Portable Offgrid Packet Station - A BBS in 2021?

In this video, I’ll show you how I built an inexpensive, light-weight, portable, feature rich packet station for offgrid comms. We’ll also take a look at a three decade old technology and see if we can use a bulletin board system (BBS) as an offgrid collaboration platform. If you’re over 40 this may be the video for you. Good old packet radio!
Parts:
1. www.thetechprepper.com/raspbe... (affiliate links)
2. Mobilinkd TNC - www.mobilinkd.com/
3. Mobilinkd TNC cable - Same as the link above. Simply get the correct cable for your radio.
4. Gear Bag - www.packtenna.com/store/p6/Pa...
Articles:
1. Offgrid Raspberry Pi Setup: www.thetechprepper.com/offgri...
2. Portable Packet Station Setup: www.thetechprepper.com/portab...
#TheTechPrepper #PacketRadio #BBS #Baofeng #Offgrid #uv5r #PacketStation #HamRadio #Comms #Prepper
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1. www.thetechprepper.com
2. EmComm Tools project - www.buymeacoffee.com/thetechp...
3. Instagram: / thetechprepper @thetechprepper
4. Twitter: / thetechprepper1 @thetechprepper1
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[@neubert500]

Excellent video as usual! Few realize how delicate the infrastructure really is, Most people I talk to just hold up their cellphone and proudly exclaim "this is all I need". Also people who put down the Baefongs have forgotten what it is like to be young, married, and not much disposable income on such a "foolish" item as starting in ham radio. I have a comment for them but it is rather vulgar so I will not post it here. PLEASE keep your videos coming! I have learned something from each one and have been a ham for a LONG time! Thank you.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'll keep the videos coming. There will be a manpack build for voice and digital modes built on my new Yaesu FTM-6000. I agree with you. Most people have misplaced confidence in the stability of modern day infrastructure. Thanks for the support!

[@jayrogers8255]

The problem with the Baofengs is that they don’t meet spectral purity limits, so they are radiating spurious emissions at higher levels than they should be. It has nothing to do with how cheap their retail price is, but they do skimp out on a necessary component that could negatively impact other users.

[@neubert500]

@@jayrogers8255 I certainly cannot argue with your statement and do agree, HOWEVER I still stand by my statement that MANY new hams have been brought into the fold by being able to afford a Baofeng, without taking away from their family. Thank you for your kind reply.

[@jayrogers8255]

@@neubert500 I don’t doubt that they have, just as I came in with a Radio Shack HTX-202 in March 1996. Man, that was a sweet rig! I still have it. 5 watts, separate CTCSS encode & decode, direct frequency entry. I enjoyed that from my junior year in high school through college & into the first couple of years of the millennium.

[@neubert500]

@@jayrogers8255 I still have my wife's and my Icom W2-As that were our entry into ham radio. I also vividly recall spending $500 each on them at a time we really didn't have the money. I guess that is why I defend the Baofengs in spite of their issues. Thanks for a civil disagreement! They are SO RARE on the internet these days! Oh and the HTX-202s were excellent HTs!

[@cybersean3000]

Eye to eye, station to station!

[@timmanwell2538]

Your content is *always awesome. Whether 'prepper' or not, many hams out there have an interest in this stuff but aren't sure how to get it going because, as you say, it's 30yr old tech and a lot of people have moved on. You're a great 'Elmer' for this!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I really appreciate comments like this as it helps me figure out where to focus the channel. Glad to hear there's some renewed interest in packet. There will be another packet video coming out in the next few weeks using the new Yaesu FTM-6000. This time, I'm taking it to the field as a manpack. 73 de KT1RUN

[@bthemedia]

Very interesting and great work! Definitely would be valuable to have deployable comms & message boards like this for many situations.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. I plan to make this more bulletproof. There are a few local hams that already want to join the packet party. If the vision is executed, I'll make an update video. Take care.

