Bulletins from the Pacific Packet Radio Society - page 064

73, Den

FILE QST.82.05.05.0.W6RAW

May 5, 1982

To all packet users:

This is a report of the May 4th Pacific Packet Radio Society meeting. Topics discussed included:

1. The VADCG 1200 baud modem board. Bob Reiling and Stu Neblett showed their assembled units. Bob's is completed but not tested, and Stu's is nearly complete. The bare board is available for $12. Bob estimated the additional parts cost at around $35.

2. The TAPR TNC project. Hank Magnuski relayed a request for people to help in the beta testing of the 6502 based TAPR board. The software is being developed in Forth. Several members of PPRS offered their help.

3. Protocol addressing. The days of a one-byte bard coded packet addressing scheme appear to be numbered. The question is what should replace it. Hank discussed several possibilities which have been detailed in previous "QST" messages.

4. Free modems. Dave Allen obtained a number of 202 compatible modem modules which were cosmetic rejects and given to him with the agreement they would not be resold. These compact, power efficient units measuring about 3 X 2 X 1 1/2 inches were all checked out and appear to function perfectly. Although everyone at the meeting got one of these, Dave regrets there are no more left.

5. The guest speaker was Roy Neal from NBC. He revealed for the first time publicly that a VDACG packet repeater was smuggled into the last space shuttle. None of us who were involved in the space/packet project will forget the excitement of working packet stations through the shuttle.

6. Packet radio illegal in U.S. Toward the end of the PPRS meeting, Larry Johnson of the F.C.C. arrived. We discussed the proposed ruling forbidding HDLC packet protocol since the F.C.C. has no way of monitoring it. The commission seems to have its mind made up on this.

7. Next meeting June 1. The group agreed to meet again Tuesday, June 1, at the Ampex cafeteria in Redwood City. Who won't want to find out if there is anything that can be done to save packet radio? (There is no

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