVE GREAT MEMORIES OF RAF EDZELL. CHEERS JOHN BILL.
GM8BPQ : Ok. Bill. Bye for now
/quit
73 de N4ATA
###DISCONNECTED BY KB9SOZ-7 AT NODE KM7DES-7
HOGBAK:W7MRI-4} Welcome back.
HOGBAK:W7MRI-4} Goodbye.

*** DISCONNECTED

KM7DES>BEACON:MT DES 145.010 <> 14105 GATEWAY

K7MT-10>WL2K:WinLink RMS Packet Node
KM7DES>BEACON:MT DES 145.010 <> 14105 GATEWAY

Howdy gang,

I finally picked up a Kantronics Kam XL off Ebay for an excellent price. I updated the latest firmware, changed the 3.0 volt internal battery, and give it a good test. I love the new command PBUSERS for the Kam XL and the KPC-3 Plus that allows multiple users access to the mail drop (PBBS). With 512kb of standard RAM and a RTC (Real Time Clock), it combines all the features of a Kam Plus, KPC-3, KPC-4 all in one very small unit. Woo Hoo !!

I will place it at the State of Montana DES this next week and a run a test for a month or so. It will do the HF 14105 LSB <> VHF 145.010 gateway. Access to the mail drop will be really neat as up to 5 connections VHF or HF will be able to connect and for EMCOMM that will be nice.

Bill K7MT

Howdy gang - After two months of testing the VHF/HF gateway at the State of Montana DES, it has proven to be a viable means of communications for EMCOMM. I loaned my Kam Plus and Kam XL to test the system and both worked well. The VHF/HF gateway was removed today as it was installed for testing and evaluation.

The packet and APRS stations are now back on the original Timewave PK-232 PSK TNC's. One change we are testing is if two Timewave USB com ports are used on one computer with two TNC's , communications fail after a few days. We contacted Timewave and the solution was to run the TNC's on different computers. One for packet and one for APRS. Testing continues...

Bill K7MT

Howdy from Bill K7MT. After three weeks of running Packet on 145.010 with a Timewave PK-232 PSK on a seperate computer at the State of Montana DES, it has been working well. There was a sort of collision when two PK-232PSK TNC's using the Timewave USB as a two COM ports ran on the same computer. One would just quit. We contacted Timewave and give them the error information. They suggested separate computers to see if the problem went away and it did. They never figured on having a station run two tncs at the same time using their USB cables for com ports.....

So for now all is working much better at the State DES with Packet on one computer and APRS on another.

Bill K7MT