The CEEFAX Station project brings the old teletext system to amateur radio via AX.25. Offered as a Linux package or a Windows executable, the software can connect a computer to radio equipment and be used either as a broadcast node or as a receiver that displays pages.
The project’s online map shows users of the system and their broadcast frequencies. As it is new, the map currently contains limited data, while how the protocol and page encoding work has also not yet been fully clarified.
Why it matters
The project brings the long-separated teletext experience together with the more technical and community-oriented use of amateur radio. The software’s ability to function both as a broadcast node and as a receiver allows the same infrastructure to take on different roles, while the online map makes it possible to track how this use could spread. However, the limited data on the map indicates that the system is still at an early stage and that the scope of the current user network is not yet clear. The fact that the details of the protocol and page encoding have not been disclosed also leaves open questions for those who want to try setting it up, compare broadcasts and assess the project’s technical limits.