HF Packet

[N1ZZZ]

Does anyone use HF packet anymore?  I know that there is some activity on 20 mtrs and I know of the APRS activity on 30 meters, but have never been able to decode much.  Are the signals I hear keyboard qso's or just BBS?  Seems to me that HF packet is a waste of time and bandwidth with modes like PacTor out there.  Any thoughts?

73

Jeremy N1ZZZ

[KG4RUL]

Looking at it that way, isn't a fixed APRS station, that periodically broadcasts it's coordinates, a huge waste of bandwidth?  It isn't going anywhere unless there is a huge earthquake.  Position reporting makes sense for things that move around and not much sense for things that don't.

Dennis - KG4RUL

[N4ZOU]

Almost all the HF packet stations are using FBB compression software. You will need the software to decode it. Most of the stations you hear are DX where internet to amateur forwarding is not allowded. Packet in this country (USA) is mostly dead. Packet is a good mode except where some BBS stations forward to each other. If you and a friend connect to each other on a clear frequency the data exchange can be faster than between PACtor stations. It would be nice to set aside a frequency for HF packet keyboard contacts much like PSK-31. Packet only TNC's can be had for less than the cost of a store bought psk-31 interface even on ebay.

[AA6GF]

I haven't heard much HF packet operation, but I for one would like to see more. I'm currently with a decent TX, but as soon as I get my new one built (in the next month or so) I'm going to be out looking for other HF packet stations.

I'd also like to do some experiments with GMSK, and see what kind of data rates I can get without exceeding FCC bandwidth requirements. The CMX589A GMSK modem chip looks like a pretty interesting experiment just waiting to happen....

Dan
AA6GF
dan@wolf.com

[N4SQV]

Hi

In responce to HF Packet I think it has been over run
by rtty. I am putting back together my BBS (3)vhf ports and (1) hf port. I do enjoyed live keyboard QSO's. Right now it is on 28.103. So listen for the
beacon and send me a email.
                           73s PAT/N4SQV
 

[N5PVL]

If you are interested in using HF Packet as a keyboard mode, look around 14.105 MHz. Try the low end of 40 meters, too. Evenings and mornings work best.

The best setup for keyboard Packet connects in MixW, as the waterfall display makes tuning particularly easy. It takes out all the guesswork and gives you better performance.

You can use MixW to help tune a regular TNC too:

http://www.uspacket.org/hfpkt.htm

As a keyboard mode, Packet was never wildly popular but some amateurs still enjoy it quite a bit. It is all a matter of personal taste, I suppose. - My favorite keyboard mode is PSK31, but that's just me. I won't diss somebody who prefers RTTY, Packet, MFSK, or whatever. The idea is to have fun.

To me, wide modes like Q15x25 or PACTOR III are questionable for keyboard use, but only because they are so wide. Packet is preferable over either of these, for that one very good reason.

Most HF Packet activity today is network related, conducted within narrow slices of spectrum set aside for that purpose. For this purpose, nothing has been developed which works better than Packet, which goes far in explaining why Packet is still in use.

It is fashionable to downgrade HF Packet, but note that despite this common wisdom, no better-performing alternative has ever been developed or put forward for use by HF networkers.


Charles Brabham,  N5PVL

Director: USPacket http://www.uspacket.org
Admin: HamBlog.Com http://www.hamblog.com
---------- HamPoll.Com http://www.hampoll.com
---------- DigiBlog http://www.uspacket.org/digiblog/  

[N5PVL]

If you are interested in using HF Packet as a keyboard mode, look around 14.105 MHz. Try the low end of 40 meters, too. Evenings and mornings work best.

The best setup for keyboard Packet connects in MixW, as the waterfall display makes tuning particularly easy. It takes out all the guesswork and gives you better performance.

You can use MixW to help tune a regular TNC too:

http://www.uspacket.org/hfpkt.htm

As a keyboard mode, Packet was never wildly popular but some amateurs still enjoy it quite a bit. It is all a matter of personal taste, I suppose. - My favorite keyboard mode is PSK31, but that's just me. I won't diss somebody who prefers RTTY, Packet, MFSK, or whatever. The idea is to have fun.

To me, wide modes like Q15x25 or PACTOR III are questionable for keyboard use, but only because they are so wide. Packet is preferable over either of these, for that one very good reason.

Most HF Packet activity today is network related, conducted within narrow slices of spectrum set aside for that purpose. For this purpose, nothing has been developed which works better than Packet, which goes far in explaining why Packet is still in use.

It is fashionable to downgrade HF Packet, but note that despite this common wisdom, no better-performing alternative has ever been developed or put forward for use by HF networkers.


Charles Brabham,  N5PVL

Director: USPacket http://www.uspacket.org
Admin: HamBlog.Com http://www.hamblog.com
---------- HamPoll.Com http://www.hampoll.com
---------- DigiBlog http://www.uspacket.org/digiblog/