HOW TO DO PACKET RADIO CHAT AND BBS WITH A KENWOOD TH-D74!!!

JOIN OUR DISCORD
/ discord
QtTerm Terminal software (recommended to start with)
www.cantab.net/users/john.wis...
GB7KUX
ukrepeater.net/my_repeater.ph...
Install AX25 software
sudo apt-get install ax25-apps
sudo apt-get install ax25-tools
Create a Bluetooth connection between D74 and Pi Put TH-D74 in pairing mod.
sudo hciconfig hci0 piscan
sdptool add SP
hcitool scan
Specify the MAC address of the TH-D74
export D74=00:11:22:33:44:55
Connect to TH-D74 and assign rfcomm0
sudo rfcomm connect /dev/rfcomm0 $D74 2
Ctrl-C to close
Create ax0 network device
sudo kissattach /dev/rfcomm0 radio
(Radio should now be connected by bluetooth)
Connect to node (or BBS)
axcall GB7KUX
See you there ;-)

[@sidjjj]

The packet era in the 90s was brilliant. The internet wasn't really available to the public until about 94, yet radio amateurs from around the world had come together to make a global messaging system via RF.

[@TheOldRogue]

Did packet years ago using the Amiga and a CB radio. Not heard of packet for years, it was loads of fun :)

[@adrianhay1]

Great video Andy. In the early 90's there was a London to New York gateway called "Lonny". It allowed keyboard chats to the USA without internet access. :-) There was also a local BBS for worldwide emails. Great fun. I even connected to the MIR space station.

[@andykirby]

That sounds awesome! I was just getting into CB around that time but would have been amazed if I'd seen that! Anything that uses pure RF (no internet) amazes me!

[@jtovet]

I remember LONNY! Stumbled across it one day when I did a NODE list....I tried it and I connected from Cape Cod MA to London! Holy crap...and this was in the early 90's late 80's. So much fun. I still have a packet station running ...and running on DOS! Worked great then, works great now.

[@timlc]

Yes I remember lonny too. I seem to remember I connected to it through CATB22 in Caterham. The air was awash with packet back then. I built my own Baycom modem for the FT290mk2. Happy days!

[@davekh]

@@jtovet remember Lonny - good days of playing node racing to see how far a couple of mates and I could get - was part of the gb7BBS area

[@ivansavitsky449]

Great video, Andy! Used to use packet radio as a backup communication channel to my country house to remotely diagnose the 4G modem there. I mounted a few IP-cameras there for property monitoring. The AX.25 terminal access was pretty robust, compared to the regular TCP/IP connection. Happy days!

[@mojowibble]

This brought back a lot of memories. I once hopped across nodes on UHF packet to Canada and got a CQ card from Alberta. I live in Northern Ireland. It was in the early 90's. :)

[@fj1100mark]

Because back in those days, we hooked up the computer to the microphone socket. Fortunately it had a speaker mic. It was interchangeable between the 290 the 490 on the 690, so we could do it 2 m 70 cm and 6 m using ax25 and TCP/IP

[@jayrogers8255]

That’s how I got my Radio Shack HTX-252 to do packet!

[@Total_Carnage]

Nice 1 Andy. I had an Andy kirby day yesterday where I binge watched back over a of your solar stuff. I watched it all the first time when you first put them out, and you inspired me to build my own diy system in my shed/workshop. I'm upgrading/expanding it now and love all your stuff. Thanks mate 👍

[@andykirby]

Thanks mate! Really appreciate that!

[@therealdjflip]

fun times back in the days using Motorola XTS radios, using APCO Packet Data Interface, to send messages

[@ghostmandka5498]

Great video! Was into packet back in the 90's. Got out of the hobby for a few years and in 2019 entered again but sadly not much packet activity. Finally have a few doing it again. Looking forward to your Windows video!

[@MI7DJT]

Tip of the day: Put ferrite beads on your usb cables connecting or programming your radios.

