Outpost Packet Message Manager
Version 2.2.1 Release
- Most Recent Version: Outpost v2.2.1 c085
- Recent Date:
Welcome to the Outpost Project Page. Here's what you will find here.
- What's New (News, Notes, and Updates)
- About Outpost
- About Interactive Packet
- About Release v2.2
- Downloads
- Documentation
- Platform Support (TNCs, O/S, BBS's, Troubleshooting)
- HOW-TOs (on-line help files)
- Terms of Use
- Release Information
- Feedback
- Outpost User Group
About Outpost
Outpost is a Windows-based packet message client that lets you send and receive packet messages with almost any Amateur Radio Bulletin Board System (BBS) or TNC Personal Mail Box.
Outpost was designed for the ARES/RACES packet user community. The thinking behind it was to create an intuitive, easy-to-use program that lets ARES/RACES organizations focus on the "message," not the "medium," as they pass packet traffic to and from an Operational Area BBS. So, what are the overall design goals?
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Hide the complexity of the native packet environment and shorten the learning curve
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Provide an MS Windows-based packet messaging client
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Automate the packet message handling environment
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Create a program that behaves like your email client that you have at work or home…
…create, send, receive, read, delete, reply to, or forward messages -
Support the response efforts and requirements of our local municipalities and served agencies
Outpost has a similar look and feel to other contemporary mail clients. It features Windows-driven forms and screens that handle creating, sending, receiving, storing, and printing packet messages from your PC. It also can run automatically where it periodically checks for out-going and in-coming messages.
Outpost does not support any packet message forwarding protocol or SMTP. Instead, it interprets the information sent from the TNC and BBS, then it generates the TNC and BBS commands needed to send, list, and retrieve messages from the BBS. It essentially automates the keyboard entry and interpretation performed by the user.
Outpost uses BBSs and PBBSs as mail drops where a user can a leave packet message for someone without the other person needing to be on line at that point in time. Support for many BBS and PBBSs has been built into Outpost with new ones being added as they are identified.
Outpost has undergone several releases of functionality identified by the Outpost user community. Find information on the last few Outpost releases here...
Downloads and Updates
- Version 2.2
- If you have never installed Outpost v2.2, download the Outpost v2,2 Install file and install this first. Then, follow the installation instructions for applying the Outpost v2.2.1 update. This update must be applied on top of v2.2 or later. To download a file, right mouse-click on the file, select "Save Target As...", and choose or create your download directory.
| File/Package | Date | Version | Description |
| Outpost v2.2 Install | 06-Apr-07 |
2.2c194 |
Outpost
v2.2.0 for Windows 98/NT/2000/Me/XP/Vista 2.5 Mb. This download file contains all programs and setup files needed to get Outpost up and running on the latest release. See the Readme220.txt file for installation instructions and a list of what's changed since the last release. This is a single distribution for all supported windows operating systems that you use. NOTE: Please read through the entire installation process before preceding, and note step 3.7 in the install process for preserving any existing message and BBS data files. |
| Outpost v2.2.1 update | 19-Feb-08 | 2.2.1c085 | Application Update, 465Kb. This is an executable-only update to the main installation package listed above for Outpost.exe, all Interactive Packet Programs, and Opdirect.exe. Several user-requested enhancements and bug fixes are included. See the README221 file for installation information and the Release Information section for a list of changes included in this and past releases. |
| Outpost v2.2.0 sample Configuration Files | 06-apr-07 | 2.2 | Outpost Configuration File sample, 4 Kb. For first-time users, a zip file of the key configuration data files with samples. A good place to start if you are new to Outpost. |
Documentation, App Notes, Training, Presentations
Current Documentation
The v2.2 User Guide is now available and includes all the changes incorporated into the current release. To download, right mouse-click on the file, select "Save Target As...", and choose or create your download directory.
| File/Package | Date | Version | Description |
| v2.2 Users Guide | 17-Apr-07 | 2.2 | 2Mb. Outpost User Guide for version 2.2. |
| Outpost221RCD.pdf | 16-Dec-07 | 2.2.1 | Release Content Description. This document describes how Outpost will support Scripting and the other enhancements. |
| NTS-14.pdf | 10-Apr-06 | 1.4 | 300Kb. Introduction to the NTS Traffic System for Packet, a good reference to NTS operations on packet. |
Application Notes
The more I play with it, the more I discover what Outpost can do. The following application notes go beyond the user guide and looks at trying to solve practical problems with Outpost.
