LIVINGSTON COUNTY
AMATEUR RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE CORPS

(Revised 2/8/2000) (Revised 6/9/03)
Tim Conroy, Digital Operations AEC

KaWin
A Packet Terminal Program for Windows

Instructions for Using KaWin

These instructions assume that the user is familiar with Windows 95, especially the use of a mouse, opening and closing programs, cutting and pasting, and re-sizing windows. If you are unfamiliar with Windows please see the net control officer for assistance.

Please note: do NOT turn off the TNC's, TNC radios, or power supplies.
Radios used for voice communications should be returned to their SkyWarn frequencies and turned off.
Please, please Exit WinAprs before shutting down console C !!!

All digital software will be automatically loaded when the computers are turned on.

Computer Console C:

• KaWin will only operate on computer console C, that is, the computer console closest to the doors.

Unless you are directed to use lower power due to interference with FM voice etc. please use the high power setting on the VHF transceiver because the TNC's of other packet stations will hear our packets and not transmit when we are. The result is less packet collisions and shorter connect duration.

Messages Overview:
Before you send a message please know the call sign of the station the message is to be sent to, e.g. WC8EOC, the subject of the message e.g. Flash Report (Test Message) X or Test Message X, and have the text of the message prepared on Notepad including the last 3 separate lines of /EX , B , and a Carriage Return (press Enter) each on a separate line. If you are sending a Flash Report please see "Instructions for Preparing a Flash Report" for packet transmission. Messages: All Test Messages must have the words "Test Message X" as part of the subject and be the first three works of the text.

With the exception of The National Weather Service (NWS) follow the same basic procedure for any packet message:

• Step 1 -- Connect, then wait for a prompt.
• Step 2 -- Type S XXXX (where XXXX is a call sign), press the Enter key. Wait for the prompt.
• Step 3 -- Type in a subject, press the Enter key, wait for the prompt.
• Step 4 -- Paste or Type in the text, press the Enter key.
• Step 5 -- Press the Enter key, type /EX then press the Enter key and wait for the prompt.
• Step 6 – Disconnect by typing B, press the Enter key.

Please Note: for ARES/RACES it is important to keep connects as short as possible as other stations may be waiting to connect.

HF Operation:
To receive HF, turn on the HF rig, select any of the HF digital channels by pressing the MEM button and pressing the up or down button located on the upper right on the Icom HF rig until the desired channel appears. The TNC receive function is independent of volume control, i.e. you may leave the volume turned all the way down or quite low and it will still receive HF digital. As of this writing there are 2 HF pactor frequencies that LCARPSC uses: memory channel 8 (2-W8IHX 40 MEMO 8) and channel 9 (2-K8QMN 80 MEMO 9) see step 2 below. PLEASE, PLEASE press the tune button on the HF rig before transmitting, i.e. clicking OK in step 2 below.

With the exception of The National Weather Service (NWS) and the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) the follow specific procedure for any digital message:

• Step 1 -- prepare the message you are going to send on Notepad so you can paste it when you are ready to transmit. At the end of your message on notepad, on a separate line type /EX (not \EX) and on the next line type a B and press Enter. On the menu bar for Notepad (Notepad may not be full screened, it may look like a window on top of the KaWin window, be sure to use the Notepad menu bar!) click Edit, click Select all on the drop down menu. Then, still on the Notepad menu bar, click Edit, then click Copy on the drop down menu. You load Notepad by clicking Start in the lower left corner of the screen, go to Programs, then to Accessories and click on Notepad. Step 1 is the same for all digital messages.
• Step 2 – connect to your station by clicking Connect on the top menu bar, then click Connect from the drop down menu, then type in your station's call, i.e. WB8HRO-1, make sure vhf1 on port 1 of tnc1 on com1 is highlighted (STOP: if you're on the correct HF frequency, please, please press the tune button on the HF rig before clicking OK.) For pactor, select 2-W8IHX 40 MEMO 8 or 2-K8QMN 80 MEMO 9 and be sure to click Pactor Circle before clicking OK.
• Step 3 - You will see a dark blue box with gold letters saying "n *WB8HRO-1"(where n is some number). Your KaWin screen will be divided into 2 white windows with blue letters. The larger window contains only information sent to you by the station you are connected to. The bottom window will show what you are typing or pasting to send to the other station.
• Step 4 – when you try to connect you may get a "busy" message and be automatically disconnected. If you get a busy message and you’re in a hurry click 3 vhf1 mon and look for who WB8HRO is connected to. You will see something like WB8HRO>some call* or some call>WB8HRO* When you see WB8HRO disconnect from "some call" immediately repeat Step 2 above.
• Step 5 – It may take anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or more to connect, but eventually you connect, and in the top window you will see similar to this:

• Step 6– in the bottom window type, S WB8HRO then press the Enter Key. You will notice everything you send will appear in the top Screen with << around it>>.
• Step 7 – when you see the prompt,

• Step 8 – when you see the prompt:

• Step 9 – you will see the prompt and have successfully passed your message.

