Jim built his first packet TNC in 1985. Shortly thereafter Jim and
SPARK installed the first packet digipeater to cover the inland empire on
one of the most popular packet channels at that time. Although that
only lasted a couple years before it was no longer needed in the Los
Angeles area packet network, it was only a couple years before Jim was
putting up a dual port packet node on a different packet channel on 2
meters and also as part of the high speed backbone on 439 MHz as an EARN
system. When APRS started becoming popular, Jim became involved in
tracking for special events as well as day to day driving around for both
his truck and his wife's van. When one of the LA area digipeaters
lost it's site and had to be replaced, Jim stepped forward again through
EARN to install a replacement digi on Oat Mtn.
(W6SCE-10). Later Jim
worked with another EARN member to build a second digi and install it at
Chuckwalla to provide coverage in the low desert
(W6SCE-11).