If you have a specific topic that fits this category, please pass it on and we'll include it here.
| File/Package | Date | Version | Description |
| Outpost Implementation Guide for Santa Clara County RACES | 16-Apr-07 | 2.2 | 158Kb. This is a packet implementation recommendation that describes not only the policies that Santa Clara County RACES will adopt, but also the steps needed to set up Outpost to implement the policies. |
| Setting up KA-Node, Netrom network access | 15-Apr-07 | 2.2 | 156Kb. Updated description on how to configure a BBS to be accessible using KA-Nodes and Netrom nodes. Two types of nodes are discussed with a description on how to identify, define, and configure your own nodes. |
| FBB Implementation Guide | Dec-06 | 2.1 | 121Kb, F6FBB Implementation Guide, introduction and description on how I brought up an F6FBB Bulletin Board System was to support our local county hospital packet infrastructure. |
| Getting Outpost to work on Windows 95 | 19-Feb-06 | 52Kb. A summary of the work performed by Bruce KC6VHR on getting Outpost to run on Windows 95. This Windows Version has been problematic for many users since W'95 is out of support and update files are no longer available from Microsoft for download. | |
| Sending Spreadsheet data | 231Kb, Describes how to send spreadsheet data by Outpost. | ||
- Training
- The v2.2 Training package is now available.
A version of the formal (PDF'ed) slides is also available in Microsoft PowerPoint for localization. The screen shots are a lot cleaner in this file, and may make a good starting point for customizing any local training. Note that the slide's "Speaker Notes" are INCOMPLETE, and are just my initial thoughts on some key points. Also, if there are other ideas for presentations (different audiences, materials, etc), please send me your suggestions.
| File/Package | Date | Version | Description |
| Outpost QST Article | April-08 | -- | 653Kb. Not really a training package, but the article that was published in the April 2008 issue of QST, page 35. Note that the AGWPE links referenced in the article subsequently were changed. See the AGWPE HOW-TO for updated links. |
| Outpost v2.2 Training Handout | 26-Apr-07 | 2.2 | 1.7Mb.
Outpost 2.2 training and Tour. This is a pdf version of the slides that can
be used for training, or just as a plan overview (instead of reading
the user doc). |
| Outpost v2.2 Training Powerpoint | 26-Apr-07 | 2.2 | 1.6Mb, This is a PowerPoint version of the training that can be further customized or integrated into your local training. It includes screen shots of the different forms, and a reasonable explanation of what is going on. |
Presentations
Here are .pdf versions of several presentations. If you would like the original PowerPoint slide set, please contact KN6PE.
| File/Package | Date | Description |
| SVARESConf2008.pdf | 8-Mar-08 | 733Kb, Sacramento Valley Section ARES Conference, Yuba City, CA. How Outpost can support an organization's packet policy and operational mission. |
| EmCommWest07.pdf | 5-May-07 | Presentation to EmCommWest07, Reno NV. Includes an Outpost overview, highlight of changes in v2.1 and v2.2, a survey of PBBS and BBSs, and Outpost futures. |
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999Kb, Two similar presentations made to the Sunnyvale CA ARES and Mountain View CA Areas organizations. |
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4-May-06 |
766Kb, Presentation to EmCommWest06. The approach for this presentation was less on Outpost training and more on introducing the notion of Outpost as a tool to enable emergency packet communications policies. See the follow-on Santa Clara County RACES App Note on this topic. |
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Previous Releases
The following downloads are for reference only.
| File/Package | Version | Description |
| Outpost 2.1 Install | 2.1.2 | v2.1 was introduced in November 2006 and delivered Tactical Calls and KA- and Netrom support. This was a full release. |
| outpost204u.zip | 2.0.4 | Upgrade files to bring Outpost up to release 2.0.4. This was not a full release, and relied on Outpost 2.0 to be previously installed. This zip file contained only program and configuration files; the setup process required manual movement of files into the Outpost program directory. |
| op200.zip | 2.0.0 | The 2.0 release introduced Telnet and AGWPE capabilities. This is a full release of Outpost; previous releases should be uninstalled prior to beginning |
| op130.zip | 1.3.0 | v1.3 release included aspects of collaborative messaging (receipts, etc) and other usability enhancements. This is a full release of Outpost; previous releases should be uninstalled prior to beginning |
General Feedback
Please send any feedback to
updated: May 08, 2008