Packet Radio

145.05 MHz Packet Network Information

• Frequency: 145.050 MHz
• Protocol: AX.25
• Groups.io mailing list
• Net/ROM station map
• Digipeater station map

Sunday Night Packet Net

• When: 8:00 PM Pacific Time
• Frequency: 145.05 MHz
• How to participate: See Varmint Al's (WB6YNM SK) Packet Radio Page
• Check-ins from recent nets: 2025-11-30, 2025-12-07 2025-12-14

Software

• Lubuntu - A flavor of Linux
• Dire Wolf - A software "soundcard" AX.25 packet modem/TNC and APRS encoder/decoder. It can be used stand-alone to observe APRS traffic, as a tracker, digipeater, APRStt gateway, or Internet Gateway (IGate)
• Paracon - A packet radio terminal
• BPQ - Packet node & BBS software
• Outpost Packet Message Manager - Windows-based packet messaging client

YouTube

Modern Ham has good videos on how to set up your PC to use packet radio:

• Modern Introduction to Packet Radio - Modern Ham
• Ultimate Direwolf Installation Guide for Packet Radio - Modern Ham
• Packet Radio BBS Node with LinBPQ (Linux) - Modern Ham
• Windows Packet Radio Node with BPQ32 - Modern Ham
• Connecting to a Packet Radio BBS Node with Dire Wolf & Paracon - Modern Ham

Common Packet Radio Commands

• ABORT - Stop a connection in progress
• B(ye) - Node will disconnect
• C(onnect) callsign - Connect to callsign
• C callsign S(tay) - Stay connected to node when end disconnects
• J(heard) - Callsigns with daystamp
• J S(hort) - Heard callsigns only
• J L(long) - Callsigns with daystamps and vias
• N(odes) - Heard callsigns with daystamps
• N S(hort) - Node callsigns only
• N L(ong) - Node callsigns with daystamps and vias
• Help or ? - Display help menu