PAGER HANDBOOK for the Radio Amateur

Philip N. Anderson, W0XI

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Paging

Chapter 2 -The Defacto Standard: POCSAG

Chapter 3 - A Two-Way POCSAG QSO

Chapter 4 - Digital Pagers: Receiver, Decoder

Chapter 5 - Buying a Pager for Amateur Radio Use

Chapter 6 - Recrystalling, Programming

Chapter 7 - Setting up a Paging Station

Chapter 8 - KPC-9612 Paging Command Set

Appendix 1 - Glossary

Appendix 2 -Frequency Tables

Appendix 3 - Typical Pager Specification

Appendix 4 - Sensitivity Table

Bibliography
PREFACE

The purpose of this handbook is to introduce paging technology to the radio amateur. We'll describe
the Radiopaging Code No.1, also known as POCSAG; outline what's needed to complete a two-way
POCSAG QSO; list what's needed to monitor paging; investigate the inner guts of a typical pager -
both the FM receiver board and the decoder board; suggest where to purchase pagers for amateur use;
outline procedures for recrystalling pagers for 2-meter and 70-cm use; describe how to set up an
amateur station for paging; and describe the paging commands and paging capability added to the
Kantronics KPC-9612 packet modem.

While attending Wireless World last December in San Francisco, I managed to take in the sessions on
paging. I was just a bit curious about the future of paging although it wasn't my main mission for
attending the convention. As it turned out, the discussions on two-way paging and new paging
formats were thought provoking; they got me thinking about the possibilities for paging in amateur
radio.

Once home, I obtained a copy of the International Radio Consultative Committee's Radiopaging Code
NO.1 (RPC1) recommendation (R-584-1), outlined some feasibility experiments for 2-meter paging,
checked appropriate sections of Part 97, and asked Mike Huslig, KB0NYK, to program and port a
POCSAG encoder and monitor into our 9600 baud packet modem. Not long thereafter, we were
transmitting 512, 1200, and 2400 baud numeric and alphanumeric pages with an IFR signal generator,
copying them on a pager lying on the bench, and monitoring them on loop-back into the KPC-9612.
We had proof of concept!

Once the equipment was working on the bench, two application ideas came to mind: paging in
emergency situations where amateurs assist and coupling paging with packet radio. A host of other
thoughts followed too. As a result, we decided to add ten pager related keyboard commands and a
packet paging server (PS) to the firmware of the KPC-9612. With the PS in place, amateurs can
connect to the TNC, leave a page for transmission, list a log of pages sent, or set up a page for a
group. We also added sysop (TNC owner) password control, just in case they might want to restrict
access to the PS.

It is my hope that our POCSAG adventure will add some excitement to our hobby and enhance the
amateur service's ability to provide emergency communication. At the same time, I realize that not
everyone will welcome this adventure; some stated that it was "the end of amateur radio" when SSB
was added, when packet radio was, introduced, when AMTOR and Pactor appeared on 20-meters,
and when GGTOR appeared later. Obviously I don't believe that; I think we should strive to advance
the state of the art, experiment with new modes, adapt modes from other services (like we did with
AMTOR), and strive to compete with those importing equipment.

I recognize that adding yet another mode to the VHF and UHF bands could cause additional crowding
in some regions. Hence, it is extremely important, if you embrace the idea of paging, that you
coordinate your activities with the other spectrum stakeholders in your area.

Is paging legal?· A careful reading of Part 97 [sections 97.3(a)(10), 97.1 1 1 (b)(2), 97.305(c), and
97.307(f)(5)] makes it clear that digital paging is allowed for VHF and UHF operations. One-way
transmissions are made every day by amateurs to establish communications with other amateurs, even
using one mode to establish a link in another. Paging simply creates another way of establishing
communication. Don't confuse one-way transmissions with "broadcasting. "

The benefits of investigating alternative technologies and mixing them with existing systems are well
proven. Our efforts as a nation in space have brought us the integrated circuits we use today. My
point is that parts of the paging technology will yield benefits for the amateur. An unplanned benefit
of porting the POCSAG protocol into our packet TNC is that it, becomes a piece of test equipment, a
POCSAG encoder. Hence, it can be used in conjunction with an RF signal generator to test pagers
and aid in recrystalling them. Another unplanned benefit is the realization that pager receiver boards
can be converted for other uses: as an FM receiver, as a data (packet) receiver, or as a portion of a
deviation meter! Spin-offs like these occur naturally when technologies are mixed.

I'll leave you with this thought to get your creative juices going: We've discovered that some of the
packet "data ready" radios are plug-and-play for sending and monitoring paging when coupled with a
TNC containing a paging encoder/decoder.
CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO PAGING

Commercial pagers have become super popular in the last decade, competing strongly with the
cellular phone. Applications are no longer limited to businesses or doctors; teenagers and college
students are signing up with service providers by the thousands; and tens of thousands of new pagers
are coming on line every week. These folks have found out the secret about paging; it works, it's
convenient, and it's reasonably inexpensive compared to other services.

Regardless of the type of pager - beep-only, voice, numeric readout, or alphanumeric display - the
function is pretty much the same; someone wants to contact the personal carrying the pager. Once
paged, those carrying the older style beep-only pager respond by calling a dispatcher or automated
service to obtain a call-back number. Those carrying pagers with a liquid crystal display (LCD)
receive their call-back number as a part of the page message, which is the usual practice. They can
respond by returning a call directly. Most pagers sold with an LCD are numeric; that is, they are
capable of receiving numbers and a limited number of special characters. Even so, with these devices,
a call-back my not be necessary if the parties have agreed that certain numbers have specific
meaning. For example, 123 may mean call the main office and 456 might mean call your motherlaw.
Alphanumeric pagers provide even more flexibility and are gaining in popularity. The strong
preference for numerics continues, however, and may have to do with the fact that the person sending
the message can use a touch-tone phone to initiate the page. Alphanumerics require a computer
keyboard, terminal, or dispatcher.

How does the paging system work as a whole? Let's investigate by looking at a typical paging system
for Any town, USA as shown in Figure 1-1. A page is initiated at a touch-tone phone. To page your
spouse, for example, you'd. dial a phone number assigned to the pager, wait for the automated voice
prompt from the paging terminal - "please enter a number followed by the # sign," enter the phone
number where you'd like to be reached, and hang up. The paging terminal, in turn, "makes up" the
paging message for your spouse, including your message and the address of the pager (ID), adds it to
a stack of pages to be sent, and transfers these pages within a few minutes to a bank of transmitters.
Once transmitted, at the radio frequency assigned to your paging service, your spouse's pager beeps
after recognizing its unique ID - and stores the message sent.

Figure 1-1: Commercial Paging System

As you can see, the system is similar to many other systems we use. In collecting paging messages,
the paging terminal simply prompts the caller - as a telephone answering device (TAD) would - to
leave a message. Your touch-tone phone and the telephone company's equipment does the rest. The
paging terminal has other jobs too. It must keep track of pairs of phone numbers and pager IDs, keep
a record of messages sent, control the transmitters spread out across the city, and manage the paging
system as a whole. With inter-city paging, so-called wide area paging, paging network controllers
handle the job of exchanging pages between cities and systems, often using the Telecator Network
Paging Protocol (TNPP) to accomplish their task.

The job of the transmitters is basic. They transmit a batch of pages upon demand, and may transmit
each page on all transmitters at once, called simulcasting. The messages are sent at the radio
frequency (RF) assigned to the paging service by the FCC using frequency modulation (FM). For
numeric and alphanumeric pagers, the digital information is sent with a frequency-shift-keying (FSK)
modulation format. To send ones and zeroes, the frequency of the transmitter signal, the carrier, is
shifted (deviated) up or down in frequency by 4.5 kHz.

The pagers complete the system. They wake up about once per second to look for a paging signal
addressed specifically for them. If a pager sees its ID in any of the pages being transmitted, it picks
out that page, beeps (or vibrates) the person carrying or wearing it, and stores the message (if a
numeric or alphanumeric pager). The person carrying the pagers is then free to display the message
on the LCD.

First generation pager systems (beep-only and/or voice) were assigned to the VHF bands, 33-50 MHz
and 139-175 MHz. Today, paging services are assigned VHF, UHF, and 900 MHz carrier frequencies
as shown in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1: Paging Frequency Bands

paging band frequency range

VHF low band 33-50 MHz
VHF high band 138-175 MHz
UHF 406-422 MHz
UHF high 435-512 MHz
'900' band 929-932 MHz

In 1978, to accommodate more pages sent per hour per frequency and to include numeric or
alphanumeric messages in a pager signal, a standards group formulated a new paging format referred
to at that time as POCSAG. This pioneering planning was carried out by the Post Office Code
Standardization Advisory Group (POCSAG). A bit later the International Radio Consultative
Committee (CCIR), a committee of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), renamed the
POCSAG code as Radiopaging Code No. 1 (RPC1) and specified its format in their Recommendation
for International Paging, R-584-1. We'll continue, in this handbook, to refer to the RPCl as POCSAG.
This protocol for sending paging messages is today's defacto standard and its details are presented in
Chapter 2.

You'll hear talk about Golay Sequential Code (GSC), Flex, and the Advanced Paging Operator Code
(APOC) paging formats. GSC systems (and pagers) are still in use in the US today, particularly in
hospitals, but their numbers are now small compared to POCSAG systems. Motorola has introduced
and is pushing their new 4-level FSK system, Flex, designed for higher speeds. (Flex is a trademark
or registered trademark of Motorola.) The APOC specification was written at Phillips Telecom and
they are promoting it. None of these paging formats will be covered in this handbook.

Figure 1-2: Amateur Paging System 2-meters or 70-cm.

You might wonder at this point how this all fits with amateur radio. Can we retrofit commercial
pagers for amateur use and can we encode, transmit and monitor pages? As it turns out, we're in luck
on all four points! First, some commercial POCSAG pagers made for the VHF and UHF frequency
bands can be recrystalled for the US 2-meter and 70-cm amateur bands. We'll investigate the insides
of these pagers, buying them, and converting them in Chapters 4, 5, and 6. Second, Kantronics' KPC-
96l2 packet modem (v7.0) now includes POCSAG encoding/decoding. A page message is encoded
simply by typing in the pager ID and message from a computer keyboard; the TNC does the rest -
forming up the page and sending it to the transmitter. We'll describe this process in Chapters 3, 7, and
8. Third, some of the 9600 "data ready" transceivers made for packet radio operation are capable of
transmitting and receiving POCSAG pages. We'll check this out in Chapter 7. With these lessons in
hand, you'll be ready to examine, convert, and apply pagers and paging technology to our hobby.

Before reading these chapters, however, let's take a look at the POCSAG paging code as defined in
Recommendation 584-1 as described in Chapter 2. While this task will be a bit tedious, it's
necessary. The code is the foundation for everything else we'll do.
CHAPTER 2

THE DEFACTO STANDARD: POCSAG

Introduction

The single purpose of this chapter is to describe the Post Office Code Standardization Advisory
Group (POCSAG) code used for sending and receiving numeric and alphanumeric pages. You might
think of the code as an alphabet, like the Baudot code for RTTY or the ASCII code for your computer
serial port. The term code as used here, however, is meant to be synonymous with the term protocol.
The POCSAG code is a description not only of the specific binary codes used but also of the format,
rate, and signalling method used in sending and receiving page messages.

The transmission format of the code is a preamble of 576 bits - alternating ones and zeroes - followed
by one or more batches of codewords. Each batch consists of a 32 bit synchronization codeword (SC)
followed by eight frames of 64 bits each, each frame consisting of two codewords. Codewords are
defined as synchronous, idle, address, and data. The format of the data codeword differs slightly from
the rest, but all codewords contain ten check bits for error detection and correction. The signalling
(modulation) method called for is frequency shift keying (FSK) with a deviation of 4.5 kHz.

The transmission rate for POCSAG is either 512, 1200, or 2400 baud. The rate and format of the code
determine the shortest duration possible for a page transmission (Table 2-1.) It's easy to differentiate
between rates when monitoring; simply listen for the pitch and duration of the preamble.

