STXBBS
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N5PVL BBS ( STXBBS )

Welcome to the information page for the South Texas BBS. 


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/  ___/ |_   _| \ \  / / |  _  \ |  _  \ /  ___/ 
| |___    | |    \ \/ /  | |_| | | |_| | | |___  
\___  \   | |     }  {   |  _  { |  _  { \___  \ 
 ___| |   | |    / /\ \  | |_| | | |_| |  ___| | 
/_____/   |_|   /_/  \_\ |_____/ |_____/ /_____/ 

=================================================
STXBBS  (N5PVL)
South Texas BBS  - Operating guide

This file is edited and updated from time to time... 
Stop by every once in a while for the latest information. 

====================================
About STXBBS:
====================================

STXBBS is a multiconnect, autoforwarding Packet bulletin board system 
with HF and VHF Radio ports.
 
The BBS is also a registered member of the ARRL SkipNets, and at this writing 
has been in operation for fifteen years.

The STX Packet node and STXBBS are located in Lyford, Texas, Grid sqauare: EL16CK

The node, HF modem, and BBS all operate under Win98se in a 400 Mhz Celeron pc 
with five Com ports. The PC was donated by Ray, W5CZI.

Node software - BPQ32
HF Modem - MixW -- HF Radio Kenwood TS-450sat -- HF antenna, Inverted-V
BBS software - WinFBB32 alpha
VHF TNC:  AEA PK-96 -- VHF Radio Yaesu FT-1500M  - 145.01 Mhz. 

A regularly updated screenshot of STXBBS in operation can be viewed at:

http://n5pvl.rgvham.com/stxbbs/screen.htm

====================================
How to Use the BBS
====================================

To connect to the STXBBS from RGV node, type:

C STXBBS

- And RGV will connect you directly to the BBS.

Packet BBS stations are text based, with most commands being only one or two 
characters long.

The most commonly used message commands are:

L - List 
R - Read 
S - Send 
H - Help
? - Help

If you take time to become familiar with these commands and thier variations, 
they will take you through most of what you will want to do at the BBS. 
For Example, a good command to issue upon connecting to the BBS is "LL 20" 
without the quotes.

LL 20    means "List Last 20 messages". - A very handy command.   LL 10   
Lists the last ten - and so on.

What I do is write down the message numbers for the ones I would like to take 
a look at, as I view the listing.

The R   ( Read )   command must be followed by the message number for the 
message you wish to read. To read message number 2367, type:

R 2367

This will cause message 2367 to be displayed.  - To Send a reply to message 
2367, type:

SR 2367

And the BBS will ask you to type in your reply, ending it with either a CTRL-Z 
 or  "/ex" without the quotes.

=====================================
Basic BBS Commands:
====================================

A : Abort      - Abort listing.
B : Bye        - Log off the BBS.
C : Conference - Access to conference.
D : DOS        - Access to FBBDOS, or to download a file.
F : FBB        - Access to the server mode.
G : Gateway    - Access to the other frequences by 'gateway'.
H : Help       - Help.
I : Info       - Information about the system.
J : Jheard     - List of the last few connected stations.
K : Kill       - Kill messages.
L : List       - List messages.
M : Make       - Copy a message to a file.
N : Name       - Change your name.
NZ: Zip        - State your zip-code.
NH: homeBBS    - Type your home-BBS.
O : Option     - Select options (paging, language, list/read personal etc).
PS: Servers    - Show which servers are available in this BBS.
PG: Program    - Run (show) certain DOS-programs.
R : Read       - Read messages.
S : Send       - Send messages.
U : Upload     - Upload a file to the BBS.
V : Verbose    - Verbose read of messages (like R, but with forwarding 
                 headers displayed so you can see the routing).
W : What       - Which files are available.
X : Expert     - Change between Normal and the Expert (short) prompt.
Y : Yapp       - Transfer binary files with the Yapp transfer protocol.
Z : Delete     - Delete a file.
> : Shout      - To send a text to another station connected to the BBS.
= : Connect    - To connect another station connected to the BBS.
! : Info       - Short version of the I-command.
* : Wildcard   - Many possibilities, like @,?,#,=,*  ( Pardon the language. )

=================================

Some of the commands offer multiple functions, determined by the addition of 
a second character.

For detailed help on any command, type ? [command].

?L     - For example, returns the following information about the L command:

L-command LISTS all messages in the mailbox.
  L  lists all new messages since you last issued a L-command.
  LA lists messages with A-status
  LB lists only bulletins.
  LC for very special listings.  See further down..
  LD< YYMMDD list all messages received before the specified date.
  LD> YYMMDD list all messages received after the specified date.
  LE lists messages that could not be forwarded.
  LF lists messages that have been forwarded.
  LH lists held messages.
  LK lists all killed messages
  LM lists all messages TO YOU [List Mine].
  LN lists all UNREAD messages to you [List New].
  LL 10 lists the last 10 messages in the mailbox [List Last].
  LP list personal messages.
  LS [Text] lists messages with [text] in the subject.
  LT lists NTS Traffic messages
  LX lists messages with status X.
  LY lists messages that have been read (status Y)
  L< [callsign] lists messages FROM [callsign].
  L> [callsign] lists messages TO [callsign].
  L$ lists bulletins with status $
  L@ lists local bulletins with no @BBS-field.
  L@ [callsign] lists messages @[callsign].
  L  [message#]- lists ONLY messages with higher number than [messages#].
  L  [message#]-[message#] lists all messages between these numbers.
  LU lists all UNREAD messages (status N) to and from you.
  LR lists messages in revers order, starting with the oldest one.
     LR can replace L in most contexts (ex: LR 1-100)

Examples:
- To list messages over #325, type L 325-
- To list messages from #300 to #350, type L 300-350

PS:  Check number of active messages before doing a list-command, to avoid
     listing every messages in the system.  This is easy to check with the
     V-command.

Special command LC:
With this command you can have very special listings.  If you once type
LC DX, then all list-command (except LM and LN) will only list messages
with a TO-field of DX.  If you type LC *DX*, listings will contain all
to-fields that have DX in it, for example VHFDX, DXHF etc.  To go back
to "normal", send LC *
LC ? or LC ; gives a list of available LC-fields.

====================================
Recommended Software:
====================================

* OutPost   http://www.outpostpm.org/  
  Windows Packet terminal software for Packet BBS messaging. Outpost looks 
  and feels much like the eMail program 'Outlook' that comes with Windows. 
  Outpost also handles NTS format messages. 

* Flex32 / Paxon  
  http://www.uspacket.org/flex32/flx_32.htm
  http://www.uspacket.org/paxon/paxon.htm
  Soundcard Packet with an excellent terminal ( Paxon ) that offers special 
  functions related to file transfers.

====================================
VALLEY bulletins
====================================

To send a bulletin that will only be seen here in the Valley:

SB VALLEY

====================================
To contact N5PVL:
====================================

S N5PVL

It will ask for a message title, then it will ask you to type the message, 
ending it with CTRL-Z, or "/ex" without the quotes.

73, 
Charles Brabham, N5PVL