Kantronics KPC-9612, KISS mode, JNOS

[Gary Crum <crum@n.kb7eec.ampr.org>]

[Note Reply-To: kb7eec@uugate.ampr.org line in message header.]

Last night I hooked up a Kantronics KPC-9612 "Packet Communicator" to a Radio
Shack HTX-404 radio.  I had to solder TX, RX, PTT and GND lines inside the
radio to get 9600bps working (on 431.75MHz here in the Salt Lake valley).
Thanks to Clint Turner, ka7oei@uugate.ampr.org, for suggesting a TX audio
insertion point on the HTX-404 RF schematic diagram.  This puts the cost of a
9600bps-capable controller ($200) and frequency synthesized radio ($230) at
$430 total.

But, I then put the controller in KISS mode, started up JNOS, and realized
that I have no way to specify that JNOS transmit out the 9600bps "port".  It
merely transmits out the KPC-9612 Port 1, the 1200bps port.  Does anyone know
how to do this?  I wonder if I'll have to look into the G8BPQ Extended KISS
protocol as also supported by the KPC-9612.

I am not referring to computer COM ports;  The KPC-9612 has both 9600bps and
1200bps modems, and they can be active at the same time.  At the cmd: prompt,
the "~" and "|" commands are used to select radio ports 1 (1200bps) or 2
(9600bps).  I presume there must be some way for a program that uses KISS
mode to specify which port, but I don't know how that is done yet.  I thought
I'd send mail to these mailing lists and see what others have done.

I haven't tried contacting Kantronics yet;  The manual gives a fax number and
mailing address but no e-mail address or technical support telephone number.
Can anyone recommend a good way to communicate with Kantronics?

By the way, neither the HTX-404 nor the Standard C5718DA seems to be fast
enough for the 70ms TX Delay that is commonly used with G3RUH 9600bps, but
they both work when I set TXD to around 300ms (the setting typically used for
1200bps).

Gary