Table 2-1: Minimum Transmission Duration

baud rate preamble (seconds) batch (seconds) total duration

512 1.125 1.0625 2.1875
1200 0.480 0.453 0.933
2400 0.240 0.227 0.467

Numerous descriptions of the POCSAG code can be found in the literature. I've found fairly complete
descriptions, with timing diagrams, in several pager theory/maintenance manuals. The most complete
description I've found from a protocol point of view, however, is "CCIR Recommendation 584,"
found in part 2 of The Book of the CCIR Radiopaging Code NO.1. It's purpose is to define the codes,
the error detection/correction scheme, and the transmission sequence of the codes - the protocol if you
will. I've enclosed a summary of the recommendation in the next section. With the CCIR's description
and some experimentation, we were able to complete and port software into a packet modem to
encode and decode pages at 512, 1200, and 2400 baud, for both numeric and alphanumeric paging.

You may wish to obtain a complete copy of The Book of the CCIR Radiopaging Code NO.1. Five
parts are included: Part 1 - Introduction and System Definition, Part 2 - CCIR Recommendation 584,
Part 3 - Experience with the Code, Part 4 - Report of the Studies of British Post Office
Standardization Code Advisory Group (POCSAG), and Part 5 - Report of the Studies of the
POCSAG. If so, I suggest that you write the Radio Design Group, 3810 Almar Road, Grants Pass, OR
97527-4550. Ask for the "CCIR-l" book. The last time I checked their fee for the book was $100 plus
shipping. If you plan to write software/firmware for encoding/decoding paging signals, I highly
recommend that you obtain a copy. I make no guarantees that the summary enclosed here is complete
enough, without error, or suitable for any particular purpose. Clearly, you are responsible for any
code you write.

POCSAG CODE or Radiopaging Code No. J

A page transmission consists of a preamble and batches of codewords, each batch starting with a
synchronization codeword (SC). The format of the signal is tabulated in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1: Signal Format

batch 1 batch 2
preamble batch 3...
codewords codewords
SC+16 SC+16
10101010 .... and so on...
codewords codewords

Preamble

The preamble, used by the pagers to gain signal synchronization, is a pattern of alternating ones and
zeroes, repeated for a period of (at least) 576 bits.

Pagers may be designed to make use of the duration of the preamble to extend battery life. The
receiver may be left off most of the time but turned on often enough to catch a portion of the
preamble. The rate at which receiver power is cycled on/off depends, of course, upon the baud rate
selected. Example. At 512 baud the duration of the preamble is over one second; therefore, the pager
could go to sleep for nearly a second at a time without missing a preamble.

Batch Structure

Each batch consists of a SC and 16 additional codewords, a total of 544 bits. The sixteen codewords
are grouped in pairs, called frames. The frames are numbered 0 to 7 and the pager population is
divided into these 8 groups. Further, each pager is assigned to one of the 8 frames according to the 3
least significant bits of its 21 bit identity, and only examines address codewords in that frame.
Therefore each pager's address codewords must be transmitted only in the assigned frame.

This frame structure within a batch not only multiplies the address possibilities of each codeword by
3 but also offers an additional means of saving the battery within the pager, since the receiver need
only be turned on during the synch codeword and its particular frame. Thus the energy requirement is
reduced by another 14/17ths prior to the message portion of the reception.

"Message codewords for any receiver may be transmitted in any frame but follow, directly, the
associated address codeword. A message may consist of a number of codewords transmitted
consecutively and may use one or more batches but the synchronization codeword must not be
displaced by message codewords. Message termination is indicated by the next address codeword or
idle codeword. There is at least one address or idle codeword between the end of one message and the
address codeword belonging to the next message. In any batch wherever there is no meaningful
codeword to be transmitted, an idle codeword is transmitted." (CCIR, The Book of the CCIR: Radio
Paging Code NO.1, 1982, "CCIR Recommendation 584, " Annex 1 p 9).

Types of Codewords

There are four codeword types: synchronization, idle, address, and message. All contain 32 bits which
are transmitted with the most significant (MSB) bit first. The SC is $7CD215D8 (hex), and the idle
codeword is $7A89C197 (hex). The SC and idle codewords are listed fully in Tables 2-2 and 2-3.

Table 2-2: Synchronization Codeword, $7CD215D8

position no. BIT position no. BIT

1 (MSB) 0 17 0
2 1 18 0
3 1 19 0
4 1 20 1
5 1 21 0
6 1 22 1
7 0 23 0
8 0 24 1
9 1 25 1
10 1 26 1
11 0 27 0
12 1 28 1
13 0 29 1
14 0 30 0
15 1 31 0
16 0 32 (LSB) 0

Table 2-3: Idle Codeword, $7A89C197

position no. BIT position no. BIT

1 (MSB) 0 17 1
2 1 18 1
3 1 19 0
4 1 20 0
5 1 21 0
6 0 22 0
7 1 23 0
8 0 24 1
9 1 25 1
10 0 26 0
11 0 27 0
12 0 28 1
13 1 29 0
14 0 30 1
15 0 31 1
16 1 32 (LSB) 1

Address Codewords

"The structure of an address codeword is illustrated in Table 2-4. Bit 1 (the flag bit) of an address
codeword is always a zero. This distinguishes it from a message codeword. Bits 2219 are address bits
corresponding to the 18 most significant bits of a 21 bit identity assigned to the pager ... Bits 20 and
21 are the two function bits which are used to select the required address from the four ass1ned to the
pager. Hence the total number of addresses is 22 (over 8 million). Bits 22 to 31 are the parity check
bits and the final bit is chosen to give even parity." (CCIR, p. 11.)

Generally just one address is assigned to each pager and each is assigned one of the 8 frames for
addressing; hence the number of distinct pagers can be 218 +23 or 221 (over 2 million).

Table 2-4: Address Codeword

use flag address function check bits parity

bit nos. 1 2-19 20-21 22-31 32
value 0 as assigned as assigned as required even parity

Message Codewords

The structure of a message codeword is shown in Table 2-5. A message codeword always starts with
a 1 (flag bit), followed by 20 message bits, 10 check bits, and one (even) parity bit.

Table 2-5: Message Codeword

use flag data check bits parity

bit nos. 1 2-21 22-31 32
value 1 data as required even parity

"The whole message always follows directly after the address codeword. The framing rules for the
code format do not apply to the message and message codewords continue until terminated by the
transmission of the next address codeword or idle codeword. Each message displaces at least one
address codeword or idle codeword and the displaced address codewords are delayed and transmitted
in the next available appropriate frame. Although message code words may continue into the next
batch, the normal batch structure is maintained, i. e. the batch will consist of 16 codewords, preceded
by a Sc. At the conclusion of a message, any waiting address codewords are transmitted, starting with
the first appropriate to the first free· frame or half frame." (CCIR, p 11.)

Idle Codeword

An idle codeword is transmitted in the absence of an address codeword or message codeword.

The idle codeword ($7A89C197 (hex)) is equivalent to capcode values 2007664-2007671 Hence,
pagers cannot be assigned this range of capcodes.

Codeword Generation

"Each codeword has 21 information bits, which correspond to the coefficients of a polynomial having
terms from x30 down to xl0. This polynomial is divided, modulo-2, by the generating polynomial xl0
+ x9 + x8 + x6 + x5 + x3 + 1. The check bits correspond to the coefficients of the terms from x9 to x0
in the remainder polynomial found at the completion of this division. The complete block, consisting
of the information bits followed by the check bits, corresponds to the coefficients of a polynomial
which is integrally divisible in modulo-2 fashion by the generating polynomial. To the 31 bits of the
block is added one additional bit to provide an even bit parity check of the whole codeword. "(CCIR,
Annex 1 p. 11.)

If you're planning to write software for encoding or decoding POCSAG signals, you'll have to
understand the content of the above paragraph. If you're not but curious what the algebra is all about,
here's the scoop. POCSAG makes use of the Bose, Chaudhuri, and Hocquenghem (BCH) error
control code (31:21 BCH + parity). Each codeword is made up of21 information bits, 10 check bits,
and one parity bit. The math outlines how you'd calculate the check bits given the information bits.
Once you've done that, you can build the entire codeword for transmission.

The check bits are useful in reception too; they enable the pager decoder board to not only detect
errors but in some cases to correct them too. For example, any single bit error in a codeword may be
corrected using shift registers and some combinatorial logic. This process can be carried out in
hardware, software, or firmware. If you're interested in further details on cyclic codes, consult the
error control coding literature. (Lin, Shu, and Costello devote a chapter to BCH codes).

Message Formats

Two message formats are generally acceptable for POCSAG paging, numeric and alphanumeric. The
set of codes for each is defined in the following sections and these codes are not mixed in page
messages.

Numeric-only Message Format

Numeric-only messages are limited to a set of characters that can be represented by four bits. By
using just four bits, airrtime is saved compared to the alphanumeric format. The sixteen symbols
chosen for numeric paging are listed in Table 2-6. The space, hyphen, opening and closing brackets,
the urgency symbol 'U,' and a spare compliment the numbers o to 9. Five characters are packed into
each codeword, and any unwanted part of the codeword of the message is filled with space characters.

Table 2-6: Numeric-only Character Set

4-bit Combination Displayed Character

Bit No. 4 3 2 1 (hex)
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
A Spare
B U (urgency)
C Space
D Hyphen
E ]
F [

Alphanumeric or general data format

Alphanumeric messages are limited to the set of characters included in The CCITT Alphabet No 5 (7
bits per character). The bits of each character are transmitted in numerical order starting with bit No
1, and the characters are transmitted in the same order as they are to be read. The pager address which
introduces a message (or segment of a message) using this format has its function bits set to 11
(decimal 3). (Some paging services don't follow this format.)

"The complete message is partitioned into contiguous 20 bit blocks for the purpose of filling
consecutive message code words. Thus a character may be split between one message codeword and
the next. Any unwanted part of the last codeword of the message is filled with appropriate
nonnprinting characters such as 'end of message,' 'end of text, null, etc. All characters, except null, are
complete. " (CCIR, p. 12.)

That completes the brief but detailed description of the POCSAG code. In the next chapter, I describe
how one might apply it to a two-way communication system rather than for one-way paging. While
this might seem a bit strange, examining paging as a two-way digital system illustrates its similarity
to RTTY, AMTOR, Pactor, and G-TOR systems.
CHAPTER3

A TWO-WAY POCSAG OSO

It's true; we think of paging as a one-way transmission mode. However, the paging code (protocol)
can just as well be used in a two-way system, say between two amateur stations. You see, I'm
thinking it may be best to present paging systems for amateur use in this context. If you're a radio
teletype (RTTY), AMTOR, Pactor, G-TOR or packet operator, you can draw on your experiences
with these modes to understand paging systems. You'll see that paging equipment requirements and
operations are similar, in particular when compared to systems for 9600 baud packet. If you're not
familiar with the digital modes listed above, give the digital systems review; of comparison of these
systems with paging systems; and the description of a two-way POCSAG QSO a try anyway.

digital systems review

The system shown in Figure 3-1 consists of an antenna, a transceiver, a digital controller, and a
computer. It's a general digital system for the transmission and reception of data over radio. If the
transceiver is a full featured HF rig and the controller is an all-mode terminal node controller (TNC),
then the system pictured is capable of sending and receiving all of the popular HF modes listed above.
If the transceiver is a general 2-meter or 70-cm FM rig and the controller is a packet TNC, the system
is capable of sending and receiving packet radio frames. In either case, the job of the transceiver is to
convert audio to RF or RF to audio, and the job of the controller is to convert characters to sets of
tones or sets of tones to characters. The computer simply ships out characters to the controller or
receives characters from it, using any generic communication terminal program.

