Outpost is a Windows-based packet message client that lets you send and receive packet messages with almost any Amateur Radio Bulletin Board System (BBS) or TNC Personal Mail Box.



Outpost was designed for the ARES/RACES packet user community. The thinking behind it was to create an intuitive, easy-to-use program that lets ARES/RACES organizations focus on the "message," not the "medium," as they pass digital message traffic to and from an Operational Area BBS. So, what are the overall design goals?



Hide the complexity of the native packet environment and shorten the learning curve



Provide an MS Windows-based packet messaging client



Automate the packet message handling environment



Create a program that behaves like your email client that you have at work or home...

...create, send, receive, read, delete, reply to, or forward messages



Support the response efforts and requirements of our local municipalities and served agencies



Outpost has a similar look and feel to other contemporary mail clients. It features Windows-driven forms and screens that handle creating, sending, receiving, storing, and printing packet messages from your PC. It also can run automatically where it periodically checks for out-going and in-coming messages.



Outpost does not yet support any packet message forwarding protocol or SMTP. Instead, it interprets the information sent from the TNC and BBS, then generates the TNC and BBS commands needed to send, list, and retrieve messages from the BBS. It essentially automates the keyboard entry and interpretation performed by the user.



Outpost uses BBSs and PBBSs as mail drops where a user can leave a packet message for someone without the other person needing to be on line at that point in time. Support for many BBS and PBBSs has been built into Outpost with new ones being added as they are identified.