[FADCA] Re: Internet/FBB/LINUX/FPAC
Rick Muething
[email protected]
Fri, 1 Mar 2002 10:14:43 -0500
Dale, Bud
Thanks for your input.
There is currently only a few WL2K stations running VHF/UHF packet although
the hardware and WL2K software easily accommodate this. One thing I am
working on is what we call SMS (for short message system). This will be an
alternate WL2K node (other than existing PMBOs) that is very simple (no
local database and only one software module) that could provide an alternate
link (primarily VHF/UHF packet but possibly HF) to the CMBO from any station
running the SMS node software. The node software would require a connection
to the internet (dial up or full time) and of course a radio connection
(user, backbone or both). The bandwidth is not a concern at the CMBO. e.g.
I connect to the CMBO every 15 minutes and am processing about 500K bytes of
messages a day. Most of my connections to the CMBO run 2-10 seconds. The
CMOB has a 1.5Mbit T1 connection and could handle many times the current 34
WL2K PMBOs. The type of messages (mostly text) that would be passed during
an emergency take practically 0 time on the IP connection. The SMS node
currently talks to the CMBO "on demand" so there is minimal latency. For
example you could set up AirMail to make a packet connection to a node say
every 5 or 10 minutes (or on demand if QTC was pending from the AirMail
station) and the load to the CMBO would be pretty insignificant (assuming
there are not hundreds of these connections simultaneously).
We are still defining and working on this SMS node but all the components
are there and we are doing some initial testing with very simple (palm OS
type terminals). The SMS is currently compatible with the AirMail keyboard
module but we would probably want to add compatibility with standard FBB
(AirMail BBS<>BBS) and WL2K B2 protocols in a final implementation.
I think as you and Bud discussed it looks like a good alternative to the
"last mile" issue and could allow us to make best use of the internet and
the available VHF/UHF networks while maintaining redundancy within the
network. I would be happy to work with you on this. Let me know if you have
other questions or suggestions.
Rick KN6KB
Winlink Development Team
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of Dale Coleman
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 7:52 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [FADCA] Re: Internet/FBB/LINUX/FPAC
At 08:02 PM 2/26/02, you wrote:
>Deltona, FL
>Tuesday Feb 26 1800EST
>
>I've waited for a while to respond ....
>
>A system already exists...
Hi all, you just woke me up!
--------cut----------
>There is presently a WinDoz-based system in place to accomplish this -.
>
>It is Winlink 2000 (WL2K) http://winlink.org/ which is a radio-to-internet
>e-mail scheme between hams and third parties. The local ham user employs
>an e-mail client terminal program Airmail
>http://www.airmail2000.com/down.htm.
>
>Airmail runs HF ARQ modes with many data controllers, and packet with some.
>It also has telnet capability. After routing configuration, Airmail looks
>much like any e-mail program - including address book, speller, and
>click-and-send capability. Messages in e-mail form go out the radio or
>telnet ports as set up in the routing/address book. Such "e-mail" may be
>addressed to a BBS or Internet e-mail target.
>
>Airmail will run on a laptop in tactical opns with radio ports, and can run
>at the EOC/incident command with radio and telnet ports - the connection
> between the Last Mile and the Internet/World.
>
>Here in Central Florida I'm (slowly) developing the application of this
>system to support the Last Mile for tactical ops as well as the magic
>connection to the Internet. While Airmail would support BBS-to-BBS
>forwarding via the Telnet port, it is far more appropriate to make
virtually
>all tactical-to-EOC-to-anywhere messages as pseudo e-mail so that once the
>"connection" is made - internet e-mail addressing protocols/routing take
>over. They are far
>more efficient than BBS protocols once on wires.
>
>It may be several months before I have time to provide a
>proof-of-principle -
>and I still need to convince the AirMail author to make some (minor?)
>changes
>to provide the emergency support we need at the tactical level...
The newest version of Airmail already has a lot of features that I would
think would be very useful and it may well have all the tools needed right
now without any additional work being required. It is by far the slickest
piece of messaging ham radio software I have run across. There is even a
server version of the software that I have not had a chance to review yet.
The Airmail -> WL2K system has a lot to offer and the best part is almost
all the work has already been done. I feel the idea of using radio for the
last mile and then Internet email is by far the best way to go. With all
the cell phones now that have text message capacity it should be very easy
for a ham in a remote cut off area to be able to send a digital radio
message to one of the WL2K stations and then have it forwarded on the
person on the other end with the cell phone or the EOC.
One of the weak areas of the WL2K system may be the low number of short
range VHF stations available. What could be done? What about starting a
parallel WL2K network with another CMBO set up for backup comms instead of
for long range sailors?
Once this was done lots of VHF only stations could be added without
overloading the CMBO because they could all be part time (on call) instead
of full time. Or they could have two modes or operation - routine and
emergency, the routine might access the CMBO every 6 hours or so and the
emergency could every 5 minutes or so. I would be happy to go into lots
more detail if there is any interest.
>A tip of the Penguin's Red Hat to you for your LINIX investigations... but
>WinDoz will do the job - and
>there are a lot more folks out there doing it with WinDoz and by e-mail
than
>using LINUX and BBS protocol.
As a long time user and experimenter of Linux - started with Slackware and
kernel 1.2.13 around late 95 I must say one of the big advantages Linux has
is it is a much better and more reliable server then anything that
MicroShaft ever made. Perhaps some of the Linux gurus out there would be
interested in writing a Linux version of a WL2K like CMBO and or WL2K PMBO.
If this was ever done we would be in great shape as perhaps more then one
parallel network could be set up. I do not see much advantage that Linux
could offer the portable station but a Linux CMBO server might make sense.
It would take a lot of work so it might make more sense to try and use what
has already be developed for Windows. I do not know if the people that
wrote the WL2K PMBO and CMBO software would be willing to help set up a
parallel network but it might be worth asking.
Thanks, Dale kf4sir
>Just thought you would want to know.
>
>73,
>bud N0IA
>
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Dale Coleman
[email protected]
http://home.earthlink.net/~kf4sir
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