Figure 3-1: Monitor Station or Two-Way POCSAG Station

Let's take radio teletype (RTTY) as an example. For transmission, ASCII characters are sent from the
computer to the controller. The controller converts these 7-bit characters to 5-bit Baudot characters,
and transforms the bits into a sequence of tones. The tones are converted by the transceiver to a
frequency shift keyed (FSK) RF format for transmission. For reception, the FSK RF signal is
converted to a set of audio tones by the transceiver, converted to ASCII by the controller, and then
displayed on the computer monitor. For AMTOR, Pactor, G-TOR, and packet the job of the
transceiver and the computer remains the same. However, the controller gets extra work; it must
control the sequence of events between stations, and it must form and process groups of data, called
frames. AMTOR frames consist of three 7-bit characters; Pactor and G- TOR frames contain on the
order of one hundred bits or more; and Packet frames contain several thousand bits. For each of these
modes complete frames are sent on each transmission instead of one character at a time as with R
TTY.

comparison

In all of these modes, except for 9600 baud packet, data presented to the transceiver or taken from the
transceiver is in the form of audio tones. Each bit of data is represented for a short duration by several
cycles of a specific audio frequency. For RTTY, a MARK (or 1) is represented by a 2125 hertz signal
and a SPACE (or 0) is represented by a 2295 hertz tone. For 9600 baud packet, each bit of data is
transmitted at radio frequencies (RF) by pulling the frequency above or below the carrier frequency
by about 3 kHz and keeping it there for the duration of the bit. This method is sometimes called direct
FSK.

In a similar fashion, POCSAG paging uses the direct method of keying. As noted in chapter two,
POCSAG code is transmitted at 512, 1200, or 2400 baud. The direct method of keying requires a
"data ready" transceiver. For both 9600 baud packet and POCSAG transmissions, a bi-polar digital
signal must be used to drive the frequency determining element of the FM rig, usually the varactor.
For 9600 baud packet and POCSAG reception, discriminator audio must be used. Audio processing,
in either case, distorts the signal enough that it cannot be copied consistently.

There are differences between 9600 baud packet and POCSAG signalling in addition to baud rate.
9600 signals are scrambled during transmission while POCSAG signals are not. Scrambling keeps a
signal balanced; that is, the number of ones and zeros are kept in balance over a fixed number of bits.
[With POCSAG, it is possible to have a long string of ones or zeroes, and the result is a signal with
low audio frequency content. Hence, POCSAG transmitters must have a low audio response, around
20 to 50 hertz. That means that data ready radios that have good low audio response as well as a wide
audio response do well with POCSAG. For this reason, some rigs advertised as 9600 "data ready"
work for paging and some do not.

format of the paging signal

Before describing a set up for and the operation of a two-way POCSAG QSO, let's take one more
look at the format of the POCSAG signal (Figure 3-2). The reason for this is that we'll need to decide
where to place the address codeword for each transmission. The transmission format of the code is a
preamble of 576 bits - alternating ones and zeroes - followed by one or more batches of codewords.
Each batch consists of a 32 bit synchronization codeword (SC) followed by eight frames, each
consisting of two 32 bit codewords. Codewords are defined as synchronous, idle, address, and data.
The format of the data codeword differs slightly from the rest, but all codewords contain ten check
bits for' error detection and correction (See Chapter 2 for details).

Figure 3-2: Page Signal Format

According to the POCSAG code, each pager is assigned one slot in eight, i.e. one of the 8 frames in a
batch for an address codeword. Hence, in addition to the 18 bits assigned for addressing within an
address codeword itself, 3 more bits are (in effect) added to the address, establishing unique
addressing for over 2 million (221) pagers on a given frequency. This assignment, of course, allows a
pager to be turned off during the time in which the non-assigned frames are received (without a
message) which extends battery life. All messages for a particular pager follow the address codeword
for that pager.

the two-way POC5AG QSO

With this in mind, it makes sense, if we're going to have a QSO between stations - rather than a one-
way transmission to an actual pager, to use a pager address (capcode) located in the first frame of the
first batch transmitted. In this way, no pre-address frames are wasted. Such an assignment scheme is
shown in Figure 3-3. We could use a capcode of 8, 16, 24, 32 ... 1234568, 1234576, and so on. By
picking a capcode divisible by 8, we'll insure that the address codeword is the first codeword
transmitted following the prean'ible and synchronization codeword. The remaining codewords and
those that follow in additional batches can be filled with data and (then) idle codewords.

Figure 3-3: Two-Way POCSAG QSO Transmission

Assuming you've operated one of the digital modes before, you've probably figured out how we're
going to set up a two-way POCSAG QSO. We'll arrange the station to operate just like a RTTY
station. In RTTY, we place the TNC in RTTY mode for reception and key the transmitter when we
wish to send something. There's nothing automatic about it, unlike AMTOR, Pactor, or G-TOR where
the transmissionn-reception cycle is controlled by the TNC. When we're ready to type a response,
we'll key the transmitter (control-C T for some TNCs) and type in the message. When we're done
we'll enter a command to return the transceiver to receive mode.

We can do the same for a two-way POCSAG QSO. Take another look at Figure 3-1. This station can
be our POCSAG station given that the transceiver is "data ready" and that the KPC-9612 (or an
equivalent TNC) can decode and encode POCSAG. Like RTTY we'll have to have a command to put
the TNC in POCSAG listen mode and we'll have to have another command to override that to send a
page. So, while we describe these commands in much more detail in a later chapter, let me introduce
these two commands briefly so we can complete our two-way example. For the KPC-9612, the
PAGEMON command is used to monitor pages. You simply type PAGEMON ON after the
command prompt and the TNC is placed in receive mode. The PAGE command is used to send a
page and includes the following parameters: format, baud rate, pager address (cap code), and
message. For example, to send a page to an alphanumeric pager with ID 1234568 at 2400 baud with
the message "Can you hear me Captain Morse?," We'd type:

PAGE -A-2400 1234568 Can you hear me Captain Morse?

The parameter -A directs the TNC to send an alphanumeric rather than a numeric page; -2400 calls
for 2400 baud, 1234568 is an arbitrary first-frame capcode, and the rest is the message for Mr Morse.

Let's assume now that we've just placed our TNC in page monitor mode and received a CQ or
transmission from the other station. We will answer by typing the PAGE command, an arbitrary (first
frame) capcode, a short message, and hitting the return key. The TNC will then encode the full
POCSAG message and transmit it. Once the transmission is complete, the TNC returns to monitoring
pages. When the distant station sends his next page, we'll be ready to copy. We're having a two-way
POCSAG QSO!

It's likely you can think of some improvements for this scheme right away, and I'll address ones I've
thought of now. Keep in mind that we've constructed this imaginary QSO only for the purposes of
showing how similar the transmission and reception of POCSAG is to the other digital modes. With
that in mind, you're probably as much an expert as I am now - maybe more so!

How about the improvements? I'd combine the P AGEMON and PAGE commands into a POCSAG
command. Like R TTY then, we could use control characters to switch back and forth between
receive and transmit. Of course, a capcode and the other page parameters would have to be assigned
to the POCSAG command - like MYCALL for packet. I'd also initiate a preamble immediately upon
changing from receive to transmit, and I'd not limit the number of characters to 128 per transmission.
As it stands now, the PAGE command is like the packet UNPROTO command; transmission does not
start until the whole command, including the message, is entered. Please keep in mind, however, that
these commands were designed to work that way; we're just imagining how we'd change the PAGE
command into a full blown mode!

a two-way POCSAG OSO using TERMINAL in Windows and a KPC-9612 TNC

Still, we can experiment with a two-way QSO by using the PAGEMON command to put the KPC-
9612 in page monitor mode and by using the PAGE command to initiate an alphanumeric page at
2400 baud. For this experiment, my station setup consists of a Kantronics KPC-9612 (version 7.0
firmware), a Kenwood TM-251A data ready radio, a 486-66 PC, and the TERMINAL program in
Windows 3.1. I've set up two function keys in TERMINAL, as shown in Figure 3-4, to place the TNC
in monitoring mode and to initiate pages. PAGEMON is defined as function key 1 (Fl) and the PAGE
command less the message is defined as function key 5 (F5). When Fl is pressed, the TNC is placed
in page monitor mode. When F5 is pressed, it overlays the monitor function, and automatically types
out all of the PAGE command except the message. For example, when F5 is pressed, the cmd: prompt
is called for (using the control-C directive) and the text string "PAGE -A-2400 1234568" is entered
for me. To complete the transmission, I simply type whatever message I wish to send and follow that
with a return (carriage return).

Using these techniques, a simulated QSO is displayed in Figure 3-5. It's simulated in that I supplied
the receive signal from my own transmit signal; I looped the output of the KPC-9612 (TXA) back
into the input (RXA). In this way, without a partner out there somewhere, I could experiment with
having a two-way QSO! (By the way, the loop back, if you have a KPC-9612 at 7.0 and want to try
this, is pins 2 and 3 of port 2. I used a paper clip!)

At the top of the screen, you'll see that I put the TNC is page monitor mode. I then clicked on F5 to
initiate the entry of the page command. After that, I simply typed my CQ message at the keyboard
and followed it with a return. Within a fraction of a second, the page was send and simultaneously
monitored. Each page received consists of the following fields : header, pager ID (capcode), type of
page character, optional time and date stamp, and message. For my page, I received

PAGER> 1234568(3) [03/16/96 14:00:00]:

CQ CQ CQ DE W0XI K

1234568 is the arbitrary first-frame page address (3) denotes the page as alphanumeric

the date and time stamp is optional (added at the receive side of the QSO)

So there you have it, the full description of a two-way POCSAG QSO. As you can see, there are few
differences in equipment requirements when POCSAG systems are compared with the other digital
modes. At this point, it's time for us to move on. Let's look inside the pagers themselves. You'll find
them amazing.
CHAPTER 4

DIGITAL PAGERS: RECEIVER AND DECODER

The vast majority of digital pagers sold today are designed to receive Radiopaging Code No. 1
(POCSAG). They receive numeric or numeric/alphanumeric messages at either 512, 1200, or 2400
baud, 1200 being most common. Pagers are made for all of the popular business bands, as listed in
Table 4-1. A typical pager features a liquid crystal display (LCD), is housed in a high-impact plastic
case, contains FM receiver and microprocessor-based decoder boards, and is powered by a single AA
or AAA battery.

Table 4-1: Pager Bands

VHF low band 33-50 MHz

VHF high band 138-175 MHz
UHF 406-422 MHz
UHF high 435-512 MHz
'900' band 929-932 MHz

Within brand, many pager models will utilize the same decoder board and a range receiver boards to
span each radio band. For example, the VHF version of the Bravo Plus, by Motorola, may be made
with one of seven radio receiver boards listed in Table 4-2. A UHF Bravo may be made with a board
listed in Table 4-3.

Table 4-2: VHF Page Receiver Boards

Part No. VHF Receiver Board* Frequency Range MHz

AARD4050A 138-143
AARD4051A 143.148.6
AARD4052A 148.6-152
AARD4053A 152-159
AARD4054A 159-164
AARD4055A 164-169
AARD4056A 169-174

* A similar sub-band applies to the earlier Bravo "NRD" boards. See MRT magazine, Sept 1994.

Table 4-3: UHF Receiver Boards

Part No. UHF Receiver Board Frequency Range MHz

NRE6550B 406-423
NRE6551B 435-450
NRE6552B 450-465
NRE6553B 465-480
NRE6555B 495-512

Most paging receivers are dual-conversion superheterodynes with a quadrature detector tacked on for
demodulation of the (FM) paging signal. Most include a preamp, a first IF at either 17.9 MHz or
45.00 MHz, a second IF at 455 kHz, a "peak and valley" detector, and a discriminator. The rest of the
pager consists of the decoder board with power supply

module, various switches and connectors - for programming ID (capcode) and format, and the LCD.
The decoder board contains a microprocessor, programmable ready-only memory (prom), electrical
erasable read-only memory (EEPROM) (also called a code plug), random access memory (RAM),
and power control circuitry. Let's take a closer look at a typical receiver board.

Typical Pager Receiver Board

While synthesized receiver boards are beginning to appear, nearly all receiver boards in use are
crystal controlled superhetes, as shown in Figure 4-1. The antenna and preamplifier receives, filters,
and amplifies the paging signal. The oscillator, multiplier, and mixer converts the paging signal to the
first IF frequency. A crystal filter adds selectivity, and the second oscillator and second mixer
converts the paging signal to the final IF, 455 kHz. A ceramic filter at 455 adds further filtering, and
the discriminator converts the FM signal to audio. You're right! It's just a single-channel dual-
conversion FM receiver!

