North Carolina Packet

NCPACKET.net is presently a non-incorporated group in North Carolina. NCPACKET is building an educational, and fun, data network using hobbyist owned and operated data links. We are using packet-radio over ham-radio.

It is the intention of the founders of this organization that hams in North Carolina and surrounding states will construct a Terrestrial Amateur Radio Packet Network, or TARPN which allows for multi-state email exchange, live chat, and post&comment social interaction, across the entire region, and will completely avoid data traffic to and from commercial networks.


Mission Statement:


Existing connected NCPACKET network

The map is getting complex enough that portraying it on a mobile display in web format is no longer practical. Our network is in Person, Alamance, Chatham, Orange, Durham and Wake Counties, though it was born in Wake County and is considerably denser in Wake. If you are interested in joining in on our project, please join our email reflector and make your interest known.

Here is a low-resolution map of the network. The links are represented as yellow for 6m, blue for 2m and red for 70cm. Note that the maps are always out of date, sometimes inconsistant, and are updated by volunteer labor! The tables later on this webpage represent what we know of your stations. Please contact KA2DEW via CHAT or email if you can offer corrections to the tables!

Click on these map-clippings for a geographically drawn map based on Google Earth, or for a detailed logical map of the network showing callsigns, bit-rates and frequencies.


Click for map drawn on Google Earth for geographic placement.
 

Click for map with logical link details and station information.


We have a groups.io email reflector for NCPACKET North Corolina (and nearby) participants. This email reflector is about building a TARPN-based, educational, and fun, data network in and near North Carolina.
Please subscribe if you are in or within a couple of counties of North Carolina and wish to participate.

Please do not post to this group with advocacy for automatic or continuous tie-ins between our ham radio systems and commercial networks. We don't need Internet for our conversations. We have ham radio.

If your default web browser is already logged into groups.io, then clicking the Subscribe button will just take you to the Groups IO page. At that point, click Find or Create a Group at the top of the page, and type NCPACKET into the search box.

 


Voice nets for NCPACKET

These nets help people working to join the network to get connected, and help the community stay aware of our project. In addition, since the NCPACKET network is a text service, the voice nets give us an opportunity to interact verbally, regularly. The Net is a forum where questions about NCPACKET may be asked (and often answered on the spot). The nets are open to any licensed amateur who is curious about NCPACKET. We welcome your inquiries!

The nets are moderated and are intended for NCPACKET matters only, not for general ragchew.

All but the HF net use standard analog FM on local repeaters, with standard offsets. Join the net whose repeater is nearest you. We are grateful to the clubs in the Triangle area that make these repeaters available for our nets. But you don't have to be a member of a club to join an NCPACKET net on that club's repeater.

All nets meet weekly except as announced. All times Eastern. Watch for info on these nets on the TARPN and NCPACKET groups.io email reflectors.

In addition, there have been monthly or semi-monthly gatherings of NCPACKET participants for a weekday lunch. They will be announced in advance on the [email protected] email list (see above).

Youtube Videos


NCPACKET Callsign Badge

We'd love you to have one of these to wear at ham club meetings, at hamfests, and at NCPACKET gatherings.

Order from Oyster-Creek


Off The Grid

Our networks will depend on Amateur Radio Operator controlled infrastructure, including HF, VHF, UHF, microwave and wired links. Our network won't be disrupted by short term or long term disruptions in the CATV, Cellular, or other Internet systems. We get to build and operate our own network for fun and education and to build a community for social value, for the ease of cooperation, and for mutual inspiration.
No Internet required. No Internet desired.

Why Off The Grid?

It has been shown (to the founders) that packet networks which combine Amatuer Radio with Internet do not attract or promote Amateur Radio operation, and instead results in a network which is the worst combination of fragility of Internet and Amateur Radio. By cutting off the Internet connection we're forcing any station, who wants access to our group and our network features, to do the work required to build onto the independent ham radio based network. While this will discourage some potential Internet users, it has been shown to increase the amount of individual participation in the network's operation. Everybody you meet on the network will be actually on the Amateur Radio network.

Our separation from commercial networks will require manual cut and paste by a ham-in-the-middle for any traffic which bridges the divide. Our participants and group members will enforce this requirement and will absolutely not do station remote control (of the packet station) via commercial means or perform automatic relaying of our content into commercial networks, including via VPNs. All links of data into and out of our network will be by ham-in-the-middle. We insist on separation from commercial networks and any other Amateur network which does not insist on separation from commercial networks. Any bridge to commercial networks (or other merged networks) must be by ham-in-the-middle manual cut and paste.

Why TARPN?

TARPN has a very usable installation package which gives access to the powerful G8BPQ suite of tools with almost no learning or effort. They have decent instructions and plans for hardware, including cabinetry. TARPN is a collaborative group (which many NCPACKET people should participate in) which creates new solutions to make setting up a sophisticated, multi-radio, high performance, Amateur Radio packet switch easy, and inexpensive, for anybody.

What about Winlink, APRS, ARES, and MARS?

There are many ways to use ham radio. Most of them can co-exist in the same community.

APRS and Winlink are ham radio and Internet systems. Both can be used without Ham Radio involved, and both can be used without Internet involved.

Winlink

Webpage for WinLink
Winlink is a system for connecting remote radio hams to an Internet email address, and for creating a common Internet email presence which can be accessed by hams from the Internet and from ham radio using various packet radio schemes. Winlink does not specifically create a vhf/uhf packet radio network, or create a resource for training new digital networking technologists. TARPNs are not particularly useful for Winlink and also don't compete for resources, much. A single ham can do both a TARPN and be part of WinLink. Just don't share the data back and forth except by cut and paste.

APRS

Webpage for Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
APRS has multiple facets. APRS is well known for serving as a last-hop extension of the Internet, providing a web-page map of the positions of many items. But it doesn't have to end there.

On the Internet side, APRS carries data from thousands of ham radio transceivers which are called digipeaters and igates. That data is agregated by Internet servers which perform a switching duty to allow a stations on ham radio APRS in one region to have messages relayed back to ham radio in a different region. In addition. the Internet servers permit access to traffic relayed to and through the Internet so one can look at one's own historical beacons, or message traffic to and from other APRS participants.

