PK-88 OPERATING MANUAL
PREFACE
II
PK-88 - 5
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the exciting world of digital Amateur Radio! You've joined the ranks of the fastest
growing mode in Amateur Radio since the FM repeater.
Your AEA PK-88 Packet Controller is the connection between your computer and radio. The PK-88
performs all the 'magic' of establishing data and text communications between your station, as
well as many other communication facilities equipped for digital communications.
With Packet-Radio you'll have a 'private channel' while sharing a frequency with other Packet sta-
tions; you'll be able to 'read the mail' from other Packet stations, log onto computer-based 'bulletin
board' or 'mailbox' systems, handle message traffic - in short, you're now equipped to enjoy the
advantages of digital communications and error-correcting radio techniques in your ham shack.
Your new AEA PK-88 is the heart of your digital radio station. The PK-88's system software is de-
rived from the original TAPR TNC; it presents many of the advanced features of that design,
coupled with significant enhancements based on the experience gained by thousands of TAPR-
equipped amateur Packet stations worldwide.
This manual is your guide into the realm of Amateur Packet-Radio.
Join a Packet Club - Subscribe To Newsletters - Join a Voice Net.
Join a packet radio club - they exist in all states as of this writing. You might also subscribe to the
ARRL publication 'Gateway,' which describes all the 'goings on' in Packet-Radio, and to the TAPR
'Packet Status Register,' which describes the technically interesting happenings in the movement.
There are many voice nets on VHF and HF; they usually meet weekly. They are usually dedicated
to making the newcomer feel at home.
Acknowledgment
AEA, Inc. gratefully acknowledges the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation, Tucson, AZ, for
permission to include excerpts from their TNC-2 documentation in this manual, and to Mike Chep-
ponis and Phil Karn for their specifications for the KISS code.
Norm Sternberg (W2JUP) and Barbara Argilo developed, wrote and edited this Operating Manual
on Tandy 1000SX computers with IBM's Displaywrite 3 V1.1 program. Bernd, DC7XJ, has transfer-
red this manual to the pdf format in March 2016.
Our special thanks to Mike Lamb (N7ML), Dr. Alan Chandler (K6RFK), John Gates (N7BTI), Steve
Stuart (N6IA), Andy Madsen (KB7B), Joe Schimmel (W2HPM), Jeff Jacobsen (WA7MBL), Hank
Oredsen (W0RLI), Brian Riley (KA2BQE), Phil Karn (KA9Q) and Mike Chepponis (K3MC) for their
help.
AEA, Inc. dedicates itself to the advancement of digital radio communications.
