TAPR #97 AUTUMN 2005 President’s Corner 1 TAPR Elects New President 2 PACKET 2005 DCC Report 3 New SIG for AX.25 Layer 2 Discussions 4 20th Annual SW Ohio Digital Symposium 4 STATUS AX.25 as a Layer 2 Protocol 5 Towards a Next Generation Amateur Radio Network 6 TM REGISTER TAPR Order Form 29 President’s Corner Mi Column es Su Column This marks my inaugural from you to confirm this. We are moving to more membership experience and involvement in projects. column in PSR as TAPR widely embrace and promote cutting edge technology, We are continuing to streamline the management of President. Some of you may and while this is not really new for us, it does mean that the office, and to assist this initiative, I will draw your remember me from my past we will be contemplating a shift in focus so that packet attention to the improvements that have been made incarnation on the TAPR will not really be our main or only focus. Digital modes to the web site. The responses we have seen so far have Board of Directors. It seems and technology will still be central, but I think you’ll been overwhelmingly positive, and we welcome further like another lifetime ago, but it wasn’t so long ago that appreciate our attempts to marry digital with analog feedback. TAPR was born in Tucson. In fact, next year will mark (you remember analog, don’t you?) and microwaves, I would like to make this column YOUR column, the twenty-fifth anniversary of our incorporation. and anything else that you might consider “bleeding not mine, so please feel free to contact me at ve3gyq@ To celebrate, we are taking the Digital edge”. You’ll be seeing more references to the VNA tapr.org with your questions and ideas, and I will try to Communications Conference (DCC) and the TAPR (Vector Network Analyzer), Reflock, and TADD. You’ll address them directly and in future columns. be reading more about these projects in the next year. I Board Meeting back to Tucson. We will also be making May you have a safe and happy Holiday Season. an attempt to reconnect with our roots while presenting hope that we’ll be hearing about projects that you have 73, a roadmap for where we are going with the group. been musing over, and perhaps we can help you make Membership input will be solicited on both fronts. them a reality and bring them to fruition. Dave VE3GYQ/W8 Your board believes that we know where TAPR We believe that we need to revitalize our membership, Spencerville, Ohio should go, but of course we would like some feedback and we will be presenting some ideas to enhance your ### TAPR PSR 2 #97 AUTUMN 2005 TAPR Elects New President TAPR announces the election of David Toth, MD, set TAPR on. Projects like the VNA (Vector Network management, and Tom Holmes has been working VE3GYQ, of Spencerville, Ohio as the corporation’s Analyzer) were in the pipe, and the board was actively with them to not only manage, but also better new President, effective September 23, 2005. Dr. trying to redefine TAPR as a leader in Amateur understand, our finances. Stan Horzepa continues Toth succeeds John Ackermann, N8UR, of Dayton, Radio’s technical advancement. to turn out an excellent Packet Status Register every Ohio. “We started in Tucson and pioneered in packet quarter. Darryl Smith has been playing with Google “I’ve enjoyed serving as TAPR’s President for the radio, but we are now a global organization with Earth and amazing us with its treasure trove of last five years, and we have accomplished a lot during members around the globe, including a board features. Other board members have been busy with that time,” Ackermann said. “But five years is long member participating from Australia. We have projects and interests of their own. enough for any organization to be led by one person, broadened our horizons and are looking to refocus “However, what interests me the most is what our and I’m happy to turn the reins over to Dave Toth. our efforts on advanced communications modes. membership has been doing. The presentations Dave will bring new energy and ideas to TAPR, and I will be looking for input from the membership at the Digital Communications Conference I look forward to working with him in his new role.” as to where we should be going and how we work clearly show the creativity that exists in our ranks. Ackermann will continue as a member of TAPR’s to get there. And what gives me confidence about Where else but at the DCC would yoube able to Board of Directors. being successful in this role is the fact that we have hear presentations as diverse, yet challenging, as Other TAPR officers Steve Bible, N7HPR (Vice a committed Board of Directors. Some folks might W3NRG’s report on