3.975/7.275 MHz
Georgia
A.R.E.S. 
144.390
APRS
3.975/7.275 MHzGeorgia
A.R.E.S. 144.390
APRS
Please E-mail, Mark Foley, NA4V (GA ARES DEC Digital Communications) if you can operate packet radio/APRS/other digital modes as GA ARES plans to incorporate these modes of communication also.
Here are some additional Metro Atlanta and North Georgia packet radio frequencies (1200 baud):
145.030
SNELLV (Snellville)
145.070
W4PME (Metro Atlanta)
145.510
JASPER
145.630
C SAW5 then C SAW 1 then C KS4Q-1 or C DX (DX Packetcluster-Cumming)
145.750
ATL1
145.770
(SEDAN NETWORK)
CONNECT TO THE FOLLOWING NODES: (For Emergency Communications)
Location
Node Alias
------------ ----------
China Hill CHILL
Conyers
CGA
Douglas
DGA
Fayetteville FTV
Folkston
FGA
Forsyth
FOR
Griffin
GRIF
Hartwell
HGA
Irwinton
IRW
Jasper
KE4R-7 (Good node from Metro Atlanta)
Lagrange
WLAG
Lawrenceville W4GR-7 (Good node from
Metro Atlanta)
Macon
MCN
Milledgeville MLJ
Newnan
NWN
Tennile
TEN
Thomasville TGA
Warner Robins WRGA
Watkinsville WKV
Waycross
WAYX
And here are some links for additional information:
Tucson Amateur
Packet Radio (TAPR)- FAQ, etc.
http://www.packetradio.com/
Event Summary: GA ARES Packet Event, Sun May 20, 2001
Hello All,
Participation in the May 20th packet event was *very* strong and I'm
really
encouraged that we have such a solid core of digital operators to augment
the existing ARES communications channels. My thanks goes to
each of you,
and especially to those who stuck it out in Exercise #2-- it was most
revealing (read on)!
I'm already working on plans for a follow-up event which will build
upon
what we learned this month and deepen our collective experience in
digital
operations. Please take a moment to read this note fully (it's
long, I
know) and drop me an email with your impressions, suggestions, etc.
I
relied on many people to bring this event together, and that will be
even
more the case as we go forward.
I'm looking forward to seeing you at the ARES forum of the Atlanta Radio
Club hamfest on June 2. Keep your TNC's going now that you know
the drill!
FYI-- the ATL node will be off the air for several days this week as
we put
it into it's permanent location.
Vy 73,
Barrett / KE4R
KE4R@arrl.net
(770) 461-7600 [home]
Event Description
==================
Event Name : GA ARES VHF Packet Drill
Event Date : May 20, 2001. Noon-3PM, and 4PM exercises
Operations : 1200 baud packet over SEDAN, 145.770 MHz
Net Control: KE4R
Numbers Overview
================
- 30 stations took part in this event in one way or another
- 17 stations completed exercise #1 (read bulletin; leave message)
- 13 stations took part in exercise #2 (check in to the directed net)
- 8 stations desiring to participate were not within range of
SEDAN
- 1 station suffered lightening damage to TNC before the event
Geographic Coverage
===================
- 12 Georgia counties were represented on packet: Baldwin, Cobb, Fayette,
Fulton, Greene, Gwinnett, Hancock, Henry, Houston, Jones, Pickens,
and
Turner.
- 5 Georgia counties have interested stations but no SEDAN access
at the
moment: Bulloch, Carroll, Columbia, Effingham, and Richmond.
- Local access to SEDAN was concentrated thru the MLJ (Milledgeville),
CGA
(Conyers), MCN (Macon), FTV (Fayetteville), and ATL (Atlanta) nodes.
What Worked, What Didn't
========================
<< Exercise #1, Observations >>
Reading a bulletin and leaving a message proved to be a very smooth
and
effective means of both one-to-many communications and many-to-one
communications. Note that our use of the BBS was centralized
on one node,
and access was "on-demand" (you had to login personally). These
are the
keys to keeping traffic load to a manageable load on the network, as
opposed
to automatic store-and-forward mechanisms used on full service packet
email
networks.