On the ham radio side, APRS is what we call a Sparse Network in that the channel is usually quiet. APRS ham radio transmissions are not immediately acknowledged, and failure to deliver does not result immediately in a retransmission. APRS works very well, especially considering the unpredictable presence of participants, but a lack of guaranteed delivery creates a very different experience than a TARPN. APRS is also well known for being a way for stations to send their locations to their friends who would be watching, or for alerting event coordinators of what stations are in the area.

APRS could be used for a chat protocol, allowing multiple stations within range of each other to send text messages to one another. In practice, the terminals used for text entry and display are almost always Internet connected and don't even need ham radios to participate.

A TARPN is not currently competition for APRS because we don't have a mobile instantiation of the TARPN plan and TARPNs don't operate on 144.39 Mhz. It's possible that some people who are active with APRS might also be interested in participating in a local TARPN. There's nothing stopping a ham doing both.

Your author is a participant in both APRS and TARPN. I acquired a Kenwood TM-D710G for the purpose of exercising the real-time ham-radio chat aspect of APRS. I think the ham radio community can do better than the TM-D710G in ham-radio exclusive operation, and I'm willing to work towards that.

ARES

Webpage for Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)
ARES can use a TARPN.
It may not be what they'd have designed, but if we have a state-wide TARPN, they may become interested. Let's find out. Warning:: Some organizations, in support of emergency preparedness, will pre-position club-owned or county-financed packet radio equipment including networking capability. It has been the experience of some of our membership that government financed equipment often times is a dampener to Ham financial involvement. Please do not ask for funding to build a TARPN. TARPNs are supposed to be fun. That they could become critical in times of emergency is just what Amateur Radio does. It's not a reason for us to become non-amateur.

MARS

Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Society
The Mecklenburg County ARS, Charlotte and vicinity, has one of the few over-the-air packet networks in North Carolina, and it has been continuously running since the 90s. The idea for using Raspberry PIs and low-cost TNCs together with G8BPQ to create packet network nodes (which led to the creation of TARPN!) was presented to the TARPN founders by MARS members. We have nothing but appreciation for the hard work members of MARS have put in to keep their system updated and operational. That said, the scheme they have been using since the early 2000s may be counter productive if the goal is to get more people using and practicing Amateur Radio packet. I think the goal of MARS is to maintain a capability to do messaging using Internet, with a fallback to packet radio. The TARPN is not compatible with the MARS packet radio projects so long as they automatically tie-in to commercial networks. However, there are plenty of radio resources and hams to permit both to coexist. I'd like to think that if we get big enough across the state that the members of MARS will join us, hopefully without having to dismantle what they've maintained all these years.

How do we build the NCPACKET network?

There are two paths to take, depending on what TARPN nodes exist in your area. If there are any TARPN nodes, make contact with the operators and see if they can find a way to get a link to you. A link requires a pair of radios and TNCs, but we're on a pay-it-forward model mostly. Anybody who already has a TARPN node will probably be eager to add new links, within limits.

If you are not in range of an existing TARPN node, consider building a couple of your own, even if just to run across your hamshack. The cost of building 2 nodes on the bench are right around $200. Getting them on the air to span a distance is where the expense lies because it takes antennas and coax. It's all fun, and the unique TARPN-specific equipment is all resellable. The TNC we're mostly using comes as a the easiest soldered-kit known to man, for $45 or so, and once assembled is easily re-sold if you decide this was a bad direction to go.

If you can create a new TARPN network which is geographically separated from the existing networks, you'll also create a vacuum which will attract new node developers. This is a very good thing. It is quite fun and rewarding to be the key-stone to finally get two disparate networks to be connected.

Check out the shopping list and more youtube videos.

Repeater Sites?

Almost anybody doing packet radio in the mountains is going to quickly turn to the idea of repeater sites. Some of the people we'll attract to the hobby won't be 2-way radio/repeater professionals (no kidding, right?). Click here for information about how to coexist with repeater sites.

