[amsat-bb] introduction and request for information (APRS EMAIL)

[David Rysdam]

Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> writes:
> Its easy.  Use any AX.25 1200 baud packet system on 145.825 MHz when the
> ISS comes over several tiems a day and send this packet:

"It's easy" followed by "use any AX.25 1200 baud packet system" makes
sense to you experienced hams, but that covers a lot of new ground for
me.

Right now, my only transmitter is an HT. I have successfully built at
least one antenna for it for handheld use. I have not been particularly
successful in using fldigi to talk to it.

I think to follow your instructions, I would need a chain something like
this:

    computer with ax.25 software <-> fldigi <-> HT
        <-> some unknown antenna

Does that sound reasonable? I assume the stock antenna will be basically
worthless here, is there a suggestion about what I should use? Something
non-tracking would be ideal.

There's definitely ax.25 software available to me, but I haven't
explored it at all nor do I know how that might interact with fldigi. Or
maybe fldigi has ax.25 built in and the computer just needs to format
the message. I'll have to mess around with this part this weekend.