[FADCA] Bartow FPAC switch

[bud Thompson]

SUBJECT CHANGED:

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Hast" <wchast at gmail.com>
To: "Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association"
<fadca at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 23:29
Subject: Re: [FADCA] ORL Hamcation, or who else to call


On 12/27/05, Evans F. Mitchell KD4EFM / AFA2TH FL <kd4efm at kd4efm.org> wrote:
> Chuck, any chance you could bring the BARTOW NODE with you???
>

I can, I was going to put Linux on it and that way it will be upgraded.
I do not have a call nor a address for it (use the area code and the
local CO it is found it)

How many ports is it going to have? Also what TNC's are you planning
on putting on it? I do not recall that it has a NIC card in it, if it
did I would
put it on the 'net and let Charlie do his magic so it will be standard with
the rest. Indeed that is probably what I will do here is just get the CD on
it and let him get the info from you and get it ready. I am so busy with
the new job that I may not get it as well as he will. (besides he indicated
he is having fun at it too)

Give us that data and we should have you a box cooked. We will need
TNC's so that it can talk to them.

--
Chuck Hast

* * *

from bud N0IA:

Please include plans for a 9.6kb uhf backbone to Clermont KA0SUN-8/9
(352394). The last time I made a configuration for KA0SUN-8/9 the port
address for the backbone at Clermont to Tampa was 352396.  If there is an
active switch at Bartow that Clermont port could be use for either Bartow or
Tampa, which ever link is the best. (Antenna space at Clermont was at a
premium the last time I climbed up through the Belfry!)

KPC-3 information -
You do not have to upgrade EPROM version or memory for using KPC-3 or
KPC9612, KAM, etc on FPAC.

They just have to have INTF XKISS, XKChsum ON and CD soft  - almost any of
the ancient Kantroniics firmware units have all that.

A word of caution about KPC-3 and FPAC.  KPC-3 is not a TNC2 clone and you
cannot replace the EPROM with 6pac or BPQKISS, etc.  You may be able to use
the KPC-3 in INTFACE XKISS mode - but don't get too excited about that
until we break the code for doing it here with KPC9612s.  We should know by
sometime this weekend if not before.

Our E. Central Florida LINUX guru, Jack, KB9LEB may be back on the project
this weekend, but it would be a great idea for you to get a KPC-3 to Chuck
KP4DJT so he can start working at breaking the code!

Once we break the code a KPC-9612 and one additional 9.6kb TNC ($210 for
a PK-96 new) would provide Bartow with a 1200b user LAN, a backbone to TPA
and a backbone to Clermont.  Of course 9.6kb radios are required for the
backbones.

A brand new KPC9612 is $390.  Two PK-96s are $410 - (they run either 1200b
or 9.6kb but not at the same time.)  So a three-port switch with a KPC9612
and a PK-96 is about the same cost as three PK-96s.

The PK96s work FPAC in KISS 0$B mode w/o exchange of EPROMs.

Please plan on not using a single frequency for users and backbones as that
is a step backwards and won't work to Clermont or to Tampa as we have
planned for UHF 9.6kb links between sites.  Given sufficient antenna height
Bartow could be every bit as important a HUB as Orlando and a WAN for
everything will just mess things up. You'll need an omni antenna for the 2M
LAN, and UHF beams toward any neighbor switches, (i.e. Tampa, Clermont,
and -south?)  If the 2M LAN antenna is not yet in place, you might consider
a dual band VHF/UHF for future expansion.

Hope you can work in an internet connection at the site - that really
simplifies program maintenance.

EVAN (and others take note)

If local financial support is a problem we'll find a way to get you some
help - but likely not until after feed lines and antennas are in place.

Here in E. Central Florida we found one benevolent organization that has
financed all gear for a small city's EOC and we are working on another
group to support adding 9.6kb backbone gear to two existing switches.  If we
are successful in this last endeavor, I'll see if we can get this last group
to have its sister/brother chapters elsewhere help out their local hams.
Don't hold your breath, but it has worked once!

73,

bud N0IA
386 574 4124
386 956 0386 Sprint Cell