Hamfest Photos

NCPacket news

Historical news entries when I was able to keep up. 2015-2020
  • July 9, 2020
    • NinoTNC has revolutionized the network. We have half a dozen 9600 baud links now as well as a couple 2400 baud links.
    • REED node is up but the connection needs work. This is true also of GEORGE and MARKDM
    • ED, KEITH, JACK, BRNTLY, BEN, JAY, ELIJAH and JP nodes are new with ELIJAH, JP, BEN, JAY connected to the network.
    • JACK node is up and connected to BRNTLY using 9600 baud Tait radios but they are isolated for the moment
    • ED and KEITH are also up, also with TAIT radios but isolated.
    • IAN has moved and is now connected into ERECH and BILLY from Wendel.
    • DAN has three 2m cavity filters and can work ADRO, REED and FFVC without interference now.
    • Many things are pending, as is usual.
  • March 22 2020
    • NinoTNC A2 units have shipped. NCPACKET has about 60 of them.
    • REED node is on the air in Apex working with a temporary connection to DAN in Pittsboro
    • KEVIN K4KDE moved and is now linked to TILL with an excellent and shorter path.
    • DAN to ADRO is down pending arrival of cavity filters at DAN. This orphanned GEORGE
    • FIN to AARONJ is off pending the new NinoTNCs.
    • ANOIA is back off-line with more antenna work.
    • ERECH to BILLY is intermittent
  • Jan 21 2020
    • We're now testing several NinoTNCs in IL2P mode at 1200 baud and 9600 baud. See the map.
    • GEORGE put a 6m vertical moxon in a tree in Swepsonville and is now linked to ADRO on 51.56, though it is intermittent still
    • FIN to AARONJ is offline temporarily. We're having RFI problems where 6m causes TNC-PI to corrupt.
    • ANOIA node is back on, having moved his antenna. IAN1 o ANOIA is having trouble.
    • AARON to ERECH moved to 2m. ERECH now linked to BILLY on 446.975.
    • Our nodes now show show on APRS.FI
  • Dec 17, 2019
    • GEORGE put a 6m vertical moxon in a tree in Swepsonville and is now linked to ADRO on 51.56
    • FIN to AARONJ is offline temporarily. TNC-PI malfunction at AARONJ maybe?
    • KILMER is back online.
    • ANOIA node is still off, moving his antenna. MARKDM is still cut off .
    • ERECH got a new antenna in a tree and AARONL to ERECH is now on 440.1.
    • Aaron KN4ORB is working on getting our nodes to show on APRS.FI
    • Dec 8, 2019
      • BOBS has his new 6m antenna up and the BOBS to DAVE link is working
      • KILMER went down to rebuild.
      • ANOIA node is off, moving his antenna. MARKDM is cut off for a bit.
      • FIN to JOHN is now up. Welcome N8ZU to the network.
      • DAN is now linked to ADRO.
    • Nov 17, 2019
      • BOBS and TADD are now linked on 438.025. BOBS is working on his new 6m antenna to fix the BOBS to DAVE link
      • KILMER and FIN 927.2 link is working now.
      • ANOIA node will need some work soon. The tree in which his packet antenna is hung has died and removing the tree will require relocating the node hardware.
      • TADD and DOUG are linked using the NinoTNC-A0 and that's working about 10x as fast as the TNC-PI with Kenwood radios
    • Nov 9, 2019
      • ERECH and GREG are both back on the air this weekend.
      • DAN:K4FD amd BOBS:W4TTX have joined our netework.
      • BOBS is in north Raleigh and is linked into DAVE on 51.14. He's having some RFI issues so it's still a work in progress.
      • DAN is in Fearington, part of Pittsboro NC, and is linked to FFVC. Dan is interested in linking to people around him using several SD125 data radios he bought from Jim WB2LHP in Michigan.
      • KEN node is intermittent. Work required.
      • IAN is now connected to ANOIA and FFVC.
      • ANOIA node will need some work soon. The tree in which his packet antenna is hung has died and removing the tree will require relocating the node hardware.
    • Sept 29, 2019
      • IAN is linked to ANOIA -- IAN to ADRO coming soon
    • Sept 24, 2019
      • We had a pretty rotten summer with the divided network.
      • Several links went fallow with the 4-month long split of the network.
      • The good news is that due to the work of half a dozen hams, including Billy's eagle-eye slingshot work, TADD node now has a 70' high antenna providing a link to FFVC, so our Capital District Network is back together!
      • ADRO node is off the air, temporarily
      • ERECH node and GREG node are both off the air, but neither has anounced quits so hopefully will be back.
      • KEN node is intermittent. Work required.
      • ADAM node has called it quits.
      • The good news: BOBR:W4GIA and IAN:KC2BXN have joined us.
      • Bob:W4TTX is almost ready.
      • IAN will pick up ADRO and maybe ANOIA as well with a 3 link UHF-only node
    • May 6, 2019
      • The good news is that we now have two substantial networks in North Carolina. The bad news is that they are both half the size of what we had when we had only one network!
      • VON node is gone, and due to a lack of redundancy, the network is split. AI4WV is moving to Chapel Hill. VON will return at a new location but we're now short a Durham to Raleigh link!
      • We have two possible new nodes coming in the next month or so that might link the two network fragments. Testing will tell!
      • SKIP node is returned.
      • MARKDM to ANOIA link is suffering.
      • ANOIA to ADRO is back up but needs adjusting. A signal generator and scope will need to come for a visit.
      • We've given up on the ANOIA 22 element beam project. We couldn't get the signal levels to be even as good as the high omni.
      • DAVID node is off temporarily. DAVID:N4DBZ joined the network a month ago with a temporary antenna. He's creating a new outdoor antenna setup.
    • Apr 25, 2019
      • SKIP node is still off.
      • MARKDM to ANOIA link is suffering.
      • ANOIA to ADRO is back up but needs adjusting. A signal generator and scope will need to come for a visit.
      • The plan for ANOIA is to add a 22-element yagi array to link to MARKDM, then use the high 2m omni for another future link
      • VON node is going away in a few weeks. AI4WV is moving to Chapel Hill. VON will return at a new location but we're now short a Durham to Raleigh link!
      • DAVID node is off temporarily. DAVID:N4DBZ joined the network a month ago with a temporary antenna. He's creating a new outdoor antenna setup.
    • Apr 6, 2019
      • ERECH node is now linked to AARONL.
    • Mar 21, 2019
      • AARONL node link to TADD is back up.
      • DAVID:K4DBZ-2 is now up, linked to AARONL.
    • Mar 19, 2019
      • ANOIA to ADRO down because of a TNC-PI i2c reset?.
    • Feb 25, 2019
      • SKIP node is removed from service to be rebuilt. It will come back as a 4-port node.
      • MARKDM to ANOIA link is suffering.
      • W4EIP and KM4JRH are now linked.
      • KEVIN link moved to TILL node.
      • AARONL node link to TADD broken. New coax for Tadd site shortly.
    • Jan 31, 2019
      • DANIEL to AARONJ link is now on its new frequency and tuned up very well.
      • W4EIP and KM4JRH are still looking at antennas to do their link.
      • FIN to KEVIN link is now excellent.
    • Jan 27, 2019
      • TADD-AARONL is now running PAR SM50 Moxon beams and the link is up to 10% NB and 2% Southbound.
      • DANIEL to AARONJ link is barely scratching by now. AARONJ needs some adjustments we think.
        However, we're about to move that link from 145.75 to 147.585 to avoid some ham project in Clayton that we didn't interfere with back when DANIEL yagi was facing west.
      • W4EIP and KM4JRH are still looking at antennas to do their link.
      • KEVIN:K4KDE node is now up. FIN to KEVIN link needs improvement. Work in progress
    • Jan 14, 2019
      • TADD-AARONL link still not working great. We ordered a pair of Moxon beams, one for each end. Maybe fix it this coming weekend?
      • FIN-AARONJ just needed adjustment and is working well again.
      • W4EIP and KM4JRH are working on antennas to do their link.
      • AARONJ:KF4EZU to DANIEL is working well now. AARONJ is now a 3 port FIN modbox
    • Jan 2, 2019
      • TADD-AARONL link isn't working very well. We need a mid-site maybe or better antenna at one end.
      • TILL is now linked to KILMER KM4JRH node. The plan is that Mark will do a link to FIN on 927 and also a 2m link to W4EIP.
        W4EIP and KM4JRH are working on antennas to do their link.
      • FIN-AARONJ is also not working well.
        AARONJ:KF4EZU added a 2m port to try AARONJ to DANIEL instead.
    • December 6, 2018
      • KN4ORB, Aaron, joined us with a 6m link to TADD. Aaron has an Austinantennas GP52 1/4 wave antenna hanging in a tree at 50 feet.
      • K4DSP, Doug, decided not to proceed. Mark KM4JRH is taking over his link to TILL. The plan is that Mark will do the link to FIN on 927 and also a 2m link to W4EIP.
      • W4EIP and KM4JRH are working on antennas to do their link.
    • November 26, 2018
      • KEN:AC4RD is back in the network via DANIEL but the FIN-DANIEL link is not working well. There is some possibility that RF noise ingress is bugging the link.