[@ghostmandka5498]

Great content Gaston! Since your last video, a buddy and me were able to connect to a Winlink station via a digipeater on 2m. There are also a couple BBS systems in range for me. Looking forward to you doing keyboard to keyboard comms with others. Miss the good old days of packet radio!!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. Wow, that's amazing. Glad to hear another 2m packet success story. Which area are you in? I'm curious where the BBS activity is these days. Shoot me a Winlink email. 73, KT1RUN

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

It's nice to see BBS over radio. It all makes so much sense. Thank you for sharing the content, brother. I'll be sharing your channel and the info I glean with the folks that I've been guiding towards rf coms. People are starting to understand that we have options that aren't just cellphones and texting. When you tell a normal person this tech exists, it blows their mind. When you let them know that it's been around for decades, it makes them want to use it even more. 🤙🏽

[@TheTechPrepper]

I need to revisit this BBS idea again. You are absolutely right in how powerful some of this RF-only tech can be. I love showing non-hams what is possible in terms of offgrid communications. It's a great way to hook them. Take and thanks for the support.

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

@@TheTechPrepper yep. It's almost like showing normal folks magic. I just hope I don't get burned at the stake for being a wizard. 😆 I look forward to your next iteration. Keep up the good work. 🤙🏽

[@fractalnetworks]

This is awesome, thanks!

[@spudhut2246]

"Thank you" can express my gratitude enough. Another great video and content. I love your approach to using any and all radios without prejudice. I think your mindset wrapped around comms in any condition, with any equipment is the best approach for all; weather your at the bottom of the spectrum of equipment or the best on the market. From my experience, I think equipment prejudice is the biggest downfall to the hobby, leaving a lot of potentially great HAM radio operators in the dark. Its sad, but its reality. Keep pumping out this content, its inspired me to get into the hobby deeper, setup my own comms and share it and upgrade my license to the next level.

[@ToNzHoLtZ]

I find value in all your videos , thank you so much .

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. I'm just sharing the journey as I learn. I'm no expert. May will mark my third year on the air.

[@KenReynolds]

Great video as always, man! I look forward to putting together my own field-ready packet station at some point in the near future and the information in this video, specifically regarding how to connect to the BBS, will be very helpful.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's always great when you pop in here or on Instagram. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. There are a few more packet videos in the pipeline. Good luck with your station.

[@KenReynolds]

@@TheTechPrepper Thanks! I am definitely looking forward to new videos.

[@bruehlt]

Great video - we need more of these types of videos from everyone. In fact I was planning on doing a similar video for the IC-9700!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. I'd love to see your video on the IC-9700. I'll be doing a packet video soon for the new Yaesu FTM-6000. 73 de KT1RUN

[@user-vx5ru7gh7c]

Thank you, Gaston. This is very interesting. Digital is my weak point, but I've recently picked up a couple of Pi Zero 2 W units, which appear to be similar in power to the Pi 3 (but of course much smaller). I have a lot of learning to do, however channels like yours are a big help as well as a big inspiration. Thanks from a happy ('though digitally confused) subscriber! 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Digital is tough. Stick with it. I struggled for what feels like a year. It will make sense in time. You may be interested in my digital modes series playlist. Let me know if you can't find it on my channel page. Enjoy your Pi Zero 2. I bought one, but still haven't used it.

[@BAAnderson-nq5ub]

KM6TAU I enjoyed your video. Your just as good as those other guys! Keep going!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Wow, thank you. This was a very early video. I barely knew what I was doing. It's been fun sharing these experiences with you and the community. May 5th, 2024, will mark 4 years on the air. There's more coming. 73

[@understandthetimes5721]

I just found your channel and enjoyed this very much! I had a packet station around the early 2000's for Army MARS. I want to revisit that and I like your portable station. 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel! I was looking into Army MARS this year. It doesn't look like they're using packet anymore these days. Definitely, give packet a look. The software and hardware options have come a long way.

[@douglofreddo7886]

Hey us 20 year olds know about BBS LOL In all seriousness.. great videos! Please keep them coming.. just stumbled upon your stuff two days ago and I've been binging it lol

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel. Glad to hear that you're digging the content. I'm 40 and BBS' were starting to lose appeal when I was 20. Enjoy!

[@blankreganon5395]

Another great video. I used packet BBS back when I first got licensed in the 90's. I don't have any stations in this area but I would like to get back into packet. One thing that I am wanting to do is to set up a local system running over the unlicensed 900 MHz ISM band for local neighborhood emergency comms.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The 90's sounds like it was a great time to be ham. Too bad there's no activity in your area today. I like the idea of running digital modes on unlicensed portions of the spectrum. It's worth researching.

[@DesertWolfSurvival]

Amazing, fuck yeah bro. You really are thee man. This is something right out of Fallout. I just found your channel and I’m already crazy about it

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the support, bro. We're going to go deeper into these topics. I'm all about practical rugged comms. Stay tuned.

