Specifications

0 Zero
tums
off the beacon
(default).
The BEACON
command
sets the conditions
under which your
beacon will
be sent. A beacon frame
con-
tains the text
that
you've
typed into the BTEXT
message
slot in a
packet
addressed to the UNPROTO
ad-
dress. When
the argument
EVERY is
specified, a
beacon
packet
is
sent every
"n"
x lO seconds.
When AF-
IEr9is
specified, a
beacon is
sent after
(n
x l0)
seconds have passed
without
any
packet
activity being
heard.
If
yousettheBEACONtiminglessthan
90-avaluejudgedastooshortforbusychannels-you'llsee
the following
message
at each command prompt:
WARNING:
BEACON
tOO OftCN
BKondel
OIVOFF
Mode:
packet
ON The
sequence
(BACKSPACE)
+
(SPACE)
+
(BACKSPACE)
is echoed
when a character is deleted
from the input
line.
OFF The
backslash
character
(
\
)
is
echoed when
a character is
deleted.
BKONDEL
determines how
character
deletion is displayed in
the Command or
Converse mode.
With
BKONDEL
ON, the
(BACKSPACE)
+
(SPACE)
+
(BACKSPACE)
sequence is
produced
which updates
your
computer screen,
erasing the character you
want
to delete.
On a
printing
terminal, the
(BACKSPACE)
+
(SPACE)
+
(BACKSPACE)
sequence will result in overtyped
text. Set BKONDEL
OFF tf
you
have a
paper-output
display, or if
your
terminal
doesn't
respond
to the
(BACKSPACE)
character,
^H
(CTRL-H).
When BKONDEL
is OFF, the PK-96
displays a backslash fbr
each character
you
delete. You
can
get
a display
of the corrected input by
typing the REDISPLAY-line
cha.racter.
Default:
ON
Host: BK
BTexl
rcxt
Mode; packet
Default: empty
Host:BT
text Any
combination
of
characters up to a maximum
length of 120 characters.
BTEXT is
the message
you
want broadcasted
as a
beacon
packet.
The default text is
an empty string
(no
message).
When and how
packet
beacons are sent is discussed in
more detail under the BEACON com-
mand.
Although
the beacon
subject is controversial
in
packet
circles,
yol
can use beacon texts intelligently ancl
benefit the
packet
community.
.
Don't
type
your
call sign in BTEXT -
the normal
packet
header shows it.
.
Don't
fill BTEXT
with screen
graphics;
use BTEXT for
meaningful information.
'
After you've
beaconed for
a week or two and people
know who
you
are, follow
the
practice
used by
more
experienced
packeteers:
set BEACON
EVERY
0.
'
Use %, &, N, Nq NONE
or OFF as arguments
after
you
enter BTEXT on
the
command line to clear
the text
you previously
typed in for
that command.
For
example: cmd : BTEXf OFF
CAI-ibrate
Mode:
Command
CALIBRATE is an immediate
command that aids
you
in
settins the deviation
Immediate Command
Host:
Not Supported
level for
your
radio.