[nos-bbs] OOPS - KAM Host mode

[(Skip) K8RRA]

I am the (proud?) owner of a KAM'98 with software v8.3 TNC.
By my read of the new host mode support it is covered.
But then I don't read so well?

I did the preliminaries, configured, then ran the thing - only to crash
twice.  After looking at the details, I believe the KAM'98 needs to come
off [if it was ever on] the list of suitable hardware, seems to me the
KAM'98 was only a transition product between the KAM+ to the present
KAM-XL product line.  The crash cause is probably not important to this
issue.

I find the "SHIFT" and "PERM" commands used in the design and
documentation for the host mode support are not in the vocabulary of the
KAM'98 TNC.  When jnos is given control of the TNC, the tuning light
display goes unusual and it does not respond to audio from the radio.
When minicom is given control after the crash, the TNC is in "new user"
mode - but minicom config is somehow garbled by the TNC and it shows
"+:" for "cmd:" prompt.  Restarting minicom fixes that display problem.

All the above happened after being quite successful with the KAM'98 TNC
in KISS mode for 300B HF packet on the 14.105 packet network.  Initial
work with PACTOR command from TERMINAL MODE suggests that "PACTOR I"
will work OK on this NC.  As an aside - I did find it useful to reset
the MARK and SPACE tones rather than use the default tone set for KISS.
The purpose of this note is to save others from my errors - whatever
they may be.

If I am correct in my assertion Maiko, the first line after autobaud
contains the product ID "KAM '98" that you might find it useful to trap
and stop the process with an error message?  Or the inverse - permit the
valid IDs to continue...

So that is my story and I'm sticking to it.  If there is a way to adjust
the configuration to accommodate the KAM'98 I'll be happy to apply and
document it.  Personally I don't know what to do in place of the "shift
modem" command...

73
de [George (Skip) VerDuin] K8RRA k