Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!princeton!idacrd!mac From: mac@idacrd.UUCP (Bob McGwier) Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio.packet,comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: John Gilmore switches feet! Message-ID: <270@idacrd.UUCP> Date: Mon, 24-Aug-87 13:32:14 EDT Article-I.D.: idacrd.270 Posted: Mon Aug 24 13:32:14 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Aug-87 04:22:58 EDT References: <1301@faline.bellcore.com> Organization: idacrd, princeton, nj Lines: 112 Xref: mnetor rec.ham-radio.packet:466 comp.dcom.modems:862 > > There is absolutely nothing illegal about running 56kbps amateur packet > radio in the United States. At least I *hope* not, I have two beta-test > units designed by WA4DSY in the final stages of construction here, and a > number of other units are already on the air in the Atlanta area. > > I suppose a Canadian can be excused for not being familiar with American > rules, but a licensed American ham who expresses strong interest in the > development of digital radio is another story... > > Phil Let me add a couple of thoughts to what Phil started here. I also have two of the DSY 56KB modems and four 9600 bps modem kits (K9NG's) and will not have to ask anyones permission to put them on the air. As far as what hams are doing, Gilmore has gotten it all wrong in my opinion (stick to computer software John when you want to flame). (1) The ENTIRE amateur radio "network" with very few exceptions is built from equipment that is owned by one individual or a few individuals who have donated the services of THEIR equipment to meeting the needs of others. It is a kludge but their are anecdotal instances of it working very well. I personally send mail to Canada (VE3GYQ) about twice a week and the delivery time has never been more than six hours (New Jersey to VE3) and this is over links that are all 1200 or 300 bits per second. I send mail to California to W0RLI about once a week and it goes 1200 bps to Maryland and then through a 56 Kbps satellite link to California (Frisco) and delivered there. It is a kludge but it does meet some mail needs. (2) Work is going on to build much better networks. It is heartening to see that Gilmore knows about the work of Phil Karn to produce code for interworking because the only reward Phil is getting for this is the knowledge that people of Gilmore's stature know of and appreciate his work. The TCP-IP-UDP implementation that KA9Q has written is currently running away with what has come to be known affectionately as the protocol wars (as it should) BUT there are other folks working on other stuff (OSI software and "home grown" stuff). We are not standing still while dust collects on our shoulders. Phils later submission concerning the conservative nature of hams is unfair in my opinion in that it singles out hams for this "flame". When was the last time you installed new software that caused some member of your computer community to have to learn as much as a single new command? (3) AMSAT/TAPR are funding a digital signal processing project which I co-chair with Tom Clark W3IWI whose purpose is to bring the tools of DSP to bear on amateur signalling problems. We are working on all the tools necessary to bring a mini ISDN into being. Software that currently works on the devices we are working on (TMS320 family) provides ADPCM and LPC encoding of voice at 9600 bps rates and W5SXD is working on some TMS340 video compression schemes. I will unveil my software modem at ARRL L.A. Networking Conference (yes we run a conference every year for the purpose of people-networking of those working on a broad spectrum of topics in computer networking). Tom put together an implementation of a PSK modem for use in satellite digital communications and that is being provided in kit form from TAPR for $100. (4) As for inter and intra continental digital signalling: AMSAT and JAMSAT have together in orbit, working now, two satellites that afford digital communications in some form or another. FO-12, Japan's first amateur radio satellite, has functioning digital repeater software and it also has a a store and forward mailbox on board. The University of Surrey has Oscar-11, which has a digital store and forward capability. Both of these are experimental and do not provide the necessary facilities for major internetworking. HOWEVER, with the development of the PSK modems, and the launch of AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL, and others Phase-IIIC, we WILL be able to move megabits of data on a routine basis. Also on board is a dedicated packet experiment that is a simple repeater but can do some store and forward. Phase-IIIC is currently scheduled for launch in March 1988 and we are gearing up now for our big pre-launch publicity push. (5) TAPR is funding a hardware project to try and produce a generic networking box and the interest is very high in producing a follow on to this initial effort in which we have a larger set of development tools available to us so that progress will go faster. (6) The American Radio Relay League's ad hoc digital committee is pursuing and underwriting experiments in signalling working on HF, VHF, UHF, and microwave to find "optimal" solutions for each of these environments. (7) AMSAT is currently funding a reseach project to design a Phase-IV satellite which has come to mean geosynchronous. The digital (nonlinear hard limited high efficiency etc.) transponder on this is now proposed to be T1 for providing large capacity (as far as ham-radio is concerned) pipes for networking. Tony England, head astronaut on the space station project, is also on the engineering team (Phil K., Tom Clark, Bdale Garbee, and myself are readers of this service on the team) for Phase IV. He wants to use the digital transponder for compressed video in a TDRS style operation as an educational tool. Look I could go on until this gets really boring (it already is? Sorry :-). The point is that no one should say that we aren't trying to do better. Don't give up on us yet. If you are interested in participating in some of the projects or want to be put in touch with those who can put you on the project please feel free to call me at home (609)-443-8963 after 8 PM Eastern and before 10 PM Eastern I don't mind putting people to work :-) Bob N4HY