YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT IT, NOW YOU CAN EXPERIENCE IT!
Today we’ve set a new PacketRadio milestone as we sent and received several digitized voice messages via Packet radio at 9600 bauds.. and through a 9k6 node to the target station. It was a digitized voice message of several Season's Greetings from me, K4ABT and my wife, Jean WB4EDZ. The digitized message was recorded in WAV format and lasted about 15 seconds (you can say a lot in fifteen seconds). The file was compressed into an MP3 file with a frequency response of around 8,000 Hz, and the file length was just under 11 Kb. It took less than one minute to send the message.
I've just released a new CD ROM for the PC with the PicturePacket(LITE) program ready to install on your Windows95, 98, or NT based PC. This version of PicturePacket is the full featured version, with only the ''RECEIVE'' Audio and Pictures activated. The ''SEND and Save'' Audio, Pictures, and Binary file features are inhibited. When the software is registered, the program is opened for all features to be active, send and receive.
In addition to the PicturePacket software, I am including on the CD ROM, many of my articles, PacketRadio Handbooks, and hundreds of TNC to transceiver drawings, transceiver modifications (both 9600 baud and some commercial radio conversions), TNC to node conversions, and text file transceiver and radio modifications. Many of the documents are in Microsoft WinWord format. All modification files are in text format. Here is a library of files and drawings from almost 15 years of the Packet Users Notebook.
Most of the illustrations and drawings are in GIF, and JPG, format. These are the formats supported by the PicturePacket software and may be sent and received just as the other formats supported by PicturePacket. A complete users manual for PicturePacket is included on the CD ROM in Adobe Acrobat™ "PDF" format. An installable version of Adobe Acrobat™ Reader© is also included on the CD ROM. The cost of the CD is $20.00. The twenty dollars ($20.00) includes the cost ($3.20) for priority mail pouch return shipping to USA residents. A Packet Radio Handbook (hardcopy) is included with the CD ROM. To receive the CD ROM Send Check or MO ($20.00 US), payable to Buck Rogers; MAIL TO:Buck Rogers K4ABT 115 Luenburg Drive Evington, VA 24550.
Be sure to include your return address; Sorry, due to specific software distribution restrictions, this offer is for U S residents ONLY!
PicturePacket "Lite" is not a DEMO, it is a fully functional Windows 95 or WinNT based, Packet Radio terminal program. Whether you decide to register it or not, it will perform as a well designed Packet or other digital operating, software package. Once your personal registration string is installed, the PicturePacket program will have all features activated.
The ability to send and receive digitized audio, is an added enhancement to the PicturePacket terminal program, the "brain-child" of Stan Hunting KW7KW. With PicturePacketPlus, we have the capacity to send and receive high resolution digitized pictures (DIT), but the addition of digital audio transfer (DAT) is a new enhancement to the PicturePacketPlus software. The procedure for "Digital Image Transfer" (DIT) and "Digital Audio Transfer" (DAT) is not new. It is the technique that we are now using that is new. In 1983, I copyrighted and trademarked the DIT and DAT process while using the CoCo; to send and receive pictures and sound.
In the early days of DIT and DAT, we encountered several obstacles, one of which was the slow transfer between stations. Another was the poor quality of the audio, as I had used a proximate sampling method to keep the audio files short. The result was a "reasonable" facsimile (barely recognized) of the original voice. The picture generation was still another story, with similar problems to those I used for audio recovery. Add to that, the pictures were colorless or were displayed in "artifact" (four basic colors) and were difficult to generate.
And now in 1999 we have refined the process so that we can send and receive these "Digital Image Transfer" and "Digital Audio Transfers" in an integrated format to a target (connected) Packet station in almost real-time.
When the audio (or picture) is received at the target station, it is automatically played through the connected stations sound card speaker (or displayed on the screen). When receiving and audio file, you can hear the message if you have a sound card and software that supports WAV and MP3 digital audio e.g. ''WinAMP, MPlayer.. etc''. The MP3 DAT is the one sent via Packet. A digital voice (DAT), 20 second file, takes about 1 minute to transfer at 9600 bauds.
