The Status of Packet Radio
Whatever happened to packet radio?
Is it true that packet radio has disappeared? If you search around the VHF bands these days, you may be hard pressed to find any digital activity that is even vaguely reminiscent of the "good ole days!"
If you run, or ran, a packet BBS or gateway, you certainly have noticed a large drop-off in user participation on the radio side. Where have all the users gone? Well, we know the answer to that one. And, perhaps, it wasn't altogether unexpected that the internet would one day totally eclipse its prototypical "rival," leaving a host of users and potential users groping in the dark of digital radio space...
So what is it that has actually been displaced? It probably has to be the user interface residing at the application layer. Certainly the underpinning link layers and protocols will always be required, but the way we access that interface may have changed forever. BBS'es cannot compete with browsers! The old adage "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em..." might not be too far from reality. Perhaps packet radio needs to extend itself into the internet realm, building on its inherent message handling strengths, yet still retaining its independence and ability to function without the internet, i.e., in wireless mode, as a crucial option, and not pitting one against the other, as has often been done in the past, but inclusive of both options! (Time to "make peace," cooperate and move on... )
Since its inception, the fundamentals have not changed all that much. Packet's best features to-date have to be its mail/message handling capabilities, its automatic persistence and error detection when moving data over a busy frequency, and its ability to monitor or track events in real time, notwithstanding the fact that this is all done in wireless mode and probably one of the main reasons why we were attracted to this medium in the first place.
So, where do we go from here? I think we keep on "keepin' on." But, we make adjustments and look for improvements, bearing in mind that we can never return to the heyday of the 1980's and mid 90's, not abandoning hope or participation altogether! All technologies evolve, and none are ever completely forgotten. Old technologies often re-emerge in new forms, albeit sometimes nearly unrecognizeable to their former devotees; and if you are are an engineer, or so like-minded, you might even begrudgingly call this progress. :)
Making the Case for Digital Amateur Radio
Has digital radio, used here in the broadest sense of the term, really gone the way of CW, for example, which has not entirely vanished either? The evidence says "no." If you are new to packet or any of the digital modes, I want to encourage you to "stay the course." Yes, it is true, the level of activity has greatly diminished, but not ceased. If you have been involved with packet in the past, I would urge you to dust off the old equipment and, if not used on a daily basis, at the least, keep it in working order available within 24 hours notice or better, making sure those batteries are on charge and ready to go...
Digital radio seems to be in the process of re-grouping, especially the part that has been duplicated by the internet. But, other modes like APRS are going strong, and so are some of the specialty modes like PSK31 and Pactor. These still have their devotees... There may have even been a slight resurgence on the emergency nets; and, of course, the NTS mails keep right on "truckin'." So the packets are "out there" and moving...
Where we've really taken a hit is in the ax25 and tcp/ip protocols as found on the once-popular BBS systems, now appearing to be so painfully redundant to the internet. (For a bit more on how to connect to a BSS, please see Telnetting into a BBS.) However, packet radio still offers a possible trump card. It is wireless! And, we seem to be living in an increasingly wireless world. There are still significant roles to be played by digital radio, even the AX25 BBS'es. Maybe you can think of some niche roles that are just waiting to be applied...
- Harkening Back to the Future...
Sometimes to move forward, you have to look backward. Where did packet come from? It began as a highly experimental endeavor, with many skeptical nay-sayers scoffing in the the wings. And indeed, packet is a trully amazing coordination of many levels of technologies, each quite challenging in their own rights. It combines computers, analog radio, and digital signal processing technologies, to name just a few of the major engineering fields...
As many other innovations and inventions, the initial work began in the lab, just a small cadre of engineers and scientists. As the successful prospects became widely rummored, the homebrewers and amateur tinkerers took up the cause. It was our Canadian Hams to the North who actually did the "dog work" and the applied experimentation that made it all happen. We quickly jumped on board, and most US Hams are convinced, we invented it. :) The geographic lines have since become blurred, and today, innovations are coming from all over the planet.
Such anecdotal meanderings aside, the point is that digital radio has always been in the research phase, in one form or another, and still is today! Just look about on the internet for digital radio conferences. There is hardly a month, or even a week, when a conference has not been scheduled! You could travel the world attending these meetings! (Interesting idea... :) And I'll bet some of you do! To reiterate, new technologies are always in the process of becoming. At some point, a "light bulb" turns on, and the realm of theory crosses over into the realm of reality, as it always has, and a new product, device or innovation is born! Patience, patience... stayed tuned!- What Can We do in the Here and Now?
From our Monday-morning comfortable armchairs, it all seems well and good to blame everything that has happened to packet on that "villan," the internet. But, perhaps as Hams, we might bare some of this responsibility as well. Packet radio was and is far from perfect. We all have had our share of complaints from time-to-time: the net is too slow; why isn't anyone coming back to me?; oh, this foolish link is down again, etc, etc, etc... I know you have been there and probably could greatly expand the list!
