[FADCA] LAN and BBS in Ft. Myers/Lee County

[bud thompson]

NOTE: I've moved this thread to the FADCA e-mail reflector as (1) there are
folks there more familiar with the lay of the land in the SW part of the
state and (2) getting a LAN and BBS up and running should be of general
interest and there may be some help within the group.

Deltona
Sunday Feb 8 1750E
NOTE: Not certain- I may have sent this one earlier this AM! It's hell
getting old!

TOM: KF4UTH...  Here are some response to your note below - hope it helps.

I assume "DRSEY" is a DRSI two-port ISA TNC card with one port inoperable
and one port working 1200b packet on the UHF frequency to KF4HFR .  Is the
inoperable DRSI port a TNC or an RS-232 port?

Is the computer running MS DOS and therefore FBBDOS?

Is the link to KF4HFR in Charlotte to a ROSE or FPAC switch, or to a BPQ
node?

There is no generic problem with KPC3+ TNCs not staying in KISS mode.
However, this can be caused by an old internal battery and temporary power
failures.

'FBB' is the BBS program, not something you 'keep on the BBS'

Basics...

The assumption we start with is there are two or more packet users in the
local ham community, and that once a packet LAN is set up interest will
grow.  Users on the LAN want to be able to send and receive messages over
long distances using the network or to pass messages locally for fun or in
preparation for emergencies.  They may also want to do keyboard 'chat' with
each other locally or over longer distances with users on other LANs.  In
the case of NTS support there must be one or more local packet users who are
familiar with NTS nets and procedures and who will generally baby-sit the
LAN for NTS traffic.

A quick basic review:  A switch (FPAC in this case) simply supports
automatically passing packets from one radio port to another radio port.
FPAC does not permanently store messages for later transfer.  A BBS takes
messages in, stores them on disk, and later sends them off to where they
should go by a routing scheme based on how the messages have been addressed
by the sender.

Typically an FPAC switch has a 2M Local Area Network (LAN) that local packet
stations use to access the network and to work each other.  Antennas at
switches are generally more highly elevated than packet stations at hams
houses, so the LAN helps locals work each other much as a repeater does on
voice.  Users access the switch through the 2M LAN to get to the local
community BBS which not all packet users can reach directly, or to have
keyboard QSOs with other stations on the LAN or on the network through the
FPAC switch function (which is automatic).

Typically a local community BBS is located at the sysop's house/QTH.  That
way the sysop can keep it configured and running w/o making trips to a
remote site where the switch may be located.  Where possible, and the BBS
has been configured and is stable, BBS may be located at the switch site,
but with FPAC switches, the BBS must be in a separate computer from the FPAC
computer. This is called a co-located BBS.

All local users access the BBS and the FPAC switch from home or elsewhere.
No need to physically go to the switch or the BBS just to use the system.
Typically, all an NTS users needs to do is post the NTS message to the BBS
and all else is automatic.  When an NTS message comes in from out-of-area,
it appears on the BBS and the locals read it and deliver/relay it.

Keeping in mind I don't know the lay of the land there - here is an idea for
Ft. Myers/Lee County.  Two Major steps - you already have the gear...

1.  Use the current computer (DOS?) at the EOC to run FPAC switch software.
(This will require someone from the outside to give you some help to set
up - but it may not come from very far away).  This computer and all the
gear you have now will be at the EOC- the switch site.  Once working right,
no one need to go to the site unless something breaks.

This FPAC switch will use the existing 2M radio on the LAN for your local
users (right now on 145.03 I believe).
This FPAC switch will use the existing UHF radio either to Charlotte or
LaBell to link to the Florida Layered Packet Network
This FPAC switch will support a 220 packet port to another network link if
desired/when available. (TNCs are almost free these days.)

This will put  Lee County on the Florida Layered Packet network, and greatly
extend the overall network coverage into a highly populated area.

Even though you may not have anyone locally there who has had enough packet
experience to manage the FPAC switch that is no problem.  Once set up, the
switch can be managed/configured remotely over the network.  Right now
needed changes to the Melbourne switch are being made from W. Palm Beach.. I
expect that WB4MOZ in W. Palm might take care of the Ft. Myers switch
remotely until someone there learns how.

2.  Now you need a LAN BBS available so users can send, store, and receive
messages.  If you have someone locally who is reasonably familiar with
packet and computers he/she can learn about how to manage an FBB BBS
(Windows or DOS) or any FBB-compatible BBS software that they want to use.
Actually once configured for local operations, the BBS can be managed
remotely by someone at a distance over the radio network, or even over the
telephone or internet. (At the sysop's house there would be a phone line or
internet connection.)  I can guarantee you that after a year, the sysop will
know all needed to know and will no longer need the remote help.)

