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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:

V2Antigu/BarbudaV6Federated StatesHPPanama
LU Argentina of Micronesia ZPParaguay
VKAustraliaC5GambiaOAPeru
V3Belize9GGhana DUPhilippines
CPBoliviaJ3GrenadaV4St. Christopher/Nevis
PYBrazilTGGuatemalaJ6St. Lucia
VECanada8RGuyanaJ8St. Vincent
CEChileHHHaiti9LSierra Leone
HKColombiaHRHonduras3DASwaziland
D6Comoros4XIsrael9YTrinidad/Tobago
TICosta Rica6YJamaicaGBUnited Kingdom *
COCubaJYJordanCXUruguay
HIDominican RepublicELLiberiaYVVenezuela
J7DominicaV7Marshall Islands**4U1ITU - ITU Geneva
HCEcuador XEMexico4U1VIC - VIC Vienna
YSEl SalvadorYNNicaragua
*
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)

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