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VK3API > SYSOP 15.12.11 07:01l 135 Lines 6248 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : D35504VK3API
Read: GUEST
Subj: VK3API to close
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<VE2PKT<VK3API
Sent: 111215/0522Z @:VK3API.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC #:33976 [Lilydale] FBB7.00g
From: VK3API@VK3API.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC
To : SYSOP@WW
Hi All
It is with some regret that I would like to announce that after some 20
years of continuous operation I am at long last having to call it quits
as a BBS operator.
This is due to the fact that because of consecutive governments stupidity
in relationships with big business, my power bill for the bbs (and heating
and cooling and essential refrigeration for food) is now more than I can
afford as a self funded retiree.
The latest idiocy is that I now have to have, by Ministerial Decree, a
smart electricity meter fitted. This means that I have to put up with the
interference from the electronics in a meter which I had to pay for but
don't own, and which I have to pay for the power to run and also for the
power to forward on the electricity companies charges via wireless, of
smart meters further down the track.
I entered into correspondence with SP Ausnet, the off shore based
electricity supplier advising them that I was concerned about mutual radio
interference between their equipment and my hobby of amateur radio.
Their reply was interesting in that the approach they took was that if I
interfered with the operation of their equipment even whilst operating at
legal powers within my authorised bands, they would first cut off my power
supply and the sue me for interfering with the electricity supply network.
On the matter of them interfering with my legitimate hobby, well, I was
within my rights to sue them. What rights? an old age pensioner funding a
multi million dollar law suit.. Ha bloody ha.
It also means that as a retired person of advancing years I now face peak
electricity charges during the day whilst I am home and trying to keep
warm or cool. The minister that made the decision about the meters
meanwhile during those same hours sits in his suitably air-conditioned
office at a temperature regulated at my expense.
They say I can have power at a slightly cheaper rate if I want to live
only on the night shift of midnight to 5 am. Of course this still won't
save my life on extreme temperature days when I need the air conditioning
to survive.
Sorry for the rant but there it is..................
I need a survival course on how to live in the lucky country as an old age
self funded retiree who was never unemployed during his whole working
life, paid taxes dutifully every year, and has never received one cent in
assistance in return.
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Anyhow after the 20 plus years of operation of a BBS here are a few stats.
I started out with fbb 5.? running on an old government surplus NEC DOS
only computer. The TNC was a home made Baycom modem. I am not sure what
the radio was at that time but I think it was an FM828. My call sign at
that time was VK2FBD for the BBS, however I also had VK3IO call sign due
to my frequent travels between the two Australian States.
I didn't keep track of the traffic very much in those days but in my
logbook I note that the message counter rolled over twice. I recorded this
because in those days I needed to warn my users that they may need to
reset their packet programs to cope with the numbers change.
After around ten years of BBS operation I shifted permanently to VK3 and
using the call sign VK3FBD commenced operations. It changed to VK3API only
a couple of years ago, due to more government bungling.
At the time of the interstate shift I updated the BBS to run winfbb on an
HP Vectra 386 running Windows 98. The TNC was upgraded to an MFJ 1270b and
the radio to an FM92.
The computer has a 5 Gbyte hard drive and only one serial port. It was
found discarded in a hard rubbish collection. It still has the same
original 5 gbyte drive spinning aroundd inside, in fact I have never had
the lid off the thing once it was put into service.
Also in my new location here I had no reliable RF path to any other BBS
for forwarding, so, biting the bullet and resisting the flack from the
packet purists, I liaised with VK4TRS and started internet forwarding.
Now 14 years on the packet system has been running non stop on the same
equipment and with no maintenance. The only intervention has been the
restarting of the computer when the mains power supply went out once or
twice a year.
The computer fan stopped, seized up, several years ago. The floppy drive
likewise expired an unknown time ago. However the vectra marches on
unfazed, surely a tribute to the "real" HP.
As near as I can tell there have been........
- A minimum of 2.7 million messages handled in that time (counting in and
out).
- 8216 picture files are saved in the picture sub directory under fbb
- 9021 .exe, .zip and other (ASCII circuits for example) files all of
which came via packet saved in 66 sub directories.
- Only 2 slightly pornographic pictures were received, (which were sent
out from one station over the network during the packet wars as a humorous
put down to another operator)
- In that whole time of operation. I have only felt the need to put two
call signs in the "reject" list.
As far as I am aware there has been no virii or destructive programs
received by me from the packet system. This is a real credit to the
responsibility of the amateur fraternity.
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So sadly, there it is, as of January the first 2012, VK3API-1 as a BBS
will cease 20 plus years of operations and is most sad to have to do so. I
would really have liked to keep the BBS running to see just which expired
first, me, or the HP vectra.
To save withdrawal symptoms here I will probably turn on the system once a
week to pick up any forwarded messages from my valiant forwarding partners
and to send out any replies I have. So its not 73's from VK3API unless the
Vectra dies of shock when it's turned off.
It has been a really interesting aspect of the hobby and one which has met
my personal needs in the amateur radio concept. Through it, I have
"talked" to a lot of interesting people with very good ideas and quite
often the guts to say them in the face of the opposite popular opinion.
Best wishes to all for Xmas and the New year
Tony VK3API
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