      • K4DSP, Doug, is running a demo node off of TILL node. If all goes well, that will become a 927mhz link from FIN to HALL:K4DSP.
    • November 11, 2018
      • MARKDM is working pretty well though we'll want to address this by Spring when leaves come back
      • DAVE:W4EIP and DANIEL:AG4DB are in the network.
      • W1KES is not in the network anymore.
      • GREG is looking to link to either KN4ORB or KM4IFU. Hopefully by Christmas
      • KEN node will be testing against DANIEL real soon.
      • ADAM is back in the network.
    • September 24, 2018
      • ADRO to ANOIA is back up
      • ANOIA has a 147.555 radio on the omni now, to link to MARKDM:KN4BTI, and 144.45 is linking to SKIP via a 4-element yagi
      • MARKDM is now on the air though link quality wasn't great. We'll try a different radio in a week.
      • SNELL is moving to Fuque Varina. He's actually in range of KK4QMB.
      • TILL to TADD is moving from 2m to 900Mhz. This will free up the 5-el 2m yagis at both sites for future links
    • August 18, 2018
      • DOUG to GREG is up
      • ADRO to ANOIA died. We don't know why yet. It's a good thing we now have ANOIA - SKIP - CHRIS - FFVC - ADRO as a backup.
    • July 26, 2018
      • CHRIS-to-SKIP is up on 441.025
    • July 19, 2018
      • CHRIS node is up with 1 link. Link CHRIS-to-SKIP may happen.
      • GREG was up and testing. Hopefully he'll be back. GREG links to DOUG.
      • DOUG node is on. He'll be linking to GREG
      • ADAM KM4DLS is off, hopefully for not very long.
      • We're working on nodes at GREG, DANIEL, MARK, KEVIN, SCRCCO.
      • There is thunder in the west. People are talking about starting one or more TARPN hatchlings in High Point through Boone.
    • June 9, 2018
      • ADRO is back
      • TILL now has 3 links, to FIN, VON and TADD
      • DOUG node is on. He'll be linking to GREG
      • ADRO site antenna is back up.
      • AC4RD:KEN is disconnected -- foliage killed the link. DANIEL node will serve in the middle when it comes on.
    • March 31, 2018
      • SCOTT off the air. Hasn't come back
      • GREG temporarily off the air.
      • VON is linked to TILL
      • ADRO site having antenna problems for a couple of weeks. Expected back after RARSfest.
      • AC4RD:KEN is on the network connected to TADD.
    • January 12, 2018
      • VON to TADD moved to 433.7Mhz
      • TADD to GREG added on 144.41
    • October 15, 2017
      • ADAM node is connected to FFVC node on 433.
      • SCOTT node temporarily offline due to in-house remodeling work
    • July 09, 2017
      • ANOIA is now linked to SNELL on 6m.
      • We're planning to replace VON to TADD with 433Mhz.
    • June 17, 2017
      • SCOTT node is up with 3 radios on 4 ports. 50.97 is linked to FFVC, and 145.75 is linked to SNELL.
      • I've decided that multipath is a big problem when working with Omni vertical antennas. The link from VON to TADD and VON to FIN on 2m were both plagued with multipath. Now I think the problem is that there is a water tower just hundreds of feet away from VON node and the path from the VON antenna up to the water tower and over to FIN or TADD is as good as the non reflected path. Our solution is going to be to move VON to TADD to a pair of 10 element beams on 433Mhz. That should fix it.
    • March 27, 2017
      • SKIP node is up with two ports. 144Mhz to ANOIA and 51Mhz to BRYAN
    • March 25, 2017
      • ANOIA node is up with two ports, 440Mhz to ADRO, and 145Mhz to SKIP
      • FIN and TILL link is now at 7% or so.
      • SCOTT node is coming soon. That will link into FFVC and bring SNELL back in the network.
    • March 5, 2017
      • K4RGN, TILL, has a new dual band corner reflector beam aimed at FIN. This improved the situation. We're at 15% retry rate now and working on a radio replacement, aiming at < 5% retry rate.
      • JENRET is off permanently. W4JSK:SCOTT node, coming soon, will take over the link to SNELL
      • FIN to AARONJ is working mighty well now. FIN bought a 4-element yagi to link to AARONJ and this made a big difference. Aaron KF4EZU did some work on the 6m radio at his end as well.
      • HANK node is going off the air. FFVC is now directly linked to VON node. HANK equipment will end up in another node shortly.
      • ANOIA:KW4KZ is still coming soon. Chuck has his GP15 up 80' in a tree and has tested it by talking directly to Billy KE4VNC on 2m. He also was able to talk to FFVC and easily hear ADRO. The plan is to tie ADRO to ANOIA on 440, and SKIP to ANOIA on 2m. Then ANOIA may use 6m to talk west, possibly to KJ4OLI in Efland.
      • John, N4RMV, is looking to establish a node in Archer's Lodge, Johnston County. Billy KE4VNC is working with him on antennas.
    • October 22, 2016
      • TILL node got a new antenna. This should improve the FIN to TILL 440 link.
      • FIN node got a new antenna for 6m FIN to AARONJ link, but that didn't help it enough. So Fin, NC4FG, got an even better 6m antenna. 4 element Arrow 6m yagi. Not up yet.
      • W4AUV. Dale, said he'd have a node if somebody wants to help with it. Dale's site would make a great midpoint and alternate path to the now weak AARONJ to FIN link. The idea is to link Dale with AARONJ on 2m and TILL on 70cm.
      • KA2DEW put up a node at work called FFVC:KA2DEW-3 in RTP. That is linked to ADRO and to HANK.
      • DAVIS is off the air entirely. Charlie says he'll be back but he's repairing antennas on his tower.
      • ANOIA:KW4KZ is completely assembled except for stringing a tree. It turns out that node cannot talk to SNELL but it can talk to SKIP and ADRO. We're going to link them up.
      • VON to FIN never worked very well so we moved it to VON to TADD.
      • FIN 2m can now be used to expand, hopefully we can get a station in Cary to link to FIN
      • JENRET node, maintained by ka2dew, is off the air, maybe due to stress-broken coax. The run was hanging in free space for quite a distance. Bad
    • June 5, 2016
      • TILL node is up.
      • ANOIA:KW4KZ node is coming soon.
      • We're going to delete the 440 link from SKIP to ADRO and instead put CHUCK in the middle.
      • DAVIS to BILLY link is off the air, temporarily. WA3UTC:DAVIS took a lightning hit. It didn't hurt packet, but Charlie, WA3UTC, borrowed the packet node's coax to restore HF functionality
      • ANOIA:KW4KZ is also in range of SNELL so that may give us a complete loop.
    • March 29, 2016
      • KF4EZU:AARONJ node is up. FIN to KF4EZU:AARONJ on 50.99 horizontal and AARONJ to BILLY on 431.1 vertical, soon to be horizontal. Welcome Aaron!
    • March 20, 2016
      • Billy started working on a new plan for his link to FIN. The 6m link from BILLY to FIN has been unreliable. The new plan involves getting a new site AARONJ:KF4EZU-2 on the air at Knightdale. Welcome Aaron. The 6m link moves from BILLY to FIN over to AARONJ to FIN. AARONJ to BILLY is short range and can be done on 440. Hopefully that will be running in March. However, for much of January and February the BILLY site was completely off-line, breaking the network into two pieces. As of Feb 29th, BILLY is back up in the old capacity of linking to FIN and to DAVIS.
      • SAM:KM4WUF joined us with a 440 link to TADD. Welcome Sam!
      • VON:AI4WV - name Steve - joined us with a 2m link to FIN. Welcome Steve!.
      • HANK node is on-the-air linked into VON. Welcome Hank!
      • KEITH:W1KES joined us with a 2m link to ADRO. Welcome Keith. Keith is working with Chuck KW4KZ north-west of Durham, to do a 6m link between the two.
      • We have lost ERECH and BRYAN, at least for the moment.
    • Oct 11, 2015
      • Adding 4th port to ADRO to support KEITH node. JOE, KEITH, DOUG, CHUCK testing simplex paths and acquiring parts.
      • WILSON acquiring parts. ADRO node rebuilt into Skip-box.
    • Oct 1, 2015
      • FIN to BILLY now reliable due to change of frequency and away from a noise emitter on 6m and improved antenna and RF susceptibility on both ends.
      • FIN to TADD now moved to 220 to eliminate in-band interference at TADD. This frees up the 2m rig at FIN.
      • As soon as we can we're moving the 2m link ADRO to DAVIS to 144.31 from 144.35. 144.35 is apparently co-opted for a Chinese satellite uplink.
    • Aug 30, 2015
      • Added FIN site. Link from TADD to BILLY replaced by TADD to FIN and FIN to BILLY
      • THEDON is up but we stole his 2m link at BILLY and will be moving THEDON over to 440 with BILLY or with DAVIS.
      • SCOTT and JEFF are now on-line but BRYAN got hit by lightning. That should be back on shortly. The lightning probably came in via the landline Internet provider and killed many items connected to the Ethernet including the HF rig and the Raspberry PI.
      • We're working on links west from ADRO and SNELL to eventually make a loop of the network, providing decent robustness. Dave, W4VU has a node up west of Burlington that will hopefully be connected as part of the western plan.
      • Everybody on the list below has acquired Raspberry PI and TNC-PIs so they can connect to our network. Some are working on antennas, others waiting for a neighbor to tie into.

