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My first AX25 HF packet node is up!

 
Edited

Greetings,

I've set up a BPQCHAT/BPQBBS node in DM14. We'll see how it goes. I set up the node to the best of my abilities to adhere to the net guidelines posted.

I will be writing up a guide on my blog for fellow mastodon radio users so don't be surprised to see some influx of activity. We're interested in seeing what the state of HF packet is ?and possibly setting up our own network just to see what the exercise is like but wanted to get our feet wet here first. Most of us are technically literate radio amateurs and some have prior packet networking experience.

Station here is an FT-897D @ 100W?w/ SCU-17 & RPi4b > LDG 600 PRO II > 1:1 Choke > Open wire line fed nonresonant dipole @ 7.5m AGL

The station is currently running Raspberry Pi OS, linpbq, direwolf, hamlib, and QtTermTCP all compiled from the latest source I could find.

I've decoded some DX EU packets already and am regularly hearing the East Coast US so RX should be good to go. Tested TX with tones to set the level.

Let me know if I'm doing anything wrong, I'm here to soak up the technical tidbits.

Best,

Chris, N6CTA
 

Hi Chris,
I and others have been trying to connect to N6CTA-7 since 3 pm local time.? Nothing heard on 14.105 MHz digital lower sideband.? Hope all is well.

Hope to hear you soon,

Mike
K6RKY
Atascadero, CA

On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 01:14:48 PM PDT, Chris <mail@...> wrote:


[Edited Message Follows]

Greetings,

I've set up a BPQCHAT/BPQBBS node in DM14. We'll see how it goes. I set up the node to the best of my abilities to adhere to the net guidelines posted.


I will be writing up a guide on my blog for fellow mastodon radio users so don't be surprised to see some influx of activity. We're interested in seeing what the state of HF packet is ?and possibly setting up our own network just to see what the exercise is like but wanted to get our feet wet here first. Most of us are technically literate radio amateurs and some have prior packet networking experience.

Station here is an FT-897D @ 100W?w/ SCU-17 & RPi4b > LDG 600 PRO II > 1:1 Choke > Open wire line fed nonresonant dipole @ 7.5m AGL

The station is currently running Raspberry Pi OS, linpbq, direwolf, hamlib, and QtTermTCP all compiled from the latest source I could find.

I've decoded some DX EU packets already and am regularly hearing the East Coast US so RX should be good to go. Tested TX with tones to set the level.

Let me know if I'm doing anything wrong, I'm here to soak up the technical tidbits.

Best,

Chris, N6CTA

 

It's possible you're just too close for the current conditions. I've had other stations dial in and I've been able to dial out. I haven't heard you yet either. I'm still wrapping my brain around all of the BPQ config settings but I don't think there is anything catastrophically wrong with the setup so far. I'm hearing a lot of net105 stations.
 

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I heard you okay today but wasn’t able to get connected reliably. Will try again tomorrow. Congrats on the new node.


On Sep 7, 2023, at 8:43 PM, Chris <mail@...> wrote:

?It's possible you're just too close for the current conditions. I've had other stations dial in and I've been able to dial out. I haven't heard you yet either. I'm still wrapping my brain around all of the BPQ config settings but I don't think there is anything catastrophically wrong with the setup so far. I'm hearing a lot of net105 stations.

 

Hi Chris,

FYI - I heard your station on 20M (14.105) today a couple times.? Congrats on the new setup.? It seems to be working well.

73,

Matt, WE1H
we1h -at- arrl.net
Alan Beck - VY2XU
 

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thanks,
Can you try to connect to my pbbs, either mycall or mycall-1?

It is pretty funky with Multipsk.

I will get it working.
73,
Alan

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Matt Atwood, WE1H via groups.io <we1h@...>
Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2023 10:20 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [network105] My first AX25 HF packet node is up!
?
Hi Chris,

FYI - I heard your station on 20M (14.105) today a couple times.? Congrats on the new setup.? It seems to be working well.

73,

Matt, WE1H
we1h -at- arrl.net
 

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I occasionally send out a WX condition text?
On 14.105 mhz LSB @ 1700 hrtz?
Using? UZ7HO software and sound terminal?
My Beacon text is

KB2RSK?

Keep packet alive.? ?73s?





-------- Original message --------
From: Alan Beck - VY2XU <abeck@...>
Date: 9/8/23 10:12 AM (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Re: [network105] My first AX25 HF packet node is up!

thanks,
Can you try to connect to my pbbs, either mycall or mycall-1?

It is pretty funky with Multipsk.

