BayCom stands for a small group of radio amateurs, who started setting up a packet radio network in Bavaria (in German: "Bayern"), the south-eastern part of Germany.
In 1985, Flori, DL8MBT and Daniel, DL3RDB started their work on the famous DIGICOM terminal program for the Commodore C64 and C128 computers. The program used just a simple modem, connected to the "cass" port of the computer, rather than an expensive TNC.
At the same time, the first nodes became active and thus started a packet radio network in Bavaria. In 1987 the first nodes using a system designed by Chris OE5DXL were installed. The hardware components for this node and mailbox system - very simple Z80 TNCs and a mailbox computer using a Z180 - were designed by Chris and implemented by Johannes, DG3RBU, who joined the team in 1987.
When Flori got his first IBM-PC in 1989, he started developing a program for PC's. The intention was to add packet radio capability to PC's by means of a simple, cheap modem similar to the DIGICOM design. This goal was achieved by the first version (1.20) of the new "BayCom" terminal software, published later in the same year.
During the following years, the BayCom terminal program was improved and extended to a node and mailbox system. This became necessary because the OE5DXL nodes were no longer able to handle the increasing traffic on the central European packet radio network
To achieve this, new hardware (the so called SCC-card, a low cost, multi-channel slotcard for the IBM-PC) was introduced. A node routing protocol (FlexNet), developed by Gunter Jost, DK7WJ was integrated into the node software.
The mailbox program includes a user friendly interface and a powerful multitasking kernel. All software development was performed by Flori, DL8MBT.
Soon there were numerous requests for software, modems and the SCC-card, which had been designed by Johannes DG3RBU and were only available as hand-made prototypes at the time.
As Johannes and Flori were students on low budget at the time, building three network nodes (DB0AAB, DB0LNA and DB0RGB) required some fundraising. It was decided to sell the hardware to finance the network activities. So, in 1990 a small company with the official name "BayCom, R. Dussmann & Partner GBR" was founded by DL8MBT, DG3RBU, Rudi, DK5RQ and Christian, DL5RL. In 1994, Fritz, DF2RF joined the team.
In the last five years numerous software versions and more than two dozen hardware projects have been presented by the BayCom team. To the present day, the company is run by all members in their spare time as a hobby. The purpose is to promote the Bavarian packet radio network and to develop new hard and software for radio amateurs.
Over the years, we were supported by numerous radio amateurs all over the world. Thanks to all of them, especially to
DF9IC, Henning, for technical input and numerous discussions
DK7WJ, Gunter, for a long lasting cooperation between FlexNet and BayCom
DL8RAF, Heinrich, who even found the last bug in our manuals
G0KIU, Denis, for long standing support and translation work in Great Britain
ZL1DDL/DL1NDB, Ulrich, for support and translations
and many others.
