[WARC] Infrastructure Brainstorming discussion

[Erik Brom]

Ok, let me explain, to the best of my knowledge what all those TLA's 
and FLA's (Three Letter Acronyms and Four Letter Acronyms mean):

APRS: Automatic [Packet or Position] Reporting System.  Typically 
used on, but not limited to, 1200 Baud 2m circuits.  Mobile stations 
can report their position, as determined by a GPS receiver.  Short 
text messages and weather reports can also be sent.  The protocol is 
"unconnected", any digipeater that hears a packet will retransmit 
it.  The number of repeats is counted, so a packet will radiate out 
in a certain circle around the transmitter, then die.  A feature of 
the unconnected mode is that the sending station does not have to 
know the best path.  Also, there are many "igates", which relay 
packets to the Internet.  With that you can monitor the traffic on 
websites such as APRSWorld.net.  Short outgoing email can also be sent.

NVIS - Near Vertical Incidence Skywave.  Everything I know about this 
I learned from reading the thread on this reflector!

HSMM - The first several channels of standard 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi wireless 
networking are low power unlicensed sharing of the ham band.  High 
Speed Multi Media is the name for it when running these channels 
under amateur rules for content, but higher power is allowed (as long 
as it doesn't interfere with the unlicensed users).  It is run with 
security on, but using a special password just for Hams.  That way, 
all Hams, but only Hams, can access it, and its not encrypted in that sense.

D-Star stands for Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio.  Its 
an open protocol, developed by the Japan Amateur Radio League.  It 
does digital voice and data.  Also has much routing capability and 
connectivity with the Internet.  See the current QST for some 
information and references.  Icom is currently the only supplier of 
equipment in the US.

Sending still pictures?  I think that could be accommodated by 
sending jpg files over a medium speed data link.  This also sounds 
like Slow Scan TV.

Erik



At 08:06 PM 08/30/07, you wrote:
>Erik, great idea!.  I have been so out of the loop for so long I 
>need a course on what the new technologies are that you listed and 
>what they do, and what the acronyms mean.  Also you made mention of 
>amateur television, but I think that is a VERY important addition, 
>especially to sell to the various public service agencies. It would 
>have been invaluable to be able to have some video sent back to the 
>EOC during the flooding events. Even to be able to record it and put 
>it on a web site, no matter if it would be 10 minutes old. What 
>technology is available for this?
>Dan, WK0W
>
>At 07:13 PM 8/30/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>>Hi All,
>>Some time ago, we started some discussion on the club's radio 
>>infrastructure.  Although working well now, our equipment is 
>>getting old, both physically and technically, and we want to figure 
>>out what direction the club should take.  Most likely, this will 
>>take funds beyond what the club members can put together.  With our 
>>recent very positive experiences with the disaster drill August 4, 
>>and now the flood, now is the time to move.  We have a great group 
>>of talented people, in both technical and operations and I know we 
>>can make this happen.
>>
>>I would like to put together a meeting soon, but we will get the 
>>discussion started here.  Our first topic is to define what our 
>>communications needs are.  Once those are defined, we will 
>>determine the equipment needed to get there.
>>
>>This is a brainstorming session, sometimes called a "green light" 
>>session.  That is, all ideas are good.  And, to make sure everyone 
>>has a chance to voice their opinion, (thanks for the suggestion 
>>Len), I have not included any of my ideas in this posting.  For the 
>>next couple days, please send your ideas directly to me 
>>(ewbrom at hbci.com).  Sometime late Sunday or Monday, I'll compile 
>>them all and send out the complete list.  I won't identify the 
>>senders.  After that, it will be an open discussion.
>>
>>Before I get into our communications needs though, I want to 
>>briefly list some technologies we should consider.  I have not been 
>>too active recently, so I may have missed some:
>>-Conventional 5Khz FM repeaters and simplex.
>>-Extra / portable UHF repeaters
>>-Remote receivers
>>-APRS
>>-NVIS
>>-HSMM
>>-D-Star,
>>-Digital modes.
>>-Internet connections.
>>I envision a network that is a combination of these, but working 
>>together seamlessly.   Before we get too far, we also need to 
>>contact our neighbors in LaCrosse, Rochester, and Wabasha to see 
>>what their plans are.  As the flood pointed out, its important that 
>>we all be able to work together.
>>
>>Now, on to the major topic:  What are our communications needs?
>>I want to break that down into two parts:
>>1. External needs.  This is what we do to support public service, 
>>Skywarn, other communications emergencies, etc.
>>2. Internal needs.  These are strictly for the pursuit of our 
>>hobby.  That includes communicating with each other and 
>>experimenting with new technologies.
>>
>>The external needs are what we can sell to help raise funds.  The 
>>internal needs are what keep us interested, and that we use 99% of 
>>the time.  Both are important.
>>
>>Some random thoughts:
>>-We want to experiment with new technologies, but we don't want to 
>>make the current equipment obsolete, we want to migrate over time.
>>-Since the more technical people tend to be busy, we should 
>>purchase as much as possible.
>>-What geographic area do we need to cover?  We usually focus on 
>>Winona County, but Rushford is in Filmore county.  We can help all 
>>of our neighbors.  I'm bad myself at keeping in touch with other 
>>groups around, but I know many of you are better at it.  We should 
>>work with them in our planning, and also in discussions and drills.
>>-One thing I've been thinking since Katrina, and the flood 
>>re-enforced - part of our job is to provide communications from 
>>inside the affected area out to where normal communications are 
>>running.  We saw this with health and welfare traffic coming out of 
>>Rushford.  As soon as it got to Winona, it went to email or landline telephone.
>>
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Erik
>>
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>
>Daniel L. Goltz
>702 Spring Brook Dr.
>Winona, MN 55987
>
>
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