Í[ Help on using a FBB BBS by Chris KC6IKO @ GB7PLY +TPK Support Mailbox+ ]Í Í[ Menu of Commands ]Í @Commands on the BBS This section decribes the commands you can use on the BBS. @ The A Command - Abort This command is known as the Abort command. Use it when you want to abort long listings of bulletins or when reading files. @ The B Command - Log off BBS This command is used to log off the BBS. Use it when you want to disconnect from the BBS. @ The C Command - Conference Mode For help on the Conference mode, see later on in this help file. @ The D Command - DOS Area This command puts you into the DOS Area on the BBS. This is where some files are kept that the SYSOP has allowed for all to read. (ie BBS Lists etc) @ The F Command - Server/Module areas For help on the modules/server areas of The BBS, See later on in this help file. @ The G Command - The BBS Gateway Here you can gateway and connect to other stations from the BBS's QTH on any frequency it runs on. Once you type G you will be given a list of ports and frequencies it runs on. Type the number of the port to go onto the frequency you want to make contact on and then you will be asked to enter a command. If you want to connect to a station from here type C callsign (ie C G9AAA) If you want to monitor the activity the BBS hear's on this port type M for monitor @ The I Command - Information This command will show you some basic information about The BBS, Like QTH Computer, Hard Disk, TNC's, Radios, Frequencies, Antenna's, and other BBS's which the BBS might forward to. @ The J Command - List stations heard This command shows you the stations that we heard on The BBS. It gives the time we heard them last and the time we first heard them. For example J1 will show you the stations heard on Port 1, J2 will do the same for port 2 and so on. Typing JA will show you the stations who have connected to the BBS on Port A (Note Port 1 is known as Port A here, Port 2 is port B and Port 3 is Port C etc). Typing JA will show you who has connected on Port A (Port 1) and the time they connected and for how long. @ The K Command - Killing your messages Typing KM will kill all mail that you have read (It won't kill the ones which have not be read yet). Typing K and a Number (ie K 44444) Will kill that msg in this case 44444. @ The L Command - Listing messages The L Command is probably the most used command on the BBS. It is used to list the messages on the BBS. If you type: L - Alone will list all new messages since you last issued this command L 55555- Will list all messages from the latest to 55555 L 55555-66666 Will list all messages from 66666 to 55555. LB - List all bulletins on the BBS. LM - Lists all messages to you. LN - Lists all unread mail to you. LL 10 - Lists the last 10 messages on the BBS. LS - Lists messages with a certain text in there title (ie LS HELP) L< - Lists all messages from a certain person (ie L< G9AAA) L> - Lists all messages to a certain person (ie L> G9AAA) L@ - Alone will lists all local bulletins Else if you put L@ GBR for example it will only list GBR Bulletins LU - Lists all unread messages to and from you. LR - Alone will Lists messages in the reverse order (From the oldest to the latest) LR 55555-66666 Will list all messages from 55555-66666 LC - Special filtering command. Typing LC * Will allow you to list all messages. Typing LC *DX* Will list all messages that have a TO Field of DX in it (ie VHFDX, DXNEWS, DX20 etc) @ The N Command - Entering or Changing your name If you type N you will be asked to enter your first name. If you have not already done so then please do it now. @ The NQ Command - Entering or Changing your QRA Locator If you type NQ you will be asked to enter your QRA Locator. If you have not already done so then please do it now. @ The NH Command - Entering or Changing your home BBS If you type NH you will be asked to enter your Home BBS. A Home BBS is the BBS which you wish to receive your mail from. Do not put yourself. A good idea is to put your local BBS here. If you have not already done so please do it now. @ The NZ Command - Entering or Changing your postcode If you type NZ you will be asked to enter your postcode. If you have not already done so then please do it now. @ The O Command - Changing various preferences The O Command can change many of the options for you on The BBS. For example if you wanted to have a break when you are listing bulletins or reading a messages that comes up every 20 lines (Approx 1 screen length) and asks you if you wish to continue then type OP 20. If you do not want any interuptions then type OP by itself unless you already don't have any interuptions Typing OL will give you the list of languages that The BBS Can speak Type OL and the number of the language that you