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K3AF/Dca nodes information/operation
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GUIDE
Washington DC Area
The K3AF / DCA Nodes
K3AF DCA 145.07
Serving the Northern Virginia LAN, WD4HXG-7, KA4USE, KF4TE and N4PBE BBS.
Linking to the K4UW-6, NF4T-2, WJ4M-3 and VIENNA Kantronics Nodes. Serving
the K4UW-1, W9BVD-1, NF4T-1, N4LJZ-1, WA4ECM-1, W4NFA-1 and the WJ4M-1
Kantronics BBSs. Serving the KK4XO DX PacketCluster. Linking to the GARR7
node at Garrisonville. Linking to WOOD7 in Woodbridge, VA.
K3AF-1 DCA1 221.01
BBS uplink and secondary backbone channel linking north to #ELK2. Linking to
the BALTO (145.05) and BARC nodes in the Baltimore area. Linking south to
RICNDS and RICBBS, the WA4ONG Nodes/BBS in Richmond, Virginia. Connecting
to mail autoforwarding ports on the W3ZH and K4NGC BBS. Linking to FDK at
Frederick and the Maryland 145.09 packet community & KA3T BBS. Serving the
W3IWI VHF/HF forwarding BBS (which has full mail access on 145.05).
K3AF-2 DCA2 147.57
Directional link to the #MDMN node & the GOFAR satellite link to the
Minneapolis - St Paul area and the 145.01 Minnesota node network. Serving
the Minn. WB0GDB BBS through the #MNMD node, Serving the SEVERN Nodes and
SEVBBS.
K3AF-3 DCA3 446.075
Serving the N4QQ and WA3ZNW and ANNAP2 BBS. Link to the FDK4 node in
Frederick, MD which is 3-ported with FDK on 145.09 and #FDK2 node on 221.01.
Link to WNGTN2 in Warrenton, VA. Link to the INDY node which provides
connectivity to the STP node on 145.01 and then to WB4D BBS.
K3AF-4 DCA4 145.67
Wide area entry channel for user access to the the DCA nodes. There is
little digipeating, no other nodes and no major BBS operation on this
channel.
K3AF-5 WASHDC 28.103
World-wide 300 baud 10 meter FSK channel. Link to the KT6M-7 KaNode in Los
Angeles and the LA VHF network. Link to ENM10 in New Mexico.
K3AF-6 DCA6 441.00
User and BBS uplink. Serves the N2GTE FGGM/FMBBS, K1LNJ BWI/BWIBBS and
KA3DXX SEVERN/SEVBBS node/BBS.
K3AF-7 NATCAP 28.195
1200 baud 10 meter FSK channel beamed west. Link to AZSE node in Arizona
which links to the 145.01 network extending thru Arizona to Southern
California and the 145.05 network to Eureka in Northern CA. Serves the NJ7P
BBS through the BISBEE node.
K3AF-8 DCA8 50.61
Primary backbone link to the nodes at Elk Neck: ELK6, ELK 145.01, #ELK2
221.01 & #ELK70 438. These nodes link into PA and So NJ. Link to NAVY6 and
to NAVY1 on 145.01 in Annapolis and to BALTO6 in Baltimore. Soon to link
south to Richmond.
K3AF-9 DCA9 223.40
Adjunct to the 221.01 channel. To be operational soon.
K3AF-10 DCCONV
Access this node through the node network. The ConverseNode does not have
its own radio port. Supports multiple users on multiple channels or
conferences. Replaces the CQ feature of the network nodes. Useful also for
disaster/emergency and Amateur Public Service activities.
Node maps for east coast areas are available for downloading from the many
of the area full service packet BBS. Use the W command on these BBS for a
list of files to be downloaded.
There are eleven interconnected nodes and commands are: Connect, Info,
Nodes, Parms, Routes and Users. The INFO command will give a list of BBS
stations served and news items of immediate interest concerning node
interconnects. For further information, Connect DCA and then Connect NEWS.
The nodes use p-persistence rather than D-WAIT for improved channel sharing.
The nodes allow semi-permanent connects for disaster/emergency, Amateur
Public Service and other uses. Stations can remain connected to each other
for up to 12 hours without sending packets. Users should set their TNC to
AX25L2V2 - ON to utilize this service.
A Users' Manual for network nodes is available for download from the general
download area of the N4QQ, WD4HXG-7 and WA3ZNW (and other) BBS. It is a 46K
ASCII file and may be located in a sub-directory. Use the W command to
locate and then the D command to download.
The DCA nodes are an extension of the 145.07 Northern Virginia Local Area
Packet Network. The circuits provided by the nodes are designed to be shared
EQUALLY by ALL: BBS auto-forwarding, keyboard to keyboard and keyboard to
BBS using AX.25 code, TCP/IP code imbedded in AX.25 headers, DX Packet
Cluster, HF and VHF Gateway, NTS, Amateur Radio Public Service and other
amateur digital radio activities.
Consideration should be given to NOT downloading exceptionally long files
from a distant BBS that has been accessed through the backbone system during
hours of heavy circuit usage. Accessing the network ON the backbone
frequencies slows the flow of traffic for all users. Utilizing the
backbone to reach distant stations by accessing via a connecting node does
not materially affect the network and is, indeed, encouraged.
In the WashDC area, K4ADL operates the NEWS BBS. Connect with DCA2 and then
Connect NEWS. Current news items and points of interest in the WashDC area
are listed on NEWS. The NEWS BBS also contains amateur SwapNet items.
The interface to the DX Packet Cluster system is to KK4XO off the DCA node.
An amateur Callbook server is provided on the WA4ONG BBS (RICBBS) in
Richmond. It supplies names and addresses for U.S. amateur callsigns.
(There are no foreign listings or listing of club/military recreation
amateur callsigns) Connect with WA4ONG BBS (RICBBS) through the nodes and
send the command OS QTH (callsign). Or, a message requesting the address
information will return a message addressed to you with the information
within a few hours. It can be placed in an autoforwarding BBS and the reply
to you will be returned there. The message format is:
SP REQQTH @ WA4ONG - (callsign) @ (your forwarding BBS) For example:
SP REQQTH @ WA4ONG KD3FU,K3AKK,W9BVD @ N4QQ
/ex
Note that multiple addresses may be requested with the calls separated by
commas. There is no "text" in the message - only the address and the
subject line followed by /ex or Ctl-Z. This system is used most efficiently
if you combine several callsigns in a request rather than making multiple
requests.
A "real-time" Amateur callbook server is available locally on the KF4TE BBS
on 145.07, off the DCA node. After connecting, type OS QTH (call1) (call2)
and the server will return the information.
It should be noted that much of the BBS software used in this Mid-Atlantic
area is restricted in the number of simultaneous connectees. Thus, users
should plan their connect time to a BBS so as to maximize the use of the
port for all users. This means, simply, that during times of heavy use, a
BBS client should log on, do his business and log off. Only very short
messages should be composed "on-line" with a BBS unless the user is equipped
with only basic terminal equipment. If sufficiently equipped, a station
would compose messages "off-line" and then reconnect with the BBS and enter
a string of messages. The BBS software will support commands one after
another, with the user not waiting for prompts. Two or three messages can
be concantenated into the input of a BBS. Thus the user might store on disk
messages in this format:
S KD3FU @ N4QQ
Thanks for the info
Paul - I got your message last night and the information was invaluable.
Thanks. Dick - K3AKK @ N4QQ
/ex
Several messages can be entered serially to the BBS without waiting for
prompts. For users with MS-DOS machines, the combination of YAPP terminal
software and Borland's Sidekick is a very useful combination. Similar
programs exist for the Commodore. Even the Model 100 laptop can be used in
this manner to compose messages "off-line". It allows spelling and other
errors to be removed from text before transmission.
The most efficient flow of packets occurs when connecting direct to a
station or when connecting through MULTIPLE nodes. For example, entering
the system by connecting with DCA4, connecting with DCA3, then connecting
with N4QQ BBS, the packets are stored and buffered by two nodes enroute to
the BBS and there is no contention for a single channel by the user and the
BBS. When stations are within simplex range of each other and plan to
transfer lengthy files, consideration should be given to QSYing to an unused
packet channel rather than using the nodes. If nodes are utilized, there is
a more efficient flow of packets when stations are on different node
frequencies and the packets traverse the node "stack". Uplinking to a node
and then connecting to a station on the same channel usually is very
inefficient with many packet collisions. When digipeating through a node,
the node does NOT use p-persistence for channel sharing and the repeated
packets capture the channel to the detriment of other nodes and users. So,
it is better to connect and then connect again (preferably through cross
frequency nodes) rather than digipeat. The digipeat function is turned off
on DCA1, DCA4 and DCA6. It is turned on at the other nodes to accommodate
Mail Beacons by BBS and occasional use as a digipeater.
As nodes replace digipeaters across the country, it is becoming a rewarding
experience to connect and explore the packet system. The traffic on distant
BBS provide insights into the amateur packet activity in other areas. If
nodes are not available, it is usually not practical to access a BBS through
multiple digipeaters. Most BBS will refuse connects via more than 3
digipeaters, though there is no "counting" of the nodes traversed. The
intervening nodes buffer and append packets to make efficient use of the
network. The network is becoming very sophisticated and versatile.
K3AF is the Amateur call of USAF MARS station AIR and the nodes are
located at Silver Hill, MD (near Suitland). The antennas are mounted at the
the top of a 330 foot tower and are fed with 7/8" hardline, except for the
NATCAP node which uses a 3 element beam, at 40 feet, aimed west. The VHF
and UHF frequencies have an operating radius well in excess of 50 miles.
At the Silver Hill site, eleven TNC-200s are interconnected by a matrix of
diodes. The diode network functions as a small 9600 baud LAN with full
handshaking between the TNCs. The three 2 meter nodes use Azden PCS-3000s,
the 440 nodes use a Kenwood TM-401B and a TM-411B. The 220 node uses a ICOM
IC-38A and a Mirage 120 watt amplifier. The 223.4 node uses a Kenwood TM-
321. The 28.103 300 baud node uses a ICOM 730 with a AEA PM-1 HF adapter on
the TNC. The 28.195 1200 baud node uses a Drake TR-7 and its TNC-200 has the
N7CL modification for true tone Data Carrier Detection and variable
threshold DCD. There are several power supplies that provide a total of 200
amperes of current at 13.8 volts.
An omni 4-bay J-pole antenna is used (with a duplexer) for the 145.07 and
145.67 nodes. A three element beam pointed north is used for 147.57. The
two 440 nodes share an omni 4-bay J-pole through a duplexer. The 220 nodes
use an omni 4-bay J-pole through a duplexer. The 6 meter node uses a half-
wave vertical. The 300 baud 10 meter node uses a 1/4 wave groundplane
antenna with four radial elements. The 1200 baud 10 meter node is connected
to a three element beam pointed west.
24 hour a day monitoring and remote control of the equipment at Silver Hill
is provided by radio links and by leased telephone lines. Back-up power is
provided by auto-start diesel engine generators.
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Address inquiries and complaints to sysop:
Dick Wareing - K3AKK @ N4QQ
Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253
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