[FARC] Pactor

[Kirk Talbott]

Made two Pactor contacts tonite; W6IDS Richmond Indiana, and VE1XL Hillsborough, New Brunswick, Canada.   20 meter band, 14.108.85 USB, is a Pactor group hangout that meets there every evening.  

Is it Pactor I, II, or III?  No clue.  All I know is it is ARQ Pactor, my Timewave PK-232 TNC manual didn't specify which version of Pactor I was using.  

I used a Packet terminal emulator program called IPSERIAL for Pactor which comes with Outpost.  Pactor software may be a little easier to use, but if you like basic computer command-line mode like I do, then IPSERIAL is for you.   Does anyone know of a Pactor software package?  

Pactor is hard on the rig.  Both of these stations recommended to me to use 50 watts or less.  I used 45 watts not knowing.   In a connected Pactor session the rig is in constant transmit, 100% duty cycle I guess.  

One good thing Pactor is practically error free.  When the band faded out I had a couple character errors but nothing that impeded the copy.   Most of the time print was 100 percent.  

Can also leave mail messages on the connected station's Pactor TNC mailbox but I didn't get a chance to do this.   E-mails without paying for an Internet service, now there is a novel concept.  

Can anyone tell me what NAVTEX is?  An no it isn't the Texas Navy Bob.

73
KB3ONM
Kirk