<< Exercise #1, Conclusions/Recommendations >>
Activating a centralized BBS is a reliable way to issue information
bulletins to the field from the SEC/EOC/NCS during emergency incidents,
or
to collect status reports & requests for assistance from the field.
Recommend GA ARES identify and publish the network path and SSID of
one or
more BBSs dedicated to GA ARES incident management. These BBSs
may be
activated at the time of ARES callup if ongoing operation is not feasible.
<< Exercise #2, Observations >>
The directed net using the "talk" facility on one node held its own
as a
means of many-to-many communications while we had the first 3 or 4
stations
logged in. However it quickly became overloaded as 6 or 7 stations
joined.
At the peak of 10 stations logged in, the "talk" facility was completely
unusable and in fact a major portion of the network was effectively
shut
down as multiple Info/ACK packets collided and retried again and again
over
the same paths to/from the FTV node.
Note that this behavior is not a function of the baud rate (1200 baud)
but
instead is a result of the network topology, and the AX.25 protocol
itself-- it guarantees 100% error free communication but that comes
at the
price of full round-trip acknowledgements.
Note that if all stations were uplinked to the same local access node
(that
means, they all made their original "connect" to the same node, which
implies they are in the same local geographic area) it *might* be feasible
for a few more stations to join "talk" because packets wouldn't travel
node-to-node on the network but would instead be effectively digipeated
on
the local access node itself. There is also a "UI broadcast"
facility that
will broadcast a packet for all to hear but has no ACK, hence you might
miss
one if you are marginally in range of the node (similar to APRS digis).
<< Exercise #2, Observations/Recommendations >>
This approach ("Talk") would be a useful way for a *very limited* set
of
stations to keep a digital roundtable but should not be used beyond
it's
capabilities or the entire network may become paralyzed.
Recommend further tests to determine if a larger set of stations connecting
to the same local access node can engage in "Talk" facility, or the
"UI
broadcast" facility.
Recommend discouraging the use of "Talk" for more than 3 persons across
the
network.
Operator Experience
===================
In addition to the seasoned packet operators among us, we also had
several
stations who are relatively new to packet participate in this event
(Some
operators were setting up TNC's for the first time). From their
phone calls
and email, and from watching at the operators console as they made
their way
into the PBBS, etc. I see the need to pre-test the mechanics of an
event in
order to provide succinct, relevant tips for all operators. These
tips will
be delivered by email for future events as was done for this event.
If you are willing to be involved in pre-testing or can be available
to walk
someone else through a basic TNC setup over the phone, please let me
know so
I can call on you at the proper time.
Needs to be Addressed
=====================
There is a sizeable concentration of digital operators in the Savannah,
Statesboro, and Augusta areas who want to participate but are out of
SEDAN
range at present. I am in discussions with these stations and
others to
determine how we can include them in upcoming events. No firm
plans yet,
but this probably means extending the reach of the network by one of
several
methods:
A) Using conventional digipeaters to span the gap between local station
and
network access point. This can be done by any ham who has a TNC
and lives
mid-way between the outlying station and the network. Probably
should limit
this approach to single-hop digipeating for technical reasons.
If you are
in a good location for 2m work (you can hit many repeaters far away
from
you) and you can reach a SEDAN node, please drop me a note and we'll
talk
about getting your help with digipeating for others.
B) Installing (or re-activating) SEDAN nodes in these areas. This
is easier
and less expensive than setting up an FM repeater, but more difficult
and
costly than simply digipeating from your shack. If you would
like to become
a SEDAN SysOp I can tell you how (I found out it's easy as 1-2-3).
C) Cross-linking HF Packet to the VHF net for emergency traffic.
This can
be done by several of the Kantronics TNCs (even my old KAM+) and should
allow us to hear all parts of the state.
Special Recognition
===================
I must express my sincere appreciation to a few persons who spent hours
installing, configuring, and testing the many HW/SW components used
to
prepare for this event. The most important lesson learned is
that teamwork
is required to make an impact that extends beyond your own backyard.
