From: nokl@tbinet.bm
Date: Fri Dec 27 2002 - 02:05:02 EET
OK Chuck, here we go:
>> 1. Can I get bulletins via the Internet instead of via radio?
> Yes.
OK. Sorry to ask, but how? I assume you mean wait for the offers by
telnet as you mention elsewhere: OK, that suits me fine, I'll wait.
>> Not sure any remaining bbs's in my area to give me a feed.
> I am baffled by this statement.
Well, I used to run a bbs on our local VHF LAN frequency with a feed from
another local station on UHF: but he has stopped doing packet. I am not
sure anyone else still does. Background: I have been asked to run a BBS
for local emergency purposes. But while I am at it, bulletins may be a
nice addition. Since there is less and less packet I am pretty sure no
local sysops will object. The reactions are either positive or "don't
care about packet anymore".
I think packet radio is vastly underrated. The reason I am asking all
these questions here about BBS's is that local message storage is a nice
addition, but IMHO, tcp/ip is the real power. I mean:
- To get bits across my cell phone I pay $0.10 per kB or something.
Amateur bits are free.
- When my home cable connection goes down, I get to wait 2-3 weeks for a
repair van. The amateur infrastructure is under my own control. And
reliable.
- In emergencies, cell and Internet access will go down. My ham packet
station will not.
And keep in mind, I am trying to make a contribution! I have many PCs
available, and I have static IP's (I can be a gateway), and I have many
TNCs and radios available. And stable power, battery backups, good
antennas, and as an ex telecomms engineer I understand reliability. (My
packet station has now been up for 3 years with zero errors; last reboot
370 days ago at my instigation).
Yet when I ask here, no-one appears interested.
And begging everyone's forgiveness, I am not all that up on packet: my
professional life is Internet and tcp/ip, so that I understand. This
means I will sometimes ask silly questions and show my ignorance about
ax25 and BBS's. Bear with me! ;)
> Umm, if you set up no forwarding, it is a
> "no forwarding to ax25 bbs network" pbbs. :-|
I see - so by default fbbs does not forward? I am handicapped by the fact
that all the docs assume you know all this stuff. I used to, 25 years ago:
I knew all bout 300 baud modems, Fidonet etc - but I have forgotten all
that stuff and fbb docs are very unforgiving of people who have forgotten
stuff they knew a quarter century ago! :-)
> If you are not going to forward, why have a 'full featured' pbbs?
Aha, good question. I asked here for simple BBS's: TNC functionality would
indeed have done: that is what I was looking for. But as I read it,
everyone here said "use FBB, as everyone else does", and indeed there are
no other alternatives, it appears. I am a pretty good reader, so point me
to the docs and I am happy to read 'em.
(That explains my occasional frustration too. Point me to the docs, and
then there are no docs, o0r as in FBB's case, they are hopelessly
contradictory and outdated. Leaves guys like me in a bind)
> A 'built into the TNC PMS' does what you have mentioned.
But for TCP/IP I need to set the TNC to KISS, so that built-in
functionality is not available...
Cheers, and thx for the help so far,
Michael VA3MVW
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