Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association
Promoting packet radio in the State of Florida
Mail Address:
L. E. "bud" Thompson
1131 Abady Court
Deltona, FL 32725
Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association
Promoting packet radio in the State of Florida
Mail Address:
L. E. "bud" Thompson
1131 Abady Court
Deltona, FL 32725
| If the attendance is any figure of merit, the FADCA Technical Conference held at the Seminole County, Florida EOC was an astounding success. The list of decision makers included 57 hams from nineteen counties throughout the state. Of these, 48 attended the early hands-on workshop, many with laptops to load software. Those who did not bring packet TNCs were issued a loaner in order to confirm success: blinking the PTT/TX LED when a controlling program was used. |
| In the morning we loaded six programs to support E-mail over Ham Radio on more than 25 laptops in less than two hours 45 minutes. We left one yet to be loaded by the participants at home. Participants created a Ham Radio E-mail Account on Outlook Express in their laptops, typed in a short e-mail message, and when they clicked on SEND, the PTT/TX LED started blinking. Participants went home with a CD ROM containing all the programs and url references to program documentation. All they have to do is add a vhf radio when they get home and they will be able to do E-Mail Over Ham Radio. |
| During the rest of the eight and a half-hour seminar, topics relevant to digital networking in the state of Florida were presented by several authors. This included packet networking schemes (ROSE, FPAC, PC/FlexNet), high speed backbones and user access, EMCOMMs applications, HF modes to access the WL2K network, a commercial network coverage mapping system, and others. We also had a lunch break, and a tour of the Seminole County EOC and ARES/RACES radio shack. Several portable packet stations were on display during the lunch hour along with a dual-use voice and 9.6kb digital repeater. |
| Total cost to participants: $5 for lunch which was catered by one of the local hams and his XYL. Another local ham donated doughnuts for the early session. |
| Overheard on a repeater several days later - "I've attended many, many seminars in my professional career, but I've never seen one so well organized and professionally done." |
| Another: "When [my OM] came home Saturday - I've never seen him so excited and happy after being at a radio meeting." |
| The conference agenda may be reviewed here, and photos documenting the event here. |
| (If this was such a good seminar why it is no one is smiling in any of the pictures except during lunch?) |