I will get it working.
73,
Alan
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Matt Atwood, WE1H via groups.io <we1h@...>
Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2023 10:20 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [network105] My first AX25 HF packet node is up!
?
Hi Chris,

FYI - I heard your station on 20M (14.105) today a couple times.? Congrats on the new setup.? It seems to be working well.

73,

Matt, WE1H
we1h -at- arrl.net
 

It appears to have responded?
? I had a solid copy on the exchange?
My locator is FN22?
? I will.monitor for activity?

73 de KB2RSK?


On Fri, Sep 8, 2023 at 10:20 AM, James C Miller -KB2RSK
<Cameojcm@...> wrote:
I occasionally send out a WX condition text?
On 14.105 mhz LSB @ 1700 hrtz?
Using? UZ7HO software and sound terminal?
My Beacon text is

KB2RSK?

Keep packet alive.? ?73s?





-------- Original message --------
From: Alan Beck - VY2XU <abeck@...>
Date: 9/8/23 10:12 AM (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Re: [network105] My first AX25 HF packet node is up!

thanks,
Can you try to connect to my pbbs, either mycall or mycall-1?

It is pretty funky with Multipsk.

I will get it working.
73,
Alan
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Matt Atwood, WE1H via groups.io <we1h@...>
Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2023 10:20 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [network105] My first AX25 HF packet node is up!
?
Hi Chris,

FYI - I heard your station on 20M (14.105) today a couple times.? Congrats on the new setup.? It seems to be working well.

73,

Matt, WE1H
we1h -at- arrl.net
 

Wow I'm glad it's working that well! I hate to ruin a bad thing but I'm going to move to beta versions of all the software and switch from direwolf to QtSoundModem today. I can't help but want to see what has changed and where things are headed with the core BPQ software.

Let me know if things are worse. lol
 

I will try to connect to you if any of your ID packets make it in to my station Alan. I've seen people try to connect to you but I don't know that I've actually seen anyone successfully connect.
 

Okay Folx,

I updated my packet station to all beta BPQ software

pilinbpq?6.0.24.7
QtTermTCP 0.0.0.67
QtSoundModem 0.0.0.67

Let me know how it goes and if you see anything weird. I think I have it set up better than I did before. I went over the configs again.
 

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Should be fine, I’m running even later alpha versions and all has been good. Also it helps with testing too!



On Sep 8, 2023, at 6:36 PM, Chris, N6CTA <mail@...> wrote:

?Okay Folx,

I updated my packet station to all beta BPQ software

pilinbpq?6.0.24.7
QtTermTCP 0.0.0.67
QtSoundModem 0.0.0.67

Let me know how it goes and if you see anything weird. I think I have it set up better than I did before. I went over the configs again.

 
Edited

Alright, I discovered that switching from direwolf KISS TNC to QtSoundModem using the BPQtoAGW driver introduced some automated behavior related to Nodes broadcasts. I set QUALITY=0 in the AX25 port config to stop that. Let me know if you see anything else bizarre. I also shortened my ID text, set the interval to 10min(legal minimum), and disabled beacon text.

Thanks!
 

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When I first switched to agw I found ID ‘beacon’ no longer worked, turns out it is only for kiss mode. This would be same regardless direwolf or sm. I changed it to do the same with a port broadcast. Per port broadcast is perhaps nicer, as message can be tailored as needed for the purpose of each port. It was unexpected and caused me to scratch head for a moment but all is good now it’s understood.


On Sep 9, 2023, at 5:33 AM, Chris, N6CTA <mail@...> wrote:

?

[Edited Message Follows]

Alright, I discovered that switching from direwolf KISS TNC to QtSoundModem using the BPQtoAGW driver introduced some automated behavior related to Nodes broadcasts. I set QUALITY=0 in the AX25 port config to stop that. Let me know if you see anything else bizarre. I also shortened my ID text, set the interval to 10min(legal minimum), and disabled beacon text.

Thanks!

 

On Sat, Sep 9, 2023 at 04:54 AM, Louis Botterill wrote:
?
When I first switched to agw I found ID ‘beacon’ no longer worked, turns out it is only for kiss mode. This would be same regardless direwolf or sm. I changed it to do the same with a port broadcast. Per port broadcast is perhaps nicer, as message can be tailored as needed for the purpose of each port. It was unexpected and caused me to scratch head for a moment but all is good now it’s understood.
?