Figure 4-1: Pager Receiver

Napier (of math fame) once said that we don't know anything about something unless we can put
numbers on it. So, let's pick a paging carrier frequency (paging provider's transmit frequency) and
apply it to our typical receiver to see what happens! Let's try 152.840 MHz, a common commercial
paging frequency. Most VHF high band pagers utilize a 17.9 MHz first IF. Hence, with the IF set, the
oscillator and multiplier must supply a signal to the mixer with a frequency that is 17.9 MHz less (or
more) than the received carrier, or

foscillator . multiplier = fcarrier - IF

or rearranging,

foscillator = (fcarrier - IF) / multiplier

Let's assume that the pager maintenance manual calls for a multiplier of 3 for a carrier of 152.840. (In
fact, my VHF pager manual calls for a multiplier of 3 if the receive is to operate between 148.6 and
174.00 MHz). Hence, our first oscillator must have a frequency of 44.9800 MHz.

foscillator = (152.840 -17.9)/3 = 44.9800 MHz

In turn, with the first and second IF set, the second oscillator must supply a signal to the second mixer
with a frequency that is above or below the first IF by 455 kHz. The mixer, of course, produces two
signals: the sum of the first IF signal and the second oscillator and their difference. Either way, with
the second oscillator frequency offset by 455 kHz from the first IF frequency, a 455 kHz second
mixer signal is produced. The 455 kHz ceramic filter eliminates that "sum" frequency. In numbers
then, assuming our pager service manual calls for a low-side second oscillator:

ffirstIF - f2nd oscillator = 455 kHz

or rearranging,

f2nd oscillator = f first IF - 455 kHz

f2ndoscillator = 17.9 Mhz - 0.455 Mhz = 17.445 Mhz

Napier would be proud!

Now let's try an amateur 2-meter frequency, 145.07 MHz, and see how the numbers work out. My
Bravo Plus service manual calls for a times-two multiplier and low-side injection when using an
AARD4050 or AARD4051 receiver board (for 138 to 148.599 MHz). Again the first IF is 17.9 MHz.
Therefore, the first oscillator crystal must be made for

fosc = (145.07 -17.9 )/2 = 63.585 Mhz

If we wish to convert a higher frequency board, e.g. an AARD4052 or AARD 4053 (made for the sub-
bands 148.66152 and 152-159 MHz), we'll have to use a times 3 multiplier or change parts. Using the
4053,

fosc = (145.07 -17.9)/3 = 42.390 Mhz

The manual states (for the 4051 board) that the 2nd oscillator must be low-side, 455 kHz below the
first IF. So, my second oscillator must have a frequency of 17.445 MHz. In addition, the manual
states that the range of the first LO can be about 43 to 65 MHz, so the pager will work for 145.07! (In
fact it does!) As you can see, there is not substitute for obtaining and using the maintenance and
service manuals for your pager in order to recrystal for the amateur bands.

The Multiplier and the Overtone Crystal

The multiplier factor used in calculating the required first LO crystal frequency should not be
confused with the "overtone" multiplier of the crystal itself. In the receiver, the output of the crystal
oscillator circuit is MULTIPLIED to obtain the signal needed at the first mixer. As mentioned in the
previous paragraph, the 4052 receiver board is capable of supporting an LO operating frequency of
from 43 to 65 MHz. It is this frequency that is MULTIPLIED by 2 or 3 to obtain the mixer injection
frequency.

The crystal oscillator itself, at least for the Bravo-series pagers, is operated as a 3rd overtone circuit.
The crystal used is (usually) an 'AT' cut which supports overtone oscillations, when placed in the
appropriate circuit, of three times the fundamental of the crystal itself. So, the fundamental frequency
of the crystal is actually 43/3 MHz at the low end and 65/3 MHz at the high end for the 4052 receiver
board. Third overtone circuits are used simply because fundamental crystals cannot be made as high
as 43 MHz but reach a limit of manufacturability at about 25 MHz.

Inversion

Given that the receiver board of your pager is built for the 142 - 148.6 MHz sub-band, you can
readily recrystal it. However, some portions of the 2-meter band require that the 2nd oscillator be
above the 2nd IF (i.e., 18.355 MHz) while other portions require that the 2nd oscillator be 455 kHz
below the 2nd IF (i.e., 17.445 MHz). So, you might have to change the 2nd LO crystal too. (See
Table 4-4). So what? Why bother with high-side 2nd LO injection in the first place if it causes these
hassles? "Well," as Reagan said, if you don't, you'll find that some 2nd LOs (either high or low
injection) have harmonics that fall right in the middle of the receiver front-end pass band!

When high side injection is called for, the received data will be inverted at the discriminator output.
It's just the same as with lower sideband (LSB) versus USB when operating digital modes on HF ;
when you change sidebands, you invert the data. All is not lost; however, the decoder board can be
programmed to reinvert the data.

You see, the decoder board EEPROM (codeplug) keeps track of inversion. Inversion, when needed, is
generally programmed at the same time the capcode is changed. Each manufacturer sells a
programmer for their pagers - they run around $300 or so, but you might want to pick a frequency
that doesn't require changing the status of your inversion bit in the EEPROM (codeplug), thus
avoiding the expense of or time in locating a programmer.

Table 4-4: 2nd LO Requirements for the Bravo Plus for 2-meters

carrier frequency 1st oscillator frequency 2nd oscillator frequency

143.6660-143.7060 62.8830-62.9030 18.355
145.5060-145.6990 63.8030-63.8995 18.355
145.9610-146.0020 64.0305-64.0510 18.355
146.1130-146.1460 64.1065-64.1230 18.355

*2-meter frequencies not listed in the table would use a 2nd oscillator of 17.445 MHz. A similar table
would apply to other pagers. (The entries in this table were taken from my Bravo Plus Maintenance
Manual, by Motorola, Inc.)

Are you out of luck if you pick up a used pager with a receiver board that does not span the amateur
band you're interested in? Not necessarily. The 4051A, of course, is ideal for amateur radio use for
the 2-meter'band. It's just a crystal change and tuneup, resulting in good sensitivity.

In most cases it's possible to convert other boards, such as the 4052A board - which is just above the
2-meter band ˆfor VHF use. In order to meet sensitivity specifications (and perhaps to keep spurs
down too) you may have to change out a few surface mount parts and/or the oscillator coil. The
results of such an experiment are presented in Chapter 6.

Typical Paging Decoder Board

With the addition of a microprocessor board, the pager doesn't look much like a radio anymore! A
block diagram of a typical decoder board is shown in Figure 4-2. It consists of the microprocessor
system, a support module, the EEPROM (called the code plug), and the LCD. The microprocessor's
job is to decode pager signals and present them to the LCD, interpret your commands from any
control switches, store messages, and support any other "features" the model offers. The support
module's job is to provide regulated power, handle the vibration motor, and so on. The EEPROM is
used to store "programmed" information about the pager, such as the pager's address (capcode),
whether data inversion is necessary - as mentioned above, select twelve or twenty-four hour time, and
set the status of other options.

Figure 4-2: Pager Decoder Board

At this point, we've covered enough material to move on· to our main target, recrystalling and
reprogramming pagers for the amateur bands, the next chapter.
CHAPTER 5

BUYING A PAGER FOR AMATEUR RADIO USE

You have three choices in selecting a pager for 2-meter or 70-cm amateur use: buy one already cry
stalled for one of these bands, buy a new or refurbished commercial band pager and recrystal it, or
pick up a used pager and convert it. Recrystalling procedures are covered in the next chapter. If you
find a commercial pager for sale, make sure it's convertible for 144-148 or 435-450 MHz use before
purchasing it. If you buy a used pager, you have three questions to answer: does it have the features
you need, does it work, and is it convertable. Let's address these choices one at a time.

Amateur Pagers

Kantronics offers refurbished Motorola Bravo-series (Bravo Plus, Bravo Classic, Lifestyle Plus)
numeric pagers recrystalled for the 2-meter and 70-cm bands for the frequencies listed in Table 5-1.
They also maintain a crystal bank of these popular frequencies for the do-it-yourselfer. (Remember to
check first with other amateurs in your area before settling on a frequency for pager use. They'll thank
yoy if that frequency is already in use or planned for!)

Table 5-1: Popular 2-meter/70cm Pager Frequencies (MHz)

145.070 145.090 145.630 145.670

144.730 145.770 149.895 (CAP)
441.000 441.075 446.150

CAP is the Civil Air Patrol

Commercial Pagers

Buying and converting a commercial pager is a viable option. First of all, you're pretty sure the pager
is working. You simply need to select the right pager and then convert it or have it converted. Sources
for these pagers are discount stores, specialty stores catering to cellular phone and pager users, the
paging providers (services) themselves, and sometimes two-way radio shops. Check the yellow pages
for your area. Most of these outlets will sell you a pager outright; some will refuse to do so if you
don't sign up for their commercial service, typically $10 to $15 per month!

How should you select the pager?

My experience is with the Bravo series mentioned above. I've converted these pagers originally
manufactured for 148.6-152 and 152-159 MHz for 2-meter use and made for 435-450 and 450-465
MHz for 70-cm use. If you find a shop that has Bravo series pagers cry stalled for operation within
these frequency bands, they should be suitable for recrystalling for amateur use. Some shops carry
'900' MHz pagers only, since they're a reseller for a 900 service. The receive board in these pages isn't
convertable for amateur use; however, the decoder board might be useful as a spare. If the price is
right, consider buying the unit for that reason. If your club or group plans to operate a paging system
on 2-meters, then select a pager with the receiving frequency that falls between 143-148.6, 148.6-152
or 152-159 MHz.

If you can't find Bravo series pagers, you might consider Motorola's Express or alphanumeric series.
Most of these pagers made for the 150 and 450 bands use the same crystal-based receiver boards as
the Bravo series. So, chances are you'll be able to convert them. However, since I've not done that,
take my suggest with a grain of salt; that is, you are on your own! I recommend that you obtain a
service manual for the pager you're considering to buy or buy, or research it by scanning the many
articles listed in the bibliography. David Ludvigson's 16 article series on pagers appearing between
late 1994 and early 1996 in Mobile Radio Technology would be an excellent start. He too focuses
primarily on Motorola pagers, but the material is applicable to other pagers as well.

Buying a Used Pager

You third choice is to buy a used pager. If you know what you're looking for this can be a great
option. The pagers mentioned above are rugged and they last a long time. I wouldn't be concerned if
they're simply old. If you find some, it's likely that they'll be convertable. If you can buy a bag of
them, you have an excellent chance of getting one going from the parts - a fun project!

What should you look for? Make sure the unit is working first! Insert a battery into the pager, a 1.5V
AA for the Bravo-series - tip of battery goes in first - and perform these tests:

Does the pager beep when you turn it on?

Does it vibrate when you turn it on? (optional feature in some models)
Does the LCD readout work? (all the characters there?) Are the buttons working? (not stuck)
Does the label on the back list the receiver's frequency? Does the label on the back list the pager's 7
digit ID (capcode)?
Is the case in good shape?
Are the printed circuit boards clean (not corroded)?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then - if the price is right - you've got a good
candidate. For the Bravo series, the pager should beep when you push the power switch on the side of
the unit fully toward the LCD. If you push it half-way, it should vibrate (if the pager has that feature -
some don't). In either case, the LCD should display the time of day and/or sequence through the LCD
characters. If some of the characters are missing or the LCD doesn't display anything, pitch that
pager! For the Bravo series, try pushing the menu and read buttons. The LCD should cycle through
various messages, such as set time or display time. If nothing happens, chances are the switch is bad
or the plastic case holding the switch is worn. Consider buying two pagers and using the parts to get
one to work.

key items: capcode and receive frequency

Key to your purchase is the availability of the capcode and current receive frequency of the pager,
printed (usually) on the back panel labels. Without this information, you are not going to be able to
determine convertability. The labels should contain the following: phone number, serial number, FCC
ID number, frequency of reception, and capcode. If the pager's for sale, it's likely the phone number is
discontinued; anyway, it's of no use to you. If a pager has been in use for some time, some or all of
the labels may be missing. If they're still there, it's possible that the information is no longer current.
If the capcode and frequency are listed, I'd take the chance; I'd buy the pager.

