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Today, there are many flavors of digital transmission we as hams are using. This article will describe using a TNC, the first of two of the simple ways you can use equipment you already own and become operational on 1200-baud packet.

First a bit about the mode of packet.

One of the great advantages the packet mode has is that it is a legal way to remote control a better located transceiver. This often will allow you to run low power (from an HT) and connect to or thru a better-located station running packet - and then on to where you really want to connect. The packet programs all include handshaking, that is they tell you that you have made a connection to the other end, and the program has built in error detection which means your computer will automatically resend a transmission that did not arrive error free, without you having to do it manually.

In many areas in CT this opens a lot of operational space for the packeteer. From my home at the bottom of a bowl shaped terrain (with 100 ft sides) in New Britain. Using 5 watts I can connect to a stand-alone node at 1000 ft elevation in Burlington on 145.07, a node on John Tom Mountain in Glastonbury at about 800 ft elevation, and A Winlink 2K RF server on Box Mountain in Vernon on 145.63.

Further extending your range, these mountaintop nodes are often linked 24/7 via RF with other nodes both in CT and along the Eastern seaboard. You can, once you become more familiar with the mode, find gateway nodes. These nodes - like the voice over Internet servers - allow you to connect using Internet links to RF stations throughout the world and connect via their RF transceivers to stations within their RF range. ALL this remote control is done legally as the computer programs do all the FCC required identifications, and all the management of the connection automatically!

Equipment one needs to be operational on this well-supported mode in the CT Section is as follows:

1. A computer
2. A Communications program for your Computer
3. A Terminal Node Controller (TNC) or a digital interface module designed to work

between your computer and your 2 Meter transceiver. (I'll deal with a digital

interface station if a future article)
4. A 2 Meter VHF transceiver (all ham bands can be used but the support nodes

for packet users are primarily on 2 meters in CT at the present)
5. An antenna for 2 Meters. (I use the one I use on the NTS VHF phone nets)
6. Cables
7. A printer connected to your computer is nice, but optional.

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