[@va7dgp]

I ran a BPQ BBS many years ago. I used HT while on a local exercise being able to send Winlink via BPQ. I used Kenwood V 71. I also used UIVIEW to run Robust Packet and chatted with various hams on 30 M. Also interesting is using VHF to chat with a Ham around the world and they use HF via Chat on the BPQ BBS.

[@ryanfralic1115]

Thanks for another great video! Would like to see what else can be done with this configuration. Will be ordering the components for my 2m packet station soon.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's my pleasure. Best of luck with your packet station. Hopefully, you have more activity than we do. I'm a bit behind on the technical write-up for the packet setup, but it will be ready some time next week. 73

[@markdupuis879]

Awesome stuff man. Packet isn't popular in my area either. But I really like packet so I'm setting up my house as the local packet digipeater/gateway. After watching this I now want a bulletin board as well lol. Thank you for these videos. I greatly appreciate the information and inspiration. 73 de KI5NGT

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the kind note. I almost did not release this video as the lighting is terrible at 5:00 AM in the garage. So, I'm glad you found it interesting. Good luck with your station. Let's bring back packet. Take care and 73

[@temporarilyoffline]

Not enough hours in the day my friend. This has been on my to-do list for a long time.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I hear you, T.O.. Time is a precious commodity. Thanks for stopping by.

[@Mike_Neukam]

Years ago, I cracked open a UV-5R extended battery pack and replaced the cells with smaller cells from a standard UV-5R battery pack. This left the extended portion of the battery case as an empty cavity. I stuffed that empty cavity with an Argent Data Systems T3-mini, a Ublox gps module and an HC-05 bluetooth module. I cut the cord off of the headset that came with one of my radios and soldered it to the T3-mini and ran it out of the battery shell through the hole where charging port was. I installed a small sliding switch in the side of the case to turn the extra electronics on and off. Battery life was less than fantastic, but it was a pretty slick little package. I took it to a club meeting and said "Check this out. Notice anything different about this battery?" Someone said "oh it's just an extended battery, we've seen those before." He was quite surprised when I explained what I had done.

[@bernarrcoletta7419]

Brand new subscriber here. I love your content, and I, looking forward to bingeing you videos this week. I don’t know if you’ve heard about the LandOps Amateur Radio Club, but they’re kinda adjacent to your interests, and they’re California based. They load up their off-road vehicles and go out into the desert. They so SAR exercises. They include setting up repeaters, command centers, and search teams. It sounds fun. I’d totally do it, but I’m on the East coast.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel. I have not come across their channel. Thanks for putting it on my radar. Cheers!

[@kevinbersch828]

Nice video, Gaston. Now I think I have some work to do to get a packet station up and running. KE7VIN

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Kevin. I'd love to get more packet going in the Phoenix area. I'll share my station info with you and the group when it's ready.

[@rwrp]

I like this video

[@TheLegitAlpha]

Funny that this showed up: I may have grown up past the age BBSes were relevant, but I’ve been wanting to set one up as a bit of a passion project. I was currently doing some research into Synchronet and Mystic, especially since I plan on running it on a Linux machine.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good luck with your BBS station. The locals in your area will thank you. 73

[@johnarmstrong5287]

I am not sure why so many people hate Baofengs. If you started playing golf, would you go and get a set of Calloway's at first? Probably not. Large problem of the ham community is that it has long forgotten that community building is a big part of what allows it to be fun and helpful in times of emergency, and sad hams gatekeeping because what people select as radios is sad. Great stuff as usual and look forward to implementing a lot of this stuff.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The Baofeng's are excellent "gateway drugs" as Jason, KM4ACK, likes to call them. I started with one myself and have a small fleet. However, I reached the point where I personally need a more robust and rugged radio for my outdoor trails runs and activities so my preference is the reasonably price FT-60R. This is the next video in the pipe: "The FT-60R for Preppers"

[@SherwoodR631]

You can use bluetooth and connect your phone to the Pi - and then SSH into the PI to access. I am trying to get VNC to work via my phone and use bluetooth. In this type of setup, it removes the USB adapter failure point. Enjoyed the video.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the detail. You may be interested in my EmComm Tools project and videos. I solved this problem last year. No SSH or VNC needed. I can now control everything from my phone and a web browser.

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

The problem with BBSes in the early 1980s (the Golden Era), is the same problem as today: 1) slow interaction is not only a connection problem, but also an inefficient protocol, and 2) dealing with disparate heterogenous clients discourages development and deployment of client protocol software. Ideally, if BASIC programming had been standardized, each BBS client would run a protocol that downloaded a compressed incremental database of all the posts and emails generated since the prior login. Today, with Python or Java, that could be straightforwardly deployed. Your client could automatically download updates incrementally. Easy peasy

[@Imaboss8ball]

If you make a custom case. And use a battery hat with a sdr hat you could probably make a custom packet radio server for cheaper than the setup you are currently presenting. The cool thing about battery hats is that they should allow you to plug the pi into the wall when possible and it will charge the battery for you while simultaneously running the pi.

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

I developed a BBS in 1985. It ran over a 300 bps connection. It wasn't nearly as painful as what you are showing.

[@PortugalCarp]

Brill video, thanks for posting. I have been watching a few of the "preppers" on KZbin about APRS etc etc and one (two really) things have made me think. Preppers are mainly looking into a future when the SHTF happens. Well, I would think that the first two to three things that would be the first to fail would be the electrical grid, quickly followed by the Internet and the cell communication system. So with that in mind, what use would the APRS and all the other systems be?

[@RicSpivey]

still mid-video... but I prefer text instructions over videos!!! it's good to see how things work in a video, but you having docs like that are awesome!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you appreciate it. It's a extra effort to write the companion post, but I found that it makes the video less dry if I don't have to go deep on the actual setup. 73

[@battleborngrafix4640]

I am working on building myself a similar packet setup. However its a learning curve. I haven't used a BBS since I was a young teen. But it has been hard to find a lot of information out there.

[@bradleyjohnson452]

Man, does that ever take me back. Very cool. How did you locate the 2m BBS? There are very few APRS digipeaters/gateways in my area so I'm sure there are no BBSs around. It looks like that was running on a Kantronics completely since there was only about 50k of memory.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to help with the trip down memory lane. I found it as well as the digipeater by having "axlisten" running while I tried connecting to a Winlink RMS gateway. So, here's my tip. Look at the list of the 2m Winlink RMS gateways in your area. Start axlisten and tune your radio to every every frequency listed for at least 30 minutes. Most of the digipeaters and BBS will send out a beacon periodically. Once logged into the BBS, I found a bunch of bulletins about other packet activity. Good luck!

[@bradleyjohnson452]

@@TheTechPrepper good advice. I’ll have to give that a try.

[@andrewbrown6522]

I was a sysop in the 90's. Lately ive been thinking bbs might be the way forward in light of recent stuff.

[@ScottPlude]

This must've taken a TON of work. I respect the efforts you have put into this project.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It has taken a bit of work. Thank you. You should see the new version. It's exploded into offline mapping, position sharing, chat, even encryption. I am working on including offline HF prediction that predicts on the fly. The second you drop a pin or lookup a callsign. Search my channel for the "EmComm Tools Story" if you want to see the version. I also have lots of small 3-5 min feature updates on www.buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper

[@palehorse7377]

my ham club is working the ARRL to require an all new license for digital modes in the technicians realm. This is kind of the wild west and needs to be reigned in.

[@Sparkletron]

It's always interesting to see how others solve similar problems, so thanks for sharing. Some questions... Why use the Mobilinkd when the Pi is a computer that can emulate a TNC? And since hams will likely have a smart phone (yet another computer) with them at all times, why not ditch the Pi altogether and just use a BTECH APRS-K1 cable and Android clients like APRSdroid?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good question. I have three other radios that use a USB sound card and Dire Wolf (software TNC). Two of them are using the Sabrent USB sound card and the third is using a SignaLink. The phone app ecosystem is very limited compared to the software available on the Pi. Also, I'm a software engineer and have written a special software package called EmComm Tools that runs on the Pi that simplifies running various digital modes. I've done several videos on that project. I also plan to write a purpose built BBS for the Pi. Nothing wrong with using the phone. I run APRSDroid extensively. There are lots of ways to interface a radio with a computer and/or phone.

[@DavidS-iw4ei]

Great Video. But, I'm not a big fan of APRS. I'm sure I'm on the APRS map via DMR. But thats about it. But a BBS setup in a area would be great.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Now, that's interesting. I assumed APRS was everyone's favorite packet mode. Good luck finding or starting a local BBS in your area!

[@jayrogers8255]

Yeah, I don’t get the “why” of APRS either.

[@bren42069]

What I don't like about aprs is the fsk modulation. There are better modes coming out, m17 and ribbit

[@mikefromflorida8357]

You are absolutely right. If an EMCOM system is not completely and exclusively RF, it’s not EMCOM. The WWW is going to be the first target of anyone seeking to harm us or otherwise control us. Any time, energy, or money used in improving our RF-only infrastructure and capabilities is well used.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yep. I have been working hard to build an entire offline-first software platform called EmComm Tools for the last 18 months. It supports email, text messaging, file transfer, call sign lookup (with distance, bearing calculation, VHF line-of-sight estimation and HF propagation prediction ) and offline mapping. You'd be surprise how difficult it is to write software in 2022 that works 100% offline. It's worth the investment. It feels like it will never be released, but I am shooting for 2023.

[@Porty1119]

@@TheTechPrepper More power to you! I'm working with a few friends on doing similar via 9600baud data on encrypted P25 on commercial land mobile frequencies we're licensed for. It's turning into an all-of-the-above intranet using Ethernet LAN, data over radio, and broadband mesh networking. I've also put Kiwix on each machine with a decent chunk of Wikipedia for offline reference, and OSM maps for navigation in conjunction with external GPS receivers. Like you, we're using Panasonic rugged hardware.

[@jonmac3995]

I use UZ7HO's Soundmodem and Easyterm on a Windows tablet, connected directly by a cable to an FT-817, using VOX, no interface required. It sounds as though your TXdelay is a bit short, not long enough to 'Wake up' the other station reliably, maybe that's why you get the disconnect. When people say that 'Packet Radio' is very slow, I often wonder what other Amateur Radio data modes they are comparing it to, you can't compare it to the internet, as that isn't Amateur Radio. And they say that Packet is 'Old technology', but FM, SSB and CW are VERY much older, and still very much in use.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for sharing your setup. There are many ways to get audio in/out of amateur radio for digital modes. I like your approach. I have many new viewers born after the millennium that never experienced the era of dial-up modems. The baseline of "slow" is a comparison to the high bandwidth most users expect when using the Internet in 2021.

[@Jeeeee-in6hi]

Who what where when and why. 5ws you said 4th and a H. 😆 I’m teasing I love this man I’m going to try and build one

[@TheTechPrepper]

I recall the nuns teaching us the Five Ws with the 5th being How. I recall getting a slap with the rule for questioning it. 😂

[@Jeeeee-in6hi]

@@TheTechPrepper 😂 never question a sister!

[@zeebraeend]

Very interesting. Will you have the BBS approachable via Telnet aswell when QRV at your home QTH?

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's an interesting idea. I have SSH already enabled which allows me to login over the network. I have not considered making the BBS available via telnet.

[@zeebraeend]

@@TheTechPrepper Please keep us posted on that. Making a VHF/UHF connection to a Baofeng from overhere (the Netherlands JO21DM) will be very tricky...🤭🤭👍

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@zeebraeend I am sure that some marketing person from Baofeng would love to make that claim. ;-) Will do. It could be awhile. The list of to-do's is growing. Cheers from the US!

[@timlc]

I used to use packet a lot in the 90’s and we had some excellent BBS’s in the area. Sadly, no more. I just use packet for APRS location now. Just a small comment, or query really. What was the PACLEN you were using? Is sounded very short

[@leopoldomolina1763]

Can you also connect that TNC wired to the computer instead of via Bluetooth or Wifi, right? I did not see clearly the links among all those elements in comparison with the classic way to do it.

[@bthemedia]

23:50 Your axcall session with the remote bbs “WTPBBS” ended? Any idea why or is there an FAQ for issues?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Not 100% sure, but I noticed this happen twice when I resized my terminal window. I may have accidentally touched the overly sensitive touch pad and caused a resize event. I'll keep a close eye and report back if I find anything.

[@devondetroit2529]

Can you connect to BBS or email/Usenet using the baofeng and a raspberry pi? Would be great when the internet goes down

[@Jdragunov]

Why you don't use soundmodem o multimon-ng with a sound cable from de radio to the raspberry? I am not sure, but the cable from de Kiss tnc may work

[@TheTechPrepper]

I tried to build the kit with gear I already had to keep the build inexpensive. I have a few different configurations for packet. On my manpacks (FT-857 and FT-818) I'm using the Sabrent USB with an audio cable. I prefer that setup for digital. I'll take a look at your approach. Thanks for the heads up.

[@jlacy8234]

The tnc 3 can use the USB cable instead of BT if you want to.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I did not know that. Then you! I have both the TNC 2 and 3.

[@jdotson41041]

This video has inspired me to set up my APRS system as well. I want to have a digipeater and Igate as well as win link all on a Raspberry Pi, I want it to have the capabilities to be able to transfer packets via HF radio nightly as the old fido net did. I think that will be a great emergency communications system. What BBS software are you using? I ran a Synchronet system on Linux and windows a few years back. I would love to be able to help connect prepper BBSs across the country and the world. I would like to see if there would be a way to make the messages private from station to station. Not sure if that would violate any FCC rules or not. I know it would need to be so that non-amauter operators could not use it etc. How far have you gotten with yours, please let me know.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. I put the BBS project on hold and switched my focus to my "EmComm Tools" software project. I am actually getting more value by running the NBEMS suite on a regular basis in a coordinated fashion with my local emcomm group. Here's an example of one our recent exercises: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJqZe4aobdiAec0

[@bhamptonkc7]

1200 packet usually runs at 900 baud once you take the overhead and error correction. I have a kpc3+ i'll have to see if it will do 300

[@WadeAbout]

Great video. Is there an under 40yo dummies guide to bbs and first use ? My local one sits at REGISTER? I think when I connect

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have not found a good resource, but here are a few things to try. 1. Type "help" 2. If the BBS is named after an amateur radio operator's call sign, look them up and send them an email. 3. Ask a local ham at a hamfest or club event.

[@singletona082]

Given I'm a 90's era ham that fell out of the hobby and had a deep interest in packet?? This is honestly a really wonderful thing. 'Here no several hundred dollar components. No special radio that has its own TNC built in. Radio. Raspberry Pi. Roll Up J-Pole. GO.' I've got an HTX-202 on the way, and yea it's a brick, but it's a solid brick. I look forward to Shenanagins. Though I wonder if I could use this setup to talk to a phone (or in my case a tablet because my eyes ain't that great.)

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to see you come back into the hobby. Enjoy! It feels like we are in the golden age given all of these inexpensive hardware offerings (RPi) and open-source software packages. I use the same setup for Winlink email over packet. And, APRS... 73's

[@singletona082]

@@TheTechPrepper Personally I'm trying to figure out what winlink is useful for outside of emergency scenerios. I can get most people not wanting to navigate a 30 year old BBS interface, but at the same time Ham is, honestly, a perfect testing ground for how to deliver content under constrained bandwidth and with suspect network useability. This is something I would love to look into in ways that don't require a license. It just feels like Ham and Retro Computing have a decent bit of overlap to me.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@singletona082 I actually use Winlink when I am backpacking to send email to my wife who is not a licensed ham. She needs to know nothing about radio or an old BBS. She simply needs to use the email application on her phone or laptop. I also use Winlink for sharing position reports with the amateur radio community when in the backcountry. Great question.

[@singletona082]

@@TheTechPrepper Huyh didn't know you could send email to non-amatures/normal email via winlink. This makes it a heck of a lot more useful especially as I have several discussion groups I'm part o. Have plans that might or might nto come to pass to get a few acres of land as a weekend get away spot. Solar, propane, no dedicated lines in or out. A place a radio link wouldn't be a bad idea if cell service ever drops.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@singletona082 I am going to demonstrate this topic in one of the videos as part of the "No Random Contacts" series. Stay tuned. Glad I could answer your question.

[@matt3403]

Can you tell us how much power this is using and what kind of battery time we are looking at with say 2 messages an hour. Any thoughts of solar for recharging? If I am putting it as high as I can I want to minimalise fuel/manpower replacing batteries.tia

[@TheTechPrepper]

I don't have metrics on how long you can run the Pi 3B+ on battery power as I typically turn on the Pi only to make my contact and then turn it off. For field charging, it depends on your power needs. These days I am running the Buddipole PowerMini v2 (solar charge controller), the PowerFilm 10 watt panel and various Bioenno batteries (3Ah, 4.5Ah, 6Ah and 12A) depending the application. We have full sun, so your mileage may vary. For example, I used to run a 20 watt panel, but realized that it was more than I needed. I did a battery sizing video on the channel not too long ago that may help you. Search on my channel page for "battery sizing". Good luck!

[@chuckchamplin6627]

The Tech Prepper/////don't you use a Buddy pole part one your radio pack???? ty

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, I use the Buddipole Power Mini on each manpack on the FT-818 and FT-857. The components vary from kit to kit. For this kit, the battery pack felt right.

[@ryankee7991]

I live here in Mesa and have been wanting to do this, but didn't realize I could use my Mobilink 3 as a kiss/tnc to connect to BBS's. Do you have a list of local VHF BBS's here in the phoenix area?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Try WTPBBS on 145.710 MHz. It's on the White Tanks. Pinal county has one called PNLBBS on the same frequency. I have to go through the White Tanks digipeater (W7MOT-6) to hit that one. Enjoy! I'm working on a field manual for AZ that has all this info.

[@ryankee7991]

@@TheTechPrepper Are you hitting that far away with an HT? Thats all I currently have and it seems that White Tank is 40miles away. I doubt I will be able to reach it, yes?

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@ryankee7991 I'm hitting it with an HT, but not with the rubber duck antenna. I have it connected to an Arrow II backpacker yagi at 16' pointed at the station's bearing. I'm about 45-50 miles out.

[@aaronakiyama]

FYI, there is a Windows based setup program for the Mobilinkd TNC 2. That may not help you at all since you're using Linux on a pi but I just wanted to throw out that there are other options besides Android for configuration.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's great to know. Thank you for contributing. I'm sure others will find this useful.

[@thewayofodin4574]

Just wondering but why not use "nohup" in your pairing, rather than open multiple terminals?

[@dl4qb-andre938]

I´m back since a while in Packet Radio. Everything is working well on the infrastructure, so why not using it for emrgency. Also den BBS store and forward works still freat!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear people are bringing back good old packet.

[@brianblanchard5016]

I am having trouble making this work on my setup. I have Mobilinkd TNC3, Raspberry Pi 4, KM4ACK Build-A-Pi and Yaesu FT3DR. I can get the TNC working with aprs.fi on my iPhone, but not with Linux. When I attempt the 'axlisten' or 'axcall' commands I get an error message "no AX.25 port data configured". I am able to get into WTPBBS with another rig using the Pi, Direwolf, and PiTermTCP. My interest with the Mobilinkd TNC is purely for use with my HT. Are there any resources I can reference for this type of issue?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Search Jason's channel, KM4ACK, for his Mobilinkd videos. I did this write up for this video: www.thetechprepper.com/portable-packet-station

[@brianblanchard5016]

@@TheTechPrepper Thanks. Checked out KM4ACK's videos and not finding anything there. I joined a Groups io for Mobilinkd, hoping to find an answer there. You did a good writeup on this one. I'm having an odd issue on my end. The KM4ACK Pat Menu script for Mobilinkd isn't working for me either. I upgraded my Pi from Buster to Bullseye. Before the upgrade my Monilinkd was working with Pat Menu. I may try going back to Buster to see if it works again.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@brianblanchard5016 If you stick 100% to my write up, it should work with Buster. I tested this setup twice. The only thing that may be a moving target is Build-a-Pi as that is updated overt time. Good luck. This is part of the reason that EmComm Tools will be released for Linux with everything included as a snapshot in time with a custom install image.

[@brianblanchard5016]

@@TheTechPrepper I did a fresh install of Buster with a fresh install of Build-a-pi. Everything is working exactly as your video. Seems like there must be an issue running this on Bullseye. For some reason AXCALL is not reading the port from the AXPORTS file.

[@williamwitt911]

I am a bit confused, are you just connecting to someone elses BBS, or your own? If it is your own, would you mind doing a video on the software and configuration?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'm connected to someone else's BBS. But, I am planning on running my own in the near future and will make a video.

[@williamwitt911]

@@TheTechPrepper awesome!! I will look forward eagerly to it

[@tamphex]

Preppers are great; they do all the hard work for you and when the sh*t finally hits the fan, you put a gun to their silly head and just take it all. Bless their little cotton socks :D

[@TheTechPrepper]

Haha. ;-)

[@embracethesuck1041]

I would love to understand why raspberry pie and not a lighter, power-efficient SoC hasn't been adopted. I would think that an ARM or ESP with Bluetooth or wifi should be able to do the job. I'd love to hear if there's some aspect I'm not considering.

