• Tell me about how you see BBS regaining validity for Ham Radio?

    From Steve Weinert@1:19/33 to All on Sat Apr 3 16:38:09 2021
    Hello - Steve K9ZW here.

    I've been exploring some of the ham radio orientated BBS systems, and am very interested to hear from people who see ways that BBS
    can support ham radio in a world of high speed internet and cell coverage?

    Not wanting to seed discussions with my developing ideas I won't offer up too much more than I see some very useful features that
    mesh well with certain parts of hame radio.

    If the mods/sysops feel it okay, I will summarize peoples ideas in a future post. Otherwise in an internet way you can find me at
    http://k9zw.wordpress.com and I am good at qrz.com

    Thank you,




    73

    Steve K9ZW
    Whitelaw, Wisconsin
    blog: http://k9zw.wordpress.com
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  • From Daryl Stout@1:19/33 to Steve Weinert on Sat Apr 3 20:22:00 2021
    Steve,

    Hello - Steve K9ZW here.

    We've got to quit meeting like this...folks are going to talk (hi hi).

    I've been exploring some of the ham radio orientated BBS systems, and
    am very interested to hear from people who see ways that BBS can
    support ham radio in a world of high speed internet and cell coverage?

    I used to run a door under Synchronet, done by the late Dave Perry, W4KGU (SK), which worked with an MFJ 1270-C TNC and a rig, to allow licensed hams
    to access the area packet network, courtesy of the Sysop's TNC...plus to
    leave a message for the Sysop in the TNC mailbox, if logging on via packet. Unfortunately, I think something with Windows 10 screwed things up, as I
    could never get it to allow folks in...it always said the TNC was busy. So,
    I had to take that door offline. I still have the TNC, but no rig or cables
    to work with it. I'm not sure if MFJ still makes the cables or not.

    Years ago, when QRZ published a database CD, W4KGU also had a door where
    you could look up data...that was ended back in 2016, if I remember right.

    While Buckmaster offers a callsign CD, with monthly updates (I use the Doorway program to have it online), it only updates once a month. But, you
    can use your Hamcall password to logon on their website, to get callsign
    data for most any ham in the world. However, with some countries, the hams
    have chosen not to have their contact info published. I did set up a separate door with the Doorway program (noted below) and a utility when I ran GT Power to show an ANSI screen on other callsign database sources on the internet.

    Not wanting to seed discussions with my developing ideas I won't offer
    up too much more than I see some very useful features that mesh well
    with certain parts of hame radio.

    I added a file area with several files that are also in my D-Rats shared folder...and on the hyperlink off of my bio on QRZ. With the BBS, I'm using
    the 8.3 DOS filename syntax...and will likely continue with that once Synchronet 3.19 is released. There is a bulletin and file on my BBS with
    the history of the BBS...and a lot of older files can be found on many BBS's...that you can't find anywhere else.

    Years ago, a fellow ham radio operator in the area found a truly portable computer, but it wasn't a laptop. It had a monitor, a 3.5" and a 5.25"
    drive, a keyboard, and a mouse, but no hard drive. So, I created a 3.5"
    startup disk with Command.Com from Windows 95 and 98. Then, on a 5.25"
    floppy disk, I put the terminal only version of a dial-up BBS program,
    GT Power. So, once he powered up the system with the A: drive...he went
    to the B: drive, launched the batchfile, then with his modem, was able
    to logon to dial-up BBS's on a computer that didn't have a hard drive!!

    If the mods/sysops feel it okay, I will summarize peoples ideas in a future post. Otherwise in an internet way you can find me at http://k9zw.wordpress.com and I am good at qrz.com

    I put a hyperlink on my QRZ bio, for Excel Spreadsheets of selected
    D-Star, D-Rats, and Echolink Nets...in the 4 main US time zones...plus,
    2 dozen PDF files related to ham radio. I started the spreadsheets, as
    the net info at dstarinfo.com was (and still is) very outdated. The ONLY
    link I noted on that site, is for new D-Star Users to get registered on
    the gateway. A fellow ham termed D-Star as "Echolink On Steroids".

    Back to the doors that W4KGU did...

    1) Amateur Radio Packet Door -- as noted above, it allowed a Sysop
    who had packet privileges in their license...to allow licensed hams
    to use their TNC to access the packet network. It worked best with
    an MFJ 1270C TNC, and a related rig and cable. Unfortunately, the
    door does NOT work with the TNC's out there today...even the ones
    made by MFJ. I would love to have that door back online.