Yes, believe it or not, there is plenty wrong with packet radio. It is afterall run by amateurs who also happen to be human beings, at least most of the time. :) Squables and first admendment rights issues aside, what could we do if it were in our power to improve it?
Perhaps the single most effective change, which has been discussed many times before, would be to speed up the data flows: get that VHF HBAUD up to 9600! This is not quite as easy as it sounds, but it would be a significant step toward internet interoperability, which is an inevitability that cannot be ignored over today's networks. In other words, extend the internet seamlessly out to regions that can only be reached by radio links... this would include all manner of Public Service Communications.
Another suggestion would be to apply software that has the potential to run network server operations. This would facilitate that all powerful link to the internet through the radio portal. The*NOS group has this capability, despite the fact that it requires a long learning curve for the system administrator. (This site is dedicated to the*NOS family of network software, so I am biased in this regard.) However, any operating system or application software that will sustain interoperability between radio nets and the internet is fine! Some very popular client/server software systems include: (X)Net, FlexNet, FBB, and MSYS, just to name a few...
This also raises a digressive issue that often plagues system admins and station operators: security! It is sometimes all we can do to get our systems up and running in a reliable fashion, and still fend off the attacks from the crackers. Spam is not too much of a problem, but often systems are used to forward spam as though it were orginating from that point. Sometimes break-ins occur on the file system and damage done. But, these "annoyances" can be overcome, and should even be expected and prepared for, when operating any server, gateway'ed machine.
What about the people side of the equation. Two items come to mind. First is what I would call the "little king" syndrome. Not all, but more than a few, station sysops think they own the network, often enforcing policies that are not conducive to collegial inclusiveness. The average operator may sometimes feel shut out and leave the packet community without any recourse. These instances are quite rare, but they have been known to happen... We shouldn't want to lose anyone!
The second item is "rugged individualism." Very often, the most qualified operators are mavericks, operating completely on their own. When they go silent, or retire, or move away, or get fed up and leave the air, what happens to all their users? (This recently happened to me... In fact, it has happened three times here in the North East in the past four years!) Would have been nice if we had had some prior notice, or if that part of the network could have been donated to a local club to take up the slack.
So, despite all the loose-ends and inconsistencies in attempting to piece together radio networks, all the fussing among participants, and all the technical shortcomings, maintaining a packet network is still doable and still worthwhile! We can fix the "bugs" and, if we so choose, we can keep the radio nets going!- There is Safety in Numbers...
Perhaps one of the best solutions to the disappearing packet network can be found at your local ham radio club! Clubs solve the persistence problem; although clubs sometimes dissolve too, that probability is much less likely than for individuals. And some clubs have been in existence for a very long time! (European networks have probably used the radio club as a central node with great effectiveness, perhaps much more so than here in the US.)
So, what can the club approach do for digital radio? It can essentially ensure that these radio modes will always have a role to play. That role is in the realm of Pubic Service Communications, or better known as emergency management communications. Today, there is hardly any need to convince people that disasters, whether natural or man-made, are going to occur! The authorities are always going to be over-burdened, and always going to need any volunteer assistance that they can get. The radio club offers an immediate organization of helpers that can be readily "attached" to any governmental agency. Such plans-of-action already exist in the form of ARES and RACES sub-groups within the amateur radio club framework.
Digital radio communications, specifically packet radio, can play a vital role too, if we do our part, promoting and integrating its application in the emergency nets! We need to be sure that digital systems are included in emergency plans and exercizes. We need to be sure that the digital system presents a seamless, wireless, more broad-banded extention of the internet as has been suggested above. Here is where tcp/ip packet radio can send email messages from disaster victims back to family members, BBS'es, or even text messaging areas on individuals' cell phones, greatly expediting the communication process! Although packet stations are not always considered standard equipment on board ERV'es (Emergency Rescue/Reconnaisence Vehicles, which can include boats), there seems to be a growing awareness that this would be a good idea...
There is also a trend in the emergency amateur radio community, i.e., ARES, RACES, leaning toward encorporating digital modes into the standard practices and procedures for all emergency operations. Not only can digital modes increase the probablity of immediate successes on the ground, but it can also produce a time-lined, paper trail for future evaluation and planning back at the office. This data, when reviewed through critical analysis, could yield very valuable insights into the handling of future events.- Conclusions...
So, can digital radio play a role in today's emergency environments? I don't think there is any question about it. Gradually packet radio "got lumped" into the entertainment dimension of the internet, and to that extent, it has failed. But, it has a more serious role to fulfill. It can be a lifeline in times of emergency, connecting people with people, and greatly enhancing the communications among all touched by disaster!
(For a more explicit discussion about the practical aspects of implementing packet radio in times of emergencies, please see Using Packet Radio in Emergencies. To view an index page for general emergency-related information, please see Emergency Communications and Informational Resources.)
(Courtesy KBNorton Computer Services)