• Step 10 - if after several minutes you do not see the above prompt, press the Enter and type /EX and press the Enter key. Note: type /EX not \EX. Then type a B and press Enter. If you do not see the above prompt in a minute right mouse click n* WB8HRO (where n is some number) click Disconnect Context for WB8HRO on the drop down menu and start again with Step 2.

Messages to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and Flash Reports.

• Step 1 -- prepare the message you are going to send on Notepad so you can paste it when you are ready to transmit. At the end of your message on notepad on a separate line type /EX (not \EX) and on the next line type a B and press Enter. On the menu bar for Notepad (Notepad may not be full screened, it may look like a window on top of the KaWin window, be sure to use the Notepad menu bar!) click Edit, then click Select all on the drop down menu. Then, still on the Notepad menu bar click Edit, click Copy on the drop down menu. You load Notepad by clicking Start in the lower left corner of the screen, go to Programs, then to Accessories and Click on Notepad.
• Step 2 – connect to the State EOC by clicking Connect on the top menu bar, then click Connect from the drop down menu, then click 1-SEOC WC8EOC Lansing, and click OK. If power on the packet transmitter had to be reduced due to interference with FM voice operations, etc. choose 1-SEOC WC8EOC VIA WPXD Dexter Digi from the Connect menu, and click OK. If you are in the field choose 1-SEOC WC8EOC VIA N8EOC-7 from the Connect menu, and click OK.
• Step 3 - You will see a dark blue box with gold letters saying n* WC8EOC (where n is some number). Your KaWin screen will be divided into 2 white windows with blue letters. The larger window contains only information sent to you by the station you are connected to. The bottom window will show what you are typing or pasting to send to the other station.
• Step 4 – when you try to connect you may get a "busy" message and be automatically disconnected. If you get a busy message and you’re in a hurry click 3 vhf1 mon and look for who WC8EOC is connected to. You will see something like WC8EOC>some call* or some call>WC8EOC* When you see WC8EOC disconnect from "some call" immediately repeat Step 2 above.
• Step 5 – It may take anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or more to connect, but eventually you connect, and in the top window you will see the following line:

###LINK MADE

[MSYS-1.20beta4-BFMHI$]

>

• Step 6– in the bottom window type, S WC8EOC and then press the Enter Key. You will notice everything you send will appear in the top Screen with << around it>>.
• Step 7 – when you see the prompt:

• Step 8 – when you see the prompt:

• Step 9 – you will see the prompt, and have successfully passed your message.

MSG nnnn saved

Message has been held and made invisible until reviewed by SYSOP

>

###DISCONNECTED BY WC8EOC AT NODE N8EOC-7

*** DISCONNECTED
 

• Step 10 - if after several minutes you do not see the above prompt, press the Enter and type /EX and press the Enter key. Note: type /EX not \EX. Then type a B and press Enter. If you do not see the above prompt in a minute right mouse click n* WC8EOC (where n is some number) click Disconnect Context for WC8EOC on the drop down menu and start again with Step 2.
• Step 11 -- if for some reason the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), in Lansing, WC8EOC is off the air, try the alternate SEOC which will be the Northville EOC. Therefore in Step 2, instead of clicking 1-SEOC WC8EOC Lansing in the connect box click 2-Alt SEOC N8FZT-1 Northville, the other steps will be the same except the prompts may be different but will be self explanatory and follow the steps.
• Step 12 – if step 10 doesn’t work click the box that reads, n vhf1 mon (where n is some number) and watch for a beacon that tells where to send SEOC packet traffic, then click on that call sign, click on Connect on the drop down menu, and then click OK in the connect dialogue box.
• Step 13 – if you are still unable to locate the SEOC station you may wish to try 3.663 MHz. Send CQ SEOC three times followed by de N8EOC N8EOC K then listen, if you get an answer send Packet SEOC = CALL SIGN ES FREQ?? If they are sending too fast don’t be shy about asking the answering station to PSE QRS QRS (send more slowly) or PSE QRS nn WPM QRS nn WPM.

The procedures and instructions that follow should only be use if the K1DE software will not function on console B.  If you wish to use any of the K1DE software on console C
FIRST EXIT KAWIN

• Step 1 -- prepare the message you are going to send on Notepad so you can paste it when you are ready to transmit. On the menu bar for Notepad (Notepad may not be full screened, it may look like a window on top of the KaWin window, be sure to use the Notepad menu bar!) click Edit, then click Select all on the drop down menu. Then, still on the Notepad menu bar click Edit, click Copy on the drop down menu. You load Notepad by clicking Start in the lower left corner of the screen, go to Programs, then to Accessories and click on Notepad.
• Step 2 – connect to the NWS by clicking Connect on the top menu bar, then click Connect from the drop down menu, then click 3-NWS White Lake K8DTX-5, and click OK. You will see a dark blue box with gold letters saying 2* K8DTX-5.Your KaWin screen will be divided into 2 white windows with blue letters. The larger window contains only information sent to you by the station you are connected to. The bottom window will show what you are typing to send to the other station.
• Step 3 – when you try to connect you may get a "busy" message and be automatically disconnected. If you get a busy message and you’re in a hurry click 3 vhf1 mon and look for who K8DTX-5 is connected to. You will see something like K8DTX-5>some call* or some call>K8DTX-5* When you see K8DTX-5 disconnect from "some call" and immediately repeat Step 1 above.
• Step 4 – when you connect in the middle window you will eventually see the following line:

