In the early days of Amateur Packet Radio, it was necessary to use an expensive “Terminal Node Controller” (TNC) with specialized hardware. Those days are gone (along with most of the previous Century TNC manufacturers). You can now get better results, at lower cost, by connecting your radio to the “soundcard” interface of a computer and using software to decode the signals.
Here you will find a Power Point presentation covering the origins of Amateur Packet Radio and the evolution from 1980's style hardware to open source software which provides more features and better performance at a lower cost.
Why not give a presentation to your local club? Use this slide show as-is or customize it to match your interests and audience.
A PDF version is also included, as a preview, for those who might not be able to display the Power Point format.