We did it, and first... Voice and Picture integration via PacketRadio.
Once your personal registration string is installed, the program will have all features activated. To activate PicturePacket from the "Lite" version into the "Plus" version ($29.95), contact Stan Hunting KW7KW:
FAX: (303) 444-2314
Email: [email protected]
On-Line registration at:
http://www.sni.net/kawin/pages/picturepacket.htmPicturePacket "Lite" is not a DEMO, it is a fully functional Windows 95 or WinNT based, Packet Radio terminal program. Whether you decide to register it or not, it will perform as a well designed Packet or other digital operating, software package.
Pictures and digital photos sent and received via PicturePacket are far superior to the graphic files sent using other modes such as Slo-Scan TV (SSTV).
A major difference is that PicturePacket Photos are ERROR FREE!
I'll elaborate;
The target (receiving) station display is an exact clone of the photo/picture displayed at the sending station. This is achieved through the use of "Forward Error Correction." By applying a Boolean count (CRC "Check," Ack/Nack) for each packet and for each hexadecimal character sent and received, the correct delivery of each pixel, its corresponding color, and its location on the receiving stations screen, is insured.
"Forward Error Correction" is the foundation of the "A"X.25 protocol.
What is PicturePacket?
PicturePacket is a Windows95/NT control program for Terminal Node Controllers (TNCs). Features include:
- Automatic receive and display of full color, high-resolution, digital photos and images in GIF, JPG, BMP and WMF fomats.
- Automatic receive and playback of full fidelity audio Files in WAV, MP2/3 and other digital audio formats.
- Built-in Grid Square Locator. Simply enter geographic coordinates and the grid locator is calculated.
- Supports your own, on-line callbook as download from the FCC or other commercial Callbook database.
- Familiar, easy-to-learn, easy-to-use Windows interface.
- Separate send and receive windows.
- Unlimited scrollback of receive window history.
- Receive window history carried forward from one session to the next.
- Fully Windows compliant interface.
- Context sensitive pop-up menus.
- All file operations are Network Aware.
- Optimized for keyboard users with no difficulty to dedicated mouse users.
- Automatic word wrap - receiving and sending.
- Print received text to any printer - local or network.
- Cut, copy and paste between PicturePacket and other Windows programs.
- Find command to search the received text.
- Short-cut keys for most used commands.
- Supports all Windows serial ports.
- Supports all serial port properties.
- Supports all TNC-2 compatibles.
- Supports international character sets.
- User configurable text and background colors.
- Optionally sets TNC clock to UTC or local time.
- Context sensitive on-line help.
- Updates available from the World Wide Web.
- No charge, no registration, license for use of PicturePacket/Lite in the Amateur Radio Service.
Those who register gain access to more advanced, PicturePacket/Plus features, including:
Advanced support of popular callsign databases. Send and save High-resolution digital photos and images in GIF, JPG, BMP and WMF picture formats.
- Send and save digital audio in WAV, MP3 sound formats
- Send and receive documents, programs and other Binary Files.
- Send Brag files.
- Send Text Files.
- Save or append selected text to a file.
- Send TNC Commands to configure your TNC.
- Automatic Startup and Shutdown of TNC Commands files at TNC open and close.
- 24 easy-to-organize function keys, user-defined QuickKey messages.
- Instantly redefinable QuickKey Variables for the other Op's Name, QTH, WX and your Message-of-the-Day.
- 17 Macros to customize QuickKey messages and facilitate keyboard conversation.
- Macros are keyboard-accessable for immediate in-line expansion.
- Quick, easy, on-line registration.
BE SURE to read the MARCH 1999 issue of CQ Magazine and the Packet User’s Notebook column for complete details about "PicturePacketRadio" and DIT & DAT.
73 de BucK4ABT E-MAIL: [email protected] Visit our web site at: http://www.packetradio.com
Learn more about PicturePacket: Visit:
http://www.sni.net/kawin/pages/picturepacket.htm
WebMaster, Buck Rogers K4ABT "Packet Radio Editor CQ Magazine."