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VE3WBZ > SYSOP 17.12.11 01:05l 225 Lines 9732 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 58539_VE3LSR
Read: GUEST
Subj: RE: VK3API a reply to his post
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<JE7YGF<VE3UIL<VE3LSR
Sent: 111216/2347Z @:VE3LSR.#SCON.ON.CAN.NOAM #:58539 [Barrie] $:58539_VE3LSR
From: VE3WBZ@VE3LSR.#SCON.ON.CAN.NOAM
To : SYSOP@WW
TO: SYSOP @WW
FR: VE3WBZ
DT: Friday,December 16th.,2011 @ 1724hrs EST
Hello all..sysops and those ...well maybe interested...but ?
Yes I replied to this before... I have not changed in my reply,
I only want to comment on what Tony posted...
What is common amongst most of the sysops I know and myself, is
<1> You gotta be NUTS to be a Sysop of any BBS
<2> Users only care about the BBS going off...no one cares about
the health of the sysop or supporting the BBS or taking it
over as a group ...when need be.
<< Quoting VK3API to Sysop @WW >>
> From : VK3API To : SYSOP @WW
> Type/Status : B$ Date/Time : 15-Dec 05:22
> Bid : D35504VK3API Message # : 58417
> Title : VK3API to close
>
> 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.
I operated a landline BBS in conjunction via my landline BBS network
some Ham radio FBB BBSes and sysops in Ontario, before the Internet
from 1992 until 2005 when I pulled the plug with but only "1" user.
When the Internet arrived in this area.... 30 LL BBSes vanished...
I was the only one left...until 2005 and afterwards until 2010
a group of friends tried to re-establsih it, but only via
QWKmail .... until they could get enough members for new software
and a dialup line and Internet... they failed so it now is history
inside the packet computer.
> 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.
I saw the same for me Tony after I retired...or was due to health issues
forced to retire on the suggestion of 4 specialists, and well as a
retiree, and pension... the money watching started and it was a victim
when it hit that 1 user... "click".
> 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.
We have them here too. No interference for them on my ham radio equipment.
> 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.
If I lived in a country or area where it was always warm and no real
winter... I would have words for them and ME paying to power the
wireless set they have attached @ 1watt to stuff it...and go ahead
disconnect me. Who cares.... there is other ways to power up.
> 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.
Yep ...same here.
> 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.
Here they have comfort zones, like municipal buildings where those with
no AC can go... but then, it isn't practical and they know it.
> Sorry for the rant but there it is..................
NO ... frustrating, and I for one...agreee with you Tony.
> 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.
Agreed..sign me up too.
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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.
My landline BBS was Spitfire v3.0 and then I brought out another BBS
and had Wildcat ver 4.20 and gateways for hams in retirement homes
to packet via my gate to my BBS system and VE3WBZ-4 which ran
FBB ver5.15c.
> 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.
Before Internet... the BBS and Network were alive every hour of the
day...after supper until 10PM it was maddness.
> 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.
I will admit there were a few questionable users, but no lifetime
bans for anyone. I can say no one was in the reject list of the
Packet BBS.
> 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.
Same here, and even on the LL BBS ... most were the best and we
had meetings in the coffee shop every week, that was started by
a user and supported by all...and to this day ..is still ongoing.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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
>
> [End of Message #58417 from VK3API]
Thanks again Tony ... I get pangs I call them of another BBS
but then well into the mind comes all the behind the BBS fun
and I decide it has had it's time and me...and shuffle off.
As I wrote before...still applys, and I hope we see something
from you as a user, and also via whatever method....
73 Peter VE3WBZ
VE3LSR BBS>
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