North Carolina TARPN Nodes:

site neighbor freq quality radio antenna miles

TADD:KA2DEWNorth RaleighApril 2014
WILL 147.585
@3600 IL2P
working TAIT TM8110F-22A omni @ 70ft12
PAUL 144.95
@9600 IL2P
working Tait TM8105horizontal yagi 9.5
PATMH 145.55
@9600 IL2P
working Tait TM8110horizontal yagi 9.5
FIN 222.32
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8235Arrow Horz Yagi 3.1
TILL 425.1
@9600 IL2P
offline TAIT TM8100vertical yagis 1.5
ERIC 440.1
@4800 IL2P
brok en Tait TM810010 el horz yagi 2

BILLY:KE4VNCWendelSeptember 2014
FIN 146.67
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 10 el horizontal yagi6.4
AARONJ440.025
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 10 el horizontal yagi6.4
IAN 421.025offlineKenwood TK880 3 el vertical yagi1

ADRO:KV7D Blackwood NC
(near i40 and Chapel Hill/Hillsborough line)
January 2015
MARKDM147.525
@9600 IL2P
working Tait TM8105 70ft vertical omni16
FIN 144.370
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105 70ft vertical omni22
ANOIA 446.050
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105 70ft vertical omni9
FFVC 440.100
@9600 baud
off line Tait TM8105 70ft vertical omni14
KEITH 145.??
@9600 baud
future Tait TM8105 70ft vertical omni2.5
VANCE 51.140
@1200 baud
off line Vertex FTl101170ft vertical omni7