If you can't determine the current receive frequency and/or capcode of the pager by inspection, you
can still find these facts out if you have access to the right test equipment. You'd need a quality
frequency counter to determine whether or not the LO is working and its frequency of operation. In
addition, you'd need a "pager programmer" for the particular model you're considering. A
programmer consists of an RS-232 interface between the pager and your PC and software. Pager
programmers exist for each brand and model of pager. They're used to read the current contents of the
pager's code plug (eeprom) and to reprogram it. Most beeper shops have a programmer for the units
they sell and support but they usually don't have the RF test gear. Two-way shops usually have the
RF test equipment and sometimes have the pager programmers. That's life! I recommend not
purchasing a pager if the labels are missing and you don't have access to a shop(s) with the necessary
RF test equipment and pager programmer. There is one final option: if your club plans on
programming a lot of pagers, you might consider standardizing on one pager and purchasing the
pager programmer.

Assuming your pager looks good at this point, it's time to recrystal it and, perhaps, reprogram it for
amateur use. These are the subjects of the next chapter.
CHAPTER 6

RECRYSTALLING, REPROGRAMMING

Assuming your pager is new, refurbished, or used and appears to be working, it's time to recrystal it
to match your amateur paging frequency. Here you have two tasks, obtaining the right crystal and
tuning/aligning the pager. Let's look at finding the crystals first, likely the harder of the two tasks.

obtaining the right crystal

I'm assuming in the following discussion that you'll be using one of the pagers from the Bravo-series.
If not, there is no substitute for obtaining maintenance and service manuals, working with a two-way
shop, or finding an amateur friend to help in determining the crystal needs for your pager. Kantronics
maintains a bank of crystals for the Bravo series (Table 6-2). You might start there. In addition, most
major crystal vendors produce pager crystals for most of the major pager brands, and some may be
willing to take retail orders for amateur frequencies. However, don't be surprised to find high prices
and multi-week lead times.

For my Bravo Plus, the VHF manual calls for a KXN6300AA crystal and the UHF manual calls for a
KXN6301AA; that's all the manual provides. Most crystal houses know how to make these crystals,
however, given the manufacturer's number; they've made millions of them. I, like most amateurs,
however, want to know about the technical aspects of the crystal too, not just purchase them. So I dug
a bit. As it turns out, most pager first La crystals are 'AT' cut, third overtone, are used in a "series"
resonant circuit, have about 5 picofarads (pf) of capacitance, and have about 25 ohms of resistance.

calculating the frequency of the crystal

The hardest step in recrystalling is determining what frequency the first oscillator (LO) crystal should
be cut for. We can determine what's needed, even without the service manual in most cases, with a
little bit of detective work. The pager's current receive frequency should be printed on a label on the
back of the unit. If not, open the pager up and see if the frequency of the first LO crystal is printed on
the side of the crystal can. If both of these clues are missing, the person you purchased the pager from
might be able to tell you which commercial service the pager was used for in your area. That would
determine the receive frequency of the pager. As a last resort, you might consider finding a friend
with the equipment to measure the oscillator's frequency.

For the Bravo series the LO frequency must follow this formula:

fLO = (fcarrier - first IF) / multiplier factor

For receiver boards made for the 138 to 175 MHz range, the multiplier will be either a 2 or a 3. For
receiver boards made for the 435 to 512 MHz range, the multiplier is 8. LO frequencies for 2-meters
and 70-cm are listed in the tables below.

Table 6-1: LO Frequency Range for Bravo Series

VHF/UHF Pagers CAP is Civil Air Patrol

receive freq (MHz) 1st IF (MHz) multiplier LO freq (MHz)

143-148.9 17.9 2 62.55-65.35
149.895 (CAP) 17.9 3 43.9983
435-450 45.0 8 48.75-50.625

Table 6-2: Kantronics Pager Crystal Bank

(fax 913-842-2031, website http://www.kantronics.com/)

Carrier MHz IF MHz Multiplier 1st LO MHz

145.070 17.9 3* 42.3900
145.090 17.9 3* 42.3967
145.630 17.9 3 *# 42.5767
145.670 17.9 3 *# 42.5900
145.730 17.9 3* 42.6100
145.770 17.9 3* 42.6233
149.895 17.9 3* 43.9993
441.000 45.0 8 49.5000
441.075 45.0 8 49.5094
446.150 45.0 8 50.1438

* Assumes that a 4052 or a 4053 board (most common) is used to convert the pager to a 2-meter
operation. # Indicates that inversion is called for; hence a 18.355 kHz 2nd LO crystal is also
required. If a 4051 board is used for 2-meters, the multiplier should be 2 as in Table 6-1.

installing the crystal

Installing the LO crystal is straightforward. Remove the receiver board from the pager case; locate the
first LO crystal; remove it using a soldering iron and solder wick, clean the printed circuit pads, and
insert and solder the new crystal in place.

Again, I'm assuming that you're working with a Bravo Plus, Bravo Classic, or Lifestyle Plus pager.
Removing the back of the case exposes the bottom side of the receiver board (Figure 6-1). The
antenna is at the left, the first LO crystal is at the top, the LO tuning slug (coil) is just below the
crystal, test point M1 is at the upper right, and the 8-pin data header is at the bottom. Remove the
board by grasping it near the 8-pin header and opposite side with thumb and forefinger. You can also
use a pencil as leverage; place one end under the board and use the switch as a pivot point.

Figure 6-1: VHF Receiver Board AARD405X Series

tuning up the pager

Once you've placed the receiver board back in the pager, you're ready to tune it up. Here you have
two choices: have a friend send you pages while you tune the LO slug or find someone who has the
proper test equipment to do the job. (Maybe you're like all hams; you purchased a signal generator,
counter, dual-trace 100 MHz scope, and pager radiation test fixture with your tax refund. Sure!)

The preferred method of tuning is to use the test equipment shown in block diagram form in Figure 6-
2. You'll need a POCSAG signal encoder (the KPC-9612 with firmware version 7.0 will do), a 150-
450 MHz RF signal generator, an AC voltmeter, and, a frequency counter covering 455 kHz. An
oscilloscope with counter can, of course, substitute for the AC meter and counter, and some techs
prefer it. Follow the steps outlined in Table 6-3 for tuning the pager to the new crystal frequency.

Figure 6-2: Pager Test Station

Table 6-3: Recrystalling Tune-Up Procedure (for Bravo-series pagers)

step procedure
1 install a 1.5 V batter in the pager
put the page in self-test mode (so it doesn't cycle-snooze - tp put the pager in self-
2 test, hold the menu and read buttons down while turning the unit on, then
immediately press the read button.)
attach the RF generator to the pager radiation test fixture (or attach an antenna to
3
the generator and place the pager near the antenna)
4 attach the AC voltmeter to test point M1 of the pager (the 455 kHz IF)
set the generator to a frequency matching the first IF, and increase the generator
5
output so the AC voltmeter reads half-scale
6 the counter should read close to 455, say within 1 kHz. Not its readout value
7 set the generator to the exact carrier frequency you'll be using
adjust the LO coil (or cap) until you match the frequency obtained in step 6 to
8
within 200 hertz
modulate the generator with a 200 to 600 hertz tone at 4.5 kHz deviation and adjust
9
the other front end components for a maximum reading on the AC voltmeter

You may question step 5. Why bother with noting the deviation in frequency of the second IF (455
kHz) when driving the pager with a signal equal to the first IF frequency (17.9 MHz for 2-meters)?
Here's why. You have to use the counter reading at (near) 455 kHz to accurately set the first LO's
frequency. It's likely that the first IF crystal filter will be cut 'on frequency,' but it's also likely that the
2nd LO will not be exactly on frequency - since it's not tuneable .. It could be off a kilohertz or so due
to parts variations. Hence, you'll have to tune the first LO such that it converts the incoming signal to
exactly 45 MHz. To do this, you'll have to use the counter reading of the 455 output (2nd IF)! If it
was offset, to say 456 in step five, it must be tuned to 456 when you are tuning the first LO for real!

some actual examples

I used the procedure outlined above to recrystal five Bravo Plus pagers for 2-meter operation. My test
setup differed a bit in that I had a radiation fixture to hold the pagers, a scope with a built in
frequency counter, and a calibrated signal generator (IFR-1200A). Before conversion, the pagers
were working and were crystalled for 152.840 MHz. All were converted to 147.650 and the results
are listed in Table 6-4.

I replaced the LO crystal (used a times 3 multiplier), tuned the LO slug so that the IF showed 455
kHz, and then sent pages to each unit 10 check that they were receiving messages. I then decreased
the generator output, each time sending a page, until the pager did not respond. All of the pagers
exceeded their 4 u V sensitivity specification.

Table 6-4: Five Pagers Recrystalled for 2-meters (from 152.840 to 147.650 MHz)

unit baud rate receiver board generator RTF pad* sensitivity

1 512 AARD4053D -66 dBm -40 dB -106
2 1200 AARD4053A -62 -40 -102
3 1200 AARD4053A -64 -40 -104
4 1200 AARD4053D -66 -40 -102
5 2400 AARD4053D -62 -40 -102

The 4053 is not the ideal board for 2-meters. The 4051 would be ideal, since it was made for the band
segments including 144-148 MHz. However, as you can see, we met the spec anyway. As expected,
the 512 baud pager had the best sensitivity.

I also used the test setup noted above to convert a number of UHF pagers, from 452.000 to 445.300
MHz. The results are listed in Figure 6-5. This time I listed the before and after sensitivities. As
expected, they were about the same. I found one unit that had a low sensitivity before conversion, but
once converted and tuned it was fine. I can only assume that it was not peaked originally.

Table 6-5: Pagers Recrystalled for 70-cm Operation (from 452.00 to 455.300 MHz)

unit baud rate receiver board sensitivity before sensitivity after

1 512 NRE6552C -92 dBm -92 dBm
2 1200 NRE6552C -70 -88
3 1200 NRE6552A -88 -88
4 1200 NRE6552B -90 -90
5 1200 NRE6552B -90 -90
6 1200 NRE6552A -88 -88
7 2400 NRE6552B -88 -88

note: sensitivity reading does not include the -40 dB attenuation of the RTF.
CHAPTER 7

SETTING UP A PAGING SYSTEM

Now that you have the basics of paging under you belt, it's time to assemble and operate an amateur
paging system. As shown in Figure 7-1, a paging system consists of a computer and communication
terminal program, a POCSAG encoder/decoder, a data ready transceiver, an antenna, and pagers (not
shown). We'll reexamine the requirements for each of these pjeces of equipment, describe how to
interconnect the encoder/decoder and data radio, discuss transmitter drive levels and receiver
equalization needs, introduce a set of paging commands for the encoder/decoder, and demonstrate
how to send a page or monitor a page. For these descriptions, we'll assume the use of a PC running
Windows 3.1 and the Kantronics KPC-9612 as the POCSAG encoder/decoder.

Figure 7-1: Paging Station: Transmit, Two-Way, or Monitor

equipment requirements

The computer and encoder/decoder (TNC) in an amateur system take the place of the commercial
paging controller, often called a paging terminal. The computer is used to set up the parameters of the
encoder and to enter pages for transmission. Any basic communication terminal program, such as
TERMINAL in Windows, can be used to carry out these jobs. Encoding/decoding can be carried out
in a PC or in a TNC. The asynchronous format of the PC RS-232 serial port makes PC
implementation problematic. The KPC-9612 is a good encoder choice for several reasons: it's easily
located remotely, paging can be supported via a packet radio connect at port 1, pages can be sent via a
telephone modem I attached to the RS-232 port, and the 9600 baud integrated circuit modem in port 2
accommodates the POCSAG synchronous signalling format.

A "data ready" transceiver is required for the transmission and monitoring of POCSAG signals. This
requirement is a must for two reasons: the modulation format for POCSAG is FSK at 4.5 kHz and the
audio frequency content of the signal is low. Neither requirement can be met by typical offfthe shelf
voice-based VHF and UHF FM rigs. In addition, not all of the so-called data ready rigs can handle
POCSAG's severe requirements. Signal frequency content as low as 50 hertz must be supported for
both transmission and monitoring. Direct (varactor or varacap) drive must be used for transmission,
and discriminator audio must be available for monitoring. Speaker audio will not work. As you can
see, if it weren't for the development of a 9600 baud packet modem integrated circuit chip (IC) and
subsequent availability of data ready radios, amateur paging might not be with us today.

