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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">I have a few KPC9612’s but have never experimented with paging. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Mainly because, unless every ham can convert a pager easy, then it does not seem like the idea will catch on and so I did not think it was worth the effort.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">But I always thought it was a GOOD IDEA… Its just that until someone buys 1000 pagers and converts them to HAM and then makes them available cheaply, I don’t think people will do it that much.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Have you ever seen such bulk availability? If they are available in large quantities and you think this is a good idea, I can contribute some $ upfront if it will help.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Bob</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> Nagi Punyamurthula [mailto:<a href="mailto:n0agi@n0agi.com">n0agi@n0agi.com</a>] <br><b>To:</b> Robert Bruninga; TAPR APRS Mailing List<br><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">A couple of facts:</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">1.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">POCSAG protocol (FLEX is another) transmission and reception gear are based on FSK modulation and operate in the 512/1200/2400 speeds. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">2.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Receiving pagers exist for <b>VHF</b> and <b>UHF</b> bands (900MHz). </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">a.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Each country/region has a pre-allocated range of vhf/uhf band plans for POCSAG operations. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.5in"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">i.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Frequencies can be found in the Phil Anderson W0XI documents from links below</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">3.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">There are <b>Two broad</b> methods of “baking in” the frequency at which receiving pagers operate in: </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">a.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Synthesized</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> (software programmable w/I a pre-defined range of frequencies) or </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">b.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">or <b>Crystallized</b> (crystal based pre-set frequency; non-s/w programmable). </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">c.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Synthesized pagers are cheaper cost-to-own and easier to reprogram to a different frequency so long as they’re, w/I a pre-destined h/w range. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">d.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">While Crystalized ones are more expensive to program, to operate on a frequency and require a hardware install of a pre-configured crystal.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">4.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">TWO</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> <b>Types</b> of pagers available in market today. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">a.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Numeric</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> (predominantly 1 line readout pagers). </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">b.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Alpha-numeric</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> (range btwn 1 to 4 line readouts).</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">c.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Manufacturers include <b>Motorola Gold Advisor</b>, <b>Apollo</b> and some not so well known <b>Chinese/Taiwanese</b> manufacturers.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">d.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Typical Costs </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.5in"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">i.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Synthesized : range from <b>$10</b> (used, 1-2 liners, a few years old) <b>to $60</b> (new, 4 liners)</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:2.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">1.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Programmable using proprietary programming h/w cradle and software (Motorola as an example)</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.5in"><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">ii.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Crystalized : typically from <b>$10 </b>(used, 1-2 liners from few years old). </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:2.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">1.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Programming is not possible. Very expensive to custom fit w/ a new crystal typically $20+ more)</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">5.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">HAM gear for Encoding/Transmission</span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">a.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">One could purchase a POCSAG encoder/transmitter for <b>~$110 - ~$140</b> from Taiwanese companies. </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">b.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">One could also use <b>Kantronics 9612+</b>. The <b><u>KPC 9612+ has a built in POCSAG shell</u></b> in it and <b>works really well</b>. You will need a TRx radio and a PC to program the KPC setup to transmit</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">6.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Resources:</span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">a.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">I have collated a few POCSAG publicly available documents; can be downloaded for reference here: <a href="http://1drv.ms/1DzwmTL">http://1drv.ms/1DzwmTL</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">b.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Of course, there’s the Wiki page: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POCSAG">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POCSAG</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Nagi</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailEndCompose"></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> Nagi Punyamurthula [mailto:<a href="mailto:n0agi@n0agi.com">n0agi@n0agi.com</a>] <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 23, 2015 12:16 PM<br></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Bob, et al;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Wanted to run this idea by you all;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Over the last couple of months, I have been playing w/ building a prototype for POCSAG pager service to ride on top of APRS backbone. A short video can be found here (early stages)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLQyw_SbzMU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLQyw_SbzMU</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">the prototype’s objectives:</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">1.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Station A</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> can send an APRS message of type POCSAG over the air on the network. The message would obviously include the standard APRS message structure, except include the POCSAG “type ID” as part of the message.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">2.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Stations identifying themselves as POCSAG capable (that is stations equipped w/ a POCSAG Tx/Encoder, that know how to parse and send an encoded POCSAG message), will react to this APRS message type, parse out the message and send an encoded POCSAG message thru its own POCSAG infrastructure and gate the packet to APRS-IS and mark it as “processed”</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">a.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Details are yet TB defined of course</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">3.</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">If Stations hearing these type of packets are NOT POCSAG capable, will hopefully digipeat so to move the message forward.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">As you can tell, NOT all details have been fleshed out yet. I am still noodling this idea and would love to include others of similar interest in expanding the APRS web if you will.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Would this be a good candidate for a satellite type digipeating ? may be, may be not</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Just brainstorming as an idea, that’s all</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Thanks</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Nagi</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><a href="http://N0AGI.com/">http://N0AGI.com/</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> </span></p></div></body></html>