[@digitalmediafan]

Did the packet radio thing years ago with Winpack 6.4 connecting to a local BBS in Worthing on 2m then via a few more nodes to GB7BBC in London then eventually to CSIRO in Melbourne... Usually took around a minute or so sometimes much quicker

[@andykirby]

Now that's cool!

[@digitalmediafan]

@@andykirby plus the node I connected to was also a BBS so I logged into check my mail or just read other hams ‘public’ bulletins like a very basic version of Facebook groups !

[@davepickering997]

Thanks Andy, another use for my TH-D74.

[@andykirby]

Yeah absolutely 👌🏼

[@roelofmuylaert]

i used GraphicalPacket 1.16b in dos years ago wish there was somthing like that for windows .it was a fun time

[@kevinbrouelette6361]

I didn’t know this was possible 😊 I’ve done APRS messages and Winlink packet but chat is really cool. Thanks for the video. I’ll be try this on my D74A tomorrow

[@paulhicks9399]

Andy, you are the man! Thanks for another great video :)

[@andykirby]

👍🏻👍🏻 cheers Paul!

[@TonyLing]

I'm looking forward to dabbling in packet Andy. I'm a G7 callsign and have no experience with it as yet. It was a dying thing in the early '90s, good to see there is some of it still around. My equipment will be the TS-790 and a DigiRig.

[@fj1100mark]

I first started using packet radio with my mates back in 1982, using a Tandy TRS 80, attach to an FT290

[@andykirby]

Awesome!

[@RedHeat]

In QtTermTCP to allow more connections at once while using KISS, tabbed or MDI mode needs to be enabled. The sessions need somewhere to go on screen so without the free slots/tabs to open sessions in the incoming connects will be ignored. I’m sure you have already figured this by now though, but thought to add. 73 PE1RRR

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

Thanks for the video Andy! I have a D74 but no Raspberry Pi, so I'll go and look to see if you made a Windows video. Cheers and 73.

[@Dave64track]

Interesting stuff this packet radio and what you can do with it.

[@andykirby]

Cheers David! Appreciate you watching every video 😁

[@Paul-Howell-M3EYG]

Great video Andy. Such a shame the TH-D74 is no longer available. Will have to see if I can find another way of doing packet

[@andykirby]

I know! There's ways of doing it with a sound modem which actually allows for better features.

[@ghostmandka5498]

The Kenwood D72 works too, but not bluetooth. The D710 also works.

[@TheZolon]

I setup a packet bbs a few months ago, and still have it up and running.

[@andykirby]

Excellent! I'm sure I recognise the call.

[@TheZolon]

@andy kirby central USA, no.. probably not. But I have been tempted to hook up an HF rig to it as well.

[@c4715]

Just to save you some time in Linux: if you select text with the mouse it's automatically copied. If you go to the terminal and press the scroll wheel button it pastes and presses enter for you.

[@andykirby]

Wow I never knew that!

[@c4715]

@@andykirby it's one of those things that's so simple but it adds up to save you so much time in the long run!

[@Havanacuba1985]

I had a th d7 around 2001 , managed to digipete through ISS

[@ghostmandka5498]

If there is a station you want to connect to that is too far away, try using a closer station to digipeat through. If we had enough stations between Georgia here in the US and you, we could technically chat. May take all day haha. There's also HF ax.25 packet!

[@andykirby]

Yeah I've seen that option in QtTermTCP, wasn't sure if the station you connect through had to be configured to digipeat or if that just happens as part of the protocol. I do want to try HF packet too with the Icom 705

[@SimonVK3XEM]

Are there BBS stations still around, they were a lot of fun years ago.

[@andykirby]

Yeah there's a few about!

[@CrittendenIV]

You rule!! I can't wait to try this. Do you mind telling us what amp you used with the D74? KJ7NUX

[@andykirby]

Cheers! It's an RM LA144 amp👍🏻

[@26DR715]

I use js8call which works on windows ok.