On Sep 9, 2023, at 5:33 AM, Chris, N6CTA <mail@...> wrote:

[Edited Message Follows]

Alright, I discovered that switching from direwolf KISS TNC to QtSoundModem using the BPQtoAGW driver introduced some automated behavior related to Nodes broadcasts. I set QUALITY=0 in the AX25 port config to stop that. Let me know if you see anything else bizarre. I also shortened my ID text, set the interval to 10min(legal minimum), and disabled beacon text.

Thanks!
When you say per port broadcast do you mean to say how level 3/4 traffic is handled? Here on Network 105 it seems that no level 3/4 traffic is acceptable. That makes sense to me for HF.

On a separate note it seems like my station is working and propagation is as forecasted by the NOAA SWPC 10cm flux outlook. RK3KPK was able to log in to my BBS and make an account from Moscow. We should have some real good DX windows in about a week or so.
 

I think I found out what you meant Louis, the per port beaconing is set via the web interface in linux! I'm happy to have found it. I may reconfigure how I send IDs and Beacons now that I can actually send Beacons. I'm not sure what makes the most sense though to be honest. I just want the message to be helpful and not QRM. I'm very new to this but I'm getting it sorted day by day as I learn what seems to be the most sane for an HF only Node/BBS/Chat. It's very easy to flood the network with useless traffic.
 

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Hi,

Yes exactly that. I am not really sure why that particular config is in the web-ui rather than the main config file but anyways yes that’s it.

I am new also. What I heard from others is approximately this (and it’s largely common sense also);

No APRS, Wx, Position or extraneous messages like that, as much as it is tempting. APRS itself anyway has other proper band frequencies (and also such as on 30m).

Beacon about even 10mins (or more) once settled in. If you beacon every say 6mins no one likely going to care, but every 30s would be too often, etc.

Try keep it to a one-liner or maybe 2 at a push, don’t send 6 or 10 lines with life story in it… :)

Then all should be good!

I see we tried connect to each other a few times, nearly works - sure it will on a good path day…

I had some packet DX today, quite interesting to see that, band seemed very long.

All the best, 73 de Louis / kd2yck



On Sep 9, 2023, at 11:57 PM, Chris, N6CTA <mail@...> wrote:

?I think I found out what you meant Louis, the per port beaconing is set via the web interface in linux! I'm happy to have found it. I may reconfigure how I send IDs and Beacons now that I can actually send Beacons. I'm not sure what makes the most sense though to be honest. I just want the message to be helpful and not QRM. I'm very new to this but I'm getting it sorted day by day as I learn what seems to be the most sane for an HF only Node/BBS/Chat. It's very easy to flood the network with useless traffic.

 

On Mon, Sep 11, 2023 at 06:41 PM, Louis Botterill wrote:
Hi,
?
Yes exactly that. I am not really sure why that particular config is in the web-ui rather than the main config file but anyways yes that’s it.
?
I am new also. What I heard from others is approximately this (and it’s largely common sense also);
?
No APRS, Wx, Position or extraneous messages like that, as much as it is tempting. APRS itself anyway has other proper band frequencies (and also such as on 30m).
?
Beacon about even 10mins (or more) once settled in. If you beacon every say 6mins no one likely going to care, but every 30s would be too often, etc.
?
Try keep it to a one-liner or maybe 2 at a push, don’t send 6 or 10 lines with life story in it… :)
?
Then all should be good!
?
I see we tried connect to each other a few times, nearly works - sure it will on a good path day…
?
I had some packet DX today, quite interesting to see that, band seemed very long.
?
All the best, 73 de Louis / kd2yck


?

On Sep 9, 2023, at 11:57 PM, Chris, N6CTA <mail@...> wrote:

I think I found out what you meant Louis, the per port beaconing is set via the web interface in linux! I'm happy to have found it. I may reconfigure how I send IDs and Beacons now that I can actually send Beacons. I'm not sure what makes the most sense though to be honest. I just want the message to be helpful and not QRM. I'm very new to this but I'm getting it sorted day by day as I learn what seems to be the most sane for an HF only Node/BBS/Chat. It's very easy to flood the network with useless traffic.
Thank you for the information! One interesting thing I found is that with FX.25 being backwards compatible with AX.25 there is no real reason to not use it. It has improved the quality of my connections immensely with stations that also have it enabled. Do you know how people here feel about MailFor beacons? I have them set to 35 min. Hopefully this isn't annoying for anyone. I have it set to only send if there actually is mail for someone.
 

Hello,

I've now properly configured my node so that the N6CTA (N6CTA-0) SSID will drop into a proper simple TNC:TNC K2K chat. This can also be accessed by using the SYSOP command while connected to N6CTA-7.

Chris, N6CTA

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