WAPR News 

by Steve, KB9MWR

High Speed Multi-Media (HSMM) in Wisconsin

Resurrecting or building new 1200 or even 9600 baud networks in the state doesn't seem logical. The never-ending "need for speed" and equipment prices have made these technologies nearly obsolete.  Just as 2 meter RTTY came to a close after about 20 years with the advent of the TNC, now conventional packet radio is being replaced by 802.11 type technologies.

Thusly, WAPR recommends that hams investigate and build county based networks using HSMM technologies.

1200 and 9600 baud can still serve useful in point-to-point portable emergency situations where line of site may be hard to achieve. However, an emphasis on installing permanent HSMM antennas at key emergency locations should be encouraged for preparedness.   

The WAPR board has basically dissolved, but WAPR's purpose is still important..  I'd still like to here from and report on packet radio activity in Wisconsin.  With a specific emphasis on higher-speed technologies.  Feel free to contact me.   

In that realm, here are a few things I know of:

- In 2004 The Racine Megacycle Club launched a small network on 2.4 GHz.

- In June 2004 KC0ARF, KB9AMM, N9PAV and KB9MWR evaluated Icom's ID-1 1.2 GHz data solution for a few months.

- Al, K9ALS and Steve, N9SGG were experimenting with 900 MHZ FHSS  Aerocomm ConnexLink units in 2005.  They pulled off a 5 mile path with occasional drops puts due to the widespread deployment of 900 MHz radio based utility meters in their neighborhood.  The project was halted because one of the guys moved, and the other guy has been busy with family matters.   One end was a using a 13 dB gain beam at 50 feet and the other unit was using a rubber duck on the dash of N9SGG's car!.

-In 2007 a sub-group of the Milwaukee Amateur Radio Society formed the Milwaukee Area Digital Operators Group.  The first system they launched was a 128 Kbps D-Star digital data repeater on 1298.0 MHz.

- The Rib Mountain Repeater Association installed a 1.2 GHz D-Star digital access point in 2009.

- The Wisconsin Amateur Radio Club showed a demonstration at AES Superfest (2009) of a 5.6-5.8 GHz high speed digital network project in Southeast Wisconsin. They will be using the Ubiquiti Bullet 5HP, a 1 watt 5 GHz capable transceiver.

2014 - Wausau is on the air with its first mesh node. - mesh node deployed  in Wausau WI running the Broadband Hamnet firmware.

The 2014 Cellcom Race in Green Bay used 802.11 and then subsequently for an Airport Exercise. (summary)

Outagamie County is using a Mesh system to transmit video from 1 1-2 miles out on the Fox Cities Marathon to the finish line on Sept 21st.. 

Wisconsin Mesh - Facebook group - This group is based around High-Speed Multimedia Mesh (HSMM) technology in the Wisconsin area. Uses include education, methodology sharing, and promotion of the technology to further its development. 

 

Higher speed equipment outside of the 802.11 umbrella (Broadband Hamnet/ARDEN), consists of narrowband IP solutions that have been commonplace in industrial/SCADA networks:

CalAmp Viper SC+ (Power connector is a 4pin  3.5mm Pitch Screw Terminal Block Connector Pluggable Type)

4RF Aprisa SR+

Icom ID-1

MIMOmax

Racom RipEX2

MDS iNet 900 (Power connector is a 2pin 5.08mm Pitch Screw Terminal Block Pluggable Type

Beyond Line-of-Sight UHF Digital Communications with the LoRa Spread Spectrum Waveform - KG5VBY (Youtube DCC Video)

Hamnet over 70cm : NPR (New Packet Radio) - IP over 430MHz Ham Radio, up to 500kbps, 20W RF by F4HDK

 

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