[@PortugalCarp]

Could this be done with an Icom ID-52-E? Better still, do you know if someone has done a list of radios with their compatibilities ie: This BBS, APRA, D-Star etc. The idea of being able to still "link" up with others even when the WWW goes phut sounds real useful (and, yes, fun).

[@andykirby]

Yes its cool! The icom can't do it. The only radios that can do this are Kenwood handhelds and mobile radios with a built in Kiss modem and the new pico APRS.

[@PortugalCarp]

@@andykirby What a ruddy shame. Just finished watching another one of your videos, "CAN YOU DO PACKET RADIO WITH DMR?!" and I really enjoyed it. I did leave a question of sorts, sorry lol.

[@richerich853]

I absolutely can't get my kantronics Kamplus to work with windows. I just ordered a Raspberry Pi I'll give that a go, if that doesn't work I'm going to scrap the Kantronics and get a Pi tnc...

[@basher_9754]

Andy I know this is off topic but would you know of any Ttl cables I could use with my phaserunner without having to wait for one to come from Canada

[@andykirby]

Yeah, any should work. I would suggest one with the FTDI or other popular USB/Serial chipset. The wiring diagram for the plug should be on Grins documents for the PR.

[@basher_9754]

@@andykirby Thank you Andy much appreciated. Keep the vids coming 👍

[@N8XS]

Which repository do the ax-25 tools live in? Running apt-get install on my brand new Raspian disto can't find them: "Unable to locate package ax-25 apps".

[@andykirby]

Hi, it should be ax25-tools (no spaces)

[@N8XS]

@@andykirby sudo apt-get install ax25-tools Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done E: Unable to locate package ax25-tools

[@ethanlowe1845]

Dying to find a TH-D74, but haven't come across one yet.

[@This_Month_In_History]

Did you ever do the packet th-d74 on Windows?

[@This_Month_In_History]

Can you put the link here for the setup in Windows.

[@wrxs1781]

You should try "all star link"

[@andykirby]

That's over the Internet though isn't it?

[@timbookedtwo2375]

what about using direwolf as tnc?

[@andykirby]

You can but I have hardware so I wanted to use that.

[@markr.1984]

All fine and dandy if you already have a Rasberry Pi and then learn about it. So this video doesn't help unless you're already an expert on such things and actually have the equipment. And I for sure don't have Linux.

[@shaungilmartin1505]

not an easy radio to get hold of any more

[@andykirby]

No it's not, if you find a used one for sale, grab it.

[@brettuk]

top stuff. 144.950 is getting busy for packet in Reading/Berkshire ... check out gb7rdg bbs and chat available. i use a pi 4 and direwolf s/w (modem/tnc). usb to from 991a .. works grand

[@andykirby]

That's awesome! Great stuff! Do you know if GB7RDG is linked to the GB7KUX? I know nothing about the linking side!

[@vestale4]

Nice video and with informations! Is nice that you have packet activity in your area. I hope for you to have better condition for a succesful connection to BBS. On APRS you can send/receive messages, using the keyboard of the hamdheld or also an app on you phone(APRSDroid). Using those messages you can request weather forcast(WXYO, WXBOT services), send/receive SMS to GSM network(SMSGte service in some contrys), send email(EMAIL-2 service or WinLink over APRS), announcement server: ANSRVR( see #aprsthursday event) The advantage of APRS is that you can send/receive messages over the internet, if you have a local IGate with TX.

[@andykirby]

Thanks! Yeah I really like APRS. I'm always sending messages but never get replies 😅

[@vestale4]

@@andykirby You have to send them to right callsigns ;) Check #aprsthursday , but next week.

[@ferjanyen]

Good video Andy, let us know when you got set up with Windows 10 please. Fernando G0VUF.

[@BryanPetifer]

Great video Andy, thanks for the QSO it was great to see things from your end de G0SYR. wait till you discover the amprnet world of the 44.xx.xx.xx address space

[@andykirby]

Hey Bryan nice to see you here! Oh wow what's amprnet😅yeah lots of learning to do still! Catch you soon!