* Tom Haskins, W4WXA, who encouraged me to get involved with packet
and
SEDAN in the first place
* Dave Carter, WA4PQK, who let me experiment with his FTV node (for
months
now!) and answers all my technical questions on how to run a first
rate node
* Darren Pierce, AG4BF, who took on the nuts-n-bolts of installing
the ATL
node
* Steve Reynolds, W4CNG...
* Tom Fuller, KE4QCM...
* Tom Soulsby, W4MX... all three of whom were my eyes-n-ears in the
field as
we perfected the coverage of the ATL node.
Many thanks also to Robert Tyler, KF4VBR (DEC GEMA) who suggested that
a
packet net in May would be a good way to kick things off, and to Lowry
Rouse, KM4Z (GA SEC) who continues to drive the vision of excellence
for
Georgia ARES and supports our digital efforts as far as we will take
them.
That's it for now.
/ex
A last note to bring you up to speed for Sunday's
VHF packet event. If you
need a copy of the instructions, email me at
KE4R@arrl.net.
ATL node hears better now
=========================
If you have tried to connect to the ATL node this week but were
unsuccessful, you owe it to yourself to try again. Antenna improvements
that went into effect Friday at 7PM have resulted in clean access for
ops in
Cobb, North Fulton, and Gwinnett counties, running 10 to 20 watts.
PBBS commands to know
=========================
The PBBS to which you will be connected at KE4R-10 has a command set
that is
slightly different that what is found on many TNCs. Here's a
quick summary
of the most useful commands for this event.
"LB" (no space between characters) will list the bulletins.
"R 1" (one space between characters) will read bulletin number one.
"SP KE4R" will send a private msg to the NCS. If you only type
"S", you
will be prompted for the message type (P=Private, B=Bulletin, T=NTS
Traffic). Choose "P".
"H" for help, in case you get stuck or just what to see what else is
available on that system. Unfortunately, "?" is not an alias
for the help
command and the PBBS will complain that it doesn't understand it.
"B" to say 'bye' and drop the connection to the PBBS when you're done.
You
will be returned to the FTV node from which you came.
TALK procedure-- just like a directed net
==========================================
At 4PM when you execute the "talk" command on the FTV node, consider
it to
be a directed net and only transmit (type on your keyboard) when requested
to do so by NCS. When you join the roundtable, other ops will
see a short
message saying that you joined so don't announce yourself with "anybody
there?". You will get the initial message "Type /ex to exit"
and then a
blank line. There is no prompt of any kind. If you are
invited by NCS to
send a message, type the text and press 'Enter' to send the packet.
Please
try to keep messages brief (one line) to avoid sluggishness on the
net.
"Talk" mode is intense because it sends every packet to every user
logged
into Talk. I'm not sure how where the saturation point lies...
<grin>
Stay sharp-- during the net I expect to put questions to the group as
a
whole, and measure the response time when you all reply at about the
same
moment. If synchronized replies drags the network down too bad,
I will ask
all "Alpha" prefix stations to respond, then I'll ask all "Kilo", then
all
"November" and "Whiskey", as a means to spread out the traffic by 30-60
seconds.
Type "/ex" at the beginning of the line to exit Talk mode when you are
dismissed from the net. I may choose to dismiss stations individually
as
often done on HF traffic nets, or perhaps as a group at the end as
commonly
done on 2-meter FM nets. You may exit the Talk mode when dismissed
or
remain in that mode if you want to monitor the rest of us.
In closing...
==============
I'm excited by the response of so many of you who are dusting off your
packet gear and going digital for the sake of serving the public interest.
We will have a memorable event on Sunday, one which will lay a foundation
upon which we can learn and build. Take care.
73,
Barrett / KE4R
Fayetteville, GA
KE4R@arrl.net
(770) 461-7600 (h)
Subject: Nodes Update: GA-ARES VHF Packet Event
Hello again. A brief update on additional SEDAN nodes.
Node "ATL" is installed but doesn't maintain a solid connection to the
rest
of the network after dark (probably VHF propagation changes).
I am
attempting to relocate the antenna to improve on this situation.
Albany is active! While exploring the network last night, I found
that two
nodes are operating (again) in the Albany area. The aliases are
"ALB" and
"RELAY". Try to "connect" to each of them and go with whatever
works.
