Firstly with the assistance of Pierre VE3FLO and Richard VE3CDO I have been able to erect a tower and a couple of antennas at the home QTH. I have a Ringo Ranger vertical at 35 ft and a 10 Element 2M beam at about 30 ft AGL.

So now that I can get out a bit better, I have installed NODE software on a PC at the home QTH replacing the Packet digi that we had installed at the VE3RLR repeater site.

So the home configuration now consists of a NODE on 145.010 VE3UIL-7 which connects North thru VE3XZT Almonte several stations up the valley towards Pembroke and east to West end Ottawa.

To the south through Ogdensburg we have connectivity to Kingston and various up-state New York packet NODES.

In addition VE3UIL-7 has connectivity to the Internet, and a variety of NODES world-wide. N9PMO Racine Wisconsin; N5IN Thief River Falls, Minn which also runs a DX Cluster,KC8GKF in Muskegon, Mich as well as G3LDI in Broadmoor Suffolk, UK are available. Connections to these NODES then provides world wide access to a variety of other NODES.

Also N9PMO provides a feed of packet bulletins generated world wide. Up to 100 messages a day are posted covering a variety of topics such as weather, satellite or DX information.

Since 145.010 Mhz is a main backbone route for all the packet NODES in this area, I have provided access to the VE3UIL-3 bulletin board on 145.070 Mhz. This frequency is intended for local access to the BBS as well as access to the network connectivity provided thru the NODE. In other words on this frequency you can connect to the BBS send and receive messages, read the packet bulletins, connect to the N5IN DX Cluster, or connect further thru to any of the NODES accessed thru the VE3UIL-7 switch.

The VE3UIL-3 BBS has full packet mail capability using the F6FBB software which has become a common standard around the world. With the Internet connectivity the "Whitepages" (the address book in the BBS) is quickly growing, with over 500 addresses world-wide listed.

One final facility that I have also added to the 145.070 Mhz frequency is a Winlink terminal VE3UIL-10. This service provides world wide access to Internet E mail services via amateur radio.

Anyone is welcome to try the system out. Spread the word around to other Amateur radio friends as well. If you are equipped for packet radio, give it a try. Access through the Internet is next on my list of things to do.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Mike - VE3UIL

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