Why is the frequency content of the POCSAG signal so low? The source is two-fold: the FSK
modulation format and the absence of any bit stuffing or data scrambling in forming up a pager
signal. (This is in contrast with the formation and transmission of 9600 baud packets where both bit
stuffing and scrambling are used, eliminating the possibility of long strings of ones or zeroes). With
paging, if a string of one bits is called for, the carrier is shifted up by 4.5 kHz and maintained there
until all the ones are sent. For zeroes, of course, the opposite is true. The carrier is never returned to
its center or "operating" frequency. For example, if a numeric page is sent that contains a large
number of zeroes, say a phone number 842-1000, fifteen zero bits will be sent in a row ( or 1000 0000
0000 0000). The transmitter (and the pager) must be able to handle these one-sided signals. Pagers
and commercial paging transmitters are, of course, designed to do so. Given the low data rates, FSK
modulation, wide deviation, and non-scrambling signal format of POCSAG, 1200 baud (AFSK) and
9600 baud 'RUH' packet modems are unsuitable for paging.

the pagers

Any of the POCSAG pagers used or sold today may be suitable for amateur use. The key is to find
those that can be converted for 2-meter or 70-cm use. I describe how to find and convert pagers in the
Motorola Bravo series in Chapters 5 and 6. Other brands are, of course, convertable too.

interconnecting the encoder and transceiver

Page transmissions and monitoring are handled by the KPC-9612 via port 2. If you have a 9612 and
are running 9600 baud packet, you might as well skip this section; you're ready to go! Otherwise,
you'd cable the 9612 to a paging capable transceiver as tabulated in Table 7-1.

The push-to-talk (PTT) line connects to the PTT pin on your radio and causes the radio to transmit
when the TNC has a page to send. Your radio may have a different name for this pin, perhaps standby
(STBY); use the pin whose function is described as "grounding this pin will cause the radio to
transmit."

The transmit data pin (TXA) connects to the modulator stage of the radio. Those radios that are "9600
ready" may identify this pin as the "9600 baud data input (from your TNC)" or as "data transmit."

The receive data line (RXA) connects to the data output pin of your radio. Your radio manual may
identify this pin a discriminator out, discriminator audio, or as data receive. Don't connect to speaker
audio.

Don't forget to add ground. It's a good idea to connect the cable shield too but just at one end; signal
ground and shield ground can be the same there.

Table 7-1: Encoder/Decoder to Data Radio Wiring

Signal Name KPC-9612, port 2, pin #s

Push-to- Talk (PTT) pin 1
Receive Data (RXA) pin 2
Transmit Data (TXA) pin 3
Ground pin 11

transmitter drive, receiver equalization

All data ready transceivers are not alike! Profound huh? For that reason, transmitter drive and
receiver equalization will have to be adjusted for each installation. The following outlines how to set
these levels for the KPC-9612 and a typical data ready radio. Jumpers J7, J8, and J9 and associated
potentiometers are used for these purposes. With most data ready transmitters, a mid-range
adjustment of the drive potentiometer (pot) and J7 set on both pins produces sufficient deviation for
POCSAG activity. It's a good idea to use a deviation meter to check your setting. I've found that most
pagers won't respond to a page if the deviation is set below 3 kHz, and the POCSAG standard calls
for 4.5 kHz. F or reception, most data ready receivers copy most pages with jumpers J8 and J9 set in
their default positions. Some receivers require more or less equalization, and in these cases, place
jumper J8 on pins C and 2 and adjust the pot for best reception. If you plan to monitor pages with a
shop monitor , such as an IFR-1200 (RF signal generator and receiver combination), then no
equalization is necessary. Most commercial test monitors accommodate low audio content in a signal
getting ready to operate

What you can do with your paging station is determined primarily by the suite of commands available
in your encoder/decoder. A minimal encoder might consist of just a keypad for entry. With these
systems, you'd be limited to entering a pager ID number and a numeric message. With a
programmable TNC, which is a microprocessor-based modem, the number of commands for paging
can be quite large.

The paging upgrade for the KPC-9612 adds ten keyboard commands. These commands and their
primary functions are tabulated in Table 7-2. The transmission and monitoring of pages are the
primary functions of the encoder/decoder, and these are handled by the PAGE and P AGEMON
commands. The remaining eight commands are of a housekeeping nature; they're used to set
parameters in the unit and are generally left alone after that. While all of these commands are
presented in detail in Chapter 8, let's cover them a bit here since we're discussing setting up a paging
system.

command setup

The MYPAGE command is used to define a callsign in the unit so that others (other than the system
owner) my connect via packet radio to send a page. The PAGECWID command is used to control
when a CW ID is sent. The page directory command, PAGEDIR, can be used to establish a directory
of page ID and callsign pairs. Such a directory enables the system owner and packet user to send
pages using a call sign (or nickname) as ID rather than a capcode which is hard to remember. A page
log is established by using the PAGELOG command. This log may be accessed at any time by the
operator or packet user to list pages sent (which are also time stamped). The PAGEPRIV command is
used to set up password access, if desired, for the encoder for packet users, and the PAGEPSWD
command is used to specify the actual password. The last setup command is PAGETEXT. It's used to
establish a sign-on message which is presented to remote packet users when they connect to the
encoder.

This gets us back to the two remaining but most used commands, PAGE and PAGEMON. Numerous
examples of how to use both are listed in the next chapter. Briefly, the PAGE command is used to
send a page and includes the following parameters: format, baud rate, pager address (capcode), and
message. For example, to send a page to an alphanumeric pager with ID 1234568 at 1200 baud with
the message, "We're ready to move on to Chapter 8!," I'd type:

PAGE -A-1200 1234568 We're ready to move on to Chapter 8!

The parameter -A directs that the encoder send an alphanumeric page, -1200 specifies that the baud
rate be 1200, 1234568 sets the pager ID to be used, and the rest is the message.

The PAGEMON command is used to initiate page monitoring. This command can be left on all the
time, and pages can still be transmitted from time to time. Each page received is displayed on your
computer screen with the following fields: header, pager ID, type of page character, optional time and
day stamp, and any message. For example, if I transmitted an alphanumeric page to 1234568 with the
message CQ CQ CQ DE W0XI K, it would appear as shown below.

PAGER>1234568 (3) [04/15/96 10:46:00] CQ CQ CQ DE W0XIK

1234568 is the capcode or pager ID

(3) denotes the page as alphanumeric
the date and time are optional (added at the time of reception).

A detailed explanation of each of the pager commands for the KPC-9612 POCSAG encoder/decoder
is presented in the next chapter.

Table 7-2: KPC-9612 Paging Command Set

commands primary function

MYPAGE establishes packet connect callsign
PAGE initiates a page
PAGECWID enables a CW ID after paging
PAGEDIR establishes a pager ID-callsign pairs directory
PAGELOG logs all pages sent
PAGEMON enables page monitoring
PAGEPRIV sets a flag to limit access to the directory/log
PAGEPSWD controls password access
PAGETEXT establishes a sign-on message
PAGEXINV inverts page signal for transmission
CHAPTER 8

KPC-9612 PAGING COMMAND SET

The Kantronics KPC-9612 packet modem became a POCSAG encoder/decoder with the addition of
the paging commands added to firmware version 7.0. This chapter is a reprint of the command section
of the KPC-9612 Manual Addendum Version 7.0. I debated on whether or not to add the command
section as a chapter or as an appendix. Since the material compliments the last chapter so well, I
decided to include it here. You should find answers to those questions you thought of while reading
the last chapter, Setting Up a Paging System. Information on the paging server, added to the firmware
at 7.0, is included. Through the services of the paging server, packet operators may connect to the
paging server, list the log of pages sent, list the directory of nickname-pager ID pairs, or send a page.
(Commands added to the KPC-9612 prior to version 7.0 are not included. A full manual can be
ordered from Kantronics at 913-842-7745).

Paging Commands: Command Section of the KPCC9612 Manual Addendum Version 7.0.

The paging upgrade adds ten keyboard commands and five Page Server (PS) commands. The
keyboard commands, as usual, are supported in host mode. The system operator (sysop) has access to
the keyboard commands at the RS-232 port or by remote access. Remote sysop access is gained by
connecting to the callsign assigned to MYREMOTE. Users gain access to the PS by connecting to the
call sign or alias assigned to MYP AGE.

Pages may be initiated (stored for sending) from the keyboard using the PAGE command once
memory has been allocated to the Pagelog. All pages sent will be logged. A CW -ID will follow each
batch of pages sent unless the PAGECWID command parameter is OFF. In addition, paging activity
may be monitored using the P AGEMON command, and pages to be sent may be queued and sent
while monitoring. Connecting to the PS, i.e. to MYPAGE, is enabled once memory is allocated to the
pagelog and MYP AGE is not blank, i.e. a callsign or alias is assigned. Entries to and deletions from
the page directory are made with the page directory (PAGEDIR) command by the sysop.

Command format: Keyboard command syntax follows that used in the KPC-9612. Within this
document the following applies: commands are listed in capital letters, required parameters are
bracketed with {}, optional parameters are enclosed with [ ], parameters listed in upper case must be
typed as shown, parameters listed in lower case require a substitution, the vertical bar I separates
parameter choices, and ( ) are used to specify parameter range. You may enter the short-form of a
command name, using the underlined letters only.

Keyboard Commands

MYPAGE callsign default blank

This command is used to establish a connect call sign (or alias), for the page server, to allocate RAM
for it, and causes a reset if PAGELOG is non-zero.

PAGE {[-A|-N] [-512|-1200|-2400] [<call sign] name|capcode message}

default - N -1200

This command is used to initiate a page to name or capcode at the format and rate specified. If format
and rate are not specified, a numeric message is sent to name or capcode at 1200 bits per second
(BPS). Numeric pagers accept up to 20 numeric-only characters, those listed in the table below. The
KPC-9612 will accept any ASCII message for a numeric or alphanumeric pager, but will send
numeric-only characters when a numeric pager is specified. Any non-numeric-only letters in that
message will, however, be retained in the pagelog (as a potential callback message). Alphanumeric
pages may contain as many as 128 characters.

If -A is specified when entering the PAGE command, the message will be sent in the alphanumeric
format. If -N is entered (or left unspecified), the page will be numeric. Three paging rates are
supported: 512, 1200, and 2400 bps. If none is entered, the page will be sent at 1200. If a call sign is
specified by <call sign, that call sign will be listed in the page log instead of MYCALL. A capcode ,
callsign, name, or alias, my be entered as the address for a pager. If an address other than the capcode
is used, it must be supported' with an entry in the page directory of capcode-name pairs.

Paging is not enabled until memory is allocated for the pagelog. Once memory is available the PAGE
command is accepted from the keyboard or from the sysop via remote access. In addition, the PS will
accept pages with a capcode address; however, the user will be asked to match a password and must
answer with a correct response in order to send a page. Once a list of page directory entries have been
made (only by the sysop), pages will be accepted from the keyboard or via the PS when a call, alias,
or nickname that is a page directory entry is used in place of the capcode address.

Let's try some examples. Let's say you'd like to page Phil (W0XI), and let's assume that no page
directory entries for Phil's pager have been made. That means you'll have to know the numeric
capcode of his pager, and you'll use the page command to initiate the page.

Example #1: To page Phil with '842-7745' at 1200 BPS, you would type:

cmd: PAGE 111222 8427745

or alternatively

cmd: PAGE -N -1200 111222 8427743

Note that there are spaces between the parameter entries. Also, I've assumed that my capcode address
is 111222. Capcodes are typically 6 or 7 digit numbers, and several million can be supported on a
given frequency.

Example #2: Now let's page Karl to 'call the office,' assuming that his capcode address is 111333 and
his pager is an alpha supporting 2400 BPS.

To page WK5M with "call the office," at 2400, you would type:

cmd: PAGE -A -2400 111333 call the office

If the callsigns and nicknames are entered in the page directory along with the rate and format of the
pagers, then the nicknames can be used to make a page in place of the capcode numbers. We'll
explain the page directory in detail later. So, assuming W0XI's nickname, Phil, is stored in the page
directory along with his pager capcode, you can page him as follows:

cmd: PAGE Phil 842-7745, and for Karl you'd type cmd: PAGE Karl call the office

If a nickname for W0XI is not in the page directory, you can still page him, using the actual capcode.

