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  • Antarctica

    YEEEEEHAWWW!!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 29, 2012
    1,728
    Southern Anne Arundel
    Even when Iraq invaded Kuwait, they kept the communication system up.

    Short of setting up a mobile ham radio system, I just don't understand what is trying to be accomplished here.

    There is tremendous value in being able to relay data vs voice. Voice needs to be monitored all the time. If there were a TCP/IP radio network, MD shooters could set up a forum on it, and you could check info on an as needed basis.

    If fact, I think a forum would be the #1 value of such a network, and was my motivation in learning about AREDN.
     

    Antarctica

    YEEEEEHAWWW!!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 29, 2012
    1,728
    Southern Anne Arundel
    Sorry for the heap of posts... you guys have hit on a topic that I've had interest in since at least the mid 90's...

    Here's the current ARDEN node map for Maryland...
     

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    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    A number of months ago I posted in the amateur FAQ thread (central region forum) a bit about the Aredn system. This is a mesh network that has been developed mostly out west. It is TCP IP based and is frankly axactly why is needed, and I was interested in it for a grid down comms network. I set up two nodes, but the system is pointless without others participating. They use some really nice commercial nodes.

    If you read about it, it is a really interesting system. Its built on mesh nodes, so if one goes down, the whole system doesn't go down. While mesh nodes (ham or not) are a fantastic idea, they have their issues with high overhead, and nothing works well without decent node density. The problems aron the east coast are compounded by:

    1) Lack of high sites/topography
    2) Foliage.

    Nonethleless, its still interesting to read about. If there were 4-5 people that I could hit, I'd be in. My location would make a good shot across the bay to link the two shores.

    https://www.arednmesh.org

    Frankly, I'm not sure its really necessary to use the amateur version of these mesh nodes. Why not just set up a MDshooters mesh network?

    Back in the day, it was packet radio. It was a really good system that could have been a lot better but it fell out of favor with the internet. We really need a TCP/IP based packet radio system with backbones that are running on microwave links.

    There is a smaller mesh network in Maryland.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    A number of months ago I posted in the amateur FAQ thread (central region forum) a bit about the Aredn system. This is a mesh network that has been developed mostly out west. It is TCP IP based and is frankly axactly why is needed, and I was interested in it for a grid down comms network. I set up two nodes, but the system is pointless without others participating. They use some really nice commercial nodes.

    If you read about it, it is a really interesting system. Its built on mesh nodes, so if one goes down, the whole system doesn't go down. While mesh nodes (ham or not) are a fantastic idea, they have their issues with high overhead, and nothing works well without decent node density. The problems aron the east coast are compounded by:

    1) Lack of high sites/topography
    2) Foliage.

    Nonethleless, its still interesting to read about. If there were 4-5 people that I could hit, I'd be in. My location would make a good shot across the bay to link the two shores.

    https://www.arednmesh.org

    Frankly, I'm not sure its really necessary to use the amateur version of these mesh nodes. Why not just set up a MDshooters mesh network?

    Back in the day, it was packet radio. It was a really good system that could have been a lot better but it fell out of favor with the internet. We really need a TCP/IP based packet radio system with backbones that are running on microwave links.


    I remember that post but never really had a chance to dig deeper. I just took a quick cursory look and it seems pretty interesting. However it's going to take some time to understand. I agree that the cost to create a decent node is less than $100 but I'm not clear on how the node actually works. I'm also not clear on whether or not the users would need to be licensed armatures.
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    I remember that post but never really had a chance to dig deeper. I just took a quick cursory look and it seems pretty interesting. However it's going to take some time to understand. I agree that the cost to create a decent node is less than $100 but I'm not clear on how the node actually works. I'm also not clear on whether or not the users would need to be licensed armatures.

    If the nodes use more than their engineered power (i.e. hacked for more power), then yes, since they would need an amateur radio license. Hence why I posted the Meshnet link, no amateur license needed, and meant as an alternative to the hardwired internet.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    Non amateur related mesh network would be meshnet.

    https://projectmeshnet.github.io/

    What a rabbit hole....also very interesting.

    While browsing I Somehow I ended up on r/darknet and discovered the Tails portable OS.
    I never heard of it before but it it looks like it's a real powerful tool to protect your personal information online. https://tails.boum.org/ just gave me another project to look into when I get time. Probably will deserve it's own thread.
     

    Norton

    NRA Endowment Member, Rifleman
    Staff member
    Admin
    Moderator
    May 22, 2005
    122,856
    I swear, I am finding a potential retirement gig that would let me earn "just enough" money working a few hours a week.

    Learning enough about this stuff to make house calls and setting people up with this if they aren't able to do it themselves.
     

    Norton

    NRA Endowment Member, Rifleman
    Staff member
    Admin
    Moderator
    May 22, 2005
    122,856
    What a rabbit hole....also very interesting.

    While browsing I Somehow I ended up on r/darknet and discovered the Tails portable OS.
    I never heard of it before but it it looks like it's a real powerful tool to protect your personal information online. https://tails.boum.org/ just gave me another project to look into when I get time. Probably will deserve it's own thread.

    Holy smokes it is unbelievable that we are having these types of conversations, no longer as a hypothetical.
     

    marylandmark

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 4, 2013
    1,432
    Just ordered a few Spot-X satellite SMS devices.

    $200/device, free shipping
    $20/one time activation fee per device
    $25/year Flex Charge
    $15/month per device WHEN ACTIVE (higher tier plans available)

    So $260 turn key with 30 days service. Set it up and put it in "suspended" state indefinitely for $0.00 per month. When needed, go online, switch it to "active" which starts your 30 days at $15/mo. The $25/year Flex Charge allows you to toggle service between suspended/active as much as you want. My thought is toggle it to active before you need it, if the internet goes down I'm guessing it becomes a brick but will have to look more in to that, like can I text from the device to get it turned in or something along those lines.

    Pro tip- set up with your people certain times of the day to communicate to save battery power. IE- only turn on at 6am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm, communicate with each other and turn back off until the next time slot.
     

    Antarctica

    YEEEEEHAWWW!!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 29, 2012
    1,728
    Southern Anne Arundel
    Non amateur related mesh network would be meshnet.

    https://projectmeshnet.github.io/

    While I think the amateur mesh's downfall will be the fact that it is restricted to amateurs (i.e., not enough with interest to build a network of sufficient density), reading through the mesh net 'plan' