XON   'n'   0-$7F   $11(^Q)   Character to start data flow
to the TNC
Parameters:
   'n' - 0 to 127 specifies an ASCII character code to be used as  
   the <XON> character.

Hierarchical Addressing

W0RLI, N6VV, and VE3GYQ have devised a scheme called HIERARCHICAL
ADDRESSING.  With hierarchical routing designators, we have an
opportunity to improve traffic routing.  No longer will a missing
call in a Bulletin Board System (BBS) forwarding file cause a
message to remain unforwarded; System Operators (SYSOPs) will no 
longer have to burn the midnight oil trying to keep their forward
files up to date, and messages will move much more  directly
toward their destination.

The format for hierarchical routing is:

addressee @ BBScall.#local area.state-province.country.continent 

It might look complicated, but it's not.  First, note that each
section of the format is separated by a period.  Codes used for
the continents and countries are standards, now accepted
throughout the world.  You should be able to find a list of them
in the file section of your BBS.  State and province codes are the
recognized two-character codes established by the American and
Canadian Post Offices.  These may be found in the Callbook, your
phone directory, or any zip code  listing.  Don't guess on the
state and province code if you aren't sure what it is, and make
sure you use only the two-letter abbreviation.  You could send the
message to the wrong state or province or keep it from being
forwarded altogether.  The code for the local area is optional,
since most of you have no idea what code is being used in upper 
New York state or in Iowa City, IA.  If you do know it, please use
it, since it will help get the message closer to where it's going. 
The code for Northern California is #NCA, and the code for
Southern California is #SCA.  You should use the appropriate one
in the signature line at the end of each message you send.  For
messages going outside of the US or Canada, the local area is
again optional and the state-province is not used.

Using the hierarchical format, here are some routing examples:

	WB9LOZ @ W6PW.#NCA.CA.USA.NOAM
	WB6LYI @ K6VE.#SCA.CA.USA.NOAM
	KC3XC @ N4QQ.MD.USA.NOAM
	VE3XYZ @ VE3RPT.ON.CAN.NOAM
	JA1ABC @ JA1KSO.#42.JPN.AS
	VK4AHD @ AX4BBS.AUS.OC

You'll note that the local area code is preceded by the octothorpe
(now, how's that for a $5 word?), better known as the number or
pound sign.  The reason is that the Japanese network, and possibly
other areas, use routing numbers for the local area, which could
get confused with zip and postal codes.  Using the # on all local
area codes will eliminate forwarding problems.

We need to emphasize two very important points: hierarchical
addressing DOES NOT indicate a forwarding PATH, and ONLY ONE BBS
call should be included in the address.  A list of BBS calls
separated by periods will not get  your message to its
destination.  In fact, it can cause your message to loop between
BBSs and your message probably won't be delivered.  The addressing 
scheme is said to be one area inside another area.


Using this hierarchical address as an example, WB9LOZ @
W6PW.#NCA.CA.USA.NOAM, here's how you would describe the
address: "WB9LOZ at W6PW which is in Northern California which is
in California which is in the USA which is in North America".

There are several BBS programs that implement hierarchical
addressing now, including the W0RLI, WA7MBL, AA4RE, MSYS and
WD6CMU software.  Check the ID block you receive when you log into
your BBS.  If it has an H in it, such as [RLI-11.11-CH$] or
[4RE-02.10-HM$], your system supports it.

USING THE HIERARCHICAL ADDRESS: This next section explains how the
BBS software uses the hierarchical addressing scheme.  We first
have to understand how the software goes about matching items in
the "@ BBS" address with items in the forward file.  For an
example, let's say that we send a message to Tom, W3IWI, who
operates his own BBS and is located near Baltimore, Maryland.  

We would enter:

	SP W3IWI @ W3IWI.MD.USA.NOAM

If the only entries in the forward file are California BBSs plus a
list of state abbreviations, let's see how the message would be
forwarded.  The first thing the software does is attempt to find a
match between the items in the forward file and the left-most item
in the address field.  In our case, it would not find W3IWI.  If
there isn't a match, it then moves to the next section to the
right.  It would find MD and that match would allow the message to
be forwarded.  If it had found the call W3IWI, that entry would
take precedence (because it is more left in the field than MD) and
would of course also ensure delivery.

Here are some comments from the ones who devised the hierarchical addressing:

   "There is another added benefit to this scheme.  It involves    
   "gatewaying" between the BBS world and other networks, such as  
   Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) via    
   the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).  Much of the pioneer 
   work in setting up the gatewaying protocols has been done by    
   NN2Z, N3EUA, and PA0GRI, amongst others.  The W0RLI BBS        
   package allows for the forwarding of mail between the Amateur  
   Radio BBS world and the commercial SMTP world.  Of note is the  
   fact that the WA7MBL package  has allowed such message          
   exporting and importing for some time now.  This means that we  
   can take advantage of the TCP/IP host-names and their domain    
   or hierarchical format for forwarding."

   "Thus it is possible to send mail from the BBS to VE3BTZ as     
   ve3btz@pc.ve3btz.ampr.org or from SMTP to 
   w0rli@w0rli.or.usa.noam and not have any ambiguity."

   "The authors hope that this paper will serve as a starting      
   place for improved message routing by means of implicit         
   routing.  Low-level (VHF) BBSs need only maintain state or      
   province or country codes for distant BBSs, and route such      
   traffic to their nearest HF Gateway.  In turn, the HF station   
   routes it to the desired state, where the receiving Gateway     
   station would have a detailed list of the BBSs it serves."

The Goal of the MSDOS Training Section

The goal of this MSDOS section is to provide you with "survival"
skills which will enable you to properly configure and use the
paKet Program described later in this course.

What is MSDOS?

MSDOS stands for MicroSoft Disk Operating System.  We will also
refer to it as DOS (Disk Operating System). 

Since Microsoft Corporation has done most of the delopment work
over the years, the word MSDOS appropriately gives Microsoft
Corporation credit for the work they have done.

If you were to research the history of MSDOS, it would take on
many of the characteristics of a daytime television soap opera. 
In the early 1980s, Bill Gates of Microsoft Corporation marketed
his MSDOS product so cleverly that IBM felt compelled to come up
with their own version called PCDOS in order to increase their
revenues.  From now on whenever we refer to DOS, we will be
referring to the Microsoft Corporation version of MSDOS which 
is used on PCs as a primary operating system.

There have been many "incarnations" of DOS, the latest of which at
this time is version 6.22.  Our training will be correct for all
versions from 5.0 to 6.22 except as noted.  If the version of DOS
that you are using precedes 5.0, we recommend that you upgrade.

How Much MSDOS Do I HAVE to Know?

Very few people buy their PCs to learn MSDOS.  Usually they buy
their PCs so that they can use software that  pertains to a hobby
or business need.  So many times we have heard "I just want to
learn about Packet Radio, NOT MSDOS.  Unfortunately, chances are
you can't use Packet Radio efficiently without learning SOME DOS.

We understand how overwhelming it is when you buy your first PC. 
There are so many things you have to learn all at once! 
 
Your instructor for this section will attempt teach only those "MSDOS
Survival Skills" which are needed in a "byte sized" 3-4 hour session.

This is not meant to be a comprehensive MSDOS course, but from
this course you should be able to gain enough knowledge to move on
to the other Packet Radio essentials without coming up against an
MSDOS "roadblock".

   NOTE:   From now on, whenever you see <Enter> that      
	   means you press the ENTER key.  If you see              
	   <F10>, you press the <F10> key.  If you 
	   see <Alt-F1> then you press the <Alt>   
	   key and while continuing to hold the Alt key down, you  
	   press the <F1> key.

What is a File?

EVERYTHING in MSDOS is saved as a file.  Each file has a name and
a location on the disk (or diskette).  The name of the file, the
directory that it is in and the location of the beginning and the
end of the file is stored in a "special" place at the beginning of
the disk(ette) called the File Allocation Table (FAT) which is
"invisible" to you, the user.

What is a Path?

Prior to DOS 2.0, all files were in one gigantic, messy directory.

Beginning with DOS 2.0, it became possible to include the "path"
of the file along with the "name".  For  example, the file called
"PAKET.EXE" is really "C:\PAKET\PAKET.EXE".  Thus, the name of the
file includes the "path" where the file is located along with the
name.

The concept of "Path" is an area of great difficulty to many new
MSDOS users but it is of great importance, so we  will include
this in our training.

In the AUTOEXEC.BAT file you can tell your computer where to
"look" for important files using the PATH  command. 

What Happens When I "Boot" My Computer?

When you "boot" your computer, a number of things take place,
depending whether you "soft booted" or "hard booted" your
computer.

   Soft Boot 

      A "Soft Boot" occurs when you hit the <Ctrl-Alt-Del> keys.   
      A "soft boot" bypasses the Power-On Self-Test (POST),       
      skipping some of the hardware initialization routines.

   Hard Boot 

      A "Hard Boot" occurs when you turn off the power switch and  
      then turn it on again after waiting approximately 5-10       
      seconds.  This is the best way to "Boot" in that it          
      completely resets all hardware and software parameters,      
      most importantly the Serial Ports used by your Packet Radio  
      TNC and/or modem.  If you are having problems with your TNC  
      and/or modem this is the best kind of "boot" to use.

No matter which way you "boot" your computer, the CONFIG.SYS and
the AUTOEXEC.BAT files are processed automatically.  These two
files contain much of the memory management commands as well as
other commands which are meant to be processed automatically
during the "boot" process.  The CONFIG.SYS and the AUTOEXEC.BAT
files can be changed or "edited" to suit your needs.  If editing
these files is needed, we recommend that an MSDOS expert be
consulted.

The "Root" Directory

One of the most frustrating things for an MSDOS expert happens
when a new trainee calls you on the telephone to ask for help and
they don't know which directory they are in.  You say "Are you in
the 'Root' directory" or "Go  to the 'Root' directory" and they
don't know what you are talking about.  What is the "Root"
directory, anyway?

There is only one "root" directory on each drive.  It is the
"main" directory of the hard disk or diskette.  You can be sure
that you are in the "root" directory by CAREFULLY typing:

		CD\ <Enter>

All other directories "spring" from the "root" directory.  The
trainee should be able to tell from the DOS prompt which directory
they are in.

If the DOS prompt says:

   C:\>

chances are, they are in the "root" directory (assuming that the
PROMPT $P$G command was invoked in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file).

If the DOS prompt says:

   C:\DOS

then chances are, the user is in the DOS directory, NOT the "Root"
directory.

Getting MSDOS Help

To get help from the MSDOS prompt, just type:

   HELP <Enter>

This will take you into a special Help program.  You will see a
main screen with generalized listing of possible Help topics.

You can use your mouse or your <Tab> keys to select the topic for
you need help and then after the topic is  highlighted, press the
<Enter> key for details.  When you are done, click with
your mouse on FILE EXIT or  using keys, type <Alt-F> <X> to exit
back to the DOS prompt.

If you need help on a specific topic, for example the DIR command,
you would type:

   HELP DIR <Enter>

This will skip the main screen an take you directly to the DIR
command details.

Formatting a Diskette

The proper syntax for the FORMAT command is:

   FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/F:size][/B|/S] [/C]     

You should NEVER format a hard drive (usually Drive C: or Drive D:), 
unless you have a backup of some sort. 

You CAN format floppy drives, but you should be aware of the
physical size and the software limitations for the floppy drives
on your particular PC.  These limitations are determined by
"hardware".  If you have any questions about your "hardware
limitations", ask your local PC expert.

Changing Drives

Changing drives is easy.  You simply type in the drive you wish to
change to followed by a colon (:) and then press <Enter>:

Let us say that you want to change over to drive A:

   You type A:<Enter>

It is important that you place a diskette in drive A: BEFORE you
attempt to change drives or you will get an error message which
will look this:

		Not ready error reading drive A                    
		Abort, Retry, Fail?

It is easy to make this mistake.  If it happens, just place a
formatted diskette in drive A and type R (for Retry). 

The Tree Command

The Tree Command gives you a visual "picture" of the directory of
your drive.  It should be invoked from the "root" directory for
best results.

The tree Command is most expeditiously used in versions 5.0 or
above of MSDOS.

The Tree Command has changed dramatically from DOS version 5.0 to
6.22.  If your "version" of DOS precedes  5.0, the Tree Command
may be of limited use to you.

Getting a Directory Listing

You will use the DIR command to find out what files are on a
disk(ette) or more precisely, in a directory.

   DIR A: <Enter>            will give you a directory of    
			     all of the files on A:

   DIR B:*.wk1 <Enter>       will give you a directory of    
			     all the LOTUS 1-2-3 worksheets  
			     on drive B:

   DIR C:\123\*.EXE <Enter>  will give you a directory of    
			     all the files with a suffix of  
			     .EXE in the C:\123 directory.

The DIR Command has some "options" which can be VERY useful.

Let us say that you know that there is a file called MYFIL.TXT
somewhere on your hard disk, but you can't remember exactly which
directory it is in.  To find the file MYFIL.TXT ANYWHERE ON YOUR
HARD DISK, you would type from the "Root" directory:

   DIR MYFIL.TXT /S

The DIR command would look for the file MYFIL.TXT in the root
directory INCLUDING all of the subdirectories until it found
MYFIL.TXT.

Sometimes, when you use the DIR command (especially from the
"Root" directory, you may find that the list of files is so large
that it "scrolls" off the top of the screen.  Is there a way to
look at all of the files ONE PAGE AT A TIME?  The answer is YES,
using the /P parameter.  Let us say that you want to look at EVERY
SINGLE FILE ON THE HARD DISK C: and you want to "pause" at the end
of each screen, so that you have an opportunity to see everything
as it goes by.

First, you get into the "root" directory:

		CD\

Then type DIR *.* /S /P

The *.* parameter says "look at every file".  The /S parameter
says "look at subdirectories too" and the /P parameter says "gimme
one screen at a time".

Moving Around From Directory to Directory on Your Hard Disk

The command for changing directory is CD.  Let's say you are in
the root directory of your hard drive, which looks like this C:\>,
and you want to go into the LOTUS 1-2-3 directory, which looks
like this C:\123>.  You type at the DOS prompt CD 123 <Enter>.  
Now your prompt will look like this:    
   C:\123>

Some other examples are:

   Prompt                                          Prompt
   Before           You Type This                  After

   C:\123>          CD\ <Enter>                    C:\>
   C:\123>          CD C:\DOS <Enter>              C:\DOS>
   C:\123>          CD.. <Enter>                   C:\>
   C:\>             CD WP51\DATA <Enter>           C:\WP51\DATA>      
   C:\WP51\DATA>    CD.. <Enter>                   C:\WP51> 

Copying Files

The command for copying a file is COPY.  If you want to copy a
file called filename.txt from your A: drive to your B: drive, you
can type COPY A:FILENAME.TXT B: <Enter>.

If you are a copying file from the A: drive to your C: drive,
first go to the directory on the C: drive where you want the file
copied using the CD command as described above.  For example,
let's say that you want to copy the file named filename.txt in
drive A: to your DW4 directory.  First you get into the DW4
directory by typing CD DW4  <Enter>.  Now your prompt will
look like this C:\DW4>.  Now type COPY A:filename.txt
<Enter>.  Here are some other ways you can use the COPY
command:

   You Type This           This is what happens

   COPY A:*.* B:           All files are copied to drive B:        
   COPY A:f*.* B:          All files beginning with F are copied   
			   to B:
   COPY B:m*.wk1* A:       All files beginning with M and which    
			   have a suffix of .WK1 are copied to A:.

Another way to make shortcuts is using the wildcard, which is the
question mark (?).  Let's pretend that you have these files on a
diskette in drive A: 

   ABCDEFGH.TXT            ABDEFGHI.TXT            ABCRRRRR.RRR    
   ABCJJDGH.TXT            HBCDEFGH.DOC

You type COPY A:ABC?????.??? B:

These files are copied to drive B:

    ABCDEFGH.TXT           ABCRRRRR.RRR            ABCJJDGH.TXT

(All of these files begin with ABC)

Now, if you type COPY ABC?????.TXT, only ABCDEFGH.TXT and
ABCJJDDGH.TXT will be copied over to drive B:, because only these
files begin with ABC and have a suffix of .TXT!  If you were to
type COPY  A:???D???H.???, files ABCDEFGH.TXT and HBCDEFGH.DOC
would be copied because they are the only files with D as the
fourth character and H as the eighth character of the name.

These "masks" (the * and the ?) can be used in many other commands
besides the COPY command and they can be VERY useful. 

Deleting Files

The DEL or ERASE command is very much like the copy command.  It
can be used in two ways:

	DEL A:filename.txt
		or
	ERASE A:filename.txt

If, for example you wanted to delete all of the LOTUS 1-2-3
spreadsheets in the C:\123> directory, you would type:

	DEL C:\123\*.wk1 or ERASE C:\123\*.wk1

The wildcard (?) can be used as described in the section on the
COPY command:

	DEL C:\WP51\DATA\G???????.DOC

This would delete all files beginning with the letter "G" that
have a suffix of .DOC

Creating a Directory

The command for creating a directory is MD, which is short for
"make a directory".  In order to create a directory, YOU SHOULD
BE IN THE ROOT DIRECTORY.  For example, if you wanted to create a
directory for your DisplayWrite 4 program files, you would first
get into the root directory of drive C: (if you're not already
there) by typing CD\ <Enter>.  The DOS prompt should
always look this on a hard drive -- C:\> before you begin to 
create a directory.  Once you have verified that you are in the
root directory, you type MD DW4 (or MKDIR DW4).  This will create
a directory C:\DW4> which can be used for your DisplayWrite 4
files (directories can be created from directories other than the
root directory, but it is my recommendation that you hold off on
doing this until you have had a little more experience).

If you want to create a subdirectory in the DW4 directory
(for your DW4 documents, for example) you can type this from the
root directory:

	MD C:\DW4\DOC

Removing a Directory

Before removing a directory with the RD (or RMDIR) command, YOU
MUST FIRST DELETE ALL OF THE FILES IN THE DIRECTORY.  Get into the
directory with the CD command and delete all of the files with the 
DEL *.* command.  Now go to the root directory with the CD\
command and type RD and the name of the  directory name.  Let's
say that you decide that you want to take the WordPerfect files
off of your hard disk:

Type CD WP51 <Enter> to get into the WordPerfect directory.  
Your prompt will look like this 
   C:\WP51>

Type DEL *.* <Enter>  The screen will ask you, "ARE YOU SURE? (y/n)"

If you respond with "y" (for yes) and then press <Enter>,
all of the files will be deleted in that directory.

Now you must go back to your root directory using the CD\ command. 
you can verify that you are in your root directory by looking at
your DOS prompt, which should look like this: C:\>

Now you can remove the directory by typing RD WP51 <Enter>.

There are two more rules that you need to remember when you plan
to remove directories:

   1)   You cannot remove the root directory.

   2)   You must remove subsub directorie(s) before you can remove 
	a sub directory.  For example, if you have a C:\DW4\DOC    
	directory, you must first remove the C:\DW4\DOC directory  
	before you can remove the C:\DW4 directory.  We know that  
	this may be a little confusing at first, but it will       
	begin to make more sense after you have gained a little    
	more experience.

The Goal of the paKet Program Section 

The goal of this paKet Program Section will be to provide you with
background training about configuring and using the paKet Program.

In Ventura County, a situation exists which greatly simplifies and
potentially enhances Packet Radio training when compared with
other areas.  The overwhelming majority of our TNCs are Kantronics
Communicator-3 (KPC-3) TNCs and likewise, most people are using
the paKet Program communications software.  If you were to look at
other areas outside of Ventura County, you would find a more
heterogenous mixture of different TNCs and communications 
software packages.

Because of our unique pattern of consistency with regard to our
KPC-3 TNCs and the use of the paKet Program software, we are not
limited to generalities in our training in order to address every
hardware/software combination.  Instead, we have an opportunity to
provide focused training on the KPC-3 TNC and the paKet Program
software with some assurance that our training will be relevant to
the vast majority of our students.

Do NOT be alarmed if you don't have a KPC-3 TNC!  In addition to
the Kantronics KPC-3, the paKet Program will work on a variety of
TNCs such the Kantronics KAM, KPC-1, KPC-2, KPC-4, KPC-2400, the
Baycom, the PK-88, the PK-232MBX, the MFJ-1270, MFJ-1274,
MFJ-1278 and the DSP-12 to name a few.

In fact, the paKet Program will work on just about any TNC, so
long as its command set is based on the TAPR TNC-2 standard.  You
will have to look long and hard to find a TNC which is NOT based
on this standard!

What is the paKet Program?

The paket Program is just one of many programs which are available
to be used for Packet Radio.  We are only teaching the paKet
Program in this course because it is widely used in Ventura County
and because it works with a range of TNCs.  Because of time
constraints, it would be impractical (if not impossible!) to teach
all of the different software packages.

The paKet Program was written with 2-meter Packet Radio in mind. 
In some instances, such as with the multi-mode  TNCs, you will
need to use the manufacturer's proprietary software in order to
utilize some of the higher functions such as Weather Fax (WEFAX).  

While using the paKet Program with a multi-mode TNC, you will be 
pretty much confined the 2-meter Packet Radio mode.  You can always 
switch to the TNC manufacturer's proprietary software for the "fancy stuff".

Hardware Requirements

	A spare serial port on your computer

	A TNC and power supply

	A serial cable with the proper adapters to connect the TNC 
	to the computer serial port

	Customized cable(s) to connect your radio to your TNC

Installing the paKet Program Software

WARNING!!

Some knowledge of MSDOS is required for proper installation of the
paKet program software.  At a minimum, you  should know how to
make directories using the MD command, copy files using the COPY
command and get a directory listing using the DIR command.  You
should also be familiar with the SHAREWARE program PKUNZIP, how 
to change drives and have available a copy of the NORTON Editor or
some other line editor which can work in a "limited" memory
environment.

If you do NOT have a basic knowledge of MSDOS and/or the resources
listed above, we recommend that you enlist the aid of a friend who
has more experience.  Please do NOT call your friend at 10:00PM,
expecting to be "walked" through the installation process over the
telephone in five minutes.  Be considerate.  Invite your friend
over, have some fudge brownies and some cold milk available.  Set
aside an hour for installation and testing.

Getting a Copy of the paKet Program Software

The paKet Program Software is available on the ARRL "landline" BBS
at:

	(203) 666-0578

You can get a copy locally by calling one of your instructors.

Disk Requirements:

We recommend that the paKet program be installed on a hard disk
and that is what we are going to cover in our training.  However,
it is possible to install the program on floppy disks with the
following:

If you are Installing to a Hard Disk or 1.44MB diskette:           
   It should all fit on the one volume (if space is available!).

If you are Installing to a 1.2MB diskette:
   It should all fit on the one diskette but you might have to     
   delete a couple of the miscellaneous files or utilities         
   included with paKet.

If you are Installing to 720K diskette:
   You will need 2 blank diskettes;

If you are Installing to 360K diskette (not recommended):          
   You will need to have 3 or 4 blank diskettes available,         
   depending on the options chosen.  The later versions cannot be  
   run on 360K diskettes.  You will have to use an older version   
   to do this.

UnZipping the Original File

What you will start out with will be a single, very large file
called something like this:

	PAKET61.ZIP

It could be called a number of other things, depending what
version it is and also how it was prepared.  The numbers in the
name above indicate that the example is version 6.1 of the paKet
Program software.  The suffix (ZIP) indicates the file is
compressed in the PKZIP format.  The PKZIP format is the most
common format, because it is very efficient at compressing the
file to the smallest possible size.

In order to uncompress the huge file into the smaller files needed
for the installation process, you will have a copy of 
PKUNZIP.EXE, a SHAREWARE program available from:

PKWARE, Inc.
9025 North Deerwood Drive
Brown Deer, WI  53223

Copies of PKUNZIP are available locally.  If you don't have a
copy, contact one of your instructors.

Step # 1

   From your root directory at the DOS prompt create a temporary   
   directory using the MD command.  You may name the temporary     
   directory anything you want, but DON'T name it PAKET!

   Assuming that your hard drive is drive C, for example:

      C:\> MD PTEMP <Enter>

    NOTE:   From now on, whenever you see <Enter> that     
	    means you press the ENTER key.  If you see             
	    <F10>, you press the <F10> key.  If    
	    you see <Alt-F1> then you press the            
	    <Alt> key and while continuing to hold the     
	    <Alt> key down, you press the <F1>     
	    key.

Step # 2

   Now get into the temporary directory you created by typing CD  
   PTEMP:

      C:\> CD PTEMP <Enter>

   The DOS prompt will now look like this:

      C:\PTEMP>

   If your DOS prompt DOESN'T look like that, type PROMPT $P$G    
   <Enter>

   Please remain in this directory for the next three steps.
   
Step # 3

   Now copy the PKUNZIP.EXE file into the C:\PTEMP directory.  If, 
   for example, the PKUNZIP.EXE file was on a floppy in drive a,   
   you would type:

      COPY A:\PKUNZIP.EXE C:\PTEMP <Enter>

Step # 4

   Now to we will unzip the PAKET61.ZIP file.  Let us say that the 
   PAKET61.ZIP file is on a floppy disk in drive a.  From the      
   C:\PTEMP directory, type:

      PKUNZIP A:\PAKET61 <Enter>

Step # 5

   Now you are ready to run the paKet Program software INSTALL     
   program.

   Before you do this, make sure that your hardware is ready; that 
   the serial cable is connected to your TNC and your computers    
   serial port and that your TNC is powered up before you do this. 
   Also, connect the customized cable(s) that go between the       
   radio and the TNC and turn the radio to a packet simplex        
   frequency i.e., 145.030 or 145.710.

   From your temporary C:\PTEMP directory type:

      INSTALL <Enter>

   The INSTALL program is fairly self-explanatory.  At the         
   beginning you will have an opportunity to read some documents   
   which will be useful to you during the installation process and 
   later when you are using the program.  We recommend that you    
   take your time (as does the author of the paKet Program) and    
   peruse them.  When you are done reading the documentation       
   material press  to move on to the next step.  DO NOT hit   
   the <Esc> key, or you will be bumped back to the DOS    
   prompt.  If you accidently hit the  <Esc> key during    
   the installation process, you will have to start the INSTALL    
   program over from the beginning.

   Later, the INSTALL program will ask you for some important      
   information about your link between your TNC and your computer; 
   COM Port #, Baud Rate, etc.  Try to answer this information as  
   best you can  now, but you will be able to change these         
   parameters later if need be.  We will be discussing this data   
   in more detail later when we discuss "Configuring the paKet  
   Program Setup".

   Towards the end of the INSTALL program, you will be asked for   
   your callsign and your Serial Number. 

   Type in your callsign.  If you haven't registered your copy of  
   the paKet Program software, you won't have a Serial Number      
   yet.  Not to worry.  Just press the <Enter> key for     
   now.  You can register later after you have had an opportunity  
   to evaluate the software.

   After the INSTALL program has run its course, you will find     
   yourself back at the DOS prompt in the C:\PAKET directory.

   From now on, whenever you want to run the paKet Program you     
   will first get into the C:\PAKET directory and just type PAKET  
   <Enter>.

Example of Creating the paKet Program Subdirectories From DOS

While we are back to the DOS prompt, let's take care of some
housekeeping.  We are going to want to store our incoming and
outgoing Packet Radio files in some sort of logical way so that
everything doesn't get all lumped up in one giant messy directory. 
To achieve this, we are going to create some subdirectories using
the MD (make directory) command.  We are going to assume that your
paKet Program is in the default C:\PAKET directory for now.

First go to the ROOT directory by typing CD\ <Enter>

Now your DOS prompt will look like this:

   C:\>

Next we will create the default directories the system uses when
we receive an ASCII text file or when we send one.  Before we do
this, we need to pause a moment and think about how we want to do
this so that it reflects your needs as a user.  Ask yourself the
following questions:

   1)   Do I feel comfortable copying files from one directory to  
	another in the DOS environment?

   2)   Am I a file "security" freak?

If the answer was YES to both of these questions, then we
recommend that you type the following using the DOS  MD (Make
Directory) command:

   MD C:\PAKET\TRECV <Enter>
   MD C:\PAKET\TSEND <Enter>

	OR

If your answers to the questions above included one or more NOs,
then VERY CAREFULLY type:

   MD C:\PAKET\TEXT <Enter>

Next we will create the default directories the system uses when
we receive or send a binary file.  If the answer was YES to both
of the questions asked above, then we recommend that you type the
following using the DOS MD (Make Directory) command:

   MD C:\PAKET\BRECV <Enter>
   MD C:\PAKET\BSEND <Enter>

	OR

If your answers to the questions above included one or more NOs,
then VERY CAREFULLY type:

   MD C:\PAKET\BINARY <Enter>

Then continue with the following commands in a like manner:

   MD C:\PAKET\LOG <Enter>
   MD C:\PAKET\PMS <Enter>
   MD C:\PAKET\SCRIPTS <Enter>

After you have individually typed all of the commands listed
above, go back into the C:\PAKET directory by typing:

   CD PAKET <Enter>

Configuring the paKet Program with <Alt-Z>

Get into the C:\PAKET directory and type PAKET <Enter>

Now Type <Alt-Z>

NOTE:   When you type <Alt-Z> <Enter>, you will    
	see on our screen what is called a "pop up" menu.  In this 
	"pop-up" menu and others which are available in the paKet  
	Program you will be given selections or "options" to guide 
	you.  You will use the <Up-Arrow> and/or the       
	<Down-Arrow> keys to select the "option" you are   
	interested in and then press the <Enter> key to    
	goto the "option" you have selected.  When you have        
	finished, and wish go close the "pop up" menu and save     
	your changes (if you made any changes) just press the      
	<Esc> key.  You may have to press the              
	<Esc> more than one time to close all of the "pop  
	up" menus which were opened.

   Option 1 -- Serial Port 

      COM Port 

	 Starting with the COM Port, press <Enter> to      
	 toggle from COM1 to COM2, COM3, COM4 and back again.      
	 Only those COM ports actually recognized by your system   
	 will be offered, so if you do not have a COM3 port        
	 installed you will not be given that option!

      Baud Rate 

	 Pressing <Enter> on the baud rate field will      
	 cycle through the valid values which range from 50 baud   
	 to 19200 baud (9600 baud is recommended).

	 This option sets your COMPUTER's serial port baud rate;   
	 the TNC also has a baud rate setting which must match the 
	 value chosen here.

      Parity and Data Bits

	 You may set Parity and Data Bits to any of the displayed  
	 values but paKet prefers a setting of No Parity and 8     
	 Data Bits. So unless you have special reason to change,   
	 please set Parity to None. You will notice the Data Bits  
	 parameter will automatically be set to the correct value.

      Stop Bits

	 Stop Bits would normally be set to 1.

   Option 5 -- KB Macros/Auto commands 

      Option 2 -- Begin Auto Commands  

	 The "Begin Auto Command" is an optional command that may  
	 be sent to the TNC when paKet is  starting up.  We        
	 recommend that you type in the following here:

	    MON ON ^M <Enter>                              
	    CMSG ON ^M <Enter>

	 Press <Esc> to save

      Option 3 -- End Auto Commands

	 The "End Auto Command" is an optional command that may be 
	 sent to the TNC when paKet is proceeding to shut down.    
	 We recommend that you type in the following here:

	    MON OFF ^M <Enter>                             
	    CMSG PBBS ^M <Enter>

	 Press <Esc> to save

   Option 8 -- Directories and Files

      Default paKet Directory

	 There are a number of miscellaneous files used by         
	 paKet and these files should be included in this          
	 default paKet directory.  The easy way to manage          
	 this is to make this entry the same as the                
	 directory where you have the paKet program,               
	 PAKET.EXE and its configuration file, PAKET.CFG.

      Text Recv directory

	 You should use the SAME directory name here that          
	 you used in "Example of Creating the paKet Program        
	 Subdirectories From DOS".  This is the default            
	 directory the system uses when we receive an ASCII        
	 text file.

	 When you press the <F6> key to receive a          
	 text file, paKet will pop up the Directory Window         
	 showing this "Text Recv" directory as the default         
	 directory, but you can select any                         
	 drive/directory/filename you wish.  If you choose         
	 to override the default "Text Recv" directory, you        
	 have to be careful to use the EXACT NAMES that were       
	 used when the directories were created from DOS.

	    For example C:\PAKET\TRECV\


      Text Send directory

	 You should use the SAME directory name here that          
	 you used in "Example of Creating the paKet Program        
	 Subdirectories From DOS".  The first time you press       
	 <F5> to send a text file, paKet will pop          
	 up a Directory Window displaying this "Text Send          
	 directory". If the file you want to send is in some       
	 other drive or directory, you can change the              
	 display to show that other drive and or directory         
	 to help you select the file.

	     For example C:\PAKET\TSEND\

	 NOTE:   You may wish to use the same directory name       
	 for Text Recv and Text Send.  For example:

	    Text Recv directory     C:\PAKET\TEXT\

	    Text Send directory     C:\PAKET\TEXT\

	 Using the same directory to store both Text Recv          
	 and Text Send files is recommended by some because        
	 of simplicity and ease of use later on when you           
	 learn how to receive and send text files on a disk.

	 However, the price you pay for taking this easier         
	 and simpler route is a "compromise" in text file          
	 "security".

	 If you are DOS "literate" and if you are "security        
	 oriented", you will probably wish to keep the Text        
	 Recv and the Text Send directories separate by            
	 giving them separate unique names.

	 If you are new to DOS and/or if you aren't                
	 particularly worried about text file "security",          
	 then you will probably wish to use the same               
	 directory to store both Text Recv and Text Send           
	 files.  You do this by giving the Text Recv               
	 directory and the Text Send directory the same            
	 name

      Binary Recv directory

	 You should use the SAME directory name here that you used 
	 in "Example of Creating the paKet Program Subdirectories 
	 From DOS".  This is the directory the system uses when we 
	 receive a Binary File.

	    For example C:\PAKET\BRECV\


      Binary Send directory

	 You should use the SAME directory name here that you used 
	 in "Example of Creating the  paKet Program Subdirectories 
	 From DOS".  This is the directory the system uses when we 
	 send a Binary File.

	    For example C:\PAKET\BSEND\

	 NOTE:   You may wish to use the same directory name for   
	 Binary Recv and Binary Send.  For example:

	    Binary Recv directory           C:\PAKET\BINARY\       
	    Binary Send directory           C:\PAKET\BINARY\

	 Using the same directory to store both Binary Recv and    
	 Binary Send files is recommended by some because of       
	 simplicity and ease of use later on when you learn how to 
	 receive and send binary files on a disk.

	 However, the price you pay for taking this easier         
	 and simpler route is a "compromise" in Binary file        
	 "security".

	 If you are DOS "literate" and if you are "security        
	 oriented", you will probably wish to keep the Binary      
	 Recv and the Binary Send directories separate by          
	 giving them separate unique names.

	 If you are new to DOS and/or if you aren't                
	 particularly worried about text file "security",          
	 then you will probably wish to use the same               
	 directory to store both Binary Recv and Binary Send       
	 files.  You do this by giving the Binary Recv             
	 directory and the Binary Send directory the same          
	 name

      Log File directory 

	 This is the default directory the system uses for the     
	 disk log file.

	    For example C:\PAKET\LOG\

      PMS Directory

	 There are two files maintained by the system for the PMS, 
	 one to contain the messages themselves (PAKETPMS.DAT)    
	 and the other for an index into the message system        
	 (PAKETPMS.IDX).  The directory specified here is where    
	 these files will reside.

	    For example C:\PAKET\PMS\

      Scripts directory

	 Your Scripts may be stored in any directory because when  
	 you press <Alt-S> to run a paKet Script, a        
	 Directory Window will pop up to help you select the       
	 desired Script file, and you can swap and change until    
	 you find the right directory.

	    For example C:\PAKET\SCRIPTS\   

   Option 9 -- Miscellaneous Options

      Station Callsign and Operator's Name

	 Make sure to tell the paKet Program who you are!!  Your   
	 callsign is REQUIRED.

      AUTO LOG (on while connected)

	 Set this to No for now.

Using the paKet Program Software

Getting Help and Exiting the paKet Program.

   It is our training philosophy that first and foremost a new     
   paKet user needs to learn how to get help when needed and how   
   to escape back to DOS at the end of a session.  We believe that 
   knowing how to do these things will enable you to be more       
   relaxed and confident while you are learning the basic skills.  
   We are going to place these issues in a separate category to   
   emphasize their importance and then we will move on to other    
   subjects.

Display Online Manual -- <Alt-F1>

   Pressing this key will bring up paKet's Online Manual Window    
   which reveals the entire contents of the paKet Manual.

   The Manual is indexed and the index will appear for you to      
   select a topic. Move the highlight bar with the <Up-        
   Arrow>, <Down-Arrow>, , ,         
   <Home> or <End> keys to the desired topic, then 
   press <Enter> to select that topic.

   Once a particular topic is selected the full text for that      
   section of the Manual will be displayed and you may  scroll up  
   or down as desired.

   When you have finished with that section, press <Esc>   
   to return to the Index to select another topic. If you have     
   finished with the Online Manual, press <Esc> to return  
   to normal communications.

TNC - Specific Help -- <F10>

   This feature will load the TNC Help file and will display a     
   window showing the available commands for your TNC.

   The TNC Help file that is displayed is the one specified in the 
   Configuration - Directories and Files Window.  Several TNC Help 
   Files are supplied with paKet so be sure to specify the file    
   best suited to your TNC.

   The TNC Help File Window will display a list of all the         
   commands for this TNC and this may be all you need to choose    
   the desired command. If so, press <Esc> to return to    
   normal communications.

   For more detail on any of these commands, highlight the desired 
   command and press <Enter>. When finished with this      
   Detail display press <Esc> to return to the main TNC    
   Help file list. Then select another item to display or press    
   <Esc> to return to normal communications.

   Further details of this display are available in the section on 
   "TNC Help Window".

Exit the paKet Program -- <Alt-X>

   This command returns you to the operating system. Any files     
   that were open will be closed automatically.

   To guard against inadvertent exits, paKet will ask for your     
   confirmation that you really do want to exit.

   If you have specified any End-Auto Commands (Refer the          
   Configuration section for details) they will be sent to the TNC 
   and if paKet finds an AUTOEND.SCP file in the current directory 
   that Script will be executed before paKet returns to the        
   operating system.

   The <Alt-F4> key sequence achieves the same as <Alt-X>.

Issuing Direct Commands to Your TNC

The Command Mode -- <Ctrl-C>

   The two modes used the most by your TNC are the Command Mode    
   and the Converse Mode (there is another mode, the Kiss Mode     
   which is used less frequently).  The KPC-3 command mode prompt  
   is "cmd:".

   You must be in the Command Mode to issue commands to directly   
   to your TNC.  While you are connected to another ham, PMS or    
   PBBS you will enter into the Converse Mode.  When you are       
   disconnected, however, you should always be in the Command      
   Mode.  The paKet Program is pretty good at knowing which mode   
   you should be in at any time but you have the capability of     
   overriding it if necessary by using this <Ctrl-C>       
   command to enter into the Command Mode and by using the K       
   command to force the TNC into the Converse mode.

The Converse Mode (from the Command Mode) -- K

   This is an immediate command to enter the converse mode from    
   the Command Mode.

   Link connections are not affected and a return to the Command   
   Mode can be made by typing in the Command Mode Entry character  
   (default <Ctrl-C>).

Hardware Disconnect (from the Command Mode) -- D

   After returning the TNC to Command Mode; the "D" followed by    
   <Enter> issues a Disconnect command to the TNC.

   Using this command from a Personal Mailbox or a PBBS is         
   considered to be "rude" unless absolutely necessary, because of 
   the additional CPU overhead involved.  The "considerate" way to 
   disconnect from a Personal Mailbox or a PBBS is to use the B(ye 
   command.

   However, when you are connected "keyboard-to-keyboard" with     
   another Packet Radio operator, one of the two parties has to do 
   this in order to sever the connection.  Under these             
   circumstances a hardware disconnect is not only acceptable, but 
   necessary.

Display Current KPC-3 Parameters (from the Command Mode) -- DISPLAY 

   From the Command Mode, typing "Disp" followed by                
   <Enter> will list all of the current individual TNC     
   parameter values to the screen.

Some Important KPC-3 Commands (from the Command Mode)

   CMSg   PBBS   Send CTEXT on Connection

	 Mode:   Packet

	 Kantronics TNC Defaults:                                  
	    KPC-3....................OFF

	 Parameters:
	     ON   - A CTEXT message is sent as first packet after  
		    connect is made.
	     OFF  - The CTEXT message is not sent.                 
	     PBBS - The CTEXT message is sent and then the         
		    connection will automatically be transferred to    
		    your PBBS. This will occur if PBBS is available.

	  The text of the message is contained in CTEXT which must 
	  contain text (spaces only is not considered text) in     
	  order for the DISC and PBBS function to operate.

	  This function might be useful if you leave your system   
	  running but are unavailable to answer the connect        
	  request manually.

	  It is recommended you leave CMSG ON and change the       
	  contents of CTEXT to reflect the state of your system.   
	  This is easily accomplished by specifying an appropriate 
	  CTEXT message in both the Begin and End Auto commands.   
	  (via the Configuration Window options).

   CText   text   blank   Message sent on Connection

	For Example:     "Welcome to my packet station"

	Mode:   Packet

	Kantronics TNC Defaults:                                   
	   KPC-3....................blank

	Parameters:
	   text - Any combination of characters and spaces (up to  
	   a maximum of 128 characters).

	Enter any combination of characters and spaces up to a     
	maximum length of 128. Entering a single "%" will clear   
	CTEXT. This entry specifies the text of the first packet   
	to be sent in response to an accepted connect request      
	provided that the parameter CMSG is not OFF.

   HElp   Display Help message

	Mode:   All modes

	Parameters:
	   None. Immediate command

	This command, when entered without any arguments, will     
	display a list of all of the commands available in the     
	KPC-3. If an optional command is given, a brief            
	description of the stated command is displayed. 

	    NOTE: If you give the HELP command using a Host mode   
		  program, you may experience a VERY long delay    
		  before the data appears on your screen.

   Monitor   ON|OFF   ON   Monitor other stations' packets

	Mode:   Packet

	Kantronics TNC Defaults:                                   
	   KPC-3....................ON

	Parameters:
	   ON  - Monitoring of packet activity is enabled.         
	   OFF - Monitoring of packet activity is disabled.

	When ON, unconnected packets will be monitored unless      
	prohibited by SUPLIST, BUDLIST, CONLIST, or LLIST. This    
	will also allow monitoring of other packets if permitted   
	by other monitor commands.

	The MONITOR command acts as a master switch for the MALL,  
	MCOM, MCON, MRESP, and MRPT commands.

	The addresses in the packets are displayed along with the  
	data portion of the packet.  Callsigns (to and from fields) 
	are separated by a ">" and the callsign extension field    
	(SSID) is displayed if it is other than 0.

	All monitor functions are disabled in the Transparent      
	Mode.

	When OFF, you will monitor only those stations connected   
	to you, no matter how other monitor commands are set. Any  
	header information displayed will be determined by the     
	settings of STREAMCA and STREAMEV.

   MYcall   call-n   nocall   Sets your callsign in the TNC

	Mode:   Packet

	Kantronics TNC Defaults:                                   
	   KPC-3....................nocall

	Parameters:
	   call - Your call sign. You may also use a substation ID 
	   (SSID) (0-15) if you wish.

	Example:
	   MYCALL KD6QOH       This tells the TNC my call sign.

	When the TNC is first turned on out of the box, or after a 
	hard reset, it asks you for your callsign - there is NO   
	DEFAULT.  The callsign you enter is placed in this         
	parameter.  The extension 'n' is called a Substation ID    
	(SSID) and is defaulted as 0, but may be any number 0 to 15.

	All packets originated by the TNC will contain this        
	callsign in the FROM address field. Any packets received   
	by the TNC with this callsign in the TO address field or   
	digipeat field will be responded to appropriately          
	(connect, disconnect, ack, digipeat, etc).

   MYPbbs   call-n  MYCALL-1 Sets Personal Packet Mailbox callsign>/A>

	Mode:   PBBS

	Kantronics TNC Defaults:                                   
	   KPC-3......................MYCALL-1

	Parameters:
	   call - Your callsign (up to six characters plus an      
	   SSID) which is different than that used for MYCALL,    
	   MYALIAS, MYNODE, or MYGATE.

	Enter up to six characters which will be used as the       
	operating address for your Personal Packet MAilbox.

   PText   message   BLANK   Specifies text for PBBS sign-  
   on message

	For Example:    "Welcome to my Mail Box"

	Mode:   PBBS

	Kantronics TNC Defaults:                                   
	   KPC-3....................blank

	Parameters:
	   message - Up to 128 characters

	This entry specifies the customized text sent with the     
	initial PBBS (personal mailbox) sign-on message (when PBBS 
	is connected to by a remote station).

	Enter any combination of characters and spaces up to a     
	maximum length of 128. Entering a single "%" will clear    
	PTEXT. You should not have the ">" character in your   
	PTEXT, as this is reserved by BBS systems for their        
	prompt.

	There are many other TNC-specific commands which can be    
	changed from the Command Mode.  For a complete list use    
	the <F10> key.

paKet Program Basic Key Sequences

   Now that you have learned how to get help and how to escape     
   back to DOS at the end of a session, we will explore some of    
   the other paKet Program capabilities, taking them in the order  
   that they appear on the Display Help Screen .

   NOTE:   Not all of the commands will be addressed in this       
	   course due to time constraints.

   Turn Log File On/Off -- <F2>

	Pressing this key will switch the Log File on or off.

	The Log File acts as an On/Off Toggle:

	   - ON

	      When the log file is ON, the Status Window will      
	      display the name of the file currently used as a log 
	      file and all Communications Window activity will be  
	      written to that log file.

	   - OFF

	      The disk log facility is not currently active so     
	      nothing is written to any log file.

    DOS Gateway -- <F9>

	Pressing this key will provide access to DOS so you can    
	run other DOS jobs without leaving paKet.  A Message       
	Window will pop up asking you for a DOS command.

	There are two ways to perform a DOS command:

	   1.   You may enter the command into the message window  
		beside the ">" prompt.

		If you do this, the command will be executed (if   
		possible) and you will be invited to "Press any    
		key to continue" before paKet resumes where it     
		left off.  The "Press any key to continue" message 
		appears briefly over the DOS display to allow you  
		time to peruse the result of the job and to read   
		any messages, etc. that may have come from the DOS 
		command.

	   2.   Press <Enter> instead of entering a        
		command, and the screen will be cleared before     
		control is passed over to DOS and the familiar     
		DOS Prompt.  When you have finished the DOS        
		operations, type EXIT to return to paKet.  Do NOT  
		type "PAKET" again as the system will attempt to   
		load a second copy of paKet into memory!

   The Connect Window -- <Alt-C>

	The Connect Window contains a list of names and connect    
	paths for your regular contacts. This feature is provided  
	to facilitate the connection process. You may record up to 
	200 entries in the Connect Window.

	At first the window will be blank but you may enter the    
	details of your regular contacts to more easily establish  
	contact with them next time.

	To make a connection, move the highlight bar to the        
	desired entry and press <Enter>.

	To create a new entry, type in the left hand column a name 
	that you can easily recognize, then press <TAB> to 
	move to the start of the Callsign section.  Here you enter  
	the details of the connect path you wish to use or Script  
	file name, etc.

	If you want to insert a new entry between two existing     
	entries, move to the desired line and press <Ctrl-     
	Ins>.  If you want to remove an existing entry, move   
	to that entry and press <Ctrl-Del>.

	Press <Esc> if you do not want to make a           
	Connection at this time.  Any changes are saved            
	automatically.

   Disk Directory Window -- <Alt-D>

	This window will appear whenever you request a directory   
	display (with the <Alt-D> key). It will also       
	appear when paKet asks you to choose a file name (eg if    
	you want to send a file to the other station).

	The directory is displayed in alphabetical filename        
	sequence with hidden and system files and the volume label 
	displayed in a different shade.  Also shown are the file   
	date/time and file attributes.

	At the top of the window is the drive\path of the          
	displayed directory, and on the bottom line is the amount  
	of free space on that drive.

	If there is another level of subdirectory below this one,  
	that subdirectory name will be listed in sequence with     
	"<DIR>" instead of a file size. In the example     
	above, there is a subdirectory named "BIN" shown.          
	Selecting that item will ask paKet to display that         
	subdirectory in this Window.

	You may scroll up and down this window using the <Up-  
	Arrow> and <Down-Arrow>, the <PageUp>  
	and <PageDown> keys, or the <Home> and     
	<End> keys.  Or you can use paKet's hot-key typing 
	by entering part or all of the file name - paKet will      
	highlight the first filename that matches the characters   
	you have typed so far.  Often all you need to type is one  
	or two characters to move to the file you want.

	If you hold the Shift key as you type, paKet will match    
	only Sub Directory names.  For example, using the window   
	shown above, if we type "P" the highlight bar moves to     
	PAKET.ICO, the first file that begins with "P".  But if   
	you hold the <Shift> key while typing "P", the     
	highlight bar moves to PAKETDOC, the first Sub Directory   
	name that begins with "P".

	An item may be "selected" by moving the cursor (the        
	highlight bar) to that item and pressing <Enter>.

	Sometimes you might prefer to enter the file name yourself 
	rather than go through a number of display options.  This  
	is especially so if you want to create a file that does    
	not yet exist on the disk (for example if you are using    
	the System Editor to create a NEW text file). In this      
	case, press <Home> to jump to the top line and     
	select the option to "(Enter file name manually)" and      
	paKet's Message Window will pop up for you to enter the    
	file name.

	You may display the directory of a different drive by      
	selecting the "(Switch to another drive)" option second    
	from the top of the window.  And you can select            
	"<Previous directory>" to go back a level.

	   (Hint:   type a "."  then <Enter> to quickly    
		    move to the previous or parent directory when  
		    searching the disk.)

	If you used <Alt-D> to Display the directory,      
	selecting a file will display the contents of that file.   
	The command used to perform the display is configurable -  
	refer to the "Configuration Windows - Directories  and  
	Files" section for details.

	If you press the <Delete> key, paKet will delete   
	the highlighted file after asking for your confirmation    
	that you really wish to perform the deletion.  This is     
	convenient if you are doing some housekeeping such as      
	cleaning out unwanted log files. You can use the System    
	Editor to inspect log files on the disk and to edit out    
	unwanted data.  Then delete any unwanted files.  All       
	without leaving paKet.  You may delete a sub directory     
	only if that sub directory is empty.

	Alternatively, a file may be renamed or indeed moved from  
	one directory to another by pressing <Alt-R> while 
	that file is highlighted.  You are then asked to type the  
	full new path and name for the file.  If a new  name is    
	typed without a path, the file will remain in the current  
	directory.  Note, DOS does not permit a file to be        
	"moved" to another drive.  You will have to go to DOS and  
	 COPY the file to get it on to another drive.

   Edit a Data File -- <Alt-E>

	When you press <Alt-E>, paKet will display the     
	Disk Directory Window so you can identify the file you     
	wish to edit. Then it will load the nominated editor       
	program.

	When you have finished the edit and exit from that         
	program, you will be returned to paKet where you left off.

   Find text in Flashback -- <Alt-F>

	Pressing <Alt-F> will commence a search backward   
	through the Flashback buffer, looking for a particular     
	string of characters.

	A Message Window will pop up asking you to enter the       
	desired search string. You can enter this in either upper  
	or lower case because the search is not case sensitive.

	If found, the line containing the string is highlighted    
	and paKet remains in Flashback mode.

	Pressing <Alt-L> will continue the search, looking 
	for an earlier occurrence of the same string.

   Get last message back again -- <Alt-G>

	Sometimes a message disappears before you have had time to 
	digest it or perhaps you thought you understood it but     
	have forgotten some important detail ("what was that       
	filename again"?)

	You can increase the message duration in the Miscellaneous 
	Configuration options, but it is possible you might want   
	to take a little more time with just an occasional message.

	This <Alt-G> command will re-display the last      
	message displayed in the Message Window.  The re-displayed 
	message will remain for the normal message duration but    
	you can type <Alt-G> as many times as you like.

   Display Heard List -- <Alt-H>

	This is an immediate command which displays the list of    
	calls heard since last time the buffer was cleared         
	(MHCLEAR or RESTART commands, or power-off).

	Stations heard via a digipeater are marked with an         
	asterisk (*).

	The maximum number of stations monitored in the list is 18 
	so that only the last 18 are displayed.  If PASSALL in ON   
	logging of stations heard is disabled.

	If date and time are set, entries will be time stamped.

   Initialize Communications Windows -- <Alt-I>

	This option would not be used in normal circumstances but  
	has been provided mainly to "fix" problems that were       
	discovered while testing with a KAM TNC. Other Kantronics  
	TNCs were not tested but it is likely the problems will    
	occur with those models as well.

	If you are using some other brand of TNC this command      
	should not be required although it will not cause any      
	problems.  It will simply clear any backlog in the other   
	Communications Windows and reset the TNC to the Stream     
	specified for the first Communications Window.

   Continue Find in Flashback -- <Alt-L>

	Pressing <Alt-F> will commence a search backward   
	through the Flashback buffer, looking for a particular     
	string of characters.

	A Message Window will pop up asking you to enter the       
	desired search string. You can enter this in either upper  
	or lower case because the search is not case sensitive.

	If found, the line containing the string is highlighted    
	and paKet remains in Flashback mode.

	Pressing <Alt-L> will continue the search, looking 
	for an earlier occurrence of the same string.

   Turn Print Log On/Off -- <Alt-P>

	This is a toggle, meaning you press <Alt-P> to     
	turn the Print Log ON and press it again to turn the Print 
	Log OFF again.

	While the Print Log is ON, a 'P' will be displayed in the  
	Status Window to the left of the Windows display and all   
	Communications data will be echoed to the printer on LPT1.

	If the Print Log is OFF, no data will be sent to the       
	Printer.

   Quiet Mode On/Off -- <Alt-Q>

	When Quiet Mode is enabled, paKet will make NO sounds at   
	all.  It doesn't matter where the sounds would normally    
	come from, whether from a new Connection, or from an       
	Alert, or from another station's <BEL> character,  
	or whatever.  Quiet Mode will silence them all.

	This might be convenient if you want to leave the system   
	running at night and do not want to be disturbed by the    
	various sounds that can emanate from this system.

	This is a toggle switch, meaning you press <Alt-Q> 
	to activate Quiet Mode and you press <Alt-Q> again 
	to switch it off.

	When Quiet Mode is active, a "Q" will be displayed to the  
	left of the time in the Status Window.

   Set TNC Time and Date -- <Alt-T>

	If for any reason, you need to reset your TNC, you can     
	asily reset the date and time with this function.  paKet   
	will generate a "DAY" command using the computer system's  
	date and time as it does during initialization..

	The format of the generated command includes the time in   
	Hours, Minutes and Seconds. It has been brought to my      
	notice that some TNCs cannot handle that format and will   
	accept the time as Hours and Minutes only.  So, if you     
	hold the <Ctrl> key while typing this <Alt-    
	T> command (i.e. <Ctrl-Alt-T>), paKet will     
	generate the DAY command without the seconds.

   Verify the TNC's Connected Status -- <Alt-V>

	When a Connection is established with another station,     
	paKet will try to determine the callsign of that station   
	from the TNC's "Connected" message when it appears in the  
	Communications Window.  paKet will then display that       
	callsign in the Communication Window's Header line.

	Some software packages operating in Host Mode or KISS Mode 
	can interrogate the TNC to get this information, but these 
	packages are usually more specific to certain TNCs.

	paKet's method works well most of the time, but there are  
	occasions where the callsign displayed is incorrect.  For  
	example, if you reload paKet after a TNC connection has    
	already been established, the newly loaded copy of paKet   
	will not see a "Connected" message and so will think there 
	is no connection!

	This <Alt-V> command will issue a "C" (Connect)    
	command to the TNC and will look at its reply to determine 
	the connected status. A Message Window will pop up to      
	advise you of the result and, if necessary, paKet will     
	change the displayed callsign in the Communications Window 
	Header.

   Write Flashback Buffer to Disk -- <Alt-W>

	If you have received some information which you wanted to  
	save and is still in the Flashback buffer, but did not     
	have the disk Log File on at the time, you can select this 
	option to write some or all of the Flashback buffer to     
	disk.

	A Message Window will pop up asking you to:

	"Move to the start of the block and press <Enter>"

	The program will automatically enter Flashback Mode        
	allowing you to use the arrow keys, <PageUp>,      
	<PageDown>, etc to move the highlight bar to the   
	start of the block of data you want to write to disk.  If  
	you want to capture the entire Flashback buffer, press     
	<Ctrl-PageUp> to move to the start of the buffer.

	Then press <Enter> to identify that as the first   
	line to be captured.  Another message will pop up:

	"Move to the end of the block and press <Enter>"

	Using the same technique, move down to the last line you   
	want to capture (<Ctrl-PageDown> to move quickly   
	to the last line) and press <Enter> to mark that   
	as the last line to be captured.  Note, the block of  data 
	to be written will be highlighted as you move through the  
	Flashback buffer.

	Now that we know what is to be written to disk, paKet will 
	ask you for the desired file name, via a Disk Directory    
	Window.

	When that data is written to the file, processing          
	continues in normal conversation mode.

   Configuration -- <Alt-Z>

	This option allows you to configure paKet's many options   
	to set up an environment especially to suit yourself.

	When you press <Alt-Z> the System Configuration    
	Window will appear to show the major items that may be     
	configured.  When you select one of those options          
	additional Configuration Windows will appear to allow you  
	to select the desired options.

	Full details of all configurable options are shown and     
	explained in the section on Configuration Windows in the   
	paKet Online Manual -- <Alt-F1>.  If you are new   
	to this, start with the "Configuration Windows -        
	Overview" and work your way through all the options    
	from there.

	There is some additional help available with the Online    
	Configuration.  When the System Configuration Window       
	appears, another Window should appear below it offering    
	some additional comments on the  Configuration Window      
	currently being displayed.  This is called the             
	Configuration Help and is optional.  If it is not being    
	displayed, you can activate it by setting that option to Y 
	in "Miscellaneous options".

	To change that Configuration Help option, after pressing   
	<Alt-Z> type 9 and you will see in the             
	"Miscellaneous options" window an item in there     
	that says "Display Configuration Help ?" and you    
	can set that to Y or N. Set it to Y and you should now see 
	the additional Help windows while you are using the Online 
	Configuration.  You will need the file PAKETCFG.HLP in     
	your default PAKET directory.

Using Your TNCs Built-In Mailbox 

   Connecting to your TNCs Mailbox

	You connect to your mailbox in the same way that a REMOTE  
	user would, by using the SSID that you  assigned when you  
	configured paKet.  The example we used then was KD6QOH-1.  
	So if KD6QOH wants to connect to his mailbox, he simply    
	connects to KD6QOH-1.  He will get a prompt such as this:

	   ENTER COMMAND:  B,J,K,L,R,S, or Help >

	The following is a BRIEF summary of the mailbox commands:

   The Mailbox Commands

        B   (Bye)     -   Exit Mailbox

        J   (Heard)   -   Callsigns Heard List

        K   (Kill)    -   Kill a message (eg K 3)

	   A remote operator may Kill only a message sent BY that  
	   station or addressed TO that station, but if you are    
	   accessing your OWN mailbox, you have full authority to  
	   delete any message.

	   The messages are identified by number so the command    
	   must include the message number that is to  be killed,  
	   eg: K 5.

	   Upon sucessful deletion of the message you will get a   
	   response such as:

	      Message 5 Killed

        L  (List)     -   List available messages

        R  (Read)     -   Read a message (eg R 3)

        S  (Send)     -   Send a message (eg S N6AHI)

	   The Send command may be entered as "SP" or "S" (which   
	   is the same thing) if entering a Personal message, or   
	   "SB" to enter a Bulletin.

	   Your mailbox needs to know who the message is being     
	   "sent" to.  For a REMOTE user the callsign is optional; 
	   if no callsign is entered, the assumption will be made  
	   that the message is for you, the owner of the mailbox.

	   Examples of a Send command:

	      SP N6AHI   Personal message addressed to KD6QOH, may 
			 be read by that station when he connects  
			 to this mailbox.

	      SB PAKET   Bulletin for this PMS only.  Anyone       
			 accessing our mailbox can read this       
			 message.

	      S          A simple S (or SP) command is             
			 permissible for a REMOTE user.  In this   
			 case the message will be addressed to you 
			 and stored here in your mailbox.

	   When the mailbox is ready to take the message it will   
	   prompt for the message header. Eg:

	      Subject for msg 5 from KD6QOH to N6AHI?

	   The "Subject" is the text that is shown in the mailbox  
	   Listing so try to make it interesting and meaningful.   
	   That could be the only part of your message some users  
	   will see!

	   Then, finally, the following prompt is issued:

	      OK, send your message...(<Ctrl-Z> to end)

	   Any text that is entered after this will be recorded in 
	   the mailbox for this message.  A <Ctrl-Z>, or   
	   "/EX" on a separate line, will terminate the message.   
	   The mailbox then saves the message details and issues   
	   the following confirmation that all is well:

	      Message 5 stored

        Help   -   Display details of the Mailbox Menu

	   Typing a "?" is the same as typing "Help". 

SECTION IV -- The Full-Featured Packet Bulletin Board System (PBBS)

The Packet Bulletin Board System Section Training Goals

In this section, we will teach the student the ins and outs of  
the full-featured Packet Bulletin Board System (PBBS).

What is a Full-Featured PBBS?

	Your local Full-Featured PBBS is the "hub" of your packet  
	radio community.

	When we use the term PBBS in this section, we are          
	referring to a Full-Service Packet Bulletin Board System   
	(PBBS).

	A full-featured PBBS is a DEDICATED system.  It is "open   
	for business" twenty-four hours each day.  It is like your 
	local post office (except for the hours!) in that you can  
	receive your mail there or you can send mail out from      
	there to any place in the packet radio world.  It is also  
	like a bulletin board in that you can look at bulletins    
	which originated locally, regionally or even from other    
	countries.

	A PBBS is always in a state of transition.  Messages and   
	bulletins are passing into and out of the PBBS constantly.

	A PBBS can accomodate multiple users at the same time.     
	The users can be coming into the PBBS from different       
	ports, even from different bands.  It is not unusual to    
	have a PBBS configured so that it operates on UHF, VHF and 
	HF simultaneously!  Many PBBSs also have a telephone line  
	attached to one or more of the ports so that a  modem can  
	be used to make a connection or forward traffic.

	Here is a sampling of how a PBBS might be used by a        
	typical operator:

	   Just got home from work.  Let's find out what's new on  
	   N6AHI-3.  Connect to N6AHI-3.  Looks like I have        
	   personal mail from my friend K6TIB in Nipomo.  Use the  
	   R)ead command to read my message.  Use the  Reply       
	   command to send a reply to K6TIB.  Use the K)ill        
	   command to erase the original message, since I have     
	   already read it.

	   Use the L)ist command to get a listing of the latest    
	   bulletins.  Jot down the #'s of a few promising         
	   bulletins about the space shuttle or maybe a computer   
	   being offered for sale.  Use the R)ead command to read  
	   the contents of the bulletins about the space shuttle   
	   and the computer.

	   Exit the PBBS with the B)ye command.  That was FUN!!

PBBS Types

	The type of PBBS depends on the software or program used.  
	Your local PBBS SYSOP is constantly evaluating the various 
	types of software available.  The SYSOP's primary concern  
	is to bring you, the user, the best PBBS services          
	possible.  Over the years, certain programs have come to   
	be used most often.  When you first connect to a PBBS, you 
	will see at the top of your screen an indication of which  
	software is being used.  Although the commands available   
	to the user will vary somewhat from system to system, the  
	basic commands have become quite standardized.  Once you   
	have learned how to use a specific PBBS type, such as      
	MSYS, changing over to another type will be painless.

	Examples of PBBS types are MSYS, F6FBB, W0RLI and AA4RE.

Intro to MSYS

	As a user, you will not need to have a copy of the MSYS    
	Prorgram.  You will be using paKet or some other           
	communications package to connect via your radio to the    
	MSYS BBS.  For informational purposes, however, we include 
	the following:

	   MSYS v1.19 is written by Mike Pechura, WA8BXN, and is   
	   Copyright 1993 by HUB COMPUTERS, INC.

	When you first connect to an MSYS PBBS you will ultimately 
	receive a prompt which looks like this:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

	In this prompt are the first letters of the available      
	commands.  Everything you can do while you are connected   
	to the PBBS is represented by these commands.

   Connecting to the PBBS, Registering, Getting Help and Exiting

	It is our training philosophy that first and foremost a    
	new PBBS user needs to learn how to register, get help     
	when needed and how to leave the PBBS at the end of a      
	session.  We believe that knowing how to do these things   
	will enable you to be more relaxed and confident while you 
	are learning the basic skills.  We are going to place      
	these issues in a separate category to emphasize their     
	importance and then we will move on to other subjects.


        Connecting to the PBBS

	   Before you can connect to a PBBS, you need to know the  
	   callsign or alias of the PBBS and you need to know what 
	   frequency it is on.

	   For training purposes, we will say that we want to      
	   connect to the ALFBBS-1 (N6AHI-3) which resides locally 
	   on 145.71 MHz.

	   If you are using the paKet Program software you can use 
	   your connect window <Alt-C> or you can type

	   from the Command Mode:

	      C N6AHI-3

	   After you have successfully connected to the PBBS, you  
	   will get the command prompt:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

	   If this is the first time you have connected to this    
	   particular PBBS, chances are, you will be told that you 
	   are an unknown user in that a question mark will appear 
	   in place of you name.  That means that you need to      
	   register.

        Registering on the PBBS 

	   When you connect to a PBBS for the first time, you must 
	   register.  The PBBS will want to know your name, your   
	   QTH, your zip code and your home BBS.  In order to      
	   register, you will use the following commands:

	      N               Name <Enter>                 
	      NH              Home BBS <Enter>             
	      NZ              Home Zip <Enter>             
	      NQ              City, State <Enter>

	   As you can see, registering is done using the N         
	   command.  For the purpose of this demonstration, let us 
	   say that your name is Rusty, you live in Ventura, CA    
	   and your zip code is 93003.  Let us also assume that    
	   Rusty wants to have all mail addressed to him to go the 
	   N6AHI-3 PBBS.  This is what Rusty must type in order to 
	   register  properly:

	      Your Name

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

		 N Rusty <Enter>

		 This is typically your first name only.

	      Your QTH

Enter command:A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

		 NQ      Ventura, CA <Enter>

		 This is usually your city followed by a comma and 
		 then the proper two letter designation for your   
		 state (in CAPs).

	      Your Zip Code

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

		 NZ      93003 <Enter>

		 This is the five digit zip code for your home     
		 QTH.

	      Your Home BBS

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

		 NH      N6AHI <Enter>

		 This an area which is confusing to many users.    
		 What you enter here can cause problems for your   
		 PBBS SYSOP if you are not careful.  Your home BBS 
		 is usually NOT your personal mailbox.  Let us say 
		 that Rusty puts in his mailbox callsign here      
		 (KD6QOH-1).  The PBBS will reject Rusty's mailbox 
		 callsign because it is not a true PBBS.  Your     
		 home BBS must be a Full-Featured PBBS.

		 Your home BBS is usually your local PBBS          
		 (remember --open 24 hours).

		 Also, BE CONSISTANT WHEN YOU REGISTER YOUR HOME   
		 BBS.  If you say that your home BBS is "N6AHI"    
		 on one PBBS and say that it is "KM6RZ" on another 
		 BBS, you are going to cause a lot of headaches    
		 for the SYSOPs and the "white pages" will be      
		 corrupted.  Make up your mind which PBBS to use   
		 (usually the closest one is best) and use it all  
		 the time whenever you register on other PBBSs.    
		 Remember, you can register on as many PBBSs as   
		 you like, but you can only have one home BBS.

		 If you don't yet know which PBBS to use as your   
		 home BBS, you can skip the NH command for now.    
		 At some point, however, you will need to make     
		 this decision in order to receive mail.

		 Arrangements CAN be made to forward your mail to  
		 your own personal mailbox if you are willing to   
		 make the commitment to leave your radio and TNC   
		 on at all times.  You must talk to the SYSOP of   
		 your local PBBS to make these arrangements.

		 Note that the PBBS command prompt precedes each   
		 of the commands:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

		 You must ALWAYS wait for the prompt before you    
		 type in ANY PBBS command.  If the PBBS is busy,   
		 it may take a while for the prompt to appear.     
		 One of the biggest problems for new users is      
		 learning patience.  They may think that they have 
		 done something wrong when they type in a command  
		 and nothing happens.  Remember that packet radio  
		 is a networking operation; packets from many      
		 users can be flying back and forth on the same    
		 frequency.  If you are experiencing long delays,  
		 try again later.

        Getting Help on the PBBS

	   Let us say that we have sucessfully connected to and    
	   registered at the N6AHI-3 PBBS.  Now we want to explore 
	   the H)elp command.

	   There are two ways to get help in the PBBS.  The H      
	   command will get you a generalized summary of the       
	   basic commands.  From the command prompt:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

	      H <Enter>

	   You will see something like this:

B - Bye        C - Conference      D - Download        G - File search 
H - Help       I - Information     J - Calls heard     K - Kill message
L - List Msgs  M - Msg of the day  N - Enter name/qth  P - Path to call 
R - Read Msgs  S - Send Message    T - Talk to SYSOP   U - Current users 
V - BBS Ver.   W - List Files dir  X - Set options     UP -UPLOAD TEXT   
* - Comment    ?x - Info abt cmd   x REQXXX -serv.     Y - YAPP func.

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

	   This gives us an idea of what each command means in     
	   generalized terms.  What if we wanted to know more      
	   about a specific command, let's say the L)ist command?

	   If we wanted to know more about the L)ist command, we   
	   would type:

	      ?L <Enter>

	   What you would see on your screen would be a DETAILED   
	   listing of all the possible L)ist command  variations.

	   NOTES:  Most MSYS SYSOPS provide their users with a     
		   file called USERMAN.ZIP which is a comprehensive 
		   listing of MSYS commands.  You can leave a message 
		   to your SYSOP for instructions on how to "download" 
		   the USERMAN.ZIP file.

        Exiting the PBBS

	   You should use the B)ye command to exit the PBBS        
	   whenever possible.  The B)ye command exits the PBBS in  
	   an orderly fashion with the minimum amount of CPU time  
	   involved.  Here is an example of how to use the B)ye    
	   command:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

	      B <enter>

The L)ist / R)ead / K)ill Cycle

When you recieve messages from other Packet Radio friends on your
home PBBS you will find that there is a cycle of commands that you
will use over and over again to process their messages.

First you will be informed by the PBBS that you have received
messages.  You will then list the messages, read the messages and
then you will kill the messages after you have read them.  We will
call this process the L)ist, R)ead and K)ill cycle.

We will show you the basic ways in which these commands work at
the simplest level now, and then later we will "revisit" them in
order to aquaint you with the details of how they can be used.

   L)ist

   If you have messages waiting when you connect to your home BBS, 
   there will usually be an indication, like "YOU HAVE MESSAGES    
   WAITING"

   At the PBBS command prompt:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

      LU <Enter>

	 to get a listing of the "unread" messages waiting for you to read. 

   R)ead 

   At the PBBS command prompt:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

      RM <Enter>

	 The RM (Read Mine) command will list your messages to the 
	 screen, even if there is more than one message.

   K)ill

   At the PBBS command prompt:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

      KM <Enter>

	 Once you have read your messages (and saved them to a log 
	 file using the paKet <F2> command) you should     
	 erase the message from the PBBS database.  You can either 
	 use K # (where # is the message number of the message you 
	 wish to Kill) or KM, which will kill all messages sent to 
	 you.

MSYS Commands

Now that we have learned to connect to a PBBS, register, get help,
exit and the L)ist, R)ead and K)ill cycle,  we will learn about
some of the other commands.

The I)nfo Command -- Basic information about the node

This command will give the user some basic information about the
PBBS node.  The structure of the I)nfo command reply is left
completely to the SYSOP and is basically a free-form ASCII segment
with no limitations as to structure or format.  As a user, you can
get information about what kind of computer is being used, which
TNCs and the port configurations.  Whenever you check in to a PBBS
for the first time, it is recommended that you check out the I)nfo
command.

At the PBBS command prompt:

Enter command: A,B,C,D,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,?,* >

   I <Enter>

The J)ust Heard Command

This gives information about stations that the PBBS has heard.  If
the call is a funny alias, the sponsor's call is given inside the
curly brackets. If you want to connect to someone like that, don't
use the sponsor's call  use the alias.  Use the Path command to
determine how stations were connected to the  PBBS.  You can  also
limit the output with a channel number, like this: JK 0 ... this
lists all KA nodes heard on port 0.

   JB -- BBSs
   JD -- Digipeaters
   JG -- Gateways
   JK -- KA nodes
   JM -- Other MSYS PBBSs
   JN -- NET/ROM nodes
   JT -- TCP/IP protocol stations


The L)ist Command (Revisited)

List is used to give you the headers of the messages.  Used alone,
it will list all messages since you last logged off with the B)ye
command.  The PBBS has a function to force all personal messages
to end up as private messages.  If this is on, any message sent
except bulletins are changed to private:

   L ----------            List since last logged off with B.      
   L catagory -            List for a single catagory.             
   LC ---------            List categories (TO fields).            
   LM ---------            List mine, messages addressed to you.   
   LN ---------            Lists messages not yet read to you.     
			   Include NTS type traffic messages.
   LT ---------            Lists NTS traffic messages.             
   LL ---------            List the last message entered.          
   LL # -------            Last # messages.                        
   LO yymmdd --            List OLDER than yymmdd.                 
   LU ---------            Lists unread messages to you.           
   LY ---------            Lists messages that have been read      
   LW ---------            Lists weather messages (type W$).       
   L< call ----            Lists messages from call (or alias).    
   L> call ----            Lists messages to call (or alias).      
   L@ call ----            Lists messages with call as an @BBS.    
   L x --------            Lists messages since a given number.    
			   To see them all, use L 0 (there will
			   likely be HUNDREDS of them!).
   L x y ------            List numbers between numbers x and y.   
   L"string" --            Lists messages with the character       
			   string you specify in the title.  The   
			   quote marks are required.  This is case 
			   insensitive, "Yaesu" will match         
			   "YAESU", "yaesu", etc.
   L'string' --            Lists messages with the character       
			   string you specify in the title.  The   
			   single quote marks are required.  This  
			   is case sensitive, "Yaesu" will not     
			   match.

The R)ead Command (Revisited)

This is used to read messages on the board.  Many messages may be
strung together.  Wildcards are supported: 

   R@ call -       Read messages having a certain @BBS.
   R> xxxx -       Read messages to xxxx TO field.
   R< xxxx -       Read messages from xxxx in FROM field.
   R cat ---       Reads all messages in catagory.
   RE ------       The read for export.  This reads the message in 
		   a format where it can then be easily uploaded   
		   into a PBBS or mail drop.
   RH ------       The read with headers.  This shows the          
		   forwarding headers that are added at each PBBS  
		   as the message is sent.  The routes are not the 
		   same at all times and it can be fun to see how  
		   a message got from tither to yon.  If a message 
		   author did not give the home PBBS for a return  
		   reply, use this to determine where the message  
		   originated.  Normally, that PBBS can be tried   
		   for a response.
   RN ------       This reads only the text of the message and is  
		   a good way to save time on a marginal path.
   RM ------       Reads unread messages addressed to you.         
   RP ------       Reads a message without marking it as having    
		   been read so it will be listed the next time    
		   you check in.

S)end Command

This is used to send a message.  The basic format is Sx call
@PBBS.  Sx is a send with the type of message it is.  The @PBBS is
the location where the addressee picks up their mail.  Call is the
exact callsign of the recipient.  If you  make a mistake on the
addressee's call, the message will probably end up in limbo, never 
to be received.

<control-A> -- Aborts the message; to start over.

   CC  callsign -- This causes a copy of a message to be sent to   
		   the calls following the carbon copy command.    
		   The CALLSIGN can take the form:

		      CALLSIGN1@PBBS;CALLSIGN2@PBBS

		   to send the same message to many users.

   REPLY  #  --    Allows the PBBS to automatically address a      
		   message replying to another message.  If you    
		   add a period after the message number, like     
		   this, "REPLY #.", the PBBS will also            
		   automatically enter a title for you.

   SP ---------    A personal  message listed or read by the       
		   addressee and author.

   SR # -------    Allows the PBBS to automatically address a      
		   message replying to another message.  If you    
		   add a period after the message number, like     
		   this:  "REPLY  #.", the PBBS will also          
		   automatically enter a title for you.

   ST  -------     NTS Traffic.  Most boards have a help file.     
		   READ IT!

   SB  -------     Send a bulletin.  Without an @PBBS, these will  
		   stay on your PBBS and may be addressed in       
		   whatever way you wish.

The K)ill Command (Revisited)

This deletes messages.  You may kill a number of messages at the
same time:  K 2 34 556.

   KM -- Kills messages addressed to you.                          
   KT -- Kills NTS traffic you are going to deliver.

The G)rep Command

This command searches a file for a given set of characters.  First
just enter a G.  The board will ask for a filename.  It is asking
for something in the download section, that you get with the What
command.  It will then ask you for the string you want to find. 
Let's say you want to search NCBYLAWS.DOC for the string "election":

   G <Enter> NCBYLAWS.DOC <Enter> election <Enter>.

The board will then send you all lines that have "election" in  
them.  The command does not recognize  wildcards (*/?).  If you do
not specify a file, the default of DATABASE.0 will be used.

Flood Designators

A "flood designator" is a way to direct your bulletin to a
specific group of packet radio users.  For example, if you wanted
to advertise a computer or TNC for sale to ONLY California packet
users, you would address it like this:

  SB SALE @ ALLCA

If you wanted to send a bulletin to all packet radio users who are
interested in Amateur Radio Satellite Communications in the United
States of America you would address it to:

   SB AMSAT @ ALLUS

We have a group of "flood designators" which we use here in
Ventura County, and they are listed below:

   ALLCV   Conejo Valley, but generally gets to all Ventura County 
	   BBSes

   VCARES  Ventura County ARES distribution; goes to all Ventura   
	   County BBSes.

   VCNET   All Ventura County BBSes.  (Use this for Non-ARES       
	   bulletins.)

   SCA     Southern California          ECA   Eastern California

   CCA     Central California           WCCA  West Central California

   NCA     Northern California          WCA   Western California

   CA      All California

   ALLSWD  All Southwest Division (Arizona & California)

   ALLUSW  All US West (Arizona, Nevada, California & other states sometimes)

   USA     All US

   WW      World Wide

Digipeaters and Nodes

   What is a Digipeater?

      Digipeater is the term we use to describe a packet radio     
      digital repeater.  Unlike the FM voice repeaters, most      
      digipeaters operate on simplex and do not receive and        
      transmit simultaneously.  They receive the digital          
      information, temporarily store it and then turn around and   
      retransmit it.

      Your TNC will allow you to enter up to eight digipeaters in  
      your connect sequence, but using more than 3 usually means   
      long waits, lots of repeated packets, and frequent           
      disconnects, due to noise and other signals encountered on   
      the frequency.

      When entering the list of digipeaters in your connect        
      sequence, you must make sure that you enter them in the      
      exact order that your signal will use them.  You must        
      separate the calls by commas, without any spaces, and the    
      EXACT callsigns must be used, including the SSID, if any.    
      That means you need to know what digipeaters are out there   
      before you begin randomly trying to connect to someone.      
      Turn MONITOR ON and watch for the paths that other stations  
      are using.

      Here are some examples of proper connect sequences:

	 C W6PW-3 v W6PW-1
	 C N6ZYX v WA6FSP-1,WB6LPZ-1
	 C W6ABY-4 v K6MYX,N2WLP-2,AB6XO

      The "v" means via.  In the first example the sequence shown  
      means: Connect to W6PW-3 via W6PW-1.

      Something to remember when using digipeaters is the          
      difference between making a connection and sending           
      information packets.  If the path isn't all that good, you   
      might be able to get a connect request through, but will     
      have a difficult time with packets after that.  The connect  
      request is short so it has much less of a chance of being   
      destroyed by noise or collisions than a packet containing    
      information. Keeping information packets short can help     
      keep retries down when the path is less than ideal.

   What is a Node?

   A node is basically a relay device that helps to connect to     
   another station that is not in your local area.  This removes   
   the need for high-powered radios and large antennas.  There are 
   two basic types of node. One type, and the most used, is the    
   Net or Network node.  The other type is called K-node or Ka-node 
   (Kantronics).

      Net node

      The Net node is different from the K-Node in that the node   
      listens to the frequency and logs what it hears.  If it      
      hears another node, it logs that node as a "route", a node   
      that it can directly connect to.  It also logs the nodes     
      that route can hear.  It compares the other nodes with what  
      is in its log and figures out the best path to a             
      destination.

      Net nodes only talk to other Net nodes, Net/Rom nodes,       
      TheNet nodes and other versions of the network nodes.  They  
      will typically have a callsign with SSID and an alias.


      First, you need to determine what nodes are located close to 
      you.  You can do this by monitoring and watching for an ID   
      or by watching to see what other stations in your area are   
      using.  You'll note that most nodes have an alias ID in      
      addition to its callsign.  Once you determine the callsign   
      or alias of a local node, you connect to it the same way as  
      you connect to any other packet station.  You may use either 
      the callsign or the alias to make the connection.

      When you connect to a node, your TNC automatically switches  
      to converse mode, just like when you connect to any packet   
      station.  Not all network nodes will provide the user with a 
      prompt.  If you think you are connected to a network node,   
      but would like to verify your connection, just type "?"      
      <Enter> and the node will send you a list of the     
      possible commands.

      Anything you now type is sent to the node as a packet, and   
      the node acknowledges each packet back to your TNC.  For    
      the remainder of your connection your TNC works only with    
      this one node.

      When you're connected to a node enter "N" <Enter>    
      and you'll receive a list of other nodes that you can reach  
      on the network from the node you're using.  You'll note that 
      the node list will vary in length and in the calls listed    
      as you move from frequency to frequency, since all           
      frequencies are not linked together.  The list gives both an 
      alias ID and a callsign for each node.  The alias ID often   
      gives you a hint as to where the node is located, but not   
      always.  To find out for sure where a node is located        
      you'll need to get a copy of the descriptive node listings   
      that are available on most packet bulletin board systems.    
      These complete lists give the alias, callsign, location,     
      frequency and other information on each node in the network.

      To connect to a station in another area using the node       
      network you first must determine which node is closest to    
      the station you want to work.  For demonstration purposes,   
      let's say we want to connect to N6AHI-3.  He's told you he   
      uses the ALFNET node, so you check the node list and see     
      that ALFNET:N6AHI-6 is listed.  WHILE STILL CONNECTED TO     
      YOUR LOCAL NODE you first connect to the distant node by     
      sending a normal connect request, in this case "C ALFNET" or 
      N6AHI-6.  Your TNC will send this as a packet to your local  
      node and your local node will acknowledge it.  The network   
      will then go to work for you and find the best path between  
      your local node and the one you're trying to reach.  You     
      might have to be a little patient here, as it sometimes      
      takes a few minutes for the connection to be completed.      
      You'll then see one of two responses:  "Connected to ALFNET" 
      OR "Failure with ALFNET".  If it can't connect for some      
      reason, try again later.  It could be that ALFNET is         
      temporarily off the air or the path has decayed and is no    
      longer available.  We're going to be positive here and say   
      we received the first option.

      The K-node

      To use the node to connect to another local station, you     
      connect to the node in the same way you do for the net node. 
      Your TNC will go into the converse mode as with the net      
      node. You simply enter a connect request as though you were  
      connecting direct from your TNC, such as "C N6AHI-3".  You   
      do this, however, while you ARE STILL CONNECTED TO THE NODE. 
      The node will then retransmit your connect request and      
      you'll receive one of two responses:  "Connected to          
      (callsign)" or "Failure with (callsign)".  Once you're       
      connected you hold your QSO just as if you had connected     
      direct or via a digipeater.  When you're finished, go to     
      Command Mode on your TNC <Ctrl-C> and then type "D"  
      <Enter> and you will be disconnected from the node   
      and the station you were working.  When you're finished with 
      the QSO, you disconnect in the normal manner -- If           
      necessary, you may have to go to Command Mode on your TNC    
      and enter "D" <Enter>.  The entire path will then    
      disconnect automatically for you.

ANSI.SYS                 EMM386.EXE               Multi-config
Append                   Erase                    Nlsfunc
Attrib                   Exit                     Numlock
Batch commands           Expand                   Path
Break                    Fasthelp                 Pause
Buffers                  Fastopen                 Power
Call                     Fc                       POWER.EXE
Cd                       Fcbs                     Print
Chcp                     Fdisk                    Prompt
Chdir                    Files                    Qbasic
Chkdsk                   Find                     RAMDRIVE.SYS
CHKSTATE.SYS             For                      Rd
Choice                   Format                   Rem
Cls                      Goto                     Ren
Command                  Graphics                 Rename
CONFIG.SYS commands      Help                     Replace
Copy                     HIMEM.SYS                Restore
Country                  If                       Rmdir
Ctty                     Include                  ScanDisk
Date                     Install                  Set
Dblspace                 Interlnk                 Setver
Debug                    INTERLNK.EXE             SETVER.EXE
Defrag                   International commands   Share
Del                      Intersvr                 Shell
Deltree                  Keyb                     Shift
Device                   Label                    SIZER.EXE
Device drivers           Lastdrive                Smartdrv
Devicehigh               Lh                       SMARTDRV.EXE
Dir                      Loadfix                  Sort
Diskcomp                 Loadhigh                 Stacks
Diskcopy                 Md                       Submenu
DISPLAY.SYS              Mem                      Subst
Dos                      Memmaker                 Switches
Doskey                   MenuColor                Sys
Dosshell                 MenuDefault              Time
DRIVER.SYS               MenuItem                 Tree
Drivparm                 Mkdir                    Type
Drvspace                 Mode Commands            Undelete
Drvspace Tips            More                     Unformat
DRVSPACE.SYS             Move                     Ver
Echo                     Msav                     Verify
Edit                     Msbackup                 Vol
EGA.SYS                  Mscdex                   VSafe
Emm386                   Msd                      Xcopy

Abort.......... Stop current action     PC.............  Request a callsign
Bye............ Disconnect              Read...........  Read a message
Conference..... Multi-user\DX Node         R x ......       Read all catagory x
   ^ZH.......      Conference help         R@ xxxx...       Read all at xxxx BBS
   ^ZQ.......      Return to PBBS          R> xxxx...       Read all to xxxx
   ^ZU.......      List users              R< xxxx...       Read all from xxxx
   ^ZA #.....      Invite user on #        RM........       Read Mine
Download....... Download from FILES        RE........       Read for export
Grep........... String search file         RH........       Read with headers 
Help........... Help                       RN........       Read only text
Information.... BBS hardware               RP........       W/O mark as read
ID............. Port definitions        Send...........  Send a message
Just Heard..... Log                        ^A.........      Abort message
   JB........      BBS Stations            CC.........      Carbon copy
   J.........      Digipeaters             REPly #....      Reply auto title
   J.........      Gateways                SP.........      Send personal
   JK........      K and KA nodes          ST.........      Send traffic
   JM........      MSYS PBBSs              SB.........      Send bulletin
   JN........      Net/Rom              Talk...........  Page sysop
   JT........      TCP/IP protocol      Users..........  Users
Kill........... Kill a message          Version........  Version
   KM........      Kill mine            What...........  Download list
   KT........      Kill traffic            W x.......       What in x=subdir
List........... Message headers         eXpert.........  Toggle expert
   L x.......      List catagory x         X #.......       Lines per page
   LC........      List catagories         XC........       Toggle catagory
   LM........      List mine               XF........       Multiple lines
   LN........      List not read           XR........       Toggle reply   
   LT........      List traffic            XS........       1 line per reply 
   LL........      List last message    Yapp...........  Down and uploads
   LL #......      List last #             YW........       YAPP Directory
   LO #......      List older #=yymmdd     YD........       Download a file
   LU........      List unread to you      YU........       Upload a file
   LY........      List read to you     * .............  Comment to sysop
   LW........      List weather
   L?........      List ? forward       NETWORK NODE COMMANDS
   L<< x.....      List fm x=callsign   BBS............  Connect to the PBBS
   L>> x.....      List to x=callsign   Bye............  Disconnect
   L@ PBBS...      Messages to PBBS     Connect CALL     Connect to call
   L #.......      List since #            C#               CALL on port # to call
   LL #......      List last #          Help...........  Help
   L # #.....      List from # to #     Info...........  Basic Information
   L"x"......      List with x=string   Justheard...     Limited output JH
   L'x'......      List with x=sTrInG      K-Nodes....      K-Node output
   L$........      List bulletins       Nodes........    Nodes heard Message
Message........ Message of the day         Nodes CALL..     Info on node
Name........... First name              Ports..........  Port information
   NH........      Home board           Routes.........  Direct connect nodes
   NQ........      QTH=City, State         Route CALL       Other node
   NZ........      Zip code             Talk...........  Page Sysop
Path........... Path to a user          Users.........   Users/nodes
   PF........      Path to a PBBS                        

The following is a list of the local packet systems and their
frequencies...
 
Call      Alias      Location                           Type System
Used      Used       of Coverage     Frequency  Notes   (BBS,Node,DX Clusters)

WB2YXY-3  SMIVLY     Simi Valley     145.???            BBS
WA6ZSN-1  VNTURA     South Mountain  145.030            NETWORK NODE
WA6ZSN-3  OJAI       Red Mountain    145.030            NETWORK NODE
N6AHI-7   VTALAN     Ventura, Ca.    145.710            NETWORK NODE
W6KGB                Oxnard, CA.                        BBS
=======================================================================
Notes:

Those stations that are listed as a BBS are full service bbs' that
handle all types of messages via the international bbs forwarding
circuits.

  1. These are network nodes that are part of the main bbs software.

  2. Same as note 1 except that the software is emulating the Kantronics
     Ka-node style of operation.

  3. Temporarily out of service.

  $. A donation may be requested or required.

Prepared by Rick N6AHI @ N6AHI.#SCA.CA.USA.NOAM