Numeric-only Character Set (not reproduced here; see chapter 2)

PAGECWID {n|ON|OFF} (n=0 to 127 minutes)

default ON

This command is used to force a CWID after each page or n minutes after a page. If n is set to 0, the
command is set to OFF. The message contained in CWIDTEXT will be sent as the ID at 15 wpm
using a 1200 hertz tone. Action specified by the CWID command still applies.

PAGEDIR {n|LIST[calllaliaslcapcode]| {+|-} call sign [alias] [-A|-N] [-512|-1200|-2400] [-P]

capcode } (max value of n depends upon RAM)

This command, accessible only to the sysop, allocates memory for n entries in the page directory, a
table of information about each pager, including callsign and associated nickname, the pager's format
and message rate, and an optional security flag. The directory serves the same purpose as your phone
book, convenience. The command also provides for the entry into, deletion from, and listing of the
directory.

When a nickname is used to initiate a page, the call sign, format, page rate, and capcode are retrieved
from the directory to form the paging signal. If the nickname - or alias if you want to call it that - is
not found in the directory, a page can be still be sent using the actual capcode.

Let's make a few entries into the page directory, to demonstrate use. Lets make an entry for Karl's
pager:

cmd: PAGEDIR +WK5M Karl-A -2400 111333

or alternatively

cmd: PAGED +WK5M Karl-A -2400 111333

Now let's make an entry for my 1200 numeric pager:

cmd: PAGED +W0XI Phil 111222

To delete these entries from the directory, use the PAGEDIR command again but type a '-' in place of
the '+' and duplicate EXACTLY the remainder of the entry made before. If you can't remember what
you typed at an earlier time, use the command to list the contents of the directory. If you have many
changes to make, consider deleting the entire page directory by entering PAGEDIR 0. Then allocate
new space for the directory, say 25 entries, by typing PAGEDIR 25 and enter new listings.

To list the contents of the directory, simply Issue the following:

cmd: PAGED list

Access to the page directory by users connecting the Paging Server can be partially restricted by
asserting the '-P' parameter of the P AGEDIR command when making directory entries and setting up
password access. See the page password command, PAGEPSWD. With the password system in
effect, your entry in the directory, that includes your capcode, will not be visible to those connecting
to the server, unless they know the password, given that your entry included the '-P' parameter.

Examples of page directory entries:

-512
-A or password
callsign alias -1200 capcode
-N flag
-2400
W0XI Phil 111222
WK5M Karl -A -512 -P 1115555

-N and -1200 are defaults.

see also: pagepswd, pagepriv

PAGELOG {njLIST|CLEAR} (maximum value of n depends on RAM)

default 0

This command allocates n Kbytes of memory for the log. Allocating memory, i.e. using the numeric
parameter, will cause the KPC-9612 to reset. To clear the log but retain the memory allocated without
a reset use 'clear,' and to list the log, use 'list.' If the pagelog fills up completely, the oldest entry is
lost when the next page is initiated. The format of the pagelog listing is shown in the example below.

cmd: PAGELOG list

W0XI>W0XI: -N -1200 *02/25/96 12:30:00842-7745

W0XI>N0GZZ: -A -2400 02/25/96 12:16:01 call the office

In the first example, the transmitting station, W0XI, has addressed a numeric 1200 page to W(1XI at
the date and time displayed with the message '842-7745.' If a capcode had been specified instead of a
nickname, it will appear in the log as the pager address. The * indicates that the page has been entered
in the log but not yet sent.

PAGEMON {ON|OFF|cccc} (c must equal N, Z, or A)

default OFF.

This command is used to set port 2 in page monitor mode. Each page received will be sent via the RS-
232 port for display on your computer screen as one or two lines, with the following format
(dependent upon the setting of HEADERLN):

PAGER> capcode (n) [time stamp]: message

A '?' will precede the capcode number if a check sum error is computed in a received page. The type
of page will be indicated in parenthesis. According to R-584-1 (RPC1); (0) should be a numeric page
and (3) an alphanumeric page. The KPC-9612 assumes this convention when PAGEMON is set to
ON and defines cccc as NZZA, where the first c (0) is set to N which denotes numeric, the second c
(1) is set to Z to stop printing, and so on. In case the page type convention is not followed, you may
attempt to copy or selectively copy by rearranging the letters N, A, and Z in any combination of four.
While monitoring, port 2 is still available for page transmissions but not for packet connects. Port 1
remains available for connects.

Reminder: When using this command and the KPC-9612 to monitor your club's paging system,
remember that discriminator output is a must. Speaker audio does not work; the 'DC' content of the
paging message is severely degraded by most audio circuits.

Monitoring examples. With PAGEMON ON, you can monitor pages to Karl or to Phil on frequency
and they would appear as follows:

PAGER> 111333(3): Karl, call the office

PAGER> 111222(0): 842-7745
PAGER> 111222(0): 842-5115

On the first line, 111333 displays Karl's capcode and the (3) denotes an alphanumeric page format.
On the next line, 111222 is Phil's capcode and the (0) denotes a numeric page format.

With TRACE ON, the binary format of pages is listed in hex, followed by the actual page content.
For example:

4l46E2F7 F6758336
PAGER>OI11333(3): Karl, call the office

E1419E32 3EF95465
PAGER>0111222(0): 842-7745

These examples are mockups only: the messages does not match the hex code.

see also: mon, mstamp, headerln (KPC-96l2 manual)

PAGEPRIVE (ON/OFF)

default OFF

This command restricts the page server to password access only when ON. see also: pagepswd

PAGEPSWD text (text up to 128 characters)

default blank

This command sets the password string for use when accessing the Page Server (PS). If the 'text' is
left blank password security is not in effect. If 'text' is specified, then the PS will ask for the
PASSWORD command and an appropriate response from the user when required. The page password
process operates just like the rtext password used for remote access. If a password is not established, i.
e. left blank, the PS will allow pages to all entries in the page directory or to any capcode. However,
if a password is set, the PS will prompt the user when a password is required. For example, if an entry
in the page directory has the -P (privacy) flag set, the PS will ask you for a password before allowing
a page. See also: pagepriv, rtext (KPC-96l2 manual)

PAGETEXT text default blank

This command is used to enter text that is printed (in the first data packet) in response to a MYPAGE
connect. Enter any combination of characters and spaces up to a maximum of 128. Entering a single
'%' will clear the text.

We suggest something like the following for your pagetext:

Welcome to Phil's Paging Server, Hit '?' and return for a command.

PAGEXINV {ON|OFF}

default OFF

This command is used to invert the ones and zeroes when a page is transmitted. RPC1 calls for all
pages to be sent with the same "sense," However, not everyone follows that standard. If the page
signal is to be inverted, set PAGEXINV to ON. The setting of the command has no affect on page
monitoring. When monitoring, the KPC-9612 looks for pages sent in the normal sense but also for
pages sent with the SC inverted, indicating the whole page was inverted.

The Page Server and It's Commands

A mailbox-like Page Server (PS) is included in the paging update. It's structure is similar to the
Personal Bulletin Board System (PBBS) that is standard in the KPC-9612. Users may access the PS
by connecting to port 1 or port 2 using the callsign set by MYPAGE. If PAGEMON is ON, the
KPCC9612 will not support packet connects on the 9600 baud port. Like the mailbox, users may
select from a list of command options as shown below. The PS will automatically disconnect users
after five minutes of no activity. A unique feature of the PS is the page directory, a listing of each
registered pager with name, alias, format, message rate, password flag, and capcode. Hence, by using
a name - which might be a call sign, alias, or nickname, those sending the pages need not remember
the facts about a pager. And, if the password flag is set to -P, pager owners need not worry about
unauthorized pages to them.

Commands encountered when connecting to the PS are as follows:

B (ye) page server will disconnect

D(irectory) display page directory entries
L(og) display pages sent
P(age) send page
PASSWORD enables sending to protected pagers
? (or Help) lists this table

The PS will respond to a connect to MYPAGE with text and a command line as follows:

[KPC9612-7.0-125ADGNP]
PAGETEXT here (if any)
ENTER COMMAND: B, D, L, P, Password, or Help>

The first line tells the user that the page server is a KPCC9612 with version 7.0 firmware and it
supports 1200, 2400, 512, numeric and alphanumeric pages, a page directory, group paging, and
POCSAG. This sign-on follows the convention used by BBS systems to identify features they
support.

At this point you are ready to send a page, list the page directory, list the pagelog, send a page, or
disconnect from the PS. For example, suppose that you wish to send a page to me (Phil) - see page
directory entry example earlier. In response to the ENTER COMMAND, you would type the
following and hit return:

ENTER COMMAND: B, D, L, P, Password, or Help>

P Phil 8427745

The ENTER COMMAND prompt would appear again, and you could send another command or list
the pagelog to see how the page went out. Let's list the page directory.

ENTER COMMAND: B, D, L, P, Password, or Help>L

W0XI>111222 -N -1200 02/25/9613:00 8427745
ENTER COMMAND: B, D, L, P, Password, or Help>B

If my entry in the page directory had contained the password flag, a - P, then the page server would
have asked you to enter the password command. It in turn would then have issued you a sequence of
numbers, and you would have had to enter letters (from the password) corresponding to the numbers
the PS sent to you. See rtext and passwords. If you entered the correct password letters, then the
ENTER COMMAND (prompt) would again reappear and you'd be able to page Phil.

(This ends the material taken from the Kantronics KPC-9612 Manual Addendum Version 7.0,
Lawrence, KS, 1996, "Paging Commands," pp. 7-13.)
APPENDIX 1

GLOSSARY OF PAGING TERMS

Address Codeword - A 32 bit codeword used to carry the address (capcode) of a pager. It's like the
address label on an envelope. It's for you! The actual "address" portion of the address codeword is 18
bits.

Alphanumeric - A pager capable of receiving and displaying the full CCITT Alphabet NO.5,
including numbers and letters.

Batch - A batch is the standard portion of a paging signal less the preamble. Each batch is made up of
17 codewords, the first always being a synchronization codeword of 32 bits.

BCD - A number system representing the digits 0-9 in binary format referred to as binary coded
decimal (BCD). Numeric page messages are coded in BCD.

Bravo - A Motorola numeric pager (also Bravo Plus, Bravo Classic).

Capcode - A Code stored in the pager (in an eeprom) which is its address.

CCIR - International Radio Consultative Committee.

Check bits - Each codeword contains ten check bits. These are used to check for transmission errors
and to correct some errors.

Codeplug - An erasable programmable ready-only memory (EEPROM) that holds the address
(capcode) and features of the pager for restoration upon power on.

Codeword - There are four codeword types in POCSAG paging: synchronization, idle, address, and
message. Each is 32 bits in length, contains ten check bits for error detection and correction, and ends
in one even parity bit. The message codeword differs from the rest in that it always starts with a 1
rather than a O.

Crystal Filter - An IF filter, made from crystals, typically 17.9 or 45 MHz for most pagers.

Decoder - Each pager consists of a receiver board and a decoder board. The decoder, a
microprocessor system, accepts messages addressed to it, generates the alert - beep or vibration - and
displays the message received.

EEPROM - An Electrical erasable programmable ready only memory. The pager codeplug, an
eeprom, holds the capcode and other feature parameters.

Encoding - The process of forming up a POCSAG code from the raw data: capcode, message, and
pager parameters.

Firmware - Software that is burnt into a read-only or erasable read-only memory chip.

Frame sync code - See SC.

Frame - A frame is a set of two codewords.

FSK - Frequency Shift Keying, a form of modulation.

Golay - A code, named after Edward Golay, that is used in the Golay Sequential Code paging format
(GSC). RPCl (POCSAG) is by far the most popular code used now, although GSC is found in some
cities.

IF - Intermediate frequency. Most pagers make use of a first IF and a second IF. The first IF varies by
band and manufacturer but is typically 17.9,21.0 or 45.0 MHz. Nearly all pagers use 455 kHz as the
second (final) IF.