wish to use if you don't want English Type ON to change your base number. Lets say that the numbers in the message listings are getting up to 140000. Now typing R 140000 or whatever the numbers are can get quite exhausting hi. Well if we type ON 14 we can now type R 5555 for Message number 145555. Typing ON and the last number of the bbs cancels this. Typing OM is a good idea as when you log on to the BBS you might be told that you have one new message. At this stage you don't know who the message is from tho. So if you type OM you will be told the next time you log on who the message is from, the size of the message and the title. @ The PS Command - List what external servers the BBS runs. This command will give you a list of servers the BBS runs and a very brief description of what they are. For example it will say REQDIR or REQFIL and what they are. @ The R Command - Reading Messages on The BBS. (Also V Command) The R Command is used to read messages. Here are the various ways in which this command can be used. R msgnumber - Read a message (ie R 55555), Note you can also stack messages to be read, like R 55555 55577 58999 etc. RM - Read all messages addressed to you. RN - Read all unread/new messages addressed to you RU - Read all unread messages to and from you. R> callsign - Read all messages to a certain callsign/area (ie R> SATTV) R< callsign - Read all messages from a certain callsign (ie R< G9AAA) Note if you replace the R with a V in these commands you will be given the full forwarding headers of the message, showing you not only which BBS's the message has past, but the times it past through each BBS and possibly their location. @ The S Command - Sending messages. The S Command is used to send messages (bulletins or private mail) Here are a few examples. SP Callsign @ BBS - Send a private message to someone (ie SP G3KFN @ GB7PLY) SB area @ BBS - Send a bulletin which is able to be read by anyone on the BBS. Sending a bulletin like this:- SB ALL @ GBR Will send a bulletin to ALL @ GBR and will be sent to every BBS in the UK and Eire. Sending a bulletin like this SB ALL @ EU will send a bulletin to ALL @ EU and will be sent to every BBS in Europe. The same goes for ALL @ WW except that this message will now be sent to every BBS in the world. Please make the to-field less broad than ALL. Ie if it concerns Satellite Television then send it to SATTV (You have six characters maximum to abbreivate things to) @ The T Command - Talk to the sysop on the BBS The T command is used to page the system operators (SYSOPS) of the BBS. Use it when you need help or just want to chat to the sysop. @ The X Command - Setting shorter prompts (known as EXPERT Mode) This command will send you shorter prompts on the BBS. Probably best used when you get to know most of the commands on the BBS. @ The Y Command - YAPP Transfers This command is used to perform YAPP Binary file transfers to and from the BBS. Here are the commands that are associated with YAPP. YW - List files in a directory. YI - Most useful than YW. Lists files in a directory with descriptions. YN - List new files since your last connection to the BBS. YU - Send a file to the BBS in YAPP (ie YU MYFILE.ZIP) YD - Download a file from the BBS in YAPP (ie YD XXXXXX.ZIP) @ The > Command - Send a break to another station on the BBS. This command is used to send a simple short message to another station who is connected to the BBS. Use it like this > G9AAA Bob meet me at nine at the Backbreakers Inn please. The User G9AAA will now see the message appear in front of his screen as a "break" from you. @ The = Command - Talk to another station on the BBS This command is used to talk to another station who is connected to the BBS. Ie type = G9AAA and you will be connected to G9AAA and it chat-mode Hit Control Z (^Z) to finish. @Modules on the BBS - (The F Command) This command puts you into SERVER Mode on the BBS. Here you can do many things like - Get Statistics of the use of the BBS - Look up the address/number (if user has entered it) or Name/Home BBS/QRA Locator of a user - Calculate your QRA Locator from Longitude and Latitude or find the distances between two locators. - Calculate the trajectory of different satellites. @Modules on the BBS - The C Command - BBS Statistics Here you will find a lot of information on the use of the BBS. Such as the times when the BBS is most used.