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[FAQ] Welcome to QRPBBB! [20210918]
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Chris Baird
Sep 18, 2021, 3:00:42 AM9/18/21
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file: Documentation/Welcome_to_QRPBBB
revision: 20210918
######## WELCOME TO QRPBBB! ########
QRPBBB--the QRP Bulletin Board (Bodged edition) is a minimalist decentralised
bulletin network for minimalist Amateur Radio operators.
The intention of QRPBBB is to be an exclusively on-air activity without
demanding hardware requirements. Additionally to message distribution, it has
features of interest to Radio Mesh Networking experimenters. Full participation
can be possible using a old/slow/cost-a-nickel Unix computer with an audio
interface to a cheap hand held transceiver.
QRPBBB has been designed primarily to work around the problem of activity
level, and sites will be able to exchange messages even if the local RF Digital
activity is non-existent. It does this by providing the option to pass content
over the APRS digipeater network, and its 'multicasting' and decentalization
allows sites to immediately participate without the pre-arrangement and
persistence of another station as required for point-to-point networking.
In spite of the very limited capacity of 1200 baud transmissions, and the
demands required to operate on the APRS mesh without impacting other stations,
it will still be entirely possibly to have constructive in-depth discussions
with others in a comfortable timeframe. The potential is there to create a
community reminiscent of Usenet newsgroups as it operated in the late 1980s,
when link bandwidth was limited and content was by necessity high quality. Poor
use of the network received immediate feedback-- if not from other users, the
sender's own resources were impacted (including their wallet..) That the
original Usenet sites were primarily Academic institutions also imposed usage
conditions very similar to those for Amateur Radio licenses holders.
The "bodge" in the name refers to using a Netnews newsserver as its message
database backend, instead of providing its own as the original QRPBB project
intended. This has the advantage of being a compatible with familiar Newsreader
software (tin, nn, trn, pan, gnus..) The disadvantage is running a newsserver
is a skill found in only the most wizened of UNIX sysadmins.
The software...is unashamedly simple. It's the software equivalent of building
a transceiver from discrete parts on offcuts of PCB, as homebrew QRP
enthusiasts are familiar. Like the DIY QRP radio built from scratch, you get
full marks for just making a contact.There are no 3rd-party modules with
cascading dependencies, and the choice of 'obsolete' Python-2 provides a
programming environment that's etched-in-stone. Although being written in
Python, there are no fancy tricks done to impress non-Systems Engineers on Code
cut&paste sites (okay, there might be one..)
The 'homepage' for the QRPBBB Project is a Onion website-- use Tor-Browser to
conveniently access it:
http://o6veojxrfutdwwsriyxbsgimvrnwyzpezexo2g6q4pknutzvibt3rbqd.onion/QRPBBB/
revision: 20210918
######## WELCOME TO QRPBBB! ########
QRPBBB--the QRP Bulletin Board (Bodged edition) is a minimalist decentralised
bulletin network for minimalist Amateur Radio operators.
The intention of QRPBBB is to be an exclusively on-air activity without
demanding hardware requirements. Additionally to message distribution, it has
features of interest to Radio Mesh Networking experimenters. Full participation
can be possible using a old/slow/cost-a-nickel Unix computer with an audio
interface to a cheap hand held transceiver.
QRPBBB has been designed primarily to work around the problem of activity
level, and sites will be able to exchange messages even if the local RF Digital
activity is non-existent. It does this by providing the option to pass content
over the APRS digipeater network, and its 'multicasting' and decentalization
allows sites to immediately participate without the pre-arrangement and
persistence of another station as required for point-to-point networking.
In spite of the very limited capacity of 1200 baud transmissions, and the
demands required to operate on the APRS mesh without impacting other stations,
it will still be entirely possibly to have constructive in-depth discussions
with others in a comfortable timeframe. The potential is there to create a
community reminiscent of Usenet newsgroups as it operated in the late 1980s,
when link bandwidth was limited and content was by necessity high quality. Poor
use of the network received immediate feedback-- if not from other users, the
sender's own resources were impacted (including their wallet..) That the
original Usenet sites were primarily Academic institutions also imposed usage
conditions very similar to those for Amateur Radio licenses holders.
The "bodge" in the name refers to using a Netnews newsserver as its message
database backend, instead of providing its own as the original QRPBB project
intended. This has the advantage of being a compatible with familiar Newsreader
software (tin, nn, trn, pan, gnus..) The disadvantage is running a newsserver
is a skill found in only the most wizened of UNIX sysadmins.
The software...is unashamedly simple. It's the software equivalent of building
a transceiver from discrete parts on offcuts of PCB, as homebrew QRP
enthusiasts are familiar. Like the DIY QRP radio built from scratch, you get
full marks for just making a contact.There are no 3rd-party modules with
cascading dependencies, and the choice of 'obsolete' Python-2 provides a
programming environment that's etched-in-stone. Although being written in
Python, there are no fancy tricks done to impress non-Systems Engineers on Code
cut&paste sites (okay, there might be one..)
The 'homepage' for the QRPBBB Project is a Onion website-- use Tor-Browser to
conveniently access it:
http://o6veojxrfutdwwsriyxbsgimvrnwyzpezexo2g6q4pknutzvibt3rbqd.onion/QRPBBB/
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