Idle Codeword - An idle is used as a filler codeword. It's hex format is $7A89C197.

Inversion - Also data inversion. The data from the receiver board in a pager will be "inverted" if the
455 kHz local oscillator signal is high-side (injected) instead of low side. In this case, the decoder
board must be programmed to reinvert the data. Paging signals are nearly always sent as normal,
rather than inverted, as specified by RPCI.

LCD - Liquid crystal display.

LO - Abbreviation for local oscillator, usually referring to the first oscillator in a pager or FM
receiver.

Mixer - A circuit that combines two (input) signals, and produces, with filtering, a third (output)
signal that is the difference of the first two. In pagers, the LO signal is subtracted from the received
carrier frequency (the local paging provider's transmission frequency) to produce the first IF signal.

Modulo-2 addition - This operation IS equivalent to the logical exclusive-or operation.

Multiplier - For pagers, a circuit that multiplies the frequency of the LO to a higher frequency, always
by an integer number. For example, a pager operating on 152.840 Mhz, using a 17.9 Mhz IF, would
use a "times 3" multiplier to bring it's LO up to 3 times 44.9800 Mhz.

Napier - John Napier, 1550-1617, Scottish mathematician, inventor of logarithms.

Numeric - A pager capable of receiving and displaying numeric paging messages. Sixteen characters
are allowed: 009, a spare, U for urgency, a space, hyphen, and left and right square brackets [ ].

Paging Terminal - In commercial systems, the paging terminal is the computer that accepts calls from
a touch-tone phone and forms up the pages to send to the transmitters. In private paging systems, the
terminal might be a small box with a keypad on the outside and a microprocessor and low power
transmitter inside. In this case the operator keys in the paging signal and the box does the rest.

Paging Transmitter - A radio transmitter that is used to send paging signals received from a paging
terminal or paging network controller.

Password - For pagers, this refers to the sequence of letters stored in the codeplug as the password.
Most pagers are designed to include a password, and if it is used you need it to reprogram the pager!

Paging Server (PS) - A PS could be a software server on a large paging network or a server
implemented in firmware in a modem or local system. The server has the job of receiving a page and
translating it for transmission or for passing along to another paging server or terminal somewhere
else, perhaps another city.

POCSAG - Post Office Code Standardization Advisory Group. That's the name of the standards
group that worked out the code.

Preamble - A series of alternating ones and zeroes sent at the beginning of a page system
transmission. For POCSAG, the preamble signal is used by pagers to synchronize to the transmission.

Programmer - In paging, this refers to the device (computer or stand alone box) that is used to enter
capcode and other defining parameters into a pager.

PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network or the phone system.

R-584-1 - The CCIR's Recommendation for Radiopaging Code No.1 (also know as POCSAG).

RAM - Random access memory. Some RAM exists in each pager for signal processing and message
storage.

RPCl - Radiopaging Code Number 1 (formerly POCSAG), as defined by the International

Consultative Committee (CCIR).

Service Monitor - A Generator-receiver used to test two-way radios but which can also be used (very
efficiently!) to test pagers.

Synchronization Codeword (SC) - This is the first of 17 codewords in a paging batch. The 32 bit SC
is a unique codeword used to mark the beginning of a new batch. In hex the SC's value is
$7CD215D8.

TNC - Terminal Node Controller, or a packet unit.

VHF Low band - That portion of the VHF band from 33-50 MHz.

VHF High band - The portion of the VHF spectrum from 138-174 MHz.
APPENDIX 2

FREQUENCY TABLES

This appendix contains four tables of readily available crystals listed by frequency of reception for
pager use: VHF high band, UHF, VHF low band, and 900 MHz. These tables may be handy if you
obtain a batch of used pagers (for conversion for ham use) but don't know what their frequencies of
reception are. It's not uncommon for the back panel labels to be missing!

For example, if you suspect that a pager was used on "about" 152.840 MHz, you could use a
POCSAG encoder (KPC-9612 with version 7.0 firmware) and a signal generator or "data ready"
transceiver attached to a dummy load to send pages at this frequency and several adjacent
frequencies, as listed in the table. Once the pager beeps, you know the frequency of operation. If the
decoder board isn't working or you don't know it's capcode (ID), you may still be able to salvage the
receiver board. Attach a scope to the 455 kHz output, test point M1 on Bravo series pagers, and watch
for a good signal as you sweep a RF test generator across the frequencies listed in the table.
Obviously, those operating between 149.2000 and 163.2500 MHz are candidates for 2-meter
operation, and those operating between 445.6000 and 465.000 are candidates for 70-cm conversion.

Table A-1: VHF High Band

149.2000 152.5000
149.6950 152.5100
150.0750 152.5400
150.6350 152.5700
150.9200 152.6000
151.0700 152.6300
151.1900 152.6500
151.3100 152.6600
151.7400 152.6900
151.9250 152.7000
152.0075 152.7200
152.0300 152.7500
152.0600 152.7800
152.0900 152.8100
152.1200 152.8400
152.1500 153.2600
152.1800 153.3500
152.2100 153.6050
152.2250 153.7100
152.2400 153.7850
152.3750 153.9000
152.4200 154.1300
152.4800 154.1450
154.1900 159.7352
154.2000 161.1002
154.2750 161.4250
154.4450 163.0102
154.5400 163.2500
154.6250
155.1000
155.2800
155.3000
155.3850
155.4000
155.4150
155.7000
157.5501
157.7400
158.0001
158.1000
158.1200
158.3400
158.6701
158.7531
158.7751
159.3251

Table A-2: UHF Band

445.6000 454.3500
445.6750 454.3750
445.8250 454.4000
445.9500 454.4250
449.6750 454.4500
452.1300 545.4550
452.6500 454.4750
452.7500 454.5000
453.1250 454.5250
453.8250 454.5500
454.0250 454.5750
454.0500 454.6000
454.0750 454.6125
454.1000 454.6250
454.1250 454.6500
454.1500 454.7250
454.1750 454.7500
454.2000 455.5000
454.2250 456.3750
454.2500 456.9800
454.2750 457.5750
454.3000 457.9750
454.3250 460.6250
462.2000
462.3500
462.6250
462.7500
462.7750
462.8000
462.8250
462.8500
462.8750
462.9000
462.9250
463.2000
462.2500
464.3500
464.3750
464.5500
464.6125
464.7000
464.9750
465.0000

Table A-4: '900' MHz

929.0125 929.5875
929.0375 929.6125
929.0625 929.6375
929.0875 929.6625
929.1125 929.6875
929.1375 929.7125
929.1625 929.7375
929.1875 929.7625
929.2125 929.7875
929.2375 929.8125
929.2625 929.8375
929.2875 929.8625
929.3125 929.8875
929.3375 929.9725
929.3625 929.9375
929.3875 929.9625
929.4125 929.9875
929.4375 931.0125
929.4625 931.0375
929.5125 931.0625
929.5375 931.0875
929.5625 931.1125
931.1375 931.6875
931.1625 931.7125
931.1875 931.7375
931.2125 931.7625
929.2125 931.7875
931.2375 931.8125
931.2625 931.8375
931.2875 931.8625
931.3125 931.8875
931.3375 931.9125
931.3625 931.9375
931.3875 931.9625
931.4215 931.9875
931.4375
931.4625
931.4875
931.5125
931.5375
931.5625
931.5875
931.6125
931.6375
931.6625
APPENDIX 3

A TYPICAL DIGITAL PAGER SPECIFICATION

battery 1.5 Vdc, 'AA'

>2500 hours @ 512
battery lifetime
>2000 hours @ 1200
code CCIR RPC1 (POCSAG)
free fall 4 feet to hard concrete
frequency stability 20 ppm of reference oscillator, -10 to 50 deg C
LCD (numeric) 12 digits
LCD (alphanumeric) number of digits varies
mean time to failure* 5 years
message memory 10 to 20 but varies
receiver selectivity 65 dB @ +- 25 kHz
4 uV/m @ 512 POCSAG
receiver sensitivity
5 uV/m @ 1200
signal format +- 4.5 kHz deviation, NRZ format
size smaller than a pack of cigarettes
spurious response 60 dBc
tone frequency 3200 Hz
tone loudness 80 dB @ 12 inches
weight 3 ounces
APPENDIX 4

SENSITIVITY TABLE

A 512 baud POCSAG pager is often specified to have a sensitivity of about 4 microvolts per meter
(uV/m); that is, it should receive a page correctly if the RF signal received at its small loop antenna
exceeds 4uV/m. That sensitivity will be somewhat less than the sensitivity for an average FM
receiver, specified as 0.5 uV for +12 dB SINAD. When testing pagers, using a radiation test fixture,
you'll be measuring sensitivity in uV or dBm as shown in Table A4-1. Expect a good pager to have a
sensitivity, taking into account the dB loss of the test fixture, of about 1 to 2 uV, equivalent to -131 to
137 dBm.

Table A4-1: Microvolt/Power Dial Equivalents (50 ohm load)

uVolts - rms power in dB power in dBm sensitivity

50 -103.0 -73.0
40 -104.9 -74.9
30 -107.4 -77.4
20 -111.0 -81.0
10 -117.0 -87.0
9 -117.9 -87.9
8 -118.9 -88.9
7 -120.1 -90.1
6 -121.4 -91.4
5 -123.0 -93.0
4 -124.9 -94.9
3 -127.4 -97.4
2 -131.0 -101.0 pager @ 512
1 -137.0 -107.0
0.5 -143.0 -113.0 FM receiver
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, Phil, "Ham Radio Paging: Putting 'POCSAG' on Packet," CQ VHF, July, 1996, p 12.

Cameron, Dennis, "Part 1: Tests Reveal Critical Variables Affecting Simulcast Operation," Mobile
Radio Technology (MRT), March, 1985, page 26.

---, "Part 2: Land Mobile Simulcasting 'Fills Holes,' Defeats Multipath," MRT, May 1985, p 60.

---, "Part 3: Why Radio Links are best for Simulcast Audio Paths," MRT, May, 1985, p 68.

---, "Part 4: Simulcasting Improves Coverage for Digital Paging & Mobile Radio," MRT, June 1985,
p 48.

CCIR, "Part 2: CCIR Recommendation 584-1," The Book of the CCIR Radiopaging Code NO.1,
1986, Annex 1 p 9.

Kantronics Inc., "Digital Paging and the Paging Server," KPC-9612 Manual Addendum, Version 7.0,
March 27, 1996.

Legg, Gary, "Not Your Ordinary Beepers: New Pagers add Two-Way and Voice Features,"
Electronics Design News (EDN), December, 1995.

Lin, Shu and D.J. Costello, Error Control Coding, Prentice Hall, 1983.

Ludvigson, David, "Frequencies, Coding Formats, " Mobile Radio Technology (MRT), March, 1994.

---, "From Bench to Programmer," MRT, April, 1994.

---, "The Receivers," MRT, May, 1994.

---, "406 MHz - 512 MHz Receivers," MRT, August, 1994.

---, "150 MHz Receivers," MRT, September, 1994.

---, "Tales Crystal Filters Tell," MRT, October, 1994.

---, "Microprocessor Board," MRT, November, 1994.

---, "Essential Differences, (Bravo, Plus, Express)" MRT, April, 1995.

---, "450 MHz Receiver Boards,(Bravo Express and Plus)" MRT, August, 1995

---, "Logic/Decoder Boards for Bravo Plus, Bravo Express," MRT, November, 1995.

Motorola Inc., Theory/Maintenance Manual, 68P81012B355A (Bravo Plus).

Motorola Inc., Service Manual, 6881012B20-A (Bravo Plus).

Shankle, Bob, Digital Radiopaging Formats: NEC/D3, MRT, July, 1986, p62.

Shankle, Bob, Digital Radiopaging Formats: POCSAG, MRT, April, 1986, p46.

Sharpe, A.K., "Four Technologies Compete to Meet Pager Specifications, " MRT, September, 1988.

Stewart, Lynne, "Paging Technology: Systems and Services," MRT, February, 1996.

Tesh, Robert, How the Golay Code Affects NEC Pagers, MRT, October, 1987, p32.

Tridgell, R.H., "Why RPC 1 (POCSAG) Is the International Standard," MRT, May, 1988.