anomalous 10M propagation, President), Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU (Secretary), and be nervous stepping back into a role likethis, but AE5PL’s proposal of a new method of routing AX.25 Tom Holmes, N8ZM (Treasurer) were re-elected at I am bolstered by the fact that I’ll have Steve Bible packets, and K7GNU’s experimentation with passive the Board of Director’s meeting held in Santa Ana, as VP on my right, and John Ackermann as Past radar. And those are only three of a dozen thought- California, during this year’s ARRL-TAPR Digital President on my left. And most importantly, we will provoking presentations that attendees heard. Communications Conference (DCC). Bible and be continuing the Board’s work towards removing “To build on this creative energy, we will be Horzepa, as well as Darryl Smith, VK2TDS, were also dependence on any one individual to guide the looking at innovative ways to expand and involve re-elected by the membership to new three year terms organization. the membership. We want to create a fertile playing as Directors. “Steve Bible continues to guide us through cutting- field where folks can interact and exchange ideas. We Toth returned to the Board last year, after having edge projects like the Reflock II. John Ackermann believe that this will be a way to develop our future served as a Director and Executive Vice President has been turning his attention to time- and projects more quickly and more efficiently. And of in the 1980s. “John Ackermann encouraged me to frequency-related projects. John is a real time-keeping course, I encourage folks to write to me directly at rejoin the board”, Toth said. “What convinced me nut, and he’s trying to infect the rest of us. John [email protected].” to re-engage was the path that he and the board had and Laura Koster continue to streamline our office ### TAPR PSR #97 AUTUMN 2005 2005 Digital Communications Conference Report By Steven Bible, N7HPR, [email protected] The 24th Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital N8ZM, and Tom McDermott, N5EG, talked about how 2004 Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award Communications Conference was held at the Embassy vector network analyzers work and updated us on the The highlight of the awards presentations at the banquet Suites – Orange County Airport North in Santa Ana, TAPR VNA project. Jim McClellan, N5MIJ, talked about was the awarding of the 2004 Doug DeMaw, W1FB, California on September 23-25, 2005. Attendance was just what the Texas group has been doing with D-Star. Finishing Technical Excellence Award Cup to Tom McDermott, over 100 people. A great time was had by all. out the long list of talks was Software Defined Radio topics N5EG, and Karl Ireland for the QEX article “A Low-Cost Friday and Saturday was filled with talks spanning a by Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR, Matt Ettus, N2MJI, and 100 MHz Vector Network Analyzer with USB Interface” breadth of topics. Darryl Smith, VK2TDS, led off with Eric Blossom, K7GNU. presented by Fried Heyn, WA6WZO, Honorary ARRL a talk about Google Earth – Applications for Ham Demonstration Room Vice-President. Radio. Ken Chong, WB6MLC, and Bill Prats, K6ACJ, The demonstration room was filled to capacity yet again. Award Plaques were also given to Dan Cregg, KB6ENX, spoke about using PSK63 for APRS HF Pack. Ed The Texas group brought their portable D-Star repeater thanking him for being our Banquet Speaker, Tom and Sack, W3NRG, reported on the results of PropNet 10 setup and demonstrated its ability over the Internet. Karl for the TAPR/TenTec VNA project, Luis Cupido, Meter Experimentation. Mel Whitten, K0PFX, told all Matt and Eric showed off the USRP and GNU Radio. CT1DMK thanking him for the Reflock II project, and about WinDRM, an HF digital voice/data mode. John Gerald showed off the capabilities of the SDR-1000. This John Bennett N4XI, thanking him for the series of weather Ackermann, N8UR, spoke about TAPR’s many timing is only a fraction of the projects that were on display and station projects. products that are coming soon in kit form. Tom Holmes, demonstration. TAPR PSR #97 AUTUMN 2005 New SIG for 20th Annual AX.25 Layer 2 SW Ohio Digital Many thanks to the donors of the banquet prize drawings: • Sony GXB5005 GPS Evaluation Kit donated by Discussions Symposium Synergy Systems, LLC By Pete Loveall, AE5PL, [email protected] By Hank Greeb, N8XX, [email protected] • Insteon Starter Kit donated by Smarthome TAPR has implemented a new SIG for discussion The 20th Annual Southwest Ohio Digital • Two OpenTracker kits donated by Scott Miller, N1VG of AX.25 as a Link Layer (Layer 2) protocol.