During Xmas 2022, the OARC started a project to re-establish packet links around the UK. This is still in it's early stages. Please join the #national-packet-project channel on discord to get involved! https://www.oarc.uk/join

Packet radio is a means of “networking” together amateur radio stations using inexpensive and potentially home-built equipment and open source software. It was super popular in the 80s / 90s, but receded a lot with the advent of the internet. Today it lives on mostly as APRS, but there are several pockets of interest in a reincarnated full packet network both in the UK and elsewhere - not least of which within OARC.

A building block of packet radio is the TNC. The NinoTNC is a modern TNC kit, connected by USB. 46 NinoTNC kits are about to be constructed as part of an OARC group buy, and we are looking at the feasibility of re-establishing a wider network over RF wherever possible, using these as well as other existing hardware.

Here is a more extended look at Packet Radio in the 2020s

packet-radio.net is a massive resource for everything packet radio. /docs has lots of specifications in particular.

OARC has organised a group buy of NinoTNCs, a modern USB KISS TNC, 300 baud to 9600 baud.

See the build-along pages here.

Off the back of the NinoTNC group buy, OARC members are also attempting to re-establish a UK-wide packet network using amateur RF.

It's still at a formative stage but more to come.

Here are some notes on station-building.

If you need help navigating around a new set of acronymous we have created a packet glossary. Please feel free to add either unknown acronyms or meanings if known!

Link to Packet glossary of terms