Ham Gateway

Internet/Packet Radio BBS Gateway
from the Ham Radio Club under Lifestyles on America Online

Q: Are there any gateways for mail or news between Internet and Amateur Packet radio?

A: Jim Durham, W2XO, maintains a gateway between Internet and the Packet radio BBS system.

TO MAIL FROM INTERNET TO A PACKET STATION:

1. Get the complete packet address of the station to which you wish to mail.
2. Replace the "@" in the packet address with "%" .
3. Mail to the resulting address, adding "@w2xo.pgh.pa.us"

For Example:

Packet address to be mailed to:

W2XXX@W2YYY.LI.USA.NOAM

Mail to:

W2XXX%W2YYY.LI.USA.NOAM@w2xo.pgh.pa.us

TO MAIL FROM PACKET TO INTERNET

1. I have to have a callsign or alias in my database for this to work.
2. Mail to that callsign or alias at the internet host "w2xo.pgh.pa.us"

For Example:

If W3AAA is in my database as "bromley@fudd.com".

Mail to: W3AAA@W2XO.#SWPA.PA.USA.NOAM

 

(The mail will be forwarded to "bromley@fudd.com".)

 

(NON-HAMS get "3rd Party Aliases" like "3PTY01", which will fit in the 6 character space of a ham packet header. These are used just like calls. If you are a non-ham, please ask for a 3rd party alias and I'll give you one.)

NOTE: *****VERY IMPORTANT******!

E-mail from non-hams to hams, or E-mail from ham to ham through the gateway , where the message enters the packet radio network at W2XO, from a country that does not have a 3RD PARTY TRAFFIC AGREEMENT with the US is illegal and could put my amateur radio license in jeopardy. A list of countries with 3rd party agreements with the US follows. Please don't ask to use the gateway if you are not either in the US or on this list. I regret this policy, but it is US Radio law.

Countries that share third-party traffic agreements:

V2	Antigu/Barbuda	V6	Federated States	HP	Panama
LU	Argentina of Micronesia			ZP	Paraguay
VK	Australia	C5	Gambia	OA	Peru
V3	Belize	9G	Ghana	DU	Philippines
CP	Bolivia	J3	Grenada	V4	St. Christopher/Nevis
PY	Brazil	TG	Guatemala	J6	St. Lucia
VE	Canada	8R	Guyana	J8	St. Vincent
CE	Chile	HH	Haiti	9L	Sierra Leone
HK	Colombia	HR	Honduras	3DA	Swaziland
D6	Comoros	4X	Israel	9Y	Trinidad/Tobago
TI	Costa Rica	6Y	Jamaica	GB	United Kingdom *
CO	Cuba	JY	Jordan	CX	Uruguay
HI	Dominican Republic	EL	Liberia	YV	Venezuela
J7	Dominica	V7	Marshall Islands**	4U1ITU - ITU Geneva
HC	Ecuador	XE	Mexico	4U1VIC - VIC Vienna
YS	El Salvador	YN	Nicaragua

*

Limited to special-event stations with callsign prefix GB (GB3 excluded) and informally to stations number on Pitcairn Island (VR6).

 

**

The Marshall Islands are independent, but the FCC currently honors the previous agreement until a formal agreement can be made.

The gateway can't be used to or from a country not on the above list.

Happy Gatewaying!
Jim, W2XO
Transmitted: 5/1/96 3:15 PM (HRC0066)