(in bar chart and tables) Average number of connects per day, What parts of the BBS are most used. You can also list all the connections to the BBS that we have had. Or even look at a Bar chart of the activity of a certain user. @Modules on the BBS - The G Command - BBS Statistics - General use This command will give you the number of active messages on the BBS. The number of connections it has had and the average time per connection. It will also give you the average number of connections per day and the rush hours (busyist times) of the BBS. @Modules on the BBS - The H Command - BBS Statistics - Hourly use This Command will show you using a barchart the rush hours of the BBS, and when it is used/how busy it is at certain times. If however you type H and a callsign (H G9ZZZ) for example. It will show you when G9ZZZ Connects, and at what hours and the time when he is most active on the BBS. @Modules on the BBS - The I Command - BBS Statistics - List users This command will just give you a long list of all the users who have logged onto the BBS at some time. @Modules on the BBS - The J Command - BBS Statistics - Daily use This Command will show you using a barchart the days which the BBS is most active. If however you type J and a callsign (J G9ZZZ) for example. It will show you what days G9ZZZ Connects, to the bbs and the days when he is most active on the BBS. @Modules on the BBS - The L Command - BBS Statistics - List Logs This command will show you all the stations who have connected to the BBS. At what time they have connected and on what day as well as the time they connected for and on what port. @Modules on the BBS - The O Command - BBS Statistics - Use of BBS (Percent) This command will show you what functions of the BBSis being used by the users in percentages. It will show you how much the Module areas are being used as well as the BBS area. @Modules on the BBS - The Q Command - Locator Calculations Here you can calculate distance and the azimuth (beam headings) from one QRA Locator to another. Or you can enter your QRA Locator and find out your position in Longitude and Latitude, and vice versa. Or you can calculate points for contests @Modules on the BBS - The Q Command - Locator Calculations - QRA>Long and Lat. This is where you can enter your QRA Locator (ie IO70WK) and the BBS will tell you what position you are in Longitude and Latitude (ie 50.26N/4.08W) Just enter your QRA Locator for it to do so. @Modules on the BBS - The L Command - Locator Calculations - Long and Lat>QRA. This command will allow you to find out your QRA Locator by entering your Longitude and Latitude position. Lets say you are at 50.26 degrees North and 4.08 Degrees West. Well first the BBS will ask you your Longitude. You have to enter it in a special format (degrees, minutes and hundreths) So we are 4.08W so we would type this to the BBS 04:08:00W (First column is degrees, the second column is minutes and the third hundreths You do not need to enter hundreths unless you want to be really accurate!) Now it will want your Latitude. Again you have to enter it in a special format (degrees, minutes and hundreths). So we are 50.26N. We would enter this to the BBS like this 50:26:00N (First column is degrees, the second column is minutes and the third hundreths You do not need to enter hundreths unless you want to be really accurate!) And you will now be told what QRA/QTH Locator you are in. @Modules on the BBS - The D Command - Locator Calculations - Distances QRA>QRA Here you can find out the distance from one QRA Locator to another. Lets say that we are at IO70WK (Roborough District) and that I want to know the distance and beam headings to the IO70VJ Locator (Saltash). Well once I have typed D the BBS will put me into a prompt asking me what my QRA Locator is, Here I Enter IO70WK. It will now ask me the other QRA Locator. I enter IO70VJ and whoa! It gives me the Distance (7.5km) and Azimuth (231.55 Degrees) @Modules on the BBS - The D Command - Locator Calculations - Distances QRA>QRA Here you can calculate the distance between several QRA Locators, Good for contests. @Modules on the BBS - The N Command - User Data Here you can Find out where a user lives, his address or telephone number (If he has entered it). His QRA Locator and his name. You can also enter your own address and details if you wish. You can also lists all the users on the BBS @Modules on the BBS - The R Command - User Data - Read information on a user If you enter R and a callsign for example then you will get all the information that user that the BBS knows (Address, Tel Number, Locator etc) @Modules on the BBS - The I Command - User Data - List all users Pretty useless as it just gives you a long list of users (just there callsigns) @Modules on the BBS - The N Command - User Data - Change/Enter your details Here you will be asked to enter your Full name, Address, Town/City, Home phone number and/or your work phone number. You can also enter your Home BBS or QRA Locator. @Modules on the BBS - The T Command - Satellite Trajectory In this area you can list the latest keplers for a particular satellite or you can have