Thanks to all of you who have dropped me a note at KE4R-10 as you're
checking out the network. Looking forward to seeing you Sunday.
Vy 73,
Barrett / KE4R
Subject: More Technical Hints: GA-ARES VHF Packet Event
Hello again. If you are not planning to participate in the May
20th event,
or you are an experienced user of packet networks, you may delete this
message now.
Vy 73,
Barrett / KE4R
To those who are reading this far, I'm getting good feedback from my
beta-testers who've checked out the network and mailbox this weekend.
A few
of the more subtle points of packet operation might be unfamiliar to
you and
we hope this information will make your packet experience more satisfying.
Command Prompts
===============
If you've spent a little time operating packet through your TNC, you've
no
doubt become accustomed to the command prompt that your TNC displays
when
it's ready, something like "Cmd:". In many TNC's, the command
prompt can be
summoned by typing "Ctrl-C" or similar. But on packet networks,
we change
the rules a bit... you still use the "Cmd:" prompt to make the first
connection from your TNC but from that point forward, prompts are not
displayed!
When you connect to a packet network, you will typically see a message
that
confirms your connection and then "blank"-- no prompt of any kind.
This
feels odd at first but you get used to it. When you see that
blank line,
it's an invitation to type in your command(s). For example, when
connecting
to the ATL node you will see the following (the 'cmd:' prompt is from
your
TNC; the rest is from the node)
cmd:*** CONNECTED to ATL
ATL:KE4R-7}
(this is the blank line)
<my first command goes here...>
[results appear here, no prompt given when results are done]
(this is another blank line)
<my second command goes here...>
If you inadvertently type "Ctrl-C" once you're connected to the net,
your
local TNC will put the network connection on hold (so to speak) and
take
over the display with the familiar "Cmd:" prompt. Whatever you
type from
then on will be processed by your local TNC and *not* be sent to the
network
as you desire. In such a case, to return to the network connection
you
should type "k" or "converse" and your TNC will return you to the live
network connection (check your TNC manual to confirm the exact command).
No
prompt will be given when you return to the network except for that
nifty
blank line :-)
By the way, once you connect to the ultimate destination (my mailbox
at
KE4R-10) things look more familiar and you will see the prompt "BBS>"
appear. You're welcome.
Patience is the Key
===================
The latency in network operation can be downright frustrating if you're
not
ready for it. Depending upon the network load, the available
routes, and to
some extent the VHF propagation at the time, your response time when
sending
commands to a network node might range from a few seconds to a minute
or
more. For example, when you connect to KE4R-10 to read the bulletin,
the
first 10 lines might appear on the screen in a few seconds, and then
you
wait... for perhaps 30 seconds until the next ten lines appears.
Your mileage will vary but the point is this: if you wait long enough,
the
network will keep it's commitments to you. If you ask to connect
to a node,
it will either connect you (eventually) or inform you that it cannot
do so,
but it won't leave you hanging without any reply. Likewise when
you are
sending/receiving a message from the mailbox, just relax and give it
a
chance to come back to you. If you see the beginning of a message,
you will
see the end of it, too, if you are patient.
Tip for sending the message to me in Exercise 1: Once you have entered
the
Subject line, and see the prompt "Msg?", don't bother to wait for any
kind
of response as you type each line of your message ('cuz their isn't
any
response)-- just go ahead and type all the lines you want and press
Enter on
each one without waiting. Send "/ex" all by itself at the beginning
of a
new line (then Enter) to end your message. If you're typing faster
than the
network can send and acknowledge the data, you should expect to wait
for a
short while as the network "catches up" to you. When it does,
it will tell
you "Message filed..." and you know it got all of your message.
Then you
will see the "BBS>" prompt again and you can logout with "Bye", or
see other
commands with "?", etc.
As more tips come to light, I'll send 'em your way.
/ex
Subject: Update: GA-ARES VHF Packet Event in May
Dear OM,
I hope this note finds you doing well. I'm looking forward to
your
participation in the GA ARES VHF Packet Event next Sunday, May 20th
and
believe you'll find this update useful.
