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VK3XX > PK232 08.05.04 07:00l 83 Lines 4347 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 261314VK3XX
Read: GUEST DG1EFV
Subj: Re: PK-232 and TPK - How ?
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<VK6HGR<VK3AVE<VK3FRS
Sent: 040508/0449Z @:VK3FRS.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC #:26495 [Kilsyth] $:261314VK3XX
From: VK3XX@VK3FRS.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC
To : PK232@WW
Hi Pieter and others who may be having similar problems.
This is not an unusual problem with the multimode controllers like the
PK232, KAM and MFJ1278 in at least some of their versions, when used with
automated software that was originally written for the TNC2 and its many
variants. This certainly covers both TPK and Winpack in my experience.
There is a fundamental difference between the multimode controllers in
that they have to be initialised by the terminal software. The TNC2
variants usually initialise on switching the TNC on.
It is many years since I set up my PK232MBX to run TPK but you reminded me
about the PK232.SET file. The SET file and the Startup.TXT file for
Winpack both work fine for loading the parameters as usually included with
TPK and Winpack distributions.
If you refer to your documentation for the PK232 you will see that the
symbol * has to be sent to the TNC before loading any parameters. This
occurs automatically in the PK232 manually operated terminal program but
needs to be added as the first line to the PK232.SET for TPK or
Startup.txt in the case of Winpack. These files are designed to be
specific to TNC's particularly used when switching from one TNC to another
and one terminal program to another.
So with TPK you will not successfully "send" the parameters list to the
TNC on starting the terminal program. You can tell that this is not
happening when just the parameters list appears without responses against
each one which indicates that it was, for example, MYCALL NOCALL with the
next line saying "Was NOCALL" and "Now VK3XX". The TPK may only give a
single line of response each to say the second message which makes any
difference clear and that there is full communication of parameters to the
TNC. My Winpack and a TNC2 gives both.
The recommendation for the PK232 is that the internal battery is
disconnected when using the PK232 terminal software because it includes a
similar file and initialises the TNC on starting the program. These SET
and TXT files do the same kind of thing so that on leaving the program the
parameters revert without the battery to the manufacturer's defaults and
MYCALL will default to NOCALL or something similar on shutting down. Of
course TPK will stop any connection to the BBS. If you dont see the
responses as the file runs into the TPK program then you will NOT end up
initialising the TNC and TPK will never work properly. I have seen some
versions of the MFJ1278 work very unreliably with their version of this
problem! Sometimes they initialise immediately and sometimes within 20
secs and sometimes not at all!
I cant remenmber the TPK .SET file commands but suspect that each
parameter will for example have the line... TXD 25... or something like
that for each parameter to be loaded from the entire parameter list. So
you must add at the beginning of the file... * or maybe "*". Sometimes
two or three stars may be necessary to achieve the objective if the
computer is very fast! It is not clear which s necessary as I do not have
a TPK version configured any more, to refer to. For Winpack you would need
to have for the first line SET * which I have found from a very ancient
configuration Startup. txt file for that software! If you keep the battery
in then the parameter list can be shortened to just the changes to the
defaults but you need to understand the parameters that need to be loaded
specifically for TPK. If they are all there it just takes a bit longer to
get TPK initialised. Those associated with HF modes are not necessary for
TPK and VHF/UHF packet.
These startup files are very important to understand for anyone switching
between TNC's and various terminal softwares.
I think this should enable you to get TPK and the PK232 to talk properly
to each other. Good luck with it. Your MFJ 1270 is a clone of the TNC2 and
doesnt have this problem as it initialises to packet when switched on.
Just as an aside you may find a similar problem arises if you want to use
your PK232 on RTTY or Pactor 1 etc, with any other terminal program other
than the Host Mode PCPakratt software.
Cheers to all and Pieter, please let me know how you get on.
73 - GORDON, VK3XX @ VK3FRS
Message timed: 14:23 AEST on 08 May 2004
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