the BBS Calculate when a satellite of your choice will be in orbit and its headings etc. You can also find out some information on some satellites here as well. @Modules on GB7PLY - The C Command - Satellite Trajectory - Description If you type C you will be put into the descriptions area. Type L to list all the satellites that the BBS knows and has data for. If you notice they will have a number beside them. Now when you are returned to the prompt if you type that number you will be given a description of that satellite (Note we do not have information on every satellite, just a few!) @Modules on GB7PLY - The P Command - Satellite Trajectory - Orbiting Params Here you can find the original keplers that the BBS uses to calculate the trajectory of a satellite from. (Incase you prefer to do the calculating yourself). Type P and you will be asked to type a satellite number, Type L to list the numbers and satellites that we know. Then once you have the number of the satellite you want type in that number and we will give you the keplers. @Modules on GB7PLY - The T Command - Satellite Trajectory - Calculate Data This command will calculate for you when a certain satellite is in orbit and and what headings at what times. On this command you will be asked for a satellite number, If you want to see the list of satellites and there numbers then enter L for the list. Once you have the satellite and its corresponding number you want then you can enter the number. Now it will ask you for the start date of the calculation (Hit enter for today) and the time (Hit enter for the time now). Then once you have done both of these it will calculate the data for you using your QRA Locator that you have put in the BBS with the NQ Command. @Conference Mode on the BBS This command puts you into the Conference Mode of the BBS The Conference is a very useful feature of the BBS. Lets say you wanted to talk to more than one person on packet at one time. Well currently you can't do this because you can only connect to one person at a time. So what we can do is go into conference mode on the BBS. This everyone in the conference to talk to each other all at the same time. Lets say four of you are in the Conference. You are G9ABC. You notice that G9XYZ and G9BBB are in the conference along with G9CCC. Well whenever they type something in the conference (Unless it is a command) It will be echoed to everyone in the conference. Lets say you type "Hi Guys, Hows it going?" Everyone in the conference will see a message like this on there screen. de G9ABC: Hi Guys, Hows it going? So basically when your in conference mode all you have to do is type what you want to say and it will be repeated to everyone who is in the conference @Conference Mode on the BBS - The .W Command - List stations in conference This command is used when in the conference mode to list the stations who are in the conference. Same as the CW Command when not in Conference. @Conference Mode on the BBS - The .Q Command - Leave the conference This command returns you to the BBS from Conference mode. @ The CLIVE Database on GB7PLY - How to use the MODS Database on CLIVE. GB7PLY Currently holds over 1200 Modifications on its CLIVE Database. They are split up into six topics as follows. ICOM - Mods exclusively for ICOM Equipment KENWOOD - Mods exclusively for KENWOOD/TRIO Equipment YAESU - Mods exclusively for YAESU Equipement TNCS - Mods exclusively for TNC's COMPUTER - Mods and information on Computers MODS - Modifications for PMR, Amateur, scanners and other equipment The basic format for requesting files is this SP CLIVE @ GB7PLY.#44.GBR.EU REQUEST TOPIC whatever SELECT filenumber DOWNLOAD BYE (Control Z) The files will have a number (On the very left of the screen) and a description. Lets say you wanted to download file 25 of the KENWOOD Topic. To do this you would send a message from you local bbs to CLIVE. Like this SP CLIVE @ GB7PLY.#44.GBR.EU [Send msg to CLIVE at GB7PLY] REQUEST [Title must always be REQUEST] TOPIC KENWOOD [Select KENWOOD Mods] SELECT 25 [Select file 25] DOWNLOAD [Download file 25] BYE [send BYE once you are finished] (Control Z) Then CLIVE will send you file 15 from the KENWOOD Topic. You can also select more than one file per message, For example you might want to download file 15 and file 77 of the TNCS Topic to do this you would type the following. SP CLIVE @ GB7PLY.#44.GBR.EU [Send msg to CLIVE at GB7PLY] REQUEST [Title must always be REQUEST] TOPIC TNCS [Select TNCS Mods] SELECT 15 77 [Select files 15 and 77] DOWNLOAD [Download files 15 and 77] BYE [send BYE once you are finished] (Control Z) You might also want to download all modifications for a FT736R so to do this you would send a message from you local BBS with this as its content SP CLIVE @ GB7PLY.