    2) QRZ Callsign Door -- as noted above, when QRZ was putting out a
    data CD, one could look up data...but now, the majority of the data
    in that door is now out of date...and they no longer produce a data
    CD...never mind the data files you could download. As noted above,
    Buckmaster produces a CD, with monthly subscription updates...but,
    there are several websites where you can get more current callsign
    data.

    3) Worked All States -- track your progress in the ARRL WAS
    competition. A special mode was available for Sysops to place
    whatever mode they wanted in there. I use "VoIP/Inet"...for those
    like myself who have to operate "internet only". While this makes
    the purists shudder, it means I'm on the air, and my ham radio
    license is NOT just "a sheet of paper".

    4) Bulletin -- set up 26 categories on various items...and it can
    be used for things besides ham radio...such as weather, the BBS,
    etc.

    5) RegScan -- search Part 97 of the FCC Rules for info. But, you
    had to create a DOS version of the file (usually saved to text
    from a PDF download). With the recent changes, I need to get an
    updated copy, and modify it for the door.

    There were 3 caveats to Dave's doors:

    A) They were freeware. Since Dave became a Silent Key years ago,
    obviously no further support is available.

    B) They had to run on a DORINFO1.DEF dropfile -- no other dropfile
    would work.

    C) They were created without a fossil driver, which is needed for
    telnet BBS access.

    The options you have with them was to create a generic DORINFO1.DEF
    dropfile with COM0 as the comport, then run the Doorway program
    (originally done by Marshall Dudley...now done by Mike Ehlert of
    pcmicro.com) for it to echo out on most telnet BBS's, such as Virtual
    Advanced (VADV32). However, the generic dropfiles only worked with
    doors 2, 4, and 5, of Dave's doors, that I noted. You had to have a
    valid dropfile for doors 1 and 3 above.

    There was a VScript done for VADV32 by the late Tim Cornett, which
    would allow you to use Doorway, and comport 0 with the DORINFO1.DEF
    file, and have a user name with it. Tim passed away awhile back from cancer...but I used his voice in "The Triple Play", where I united Ham
    and Radio in Holy Telephony. You can find that, and a bunch of other
    ham radio humor in a link off of my QRZ bio (look for Ham Radio Humor Compilation), in my D-Rats shared folder, or in the D-Rats shared folder
    area on the BBS. He was the part of "Ham"...via "third party traffic",
    as he had just passed his exam, but hadn't gotten his callsign yet. In
    real life, Tim was never an amateur radio operator...but he was a big
    help with I ran VADV32.

    However, if you ran Synchronet (preferably 3.16 or later), under
    the External Programs setup, choose "Console" mode. It would use an
    internal utility to trick the software to make it look like the door
    did have a fossil driver after all...you would set it up like the
    regular fossil driver doors, but copy the dropfile to the directory
    where the door was. This is how items 3-5 noted above are run here
    on The Thunderbolt BBS...which will celebrate its 29th birthday on
    May 1.

    Daryl Stout, WX4QZ, Sysop
    The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, Arkansas

    ... When you dial a wrong number, you NEVER get a busy signal.
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  • From Sean Dennis@1:18/200 to Steve Weinert on Sat Apr 3 22:56:44 2021
    Hi Steve,

    For me, I really don't see too many ways that a BBS (in the way we are using them; not meaning packet BBS) is really functional with today's ham radio besides being a gateway to a packet BBS or looking up callsigns (I have a very nice bash script that will work on QRZ for lookups). That's my opinion, of course, and doesn't mean I'm right. :)

    I'm also the moderator in this echo and you're more than welcome to post about your ideas here.

    73,
    Sean KS4TD
    Sysop of Outpost BBS


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  • From Daryl Stout@1:19/33 to Sean Dennis on Sun Apr 4 14:20:00 2021
    Sean,

    callsigns (I have a very nice bash script that will work on QRZ for lookups). That's my opinion, of course, and doesn't mean I'm right. :)

    I'm also the moderator in this echo and you're more than welcome to
    post about your ideas here.

    I thought the moderator was always right. <G>

    Daryl

    ... Why does the Psychic Hotline have to ask for your name??
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  • From Sean Dennis@1:18/200 to Daryl Stout on Sun Apr 4 22:08:00 2021
    Hello Daryl,

    Sunday April 04 2021 14:20, you wrote to me:

    I thought the moderator was always right. <G>

    Usually. But I'm not a dictator here ... only in Micronet. ;)

    -- Sean

    ... He who forgives ends the quarrel.
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