[@JM-mv7sv]

I’m in your area. I’m General licensed and I do have interest in helping you with a BBS setup. What can I do?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Do you have a digital station already setup? If so, look me up on QRZ.

[@bhamptonkc7]

is there HF bbs?

[@nelxonmiranda]

Doesn’t help much if one doesn’t know raspberry pi. Years ago I used x25 packet with a kamplus tnc. I get the general idea but don’t get the pi stuff.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

So you managed to get it to work and transfer a small amount of data. As a backup to A system that only experiences hiccups, I'm not sure how useful this is. I wonder how it compares to a runner with a portable hard drive and a bicycle.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Not all the experiments are successful. It's was worth while to experiment and figure out what does not work. I have fully moved off packet and BBS's and switched to more robust and reliable modes using the fldigi suite. Take care.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

@@TheTechPrepper I hope I didn't sound cranky. I love what you're doing. You are a rockstar!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@PatrickKQ4HBD Not cranky at all. I appreciate the feedback. Not all the radio attempts or videos are winners. Take it easy!

[@hgvdweg]

Is something more simple than use something like Meshtastic? No need for licenses.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I would say that this setup is not easy to use. It takes a bit of patience and time to get it all working, but there's still value if you're up for a little work. I'll have to look up Meshtastic...that's new to me. It looks like a great mesh network with very robust digital capabilities. I don't believe you will able to reach anywhere is far unless you have a large mesh network in your area. Thanks for putting it on my radar.

[@bthemedia]

The BBS is a central “message board” though Meshtastic and LoRa can “mesh” between devices, see HRCC: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqbQmHuwapt8oKs

[@phildurall7466]

Wildcat BBS software 73 - KF6IF

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks! 73's

[@x81reaper]

Nice video but use Dmr ;) only one system and only one battery ;)

[@MetalAcitistJim]

terminator would be a good terminal for this instead of opening new terminal windows splint into multiple panes

[@TheTechPrepper]

Great suggestion. I actually use i3 on my Linux workstations.

[@Mr1MOA]

The problem to this day, you can't find a Raspberry Pi anywhere........

[@TheTechPrepper]

I moved away from the Pi about 18 months back for different reasons, but lack of availability and the ridiculous price, if you can find them, are non starters in 2023.

[@KonuralpBalcik]

LoRa BBS

[@TheTechPrepper]

I've heard good things about LoRa, but haven't explored the devices yet. Is there a company making a rugged case yet for these devices?

[@tyroncalta]

HF NVIS Packet BBS......

[@TheTechPrepper]

Interesting idea. Something to explore.

[@basecamp5319]

Your inner boomer is showing. Everyone knows what a bbs is. They are becoming popular again. Listening to you, I feel like I’m stuck behind an old driver who left their blinker on. I know you are going somewhere, and will eventually get there, but could you get there already?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Haha. What's old is new again. I've moved way from the BBS and have been working on keyboard-to-keyboard messaging and file passing using NBEMS on 2m FM. Works like a champ. I built a custom fronted that makes it feel modern. Cheers.

[@dustinfarley5758]

I just want a simple way to shoot a text to the wife, what's the simplest way? Thanks.

[@TheTechPrepper]

If you live in a populated area with APRS digipeaters, going with an HT with built-in APRS capabilities is the way to go. Take a look at the Yaesu FT5DR and AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus. You can use the SMSGTE and APRS to send SMS text messages as a licensed ham. If you are not a ham and want 100% access from anywhere in the world, look into the Garmin InReach Mini.

[@dustinfarley5758]

@@TheTechPrepper Much love thank you a ton and thank you for all the great content.

[@yungerallenelectricalcontr6415]

Thanks for the tutorial man. I learned a lot and enjoyed!! De K4KHO

[@TheTechPrepper]

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it. More to come on this topic.

[@carltonsiple1876]

Check out KM6LYW , YT he has a DigiPi setup with a built in BBS, supports all the major data modes in a compact Pi Zero 2 . You can ditch the MobiLinkd too, makes a more compact setup. 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Perfect. Thanks for the pointer. Always on the look out for new and better ways for deploying comms. 73