FIN:NC4FGnorth RaleighAugust 2015
ADRO 144.370
@1200 IL2P
excellent TAIT TM8105 tower vertical yagi 22
DOUG 144.990
@4800 IL2P
excellentTAIT TM8105 tower horizontal yagi4
TADD 222.320
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8245 horizontal yagi3.1
PAUL 425.125
@2400 IL2P
future Kenwood TK880 horizontal yagi1
BOBBY 440.125
@4800 IL2P
excellentTAIT TM8105 vertical yagi3

AARONJ:KF4EZUKnightdaleMarch 2016
BILLY 440.025
9600
excellent Tait TM8105 Horizontal Diamond A430s106.4
DANIEL446.925
4800
working
config
Tait TM810511-element vertical Cushcraft5
future145.53
9600
future
config
Tait TM8105Vertical dipole5

TILL:K4RGNNorth RaleighJune 2016
DOUG 147.585
@9600 IL2P
excellentTAIT TM81055 el Diamond yagi horizontal 4
TADD 446.475
@9600 IL2P
excellentTAIT TM81055 el vertical yagi 0.6
open 440.???
@2400 IL2P
future Kenwood TK705dArrow corner reflector 6
DANIEL 145.530
@9600 IL2P
bad
config
TAIT TM8105Arrow corner reflector 8

ANOIA:KW4KZEno TownshipNovember 2016
ADRO 446.050
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 tree omni
switching to low yagi
9
VANCE 440.125
@4800 IL2P
intermittent? Tait TM8105tree omni4

DOUG:N3LTVnorth RaleighMay, 2018
FIN 144.99
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105home brew
attic horz yagi
3.6
TILL 147.585
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105Diamond A144S5
attic horz yagi
1.2
DAVE 440.15
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105homebrew attic vert yagi0.5

CHRIS:KK4VBEsouth DurhamJuly, 2018
FFVC 446.975offlineTait TM81056 element vertical attic yagi3.4
JASON 440.025workingTait TM81056 element vertical attic yagi3

MARKDM:KN4BTIMebaneSeptember, 2018
ADRO 147.525
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105Diamond A144S10 15
LARKIN440.075
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105vert Ailunce 5-el6
BFRS 144.31
@1200 IL2P
working Tait TM8105vert HyGain VB25FM 5 el13

DANIEL:AG4DBeast RaleighNovember, 2018
TILL 145.53
9600
offline
config
Tait TM8105tree vertical omni8
AARONJ446.925
4800
offline
config
Tait TM8105tree vertical omni5
KEN 51.18 offlineVertex FTL-1011Horz Maxon9

DAVE:W4EIPnorth RaleighNovember, 2018
DOUG 440.150
@9600 IL2P
intermittentTait TM8105vertical omni0.5
BOBS 145.73 workingKenwood TK?1/4wv ground plane in tree2

KEN:AC4RDsouthwest RaleighApril 2018
DANIEL51.18poorVertex FTL-1011Horz 3 el yagi 9
JAI 144.43future Tait TM8105 Vert HyGain 5-el4
JOHN 147.525futureTait TM8105Vert HyGain 5-el5

AARONL:KN4ORBnorth RaleighDecember 2018
TADD 51.12
@1200 IL2P
working Vertex FTL-1011PAR SM50 horz
moxon in tree
6
DAVID147.525
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 horizontal yagi9
JEREMY145.61
@9600 IL2P
workingTait TM8105dual band omni3.2
BOBBY446.950
@9600 IL2P
working Tait TM8105 vertical attic yagi1.3

DAVID:K4DBZGrissomMarch 2019
AARONL147.525
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105horizontal yagi9

IAN:KC2BXNWendellJuly 2019
BILLY 421.025excellentKenwood TK880 vertical yagi1
RICH 440.050
@9600 IL2P
futureTait TM8105 vertical yagi2.7
future2m ?survey2m radio vertical yagi13

BOBS:W4TTXN. RaleighOctober 2019
DAVE145.73workingKenwood TK?Comet GP-152
ERIC446.450working Kenwood TK805dattic omni1

RYAN:N7RYNApexMarch 2020
WILL 145.63
@1200 IL2P
workingYeasu FT2980vertical yagi14
PAT 446.375
@4800 IL2P
workingKenwood TK8180vertical yagi1
TONY 440.150
1200 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vertical yagi4
AL116 147.555
2400 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vertical omni9

ELIJAH:KO4BACn RaleighApril 2020
ERIC144.43workingKenwood TK762Gindoor groundplane0.1
AARONBtwisted pairexcellentKenwood TK762GUSB-serial card1 inch

KEITH:W1KESCarborroFebruary 2020
ADRO 440.100
@9600 IL2P
brokenTait TM8105tree vertical GP152.5

PAT:KS4PEApexAugust 2020
RYAN 446.375
@4800 IL2P
workingKenwood TK8180vertical yagi2
DBURT441.475
@1200
workingKenwood TK8180vertical yagi3
DCLAPX449.975
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 vertical attic yagi1

DBURT:W4OFOCaryOctober 2020
PAT441.475
@1200
workingKenwood TK8180vertical yagi3
JAI446.125
@9600
workingTait TM8105vertical yagi0.9

LARKIN:NC4AUdowntown MebaneOctober 2020
MARKDM440.075
9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105Comet GP156
JOHN 147.585
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105Comet GP1519

ERIC:WO2SN. RaleighFebruary 2021
ELIJAH144.43 working Kenwood TK762Ghomemade groundplane0.1
KARL 144.97
@2400 IL2P
working Kenwood TK762G5 element home-brew attic-yagi horz1.3 miles
TADD 440.1
@4800 baud
excellentKenwood TK862Ghorz homebrew 5 el yagi attic2
BOBS 446.450 working TK860 homemade groundplane 1


TONY:K1OCApexMarch 2021
RYAN 440.150
@1200 IL2P
workingTait TM81055 element vertical yagi4?
PATMH 446.275
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105horz yagi5

BFRS:K4BFRBushy ForkApril 2021
MARKDM 144.31
@1200 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vertical something12.4

AARONB:KE4NQGn RaleighDecember 2021
ELIJAHtwisted pairexcellentKenwood TK762GUSB-serial card1 inch

