packet:history
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| packet:history [2025/06/10 14:19] – g4klx | packet:history [2026/04/20 13:59] (current) – [The Beginnings of Packet Radio in the UK by Jonathan G4KLX] g3aka | ||
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| This document is based on my memories of the time. I do not keep a diary so some of the dates may be a little off, although some of them stay with me and I can date them based on other events occurring at the same time. Although this document is split into sections, and will be read linearly, the reality was that a lot of these things happened in parallel, and there will be a lot of cross referencing between different topics. It is a pity that all of this happened pre smart phone or digital cameras, as it would have been lovely to be able to show you pictures of it all. | This document is based on my memories of the time. I do not keep a diary so some of the dates may be a little off, although some of them stay with me and I can date them based on other events occurring at the same time. Although this document is split into sections, and will be read linearly, the reality was that a lot of these things happened in parallel, and there will be a lot of cross referencing between different topics. It is a pity that all of this happened pre smart phone or digital cameras, as it would have been lovely to be able to show you pictures of it all. | ||
| - | Technically the first packet radio in the UK was in the mid-1980s following on from an article in RadCom about a simple packet system called BBC Packet, using a BBC Micro. It was a remarkable program which included a simple terminal, and allowed simple point-to-point connections and chats. For a brief time this mode was quite busy, but was ultimately a technical dead end. However a number of us found it an interesting idea, and a latent interest in packet radio was created. | + | Technically the first packet radio in the UK was in the mid-1980s following on from an article in March 1985 RadCom about a simple packet system called BBC Packet, using a BBC Micro. It was a remarkable program which included a simple terminal, and allowed simple point-to-point connections and chats. For a brief time this mode was quite busy, but was ultimately a technical dead end. However a number of us found it an interesting idea, and a latent interest in packet radio was created. |
| I got my first TNC in late 1987, a Pac-Com TNC-220 which was a non compatible evolution of the classic TNC-2. In the UK, Packet Radio was in a grey zone since it involved passing third party traffic (even when digipeating) and that was outside the scope of the licence at the time. Despite this dubious legality it was known that the RSGB and the DTI/RA or whatever they were called that year were looking into it, and we should continue playing with packet and just don't do anything too silly until they worked out the new rules, this would take a number of years. At the time it was still possible to just about do multi-hop digipeating with reasonable success, but the packet channel was starting to get extremely busy. | I got my first TNC in late 1987, a Pac-Com TNC-220 which was a non compatible evolution of the classic TNC-2. In the UK, Packet Radio was in a grey zone since it involved passing third party traffic (even when digipeating) and that was outside the scope of the licence at the time. Despite this dubious legality it was known that the RSGB and the DTI/RA or whatever they were called that year were looking into it, and we should continue playing with packet and just don't do anything too silly until they worked out the new rules, this would take a number of years. At the time it was still possible to just about do multi-hop digipeating with reasonable success, but the packet channel was starting to get extremely busy. | ||
packet/history.txt · Last modified: by g3aka