About Los Angeles and METBBS

LABBS Ports

METBBS Ports

Directories

LABBS / METBBS Help File

About Los Angeles and METBBS

This home page has been prepared in order to introduce you to the Los Angeles BBS(LABBS) and METBBS. LABBS and METBBS are Amateur packet radio bulletin board systems. Amateur radiooperators (hams) can access LABBS and METBBS by using a radio, a TNC, and a computer.

The radio used is typically a VHF FM tranceiver capable of working in the 2 meter (144-148MHz) Amateur band. Other Amateur bands used are the 1 1/4 meter (222-225 MHz), 70cm(420-450 MHz) and 23 cm (1240-1300 MHz) band.

The TNC (Terminal Node Controller) is the radio analog of your modem. It serves much thesame purpose, i.e. providing a way for your computer to communicate with a remote host. TheTNC is a bit more sophisticated in that it handles the parsing, error checking, and assembling ofdata packets, hence the name "Packet Radio". Because of this sophistication, a TNC does nothave to be hooked up to a computer to work, it can be connected to a dumb terminal instead.

As mentioned above, the TNC can be connected to a simple dumb terminal. There areadvantages to using a computer however: communications software. There are a variety ofsoftware packages available that provide user interfaces that make it easier to take full advantageof packet radio. TNCs allow you to be "connected" to more than one station at a time. Theseuser interfaces let you manage each "connection" in a separate "window", thus keeping you fromgoing crazy trying to talk to several people at once. A dumb terminal doesn't offer this. Softwareis available for DOS, Windows, Mac, Apple, and Commodore platforms, to name a few.

LABBS and METBBS are located in Los Angeles, in the hills east of Dodger Stadium.LABBS has eight ports , with METBBS having eight ports also, providing access on four bands. There are several directories containing information relevant to packet radio, Amateur radio,and allied subjects. LABBS and METBBS are operated in accordance with the WESTNETguidlines for packet radio BBSs.

The primary function of LABBS and METBBS is akin to that of a mail server. Amateurssend electronic mail via LABBS not just to other Amateurs in the Los Angeles area, but toAmateurs the world over. Because of the manner in which the Amateur packet radio network isset up, a message originated in LA will arrive at its destination on the other side of the globewithin a day. Like the Internet, messages can travel different paths to the same destination.Communication paths are selected dynamicaly based on their throughput. Thus the best path ischosen each time. Since this is all transparent to the user, it affords Amateurs the world over aquick, reliable, and easy way to stay in touch.

Two baud rates are used for VHF packet radio: 1200 and 9600. 1200 baud dominates fortwo basic reasons: radio modifications are not nessesary and 1200 baud signals are "robust".9600 baud packet requires special radios which are only now becoming redily available. 9600baud signals also suffer distortion more redily than do 1200 baud signals. Since packet radio istext based, 1200 baud is more than adequate for the average user.

LABBS Ports

The following is a list of the available ports and baud rates for LABBS.

METBBS Ports

The following is a list of the available ports and baud rates for METBBS.

LABBS / METBBS Directories

The following directories are available at LABBS and METBBS. Use W and directory ID toobtain a listing of files. Use D and the directory ID followed by the filename to download a file.For example: DP PACKET01.LOZ downloads the file "PACKET01.LOZ" from the P directory.If you download files from LABBS, please do so during "off peak" hours, as downloading tendsto "monopolize" a frequency which prevents others from sharing the channel.

There is a highly reccomended series of packet articles written by Larry Kenney, WB9LOZ. Hisarticles start with the basics of packet and proceed to advanced operating procedures. They canbe found in the P directory.

LABBS / METBBS Help File

The following help file contains detailed information on the workings of LABBS andMETBBS. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the Portable Document Format (PDF) LABBS Help File.