#44.GBR.EU [Send msg to CLIVE at GB7PLY] REQUEST [Title must always be REQUEST] TOPIC YAESU [Select YAESU Mods] SELECT FT736 FT736R [Select all FT736 and FT736R Mods] DOWNLOAD [Download all these mods] BYE [send BYE once you are finished] (Control Z) Enjoy using the database, and if you have any modifications please send them to us so others can benefit. @ The CLIVE Database - The AFTER Command The AFTER command. AFTER dd/mm/yy This command is to enable users to get a listing of files which have been installed on CLIVE since a specific date. The AFTER file listing is identical to a WHAT listing with the exception that only recently installed files are shown. At the top of each CLIVE REPORT> msg there is now a date. This is the date on which your file was processed. It has been put there so that you can use the AFTER command to best effect. The AFTER command shows all files installed since 00 hours on the date given. AFTER dd/mm/yy Gives a list of files installed since given date. Example. TOPIC MODS < Chose your topic. AFTER 05/10/92 < Ask for a list of any files installed since < the date of your last listing. NB. As with the WHAT command the AFTER command refers to current topic only. A topic should therefore be chosen prior to use. No "download" command is needed to get an "after" listing. @ The CLIVE Database - The BYE Command The BYE command. The BYE command works as it does on your local BBS. Anything in your CLIVE REQUEST message after a BYE command will be TOTALLY IGNORED. Example. BYE --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The CANCEL Command The CANCEL command. CANCEL has three variations. CANCEL message will tell you how many of the files you requested have been sent. Please feel free to request any outstanding files later. Example. TOPIC MODS < Chose your topic. SELECT 1,7,14 < Pick the files you would like. DOWNLOAD < Ask for them to be sent to you. NB. "SELECT" MUST HAVE BEEN USED BEFORE A DOWNLOAD WORKS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The NAME Command The NAME command. NAME yourname This command is purely optional but I like it. All it does is to store the word after it along with your callsign in the user file. From then on the database will address you by name. It also lets me know your name so that if I want to send you a message I don't have to start "Hello, sorry I don't know your name." Once you have done the name command you need never do it again, unless you change your name of course. Example. NAME Colin < No quotes needed, just the name. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The QTH Command The QTH command. Will send details of the CLIVE database program, the station QTH, and some details of the station equipment as well as anything else the sysop feels you might like to know. Example. QTH < Ask for the stations details. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The SELECT Command SELECT has three variations. SELECT 1,7 Will select file numbers 1 and 7 in current TOPIC. All selected files may be downloaded with one DOWNLOAD command assuming the current file limit is not exceeded. The maximum number of files you will be permitted to download in a single message is set by the SysOp and is determined by existing network conditions. File numbers must have spaces or commas separating them. Several files may be selected per SELECT command. SELECT WESSY WESSIE WESTMINSTER The second usage of SELECT is to select only files which contain certain key words. There may be up to ten words but single words produce the most predictable results. SELECT This format of the SELECT command will report the numbers of all files which are currently selected. Similar in use to the WHAT SELECTED command but does not report the file descriptions. Example 1. TOPIC MODS < Chose your topic. SELECT 1 2 5 6 < Select file numbers 1,2,5, and 6. DOWNLOAD < Ask for the files to be sent to you. Example 2. TOPIC YAESU < Chose your topic. SELECT FT101 < Select files mentioning either FT101 or WHAT SELECTED < Ask for the descriptions of selected files. Example 3. TOPIC MODS < Chose your topic. SELECT PYE < Show what file numbers are selected. SELECT < Ask for the numbers of selected files. NB. The SELECT command will only work with the current topic. Changing topics will AUTOMATICALLY CANCEL ALL SELECTED FILES. A TOPIC must be chosen (see TOPIC command) before a SELECT command is used. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The TOPIC Command The TOPIC command. TOPIC MODS Will select the first topic which has the word MODS as a keyword. Example. TOPIC MODS < Selects the topic (if any) which refers to MODS NB. A topic MUST be chosen before a SELECT command will work. Changing topics will AUTOMATICALLY CANCEL ALL SELECTED FILES. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The TOPICS Command The TOPICS command. This command will list the headings of whatever topics CLIVE has files for. Example. TOPICS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The UPLOAD Command The UPLOAD command. UPLOAD Has one use, your messages is saved to a file. CLIVE will allocate a filename automatically so you don't have the bother of avoiding one which is already in use. As usual, your call sign and BBS is recovered from the message header, so any reply from the sysop will be addressed to you at the BBS from which your message was sent. The upload command is intended to let users (who do not wish to be full time sysops) pass any interesting files they come across to the CLIVE sysop. Your message is not automatically installed on the database but the sysop will have a message alerting him to the fact that a file has been offered. Example. UPLOAD 10 PRINT "THIS PROGRAM CALCULATES THE GAIN" 20 PRINT "OF YAGI ANTENNAS UP TO 50 ELEMENTS" 30 etc. 40 etc. 1000 etc. BYE :The above stores the file intended for CLIVE's use on disk. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The WHAT Command The WHAT command. The WHAT command has three uses. WHAT WHAT No. Date BytesStsDescription of contents. 1 26/10/90 6771 D DX Awards. Lists several asian DX awards for UK ops. 2 27/10/90 75907 S List of all callsigns/@ BBS of UK packet users. 3 16/03/91 22560 D Network update plans for XYZ packet group 1991. 4 18/03/91 9727 G Names/addresses of XYZ packet group members 1991. 5 21/12/90 12753 P Telephone numbers for packet operators. (Some ex-dir) 6 25/01/91 10345 B Really silly monochrome picture of G6WHL (GIF format) File 1 is general interest and available to all. DOWNLOAD File 2 contains a list too large to forward reliably. SCAN ONLY File 3 is general interest and available to all. DOWNLOAD File 4 is nothing to do with non-XYZ group members. XYZ PACKET GROUP ONLY File 5 is my address book for packet contacts. PRIVATE File 6 is a GIF format graphics image. BINARY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The SCAN Command The SCAN command. By specifying one or more words in a SCAN command all currently selected files are searched and each line that contains any of the words will be sent to you at your bbs. The SCAN command is intended for use with lists of items such as PD software, BBS listings etc. By using the SCAN command you do not have to receive the entire list in order to obtain information about only a couple of items in that list. SCAN will only operate on words containing 2 or more characters. Example. The following 2 files found in the LISTS topic give information on public domain comms software. 02 13/09/91 59002 Telephone PD. RBBS/BBS,E-mail,Qmail,Internet,dialler s/ware 06 23/09/91 56765 Comms PD. Ports/modems/RS232/protocols/term drivers/bbs. Let's say you wanted information regarding Software for a Hayes compatible modems, this is how you'd ask for it in a CLIVE request message... TOPIC LISTS < Chose the LISTS topic. SELECT 2,6 < Select the files of interest. SCAN HAYES < Ask for a list of all occurances of "HAYES" Each selected file would be scanned in turn and all lines containing the word "HAYES" would be sent to you. Note that HAYES will find Hayes, HAYES, hayes, HaYeS, hayES etc. etc. Note also that "COM" would find comical, comfortable, becomes, baycom, etc. etc. A point worth noting is that the SCAN command will work on any file in any topic on the database but that the DOWNLOAD command will not operate with most files in the LISTS topic. Due to their size access to most files in the LISTS topic has been restricted to SCAN only. Files in the LISTS topic which contain instructions etc. are clearly marked **DOWNLOAD ME** NB. If you decide to try a SCAN command on files that are not in the LISTS topic then be prepared for unusual results if those files were not written specifically with the SCAN command in mind. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - The STATS Command The STATS command. This command lists the topics currently installed on the database together with the number and size of files in each topic and total capacity in bytes. Example. STATS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ The CLIVE Database - Languages CLIVE Can speak. The CLIVE database is currently available in English, French, Spanish. To change language simply type the name of the language you would like, the language name should be typed as it would be in the language of that country. For insance... "ENGLISH" .... selects the English language. "ESPANOL" .... selects the Spanish language. "FRANCAIS" .... selects the French language. Example. FRANCAIS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------