RICHRD:K7RLHApexDecember 2021
AL116144.310
@1200 IL2P
workingKenwood TK760vertical omni8

AL116:N4SWCFuquay-VarinaJuly 2022
RYAN 147.555
@2400 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vertical omni9
RICHRD 144.310
@1200 IL2P
workingKenwood TK760vertical yagi3
SNELL 440.025
@9600 IL2P
offlineTait TM8105vertical yagi1

SNELL:W4RFQHolly SpringsJuly 2022
AL116 440.025
@9600 IL2P
offlineTait TM8105vertical yagi1

KARL:K4LNXnw RaleighJuly 2022
ERIC 144.97
@2400 IL2P
working Kenwood TK762G6 element home-brew attic-yagi horz1.3 miles

VANCE:KV4Pnw DurhamSeptember 2022
ADRO 51.14
@1200 IL2P
workingVertex FTL-1011vertical tree GP157
BILL 147.555
@1200 IL2P
workingKenwood TK762HGDIY vert yagi tree4
ANOIA 440.125
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105attic vert yagi4

WILL:WA4GKsouth DurhamOctober 2022
JASON144.330
@2400 IL2P
future Kenwood TK762HGtree omni3.5
SCOTTS440.050
@2400 IL2P
future Tait TM8105outdoor vertical yagi1
FFVC 446.975
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105outdoor vertical-yagi2

BOBBY:KO4JTRnorth RaleighNovember 2022
FIN 440.125
@9600 IL2P
workingTait TM8105 tree dual band Jpole3.3
AARONL446.950
@9600 IL2P
workingTait TM8105attic dual band omni1.3
LARRY144.330
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105attic dual band omni1.3

DCLAPX:KD4UNXApexDecember 2022
PAT 449.975
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 vertical attic yagi1

JAI:WJ0JCarySeptember 2022>
DBURT 446.125
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105 tree dual band Jpole1
TOM 144.43
@2400 IL2P
futureKenwood TK760Htree dual band Jpole2

HECTOR:W2NPRwest Wake ForestFebruary 2023
idle 144.41
@2400 IL2P
futureKenwood TK762HGdual band omni16
idle50.32
@1200 IL2P
futureVertex FTL101180ft Par Omniangle Horizontal18
STEPHN446.975
@1200 IL2P
brokenTait TM8105dual band omni4

JEREMY:K2HJXwest Wake ForestFebruary 2023
AARONL145.61
@9600 IL2P
workingTait TM8105dual band omni3.2
BRIAN 440.125
@9600 IL2P
futureTait TM8105dual band omni2.7

PATMH:K3PMHCaryMarch 2023
TONY 446.275
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105horz yagi5
TOM 440.125
@9600 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vert yagi0.3
TADD 145.550
@9600 IL2P
workingTait TM8105horz yagi9.5
ED 144.330
@2400 IL2P
futureTait TM8105horz yagi10

JOHN:W3KHGKimesvilleApril 2023
LARKIN 147.585
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vert yagi19
DREW 144.33
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vert yagi10

DREW:WB4IHYPleasant GardenMay 2023
JOHN 144.33
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vert omni10
SCOTT 440.075
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vert omni4

BILL:KY4ZCnw DurhamMay 2023
VANCE 147.555
@1200 IL2P
workingAnyTone AT-778UVtree vertical omni4

LARRY:K4LBXn RaleighJuly 2023
BOBBY144.33
@4800 IL2P
excellentYeasu FTM3100Rattic vertical yagi1.3

SCOTT:ND4LPleasant ValleyJuly 2023
PHIL 144.310
@4800 IL2P
futureTait TM8110vertical omni7
DREW 440.075
@4800 IL2P
workingTait TM8105vert omni4
MARKH147.585
@4800 IL2P
workingYaesu FTM3100Rvert omni7

MARKH:KD4NARandlemanJuly 2023
SCOTT 147.585
@4800 IL2P
workingYaesu FTM3100Rvertical yagi7
STEVEN440.025
@9600 IL2P
excellentYeasu ?vertical yagi3

STEPHN:NY4NCWake ForestNovember 2023
DAVID 144.97
@4800 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105vertical omni8
HECTOR446.975
@1200 IL2P
intermittentTait TM8105vertical omni9
AL187 440.200
@9600 IL2P
excellentTait TM8105vertical omni1

SCOTTS:KQ4KVWDurhamNovember 2023
WILL440.050
@9600 IL2P
intermittentTait TM8105vertical yagi1

STEVEN:N2DMRRandlemanDecember 2023
MARKH 440.025
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105 vertical yagi3
ROBERT446.975
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105 vertical yagi3

ROBERT:NW2ZAsheborofuture
STEVEN446.975
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105 vertical yagi3
FRIEND144.37
@9600 IL2P
excellent Tait TM8105 vertical yagi3

PAUL:KO4PZAWake ForestDecember 2023
TADD 144.95
@9600 IL2Pc
future Tait TM8105 horizontal yagi2
PATRIC440.05
@9600 IL2Pc
future Tait TM8105 vertical yagi1
PAULAL440.05
@9600 IL2Pc
future Tait TM8105 vertical yagi1

PHIL:KN4VQEGreensborosometime
SCOTT144.310
@4800 IL2P
futureTait TM8110vertical omni7

RICH:N4AEDWendelsometime
IAN440.050
@9600 IL2P
futureTait 8105vertical yagi2.7

SEAN:W4SRAShotwellsometime
ED 145.59
@9600 IL2P
futureTait TM8110tree mounted omni8
JON144.43
@9600 IL2P
futureTait TM8110tree mounted omni8

