2025-10-03 — VHF-UHF Packet Path Predictions, Why Should You Consider Joining the TPRFN Network, How To Get (Re) Started In Amateur Radio Data Comm, The Wow@Home Radio Telescope, STARS-Me2 CubeSat
Chipster - wrong newsletter. You're commenting on something that appeared in Random Wire, not Zero Retries. But, you get credit for first comment in Zero Retries 0222.
Glenn - It's frustrating to see Packet Radio portrayed mostly as "Same old, same old" hasn't changed much in 3 decades... when we know that's not the case. Thanks for your work in brining BBS forwarding on HF into the 21st century. I'll be in touch via email about future collaboration.
I had a few thoughts for your "How to Get (Re) Started..." article.
While I mostly agree about avoiding 1200 baud AFSK, it's probably worth mentioning that if a 1200 baud network already exists, using it is a great way to make friends and find other people to connect to on a faster/newer modes.
On the equipment side, I'd like to give a plug for the Vera VR-N76 (AKA BTECH UV-Pro or Radioddity GA-5WB) HT. It's the HT sibling of the VR-N7500 headless mobile that you covered on ZR a few years ago. Most of what you see online for this radio is it's APRS features, and the Bluetooth KISS TNC support that was added in later firmware. Both of those are great. The KISS TNC works just like a mobilinkd, but with less clutter, although in my testing it seems the mobilinkd might perform a little better. The downside is it only supports 1200 baud with the internal TNC, for now anyway. I know a few people with this radio who carry it daily and use it for checking Winlink messages automatically on their phones with WoAD or RadioMail. The best feature of this radio, however, is that it supports flat audio on the accessory port. I haven't seen anything about this feature online, including the pinout of the jack, but after BTECH support provided the pinout. I put a cable together and gave VARA-FM a test, and without any real tuning, was achieving sustained speeds of over 14.4kbps. I suspect a little time getting the deviation dialed in will bring the speed up even higher. I was impressed enough to order the newer Vera VR-N7600 mobile to test the capability there.
Finally, while you mentioned BPQ's BBS, I feel like it's worth mentioning some of the other features as well. The BBS is just one application that plugs in to the main node application. The node supports *many* protocols besides plain packet. I'm using VARA HF, VARA FM, Mercury (although I haven't gotten any connects that way yet), ARDOP, and packet. It supports client connections as well emulating AGW and KISS. 44net and IP are supported as well. Supported applications are the BBS (as mentioned) which can do POP/IMAP for personal messages and NNTP for bulletins. A winlink gateway is just another BPQ application. There is a chat server that can connect to chat servers on other nodes. It reminds me of IRC a little. There is also a telnet interface that allows other applications to be connected. One sysop a couple hops away has Zork and a few door games on his node. Other users have built a web gateway that can proxy HTTP using a text-only browser. Most implementations I have seen of that are using PE1RRR (SK)'s Packet Browser here: https://github.com/pe1rrr/packet-browser
Ben - Thanks for this great elaboration. I have lots of questions that are more suitable for email rather than here as comments. Will get in touch with you via email but this could easily be fleshed out into an article in Zero Retries.
“Collin even changed the color scheme in WPSD for the hotspot, making it more obvious that I’m looking at the dashboard for the Hamspot.”
No he didn’t. That’s the new default appearance in WPSD. Also, click “appearance” in the WPSD toolbar to see more themes.
Chipster - wrong newsletter. You're commenting on something that appeared in Random Wire, not Zero Retries. But, you get credit for first comment in Zero Retries 0222.
I really enjoy see all Packet Radio activities going on again! Great stuff let’s keep it going.
Glenn/N3MEL/TPRFN
Glenn - It's frustrating to see Packet Radio portrayed mostly as "Same old, same old" hasn't changed much in 3 decades... when we know that's not the case. Thanks for your work in brining BBS forwarding on HF into the 21st century. I'll be in touch via email about future collaboration.
Hi Steve,
I had a few thoughts for your "How to Get (Re) Started..." article.
While I mostly agree about avoiding 1200 baud AFSK, it's probably worth mentioning that if a 1200 baud network already exists, using it is a great way to make friends and find other people to connect to on a faster/newer modes.
On the equipment side, I'd like to give a plug for the Vera VR-N76 (AKA BTECH UV-Pro or Radioddity GA-5WB) HT. It's the HT sibling of the VR-N7500 headless mobile that you covered on ZR a few years ago. Most of what you see online for this radio is it's APRS features, and the Bluetooth KISS TNC support that was added in later firmware. Both of those are great. The KISS TNC works just like a mobilinkd, but with less clutter, although in my testing it seems the mobilinkd might perform a little better. The downside is it only supports 1200 baud with the internal TNC, for now anyway. I know a few people with this radio who carry it daily and use it for checking Winlink messages automatically on their phones with WoAD or RadioMail. The best feature of this radio, however, is that it supports flat audio on the accessory port. I haven't seen anything about this feature online, including the pinout of the jack, but after BTECH support provided the pinout. I put a cable together and gave VARA-FM a test, and without any real tuning, was achieving sustained speeds of over 14.4kbps. I suspect a little time getting the deviation dialed in will bring the speed up even higher. I was impressed enough to order the newer Vera VR-N7600 mobile to test the capability there.
Finally, while you mentioned BPQ's BBS, I feel like it's worth mentioning some of the other features as well. The BBS is just one application that plugs in to the main node application. The node supports *many* protocols besides plain packet. I'm using VARA HF, VARA FM, Mercury (although I haven't gotten any connects that way yet), ARDOP, and packet. It supports client connections as well emulating AGW and KISS. 44net and IP are supported as well. Supported applications are the BBS (as mentioned) which can do POP/IMAP for personal messages and NNTP for bulletins. A winlink gateway is just another BPQ application. There is a chat server that can connect to chat servers on other nodes. It reminds me of IRC a little. There is also a telnet interface that allows other applications to be connected. One sysop a couple hops away has Zork and a few door games on his node. Other users have built a web gateway that can proxy HTTP using a text-only browser. Most implementations I have seen of that are using PE1RRR (SK)'s Packet Browser here: https://github.com/pe1rrr/packet-browser
Great edition as always.
Ben KU0HN
Ben - Thanks for this great elaboration. I have lots of questions that are more suitable for email rather than here as comments. Will get in touch with you via email but this could easily be fleshed out into an article in Zero Retries.