If there is no one there who wants to take on the sysop job for the BBS,
then local Lee County packet users can simply use the closest BBS on the
network! (This would likely be the BBS in W. Palm Beach).  The drawback to
this is that if the network goes down, then Lee County doesn't have a BBS
during an emergency. Likewise if the W. Palm Beach BBS goes down.)

NOTE: There may be a concern using the DRSI card and the KAM+ on the FPAC
switch.  These are details we'll have to check that out.  Do not let this
dissuade you from considering  the above as the solution is to replace those
TNCs with more generic TNCs (used MFJS, etc,) which are super cheap.
Trades
might be made- in fact, the KPC3+ could be used by the sysop of the FBB BBS
at home and the DRSI card could also be used by an FBB BBS at home.
(Slightly harder to configure, but we have folks who can do all that.)

Hope this helps.

bud N0IA




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kf4uth@juno.com>
To: <budt@cfl.rr.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 01:22
Subject: Re: [FADCA] Re: BBSs on Layered Network


> BUD,
>
> ON W4LX/-2 WE HAVE RADIOS FOR 2 METERS, 220, AND 440.
> THERE IS A DIRSEY CARD (ONLY ONE PORT STILL WORKING) ON THE 441 AND A
> KAM3+ ON THE 2 METERS. (WE WISH TO REPLACE THE KAM AS IT WILL NOT HOLD
> KISS, A COMMONLY DOCUMENTED FAULT.  A PROBLEM WITH MEMORY MANAGEMENT.)
>
> THERE IS NO 220 USE AS WE DO NOT HAVE A PORT ON THE COMPUTER AND WE HAVE
> NOT OBTAINED A TNC.
> THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANYONE WHO DESIRES TO USE 220.
>
> THE 441 IS USED FOR THE 'BACKBONE' RADIO AND FOR SYSOP USE.
> WE ARE RUNNING BPQ FOR INTERBBS TRANSFERS.
>
> FBB IS THE SYSTEM USED NOW, BUT NONE OF THE LOCAL OPS SEEM TO LIKE IT.
> IT IS NOT A MATTER OF EDUCATION, JUST FBB IS NOT SOMETHING THEY WISH KEPT
> ON THE BBS.
>
> OUR ANTENNAS ARE ON THE TOWER AT THE EOC.
>
> WE ARE CONNECTED TO KF4HFR IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY FOR MESSAGE TRANSFER.
>
> DOESN'T THIS CONSTITUTE A LAN?
> WHAT MORE IS NEEDED TO BE AN FPAC SWITCH?
> WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PHONE LINE WHICH COULD BE USED FOR TELENET.
>
> THERE IS NO LOCAL CLUB THAT WOULD SPONSOR PACKET ACTIVITIES.
>
> WE HAVE THE ONLY TOWER LOCATION WITH RELIABLE EMERGENCY POWER OF WHICH I
> AM AWARE LOCALLY.
> THERE IS NO CHANCE OF GETTING A SPOT ON THE CHANNEL 20 TOWER WHERE OUR
> NEW VOICE REPEATER IS LOCATED.  THE REPEATER CLUB HAS THE OTHER LOCAL
> SITES OCCUPIED.
>
> I HAD NEVER BEEN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS ANY PACKET ACTIVITY IN LABELLE.
> WHAT ARE THE FREQ AND THE CALLSIGN?  I HAVE BEEN USING THE FORT MYERS
> BBS/NODE FOR THE LAST FIVE+ YEARS.  AT NO TIME HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONTACT
> WITH LABELLE OF WHICH I AM AWARE.
>
> NOW THAT I HAVE FINISHED MY THREE YEARS AS CLUB PRESIDENT, I WILL HAVE
> MORE TIME TO DEVOTE TO OTHER RADIO ACTIVITIES, LIKE PACKET.
>
> I HAVE ASKED SOME OF THE LOCAL OPERATORS TO MAKE A LIST OF DESIRED
> FEATURES AND ITEMS NOT WANTED IN OUR NEW SOFTWARE.  THIS SHOULD BE
> DISCUSSED SOON.
>
> PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME ABOUT THE LABELLE INSTALLATION AS A GROUP
> OF US WOULD LIKE TO VISIT IT AND LEARN WHAT WE CAN TO HELP KEEP OUR
> BBS/NODE UP AND RUNNING.  WE ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING WHAT WE CAN ABOUT
> FBB AT THAT  TIME.  I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A TRAINED ASSISTANT/REPLACEMENT
> ON BOARD AS WE NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND WHEN.
>
> IS THAT THE SAME DIRECTOR WHO WAS GONE FOR A WHILE?  IS HE BACK?  PERHAPS
> HE COULD CALL ME AND BE OF HELP, ALSO.
>
> THIS IS A THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF THE LOCAL INSTALLATION.
>
> 73,
> TOM, KF4UTH