In those years I used packet radio on a 'normal' commodore 64 (on cb radio). The used program was called digicom64 and was used with a diy modem based on the am7910 ic. Worked great.
Very cool! I actually saw the digicom64 software when I was doing my research. It seems like CB use with packet was a lot more common then huh? Thanks for sharing.
Nice job Billy! Mine was a Vic 20 with an AEA Packrat PK232. I use to connect to a BBS down in Australia on 20 meters and leave messages and read items from all over the world. Thanks for recreating what the beginning looked like! 73 - KF6IF
I know you have touched up on it, but a modern take on packet would be refreshing to see. It was really cool seeing an old rig running packet, it just gives that old school feel
WAY back in the day, my dad tried to entice me into getting licensed by suggesting I could do computer stuff on the radio. My lack of desire for learning Morse had that going nowhere. This set up looks like SO much fun though. Very cool. 73!
Great video Billy! Glad I could answer some of your questions about the MFJ-1278. It's a really unique piece of hardware, and I'm glad it still has a place in the hobby today. There's a gentleman on eBay who sells firmware EPROMs that give this TNC KISS functionality, so you can use it with modern programs and hardware. For a while I had my 1278 hooked up to a Raspberry Pi running YAAC (yet another APRS client). This was hooked up to a VHF radio running 2 meter APRS. It probably would have just been easier to hook up a sound card to the Pi and use direwolf, but it was fun watching the packet tuning indicator move and lights blink! I love the SX-64 btw, and maybe I'll have to try my TNC with an age-appropriate DOS computer. 73 de W8IJC
I agree about the lights. Something about the indicators and tuning knob gives a warm nostalgic feeling (even if I wasn't around at the time). Mine came as the TNC2, and has KISS. I'm not sure if that was just an upgraded model, or someone had flashed it before myself. I had a time making the cable for a modern RS232 port so I'm interested on what your solution was there. I found a Pinout online to convert the 25 pin to a regular 9 pin we use today. A regular Commodore 64 can be found on eBay for 80-140 dollars, you just have to use an external monitor.
That sure brings back good memories! I started with an IBM 8086 PC. Software (PacTerm if I remember correctly) was loaded via a 5 1/4" floppy. The TNC was a Kantronics KPC3. Radio was an Alinco DR-112. Very cool old school packet station!
That station sounds pretty unique. Its a good thing I don't have any more room for retro computers. I really wanted an IBM. I think I saw a version of pacterm on the 64.
I did packet radio in the army (When i lived in the UK) we used "Cosser" teleytpes and Clansman radios. We printed the messages on a dot matrix printer that would get hot! Seeing radios evolve from 1990 to 2008 ( when i left) in the army was impressive.
So as long as a Data Controller is connected to a radio that is powered on and receiving, the Data Controller is essentially brokering connections and storing messages received until you retrieve them with the C64? No internet/telnet/anything else is required, right? It's really cool that this technology existed in the 80's, and as a fan of vintage computing, your video is inspiring me to replicate a similar setup. I'm curious what frequency your radio is tuned too, or does the software control this via CAT or equivalent? I imagine you're tuned to some freq in the data portion of a band, but is there a 'known' freq for Packet Radio much like there is for JS8 Call? Do these things transmit on occasion to entice/enable others to find your Data Controller? Thank you so much!
My radio is tuned to 14.105LSB with tones 1600 and 1800 at a speed of 300, which is the most active frequency for HF packet radio. You are correct in your assumptions about the role of the TNC and the C64. I've got a whole packet radio series on RU-vid now that will show you how to connect with modern technology using software based TNCs such as Direwolf. That will give you an idea of how to replicate a retro setup as well. Typically there are Beacons setup to transmit in intervals to let people know your node is there to use. Modern solutions also include text based games, internet website forwarding through the terminal and much more.
@@ModernHam Thanks for the response; while I'd love to get dirty with Direwolf, there's just something incredibly nostalgic and appealing to using vintage electronics. None the less, I'll check out DW! Re: tones, I imagine that's something you configure on the TNC and must be unique (as in no other nodes on freq are using them?) Sidenote: Will definitely be checking out your packet radio series. Thanks again, 73's!
That Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100 looks like a very interesting device for its time. Would be cool to see it on your own channel when you get it running!
@@scottpastor1 I have an opportunity to possibly snag a TRS-80 along with the expansion deck... fingers crossed. I would love to know how you interfaced the devices, looked like the thing was covered in centronics connectors when I looked at it... like old printer cables.
@@jwreagan so far I’ve connected it to my KAM modem. I found a pdf of the original instructions for the Model 100 and followed the steps in the TELNET chapter. I got the two talking with just a little experimentation with the parameters.
Billy, how did you get the cassette tape to interface to the SX-64? The SX-64 doesnt have a C2N cassette drive port on the back of it because the computer came with a floppy drive.
You caught me. I had to emulate a drive with a PI1541(a raspberry pi based drive emulator) attached to the serial port, and load the software from it. Unfortunately you're right, the SX-64 couldn't use these cassette tapes. The floppy drive works, but I couldn't find the software on floppy unfortunately. I could load up any generic terminal software from a floppy and archive the same thing I guess.
Wish I had known you were needing help figuring that stuff out. I have an SX-64 myself and I was doing the bbs thing back in 1982. The SX-64 really wasnt used or came into popularity until about 1986. The c64 was out in 1983/84. I had an old mfj terminal interface that would do rtty and cw but wasnt packet enabled. I later used the AEA PK-232/MBX tnc to do packet. I will have to get my SX-64 out and hook a tnc to it. Somewhere I have a cartridge with software on it that runs terminal software on the 64/SX-64. The SX-64 has a video output port as well that allows you to hookup to a larger monitor. You just need the DIN plug with rca connectors to plug it in.
Wish I had a terminal cartridge. This takes 3-5 minutes to load each time. Very cool though, the SX64 has been a joy to tinker with. I'm playing through some old games like ZORK too.
My setup in the early 90s was a standard 64, MFJ-1276, and an FT-2500M, terminal software was mfjterm from mfj on floppy. Was a lot of fun, my equipment was outdated when I got into it... and even more so now lol. I am getting ready to test like 10 TNCs... including my first TNC to get back into it
Nice look back! I miss my SX-64. I ran a landline BBS on mine in the mid to late 80s. I had built an "external" modem to fit in that space above the disk drive. I cut a small notch in the back so the cable could exit and still plug into the user port. Let me know if you ever want to turn loose of that machine. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. I saw the left over from a lot of those tweaks and mods when shopping for the SX64. Saw a lot of those "dialup" hacking programs too for the modems. I definitely want to flash JiffyDOS eventually and would like to put a switch in to change the internal floppy between drive 8 and 9
A friend of mine in town to this day runs APRS on an IBM PS/1 with a 486SX-25 using a Kantronics KPC3 Plus TNC and Pacterm on DOS. I have an old IBM XT clone I want to get on the air for packet someday.
Nice video :-) Back in the day, my father and I used the same TNC (and a Baycom) together with a C64, C128, and also a DOS-PC (i think 286). I do not remember the software we used for the C64 and C128, but on the DOS machine we used the F6FBB. When I started using Linux, I also setup a JNOS, and we could even do TCP-IP over AX-25 - dont remember exactly how, though...
Good news is, TCP-IP over AX-25 is what I'm talking about about next in the packet radio series. I might try and talk about some of those other softwares too.
Very Interesting. I"m a big Commodore fan, and ran a BBS and Currently run a Telnet BBS on original C Equipment, as well as several other C64 and 128 machines. I won't make a shameless plug here for my BBS, so no worries. Now to the point, I want to hook one of my Commodores to an Alinco 2m, with MFJ 1270 TNC. any info on fabricating a cable from user port to radio?
Unfortunately not unless it was the same as my own. I found the old manual online and it showed the PTT/Data in and out pins soni matched it up with my FT-891s manual.
Thanks for doing this. Would love to see more retro topics. Especially if you can delve into software topics. The very basics. For those of us who are basically right off the boat when it comes to vintage pc's, vintage digital etc. Making cables is a PITA. I always get things inverted..... backwards. Then unsolder, resolder backwards again. Repeat. I have a Tandy 1000SX, today picked up a Kaypro 2, some new stuff like 286's, 386's oh and an S100. The latter is a bit beyond my skills as yet. The internet is not a safe place imo for these old PC's. Though I would love to get into BBS's. Packet and other digital ota modes seems just the thing for them. There may be malicious HAMS out there maybe. But seems less likely than the Internet. I have made some progress using a AEA CP-1 for CW utilizing CWTERM. This DOS era program actually decodes quite well. And I like the look. Learning what TTL meant and how to connect was a Rabbit Hole of its own. I even managed to hook the CP-1 up to the Tandy 1000's proprietary printer port. Played a bit with packet on a WINxp era pc last year with a MFJ ......1270?. I have two computers running HAL P36 modems. How many people could eve's drop on Clover? I need to sit down and get more proficient with Packet. I have a couple versions of Packet Chess. As yet not gone down that rabbit hole. One of the hurdles is finding software. And learning how to use it. Finding TTL or software that utilizes the parallel port as adverse to serial. My CP-1 modems only have TTL level I/O for example. I picked up a rather complete Packratt set up... Manuals, cables, floppies etc. Been to scared to power it up. Its pretty much set up. I just seem to find excuses not to power it up. Lorne VE7ZWF
or how about getting the soldering done perfect... only to realize you forgot to put part of the connector on the cable FIRST... unsolder, assemble correct, resolder... wrong, unsolder, resolder, find the premade cable you already bought for it two decades before...
I know the feeling. I wanted to get the Pakratt, but I gave up on winning an acceptable eBay auction. Would be nice to see a video when you get around to it.
I have been thinking about putting a ham HF bbs up on a pi or on a commodore just for fun. I used to run a phone line bbs back in 1988 and 89 in Waco Texas. It was fun. I actually met girls on the bbs's I ran and got dates back then.
technology is amazing. watched a previous video about HF Email. when people explain it, even though i understand what they said, it still puzzles me. its like magic lol
OK Well I had packet in 1990 I also had/have an sx 64 Known then as a lugable I have 2 external drives. Used a Kantronics TNC. I was on the internet in 1989 "they" found me too snoopy and made me a bata tester for something called a browser for the WWW which is kind of sorta the internet. Before that it was text and Vax was used. The browser was called Mustang. When testing was done it became AOL. I also was there when they put AI on the Internet but that is another story and this is not the format for that. Thanks that was really cool to see that SX fired up I still have it along with a c-128.
I started out in 1982 with a Commodore VIC-20/tape drive and then later on the C64 and a 1541 floppy drive and 300 baud modem then moving up to a 1200 baud modem. I was dialing into bbs's back then. Then later on came Quantumlink. AOL started out as Quantumlink and it was a COMMODORE based service created with Commodore computers in mind, then after a few years they changed the name to AOL America On Line and switched to IBM pc based format. I was a member of Quantumlink and then AOL. Back then you dialed up a local number and connected to the service and then could go into the "internet" from there. Quantumlink basically was a stand alone service with files and information you could download as well as chat rooms and email, everything and more for Commodore computers. Apple wouldnt exist without Commodore because Commodore owned MOS Technologies, makers of the 6502 processor used in the first apple computers. Back in 1975/1976 MOS Technologies invented the prototype KIM-1 computer based on the 6502 processor, that was later developed into the PET series of computers and then the Commodore VIC-20. AOL wouldnt exist without Commodore because Commodore computers were the reason Quantumlink was started and then they became AOL. Microsoft wouldnt exist today if it wasnt for Commodore because Microsoft wrote the Commodore DOS operating system that was used in the Commodore PET computers and later Commodore computers. This large contract for Microsoft from Commodore gave microsoft the capital to invest in the company and when the IBM pc came along they could produce dos and later windows operating systems. Commodore had a lot of influence and effected the world of computers and shaped what we know today and many people do not remember or acknowledge what Commodore CBM contributed to brands and companies we know today. They were very innovative and had advanced capabilities. C64's were one of the most sold and used computers out of any model computer in the world hands down.
@@ModernHam Mustang was just on the Internet proper before there was a WWW. It never went to the WWW this was during the time when they were setting up the WWW. Once we were done I got put on AOL they took my Internet access away. I suspect the company had a lot to do with both. No one should use AOL if it is still in existence. The internet proper was Text only. I protested both AI on the internet and found a file I should not have seen. Got my furniture moved around and a debrief because of that file. I suspect that Dad's clearance and being in the company "Family" had something to do with me having access to the internet in the first place. I don't know how high he was in all that but one day he brought Warner von Braun to dinner, I was about 11-or 12 then. He was a electro-mechanical engineer did reverse engineering. Shrunk the AGC from the size of a house to about 18" x 18" in diameter . He was on the crew that reverse engineered the Mig 25? that defected to Japan in the 80's. Every space capsule and Shuttle has his fingerprints on it. When von Braun came to dinner he was on the Saturn 5 project. When he died they disappeared him as Mom put it. I have had NASA people look into finding some articles on him and with in 2 weeks they no longer know me. Ok NOW I probably said too much.
X.25 was not invented by or for hams in 1976. But AX.25 was implemented not long after X.25. Pactor is a HAM protocol and has been used for professional use too. The U.N. has used Pactor and the SCS modems for emcomm on HF. Sailmail is another use case for Pactor.
APRS is indeed very popular. I'm hoping to see a shift back to it with software TNCs. The next section of all of this will show off some very cool things you can do with it that might appeal to young people.
@@ModernHam Thank you very much. Have had so much trouble finding it. I have everything ready but the software so again, thank you. Subbed too of course :)