• Step 5 – Paste your previously prepared message from Notepad by clicking Edit on KaWin menu bar and click Paste on the drop down menu. It may take a minute or two for the text to be sent.
• Step 6 -- now do a "dirty disconnect" by right mouse clicking the dark blue box with gold letters which reads X* K8DTX-5 (where n is some number) and click Disconnect from the drop down menu.

The meteorologist at NWS in White Lake will immediately see your message printed out on their printer.
 

Interrogating Personal Bulletin Board System (PBBS):
The TNC has a mail light that will flash when there is new mail. If the mail light is lighted but not flashing mail is coming in, wait for it to start flashing. Note the mail light will only flash for messages addressed to N8EOC.

• Step 1 -- Click Connect on the top menu bar, click Connect on the drop down menu, click `PBBS N8EOC-1.
• Step 2 – type L and press the Enter key. A numbered list of messages will be displayed (if there are any).
• Step 3 – to read the messages type R n (where n is the message number) and press the Enter key.
• Step 4 – when you are finished with the PBBS type b and press the Enter key.

Stations connecting to N8EOC will be automatically connected to N8EOC-1, our Personal Bulletin Board System (PBBS). If you strongly believe you should, or someone in authority directs you, to allow direct connection to N8EOC you may Click 2 tnc 1 cmd box just above the top window, then click in the bottom window and type CMSG /ON and press the Enter Key.

Keyboarding:
You may connect to any station on frequency, and assuming there is an operator present you may communicate "keyboard to keyboard." Please do not use the Keyboard call of wc8eoc-6, use BBS WC8EOC callsign and Leave message. If you strongly believe you should, or someone in authority instructs you to, establish a keyboard to keyboard connection with the SEOC you may do so with the following steps (please be brief and know what you are going to say before you connect):

• Connect by clicking Connect, click Connect on the drop down menu, type WC8EOC-6, click OK, click the bottom window on your screen and type or paste your previously copied information. When you finish keyboarding do a "dirty disconnect" by right mouse clicking the dark blue box with gold letters which reads 2* WC8EOC-6 and click Disconnect from the drop down menu.

Basic Packet - Digis, Nodes, Frequencies & SSID Conventions:

• Digipeating is a process where an originating station may use the TNC and transmitter of one or more stations to digitally repeat the originating station's packets in order to connect to a station out of the originating station's range. For Example: N8EOC (on low power and on a low antenna) in Howell wishes to connect to W8BC in Bay City. N8EOC knows that he can easily reach N8SKE in Pinckney, who can easily reach WG8W in Montrose, who can easily reach W8BC. So N8EOC clicks Connect, clicks Connect on the drop down menu and types: W8BC V N8SKE, WG8W and click OK. The format is [Call of the desired connect] [V or VIA] [First digi] [,] [Second digi] [,] [Third digi] [,] [and so on]. Digi calls are usually the call sign of the station without a SSID (Secondary Station IDentification, call-n where N is a number between 1 and 15). It is unnecessary to use the "alias" SSID. The bad news is, digipeating is slow. Each TNC at each "hop" must receive each packet, transmit acknowledgment (ack) back, wait to be sure it doesn't get a correction packet, re-address the packet, send the packet to the next hop, and go through the same process at each hop until it reaches its destination. Then the same process must be repeated when returning information. Sometime digi-ing is the only path but there is a better way.
• The use of nodes has some important advantages over digis. Nodes are much faster (they don't use the same slow process as digis) and can provide the user with a list of stations or nodes that the node has heard. With KaWin all the packet operator needs to do is click on a call sign and choose who is CALL from the drop down menu (assuming there is a QRZ disk in the CD drive) and the station location will be displayed. This way the operator can find a node path to a station he wishes to connect to. Most nodes are KaNode (Kantronic TNC's) and are very easy to use. Connect to the node and the operator will see a logon message & a menu as follows: ENTER COMMAND: B,C,J,N, or Help ? The four commands are as follows: B = Bye (clean disconnect), C = Call (for example, C WB8HRO), J = Just heard list is displayed, N = Node list is displayed, Help = Help, and ? = Help. On some KaNodes an X will be displayed after the N, the X = X-band call (for example X VE3AMA-7 which on WB8HRO-7 would call Burt's TCP/IP node in Nova Scotia on HF). If you log on to a node and get no prompt after a minute, you may be on a promptless node or if you are on a node or BBS and the prompts are unfamiliar to you, type ? .
• Local frequencies and SSID conventions are as follows:

Home