*** New SEDAN Node ***
=======================
If you live in the North Metro Atlanta area and have been unable to
access
the SEDAN network, please give it a second try this week using the
newest GA
SEDAN node. Beginning Monday evening May 14th, the node alias
"ATL" will be
activated on 145.770. This node is located near Cumberland/Galleria
at the
intersection of I-285 and I-75 in Cobb county. Antenna height
is
approximately 350 feet above surrounding terrain with unobstructed
views to
the horizon 20 miles in all directions. Coverage should be strong
into
Cobb, North Fulton, and Paulding counties, perhaps into parts of Gwinnett,
Forsyth, Cherokee, and Bartow as well. Use "connect ATL" to attempt
logon,
and please let me know if you can/can't connect to this node, and your
location.
Why Wait?
==========
Dates, times, frequencies, and activities for this event are unchanged.
If
you have misplaced the instructions please drop me a note and I'll
email
them to you again.
You needn't wait until next Sunday to get your feet wet. Go ahead
and get
onto the SEDAN net this week to become familiar with navigating the
network,
etc. I have my personal mailbox running on KE4R-10 (access via
FTV node) as
described in the instructions-- make my day and drop me a note!
Technical Hint
===============
If you receive the message "Failure with FTV" (or any other node) when
trying to connect from your local access node to FTV, you may create
a route
to FTV manually. This is easy to do by issuing a series of "connect"
commands to the nodes between you and FTV. For example, if you
accessed
SEDAN via MLJ but the network couldn't find a route to FTV, you would
take a
look at the list of nodes in the instructions and note that MCN (Macon)
and
FOR (Forsyth) are approximately 'between' MLJ and FTV (a little South,
but
hey...). So then you type:
"connect MCN" and when you successfully get connected, type
"connect FOR" and when you get connected there, type
"connect FTV"
Because the routing tables in the network have both static and dynamic
entries, routes sometimes "decay" and are lost from the route tables
if
traffic hasn't traveled that path recently.
Call or write if you experience any technical difficulties as you warm
up
for the event this week.
Vy 73,
Barrett Thompson / KE4R
Fayetteville, GA
Email: KE4R@arrl.net
Phone: (770) 461-7600
Packet Radio Training Drill- Sun May 20, 2001, 12:00pm-3:00pm and 4:00pm-4:45pm
Dear all Georgia ARES members:
My name is Barrett Thompson, KE4R, and I'm a member of the Fayette
County ARES. Georgia ARES is committed to expanding its use of
Digital modes to better support the served agencies in Georgia.
Under the leadership of GA SEC Lowry Rouse, KM4Z and GEMA DEC
Robert Tyler, KF4VBR, I am coordinating a statewide VHF Packet
event in the month of May. The purpose of this event is to gauge
the interest of the Georgia ARES community in digital modes and to
evaluate the effectiveness of digital modes for ARES work.
Date of Event: Sunday, May 20, 2001
Time(s): Exercise 1, Noon - 3:00
PM (approx. 15 minutes
req'd of you)
Exercise 2, 4:00 - 4:45 PM (net in session)
*** New SEDAN Node ***
=======================
If you live in the North Metro Atlanta area and have been unable to
access
the SEDAN network, please give it a second try this week using the
newest GA
SEDAN node. Beginning Monday evening May 14th, the node alias
"ATL" will be
activated on 145.770. This node is located near Cumberland/Galleria
at the
intersection of I-285 and I-75 in Cobb county. Antenna height
is
approximately 350 feet above surrounding terrain with unobstructed
views to
the horizon 20 miles in all directions. Coverage should be strong
into
Cobb, North Fulton, and Paulding counties, perhaps into parts of Gwinnett,
Forsyth, Cherokee, and Bartow as well. Use "connect ATL" to attempt
logon,
and please let me know if you can/can't connect to this node, and your
location.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are equipped to operate a packet radio station on the
2-meter band you are eagerly invited to join us in this event.
No prior experience with directed nets or packet networking is
needed. Read on for the details of this event and watch for
further updates via email over the next few weeks.
I look forward to seeing your callsign on my screen during the
event!
Vy 73,
Barrett Thompson / KE4R
Fayetteville, GA
Email: KE4R@arrl.net
Phone: (770) 461-7600
Description of Activities
=========================
All activities will make use of the SEDAN packet network. This
network, which has been built specifically for use during
emergencies, spans almost two-thirds of Georgia and provides a
readily available communications channel for keyboard-to-keyboard
packet communications. It is also very easy to use. Instructions
for connecting to the SEDAN network are presented later in this
message.
Packet radio supports traditional "live" communications where an
operator is present at both ends of the QSO, as well as
"unattended" communications which permit a single operator to
initiate a contact and send or receive written messages via an
electronic mailbox. Both modes are extremely useful during
emergency operations.
For this event we will have one exercise for each of these
operating modes. You may participate in one or both exercises.
**********************************
Exercise 1 : The Unattended Drill
**********************************
Goals : Read a general information
Bulletin,
Leave a message for the NCS, KE4R
Time Period : Anytime between Noon - 3:00 PM, Sunday May 20
Instructions: +-----------------------------+
| CONNECT TO KE4R's MAILBOX |
+-----------------------------+
Connect to the SEDAN network via a local access node
Connect to FTV node
Connect to KE4R-10 <my mailbox program>
+---------------------------+
| READ THE BULLETIN |
+---------------------------+
Type "LB" to see a list of Bulletins in the
mailbox.
Note the number of the bulletin with the title
"ARES Packet Event Bulletin"
Type "R <number>" to read the bulletin
+---------------------------+
| LEAVE A MESSAGE
|
+---------------------------+
Type "SP KE4R" to create a message to KE4R
For subject: "Packet Exercise 1"
For message text: Please compose a brief message
containing your callsign, name, location (city &
county), SEDAN local access node, and whether you
have emergency power available to your packet
station and approx. how long you could operate on
that power.
Use a message format similar to the following,
and type "/ex" at the beginning of the last line
in the message to tell the mailbox you're done.
"Call: K4XYZ
Name: John Johnson
QTH: Valdosta, GA
SEDAN node: TGA
Emer. Pwr: Yes, approx 20 hours capacity
/ex"
+--------------------------------+
| EXIT THE MAILBOX & NETWORK |
+--------------------------------+
After sending the message, Type "B" and press
Enter to exit the mailbox. You are now back at
the command prompt of the FTV node.
Type "Bye" to exit FTV and return to your local
access node.
Type "Bye" again to disconnect from your local
access node and the SEDAN network.
**********************************
Exercise 2 : The Live Drill
**********************************
Goal : Check in to a directed
packet net (Net Control-KE4R)
Time Period : Starting 4:00PM, Sunday May 20.
Ending by 4:45PM, in time to join State ARES
net on 3975 KHz.
Instructions: +---------------------------+
| CONNECT TO FTV NODE |
+---------------------------+
Connect to the SEDAN network via a local access node
Connect to FTV node
+---------------------------+
| CHECK IN TO THE NET |
+---------------------------+
Once connected to FTV, type "Talk" and press Enter
to join the live discussion group. Your presence
will be automatically announced to NCS and the
rest of the net by the node itself.
Anything you type from this moment forward will be
sent to all stations logged in via Talk. As
with all directed nets, please do not "transmit"
(type) unless you are invited to do so by Net
Control. Bandwidth is precious...
+---------------------------+
| CHECK OUT OF THE NET |
+---------------------------+
When the net is dismissed, type "/ex" and press
Enter to exit the Talk mode. You are now back at
the command prompt of the FTV node.
Type "Bye" to exit FTV and return to your local
access node.
Type "Bye" again to disconnect from your local
access node and the SEDAN network.
Connecting to the SEDAN Network
===============================
If you are familiar with connecting to, and navigating through,
the SEDAN network you may disregard the remainder of this message.
This drill assumes you have successfully connected your TNC to
your computer and set the essential TNC parameters such as MYCALL.
Consult your TNC manual for specific cabling requirements between
your TNC and Computer, and proper setup parameters for TNC
operation. To connect to the SEDAN network, take the following
steps:
1. Set your VHF radio to a frequency of 145.770 MHz, Simplex
2. Set your TNC baud rate to 1200 (this is the rate of the RF
communication, *not* the speed your computer is
talking to the
TNC thru the COM port). If your TNC only has
one baud rate,
then it is probably 1200 already.
3. Choose a local access node from the following list. Generally
speaking, the node closest to you will give the
best access.
Note the three or four letter node alias which will
be used to
make the connection.
Location
Node Alias
------------ ----------
China Hill CHILL
Conyers
CGA
Douglas
DGA
Fayetteville FTV
Folkston
FGA
Forsyth
FOR
Griffin
GRIF
Hartwell
HGA
Irwinton
IRW
Lagrange
WLAG
Macon
MCN
Milledgeville MLJ
Newnan
NWN
Tennile
TEN
Thomasville TGA
Warner Robins WRGA
Watkinsville WKV
Waycross
WAYX
Alternately, you may turn on your TNC's monitoring
mode
("MON ON", "MALL ON", "MCOM ON", "MRPT ON", etc.)
and check
back in one or two hours to see which nodes you
could hear
when they send their periodic ID beacon or when
the network is
active with traffic. From my home I can see
the beacons from
FTV and GRIF nodes:
WA4PQK-7>ID/V: <<UI>>:TheNet
X-1J4 (FTV)
KE4UAS-7>ID/V: <<UI>>:TheNet
X-1J4 (GRIF)
4. At the command prompt of your TNC type "connect <node alias>"
for your local access node. For example, when
I connect to
the Fayetteville node, I use the following command:
cmd: connect FTV
5. Be patient. Avoid the temptation to enter the command
multiple times just because you don't see any response
yet.
Remember, you're operating at 1200 baud, and the
backbone of
the network is at 9600 baud. It may take a
few seconds for
the network to respond to your requests. When
connecting to
other nodes and stations across the network (hence
across
the state) you may have delays of 30-45 seconds.
This is
normal-- don't expect to see the fast response you've
become
accustomed to with your new DSL line to the Internet!
6. When you are successful in your connection request, you will
see a response similar to this:
cmd:*** CONNECTED to FTV
FTV:WA4PQK-7} THE X-1J4
NODE AT FAYETTEVILLE,GA
TYPE I FOR INFO OR C FOR
MAILBOX
If you are unable to connect to your closest node,
try another
node close to you.
7. If you are unable to connect to any local access node,
** PLEASE ** send me an email message and let me
know that you
tried, and where you are located. It's important
to know just
where we can and cannot reach with the current network.
8. If you connect but then experience some trouble along the way
during the exercises, send me an email message and
tell me
what happened. If the network was not able
to serve you
during the drill, it won't be able to serve you
during a real
emergency. We need to know this sooner rather
than later.
Basic Packet Network Commands
==============================
If you are familiar with basic packet network commands such as
"Connect", "Bye", and "Talk" you may disregard the remainder of
this message.
CONNECT <node alias, or station>.
Forms a packet connection to another station. This
station may
be a node in a network or an end-user station like yours.
Once
connected to a node you may issue another connect command
to
reach other nodes or end-user stations which are also
on
frequency. Each node will provide it's alias in
the command
prompt so you know where you are.
Example (building a chain from FTV to GRIF to CGA):
cmd:connect ftv
cmd:*** CONNECTED to FTV
FTV:WA4PQK-7} THE X-1J4 NODE AT FAYETTEVILLE,GA
TYPE I FOR INFO OR C FOR MAILBOX
connect grif
FTV:WA4PQK-7} Connected to GRIF:KE4UAS-7
connect cga
GRIF:KE4UAS-7} Connected to CGA:N4XZV-7
BYE
Gracefully exit from a node or mailbox by typing "Bye"
and
Enter. If you have established a chain of connections
to reach
your current destination, you will return to the previous
destination. Each successive "Bye" will exit from
the latest
"Connect" remaining in the chain, until you finally unwind
to
your starting point and exit the network entirely.
Example (unwinding the chain built in the example above
for
CONNECT):
<assume I'm connected to CGA>
bye
GRIF:KE4UAS-7} Welcome back.
bye
FTV:WA4PQK-7} Welcome back.
bye
*** DISCONNECTED
cmd:
DISCONNECT
An alternate way to drop a chain of connections.
While still
connected, return to the command prompt of your TNC (often
by
typing Ctrl-C) and type "D" and Enter. Your TNC
will initiate
the disconnection from your end. The network itself
will take
care of sending disconnect requests down the line to all
stations in your connection chain.
TALK
When connected to a network node, type "Talk" and Enter
to join
the conference bridge of that node. A conference
bridge is a
central facility that echoes your typed messages to all
other
stations currently joined to the bridge. Your callsign
is
automatically prepended before the message text so the
other
stations know who said what. Think of it as a round-table
for
packet mode-- many stations having one conversation.
To exit
the bridge, type "/ex" and Enter.
Example (I enter talk mode. Someone joins me, we
chat,
he leaves. Then I leave talk mode):
talk
FTV:WA4PQK-7} Talk mode. Type '/ex'
to leave.
WA4PQK-7>> AG4BF has joined you.
AG4BF>> Hello from Darren. Who's
on the bridge tonite?
Just me (barrett) and you.
AG4BF>> Okay. The telephone is ringing so gotta go now. 73
See you later Darren.
WA4PQK-7>> AG4BF has left you.
/ex
FTV:WA4PQK-7} Leaving talk.
INFO
Most nodes have some basic information about their location,
equipment, and the SysOp who runs the node. You
can see it by
typing "Info" and pressing Enter.
Example:
info
FTV:WA4PQK-7} SouthEastern Digital Association
Networks
{SEDAN}
At Fayetteville,GA SYSOP is Dave
Lat=33.27.689 N
LON=84.27.935 W
Elve= 943'AMSL
Grid SQ = 73 SK
TXCR Alinco DR-140 rFc2-417
Node MFJ-1270B W/X1J4 Eprom
Ant 2 M
NODES
Interested in seeing what other nodes are available from
the
node you are currently connected to? Type "NODES"
and Enter.
Each node is given first by its alias, then by its SSID
(callsign-hyphen-number). By the way, those nodes
with aliases
of the form 96XX are the 9600 baud backbone nodes.
Our 1200
baud connections to local access nodes will automatically
route
across these high-speed nodes to improve performance.
Example:
nodes
FTV:WA4PQK-7} Nodes:
9602:KD4AOZ-9 9616:K4ICT-9
9618:W4OQT-9 9620:KU4OY-10
9645:KU4OY-9 9653:KT4BT-11
9655:KE4YZI-9 9660:K4SEX-9
9663:WD4KTY-9 ADEC1W:KE4YZI-5
BAL:KE4YZI-7 CGA:N4XZV-7
CHILL:W4OQT-7 FOR:WD4JKH-7
GRIF:KE4UAS-7 HGA:KE4WTZ-7
HMR:WD4HMR-7 IRW:WB4NFG-7
MCN:K4ICT-7 MLJ:KU4OY-7
NWN:K4SEX-7 PCAL:KT4BT-8
RAL:WD4KTY-7 TEN:K4ICT-8
WKV:KD4AOZ-7 WLAG:WD4KTY-8
WRGA:WB4OLD-7
Here are some Metro Atlanta and North Georgia packet radio frequencies (1200 baud):
145.030
SNELLV
145.070
W4PME
145.510
JASPER
145.750
ATL1
145.770
(SEDAN NETWORK) CONNECT TO THE FOLLOWING NODES:
Location
Node Alias
------------ ----------
Atlanta (North) ATL
China Hill CHILL
Conyers
CGA
Douglas
DGA
Fayetteville FTV
Folkston
FGA
Forsyth
FOR
Griffin
GRIF
Hartwell
HGA
Irwinton
IRW
Lagrange
WLAG
Macon
MCN
Milledgeville MLJ
Newnan
NWN
Tennile
TEN
Thomasville TGA
Warner Robins WRGA
Watkinsville WKV
Waycross
WAYX
This page is still under
construction 
Last updated Mon 4/1/03 4:06 UTC
Please send comments and updates to
Webmaster: Tom Fuller, KE4QCM