JON:W1RDUClaytonsometime
SEAN144.43
@9600 IL2P
futureTait TM8110vertical yagi8

Frequencies in use or planned in our network.
See TARPN FAQ freqs for packet for info about available frequencies.
6 meter band 50.32 HECTOR to ?par-omniangle
51.12 TADD to AARONL6 miles horizontal moxons
51.14 VANCE to ADRO 7 miles vertical omnis
51.16 unused
51.18 KEN to DANIEL9 miles horizontal yagis
51.54 unusedunused
51.56 unused
51.58 unused
2 meter band 144.31 Greensboro area - DX spotting??
144.31 FFVC to TADDvertical omnis
144.31 AL116 to RICHRDvertical yagi to tree omni, 2.6 miles
144.31 BFRS to MARKDMvertical yagis
144.33 DREW to JOHN10 miles, high omni to 5-el vertical yagi
144.33 PATMH to ED 10 el yagi to high omni
144.33 BOBBY to LARRY1.3 miles indoor vertical antennas
144.35 Chinese Satellite 144.35
144.37 ADRO to FIN 22 miles, tree-omni to 50ft vert yagi
144.37 STEVEN to FRIENDvertical antennas high wide
144.39 A.P.R.S. digipeaters
144.41 KEN to HAMFST1.5 miles, vertical yagi to mobile
144.41 KNOX to HALLvertical omnis, 6 miles
144.41 JOHND to HECTORvertical yagis 16 miles
144.43 JAI to TOM tree omni to attic yagi, 2 miles
144.43 ELIJAH to ERICvertical omnis?, low power, .1 miles
144.43 RICH to JON vertical yagis, 45 watts, 8 miles
144.45 ANOIA to VANCE vertical yagi, 3.6 miles
144.47 OSCAR/AMSAT reserved
144.49 OSCAR/AMSAT reserved16 miles vertical yagis
144.91 unused
144.93 unusedunused
144.95 PAUL-TADD3.5 miles horizontal yagis
144.97 was FIN to STEPHNveritical high antennas, 10.5 miles
144.97 KARL to ERIChorz attic yagi 1.3 miles
144.99 FIN-DOUG?? miles, horizontal yagis
145.01
145.03
145.05
145.09
145.51 simplex repeater, Clayton
145.53 TILL to DANIEL8 miles, corner reflector to mast mounted vert yagi
145.55 PATMH-TADD 9.5 miles horizontal yagis
145.57 unused unused
145.59 unused unused
145.63 DAN to RYAN 14 miles vertical omnis to yagi
145.65 unused unused
145.69 unused
145.71 ADRO to WILSON5 miles 2m vertical omni to vertical yagi
145.73 BOBS to DAVE2 miles 2m vertical omnis
145.75 Used in Clayton N4JDL
145.77 auto-Morse-ID heard in north Raleigh July2015
145.79 too close to International Space Station freq.
147.495demo network0 miles, low power
147.525Avoid near Burlington -- this freq used for simplex
147.525MARKDM to ADRO 16 miles, 20' vert yagi to 70' tree omni
147.525AARONL to DAVID vertical yagis, 9 miles
147.525KEVIN to AARONJ planned vertical yagi to omni
147.555TADD to STEPHN11 miles, high vertical yagi to tree vertical omni
147.555RYAN to AL116 9.5 miles, rooftop vert omni to tree vert omni
147.555VANCE to BILL attic vert yagi to tree omni, 4 miles
147.585JOHN to LARKIN18.5 miles, vertical yagi to vertical omni
147.585WILL to FFVC 3 miles, high vertical omni to vertical omni
1.25m band 222.30 222.0->222.3 is weak signal portion of the band
222.32 TADD to FIN 3 miles, 20' horz yagis
222.32 ADRO to FFVC 14 miles, tree omni to 4 el yagi
70cm band 421.025BILLY-IAN 1 mile, vertical yagis
421.125unused ?
425.125PAULEA to FIN 1 mile horizontal yagis
425.125unused ?
433.2 AARONJ to BILLY 6.7 miles 24' horz 10el yagi to 10el yagi
433.3 unused
433.725unused
433.775unused
438.025BOBS to TADD defunct 1 miles, 20' GP15 to 10 el yagi
440.000unused
440.025AL116 to SNELL 1 mile vertical yagi to vertical yagi
440.025JASON to CHRIS 3 miles vertical yagis
440.025AARONJ to BILLY 6.7 miles 24' horz 10el yagi to 10el yagi
440.050SCOTT to WILL 1 miles vertical yagis 25 watts
440.050RICH to IAN 2 miles vertical yagis 45 watts
440.050PAUL to PATRIC 1 miles vertical yagis 40 watts
440.075TILL expansion corner reflector
440.075LARKIN to MARKDM6 miles vertical GP15 omni to 5 el vert yagi
440.100KEITH to ADRO 3 miles? GP6 to GP15
440.100ERIC to TADD 0.1 miles attic vertical antennas
440.125TOM to PATMH under 1 mile with indoor yagis
440.125ANOIA to VANCE 4 miles, vertical yagis
440.125FIN to BOBBY 3 miles, horizontal yagis
440.125JEREMY to BRIAN 2.7 miles, vertical omnis
440.150RYAN to TONY
440.150DAVE to DOUG 1 mile attic horizontal yagi
440.175LUCAS to DANIEL 3 miles vertical antennas
440.200
441.025
441.075unused
441.425repeater link Heard somebody calling K4ITL on here from N. Raleigh
441.475PAT-DBURT 3 miles
445.45 unused
445.525unused ??
445.575unused ??
445.600unused ??
446.050ADRO to ANOIA 9 miles Vertical omni to vertical omni
446.075unused ??
446.125DBURT to JAI under a mile
446.275unused
446.375PAT to RYAN 1 mile, vertical yagi to omni
446.425in use by repeaters in central NC
446.450PAUL to PAUL 1.2 miles vertical indoor antennas
446.450ERIC to BOBS 2 miles vertical indoor groundplanes
446.475TADD to TILL 2 miles vertical yagis
446.525DOUG to BOBR 1 mile with home-made attic horizontal yagis
446.925DANIEL to AARONJ5 miles vertical tree omni to vertical yagi
446.950BOBBY to AARONL 1.3 miles vertical attic omni to vertical yagi
446.975FIN to HECTOR horizontal yagis
446.975CHRIS to FFVC vertical omnis
446.975WILL ?
449.975PAT to DCLAPX 1 mile vertical attic yagis
33cm band 927.2 unused??
927.3 unused??
© Tadd Torborg, 2014↝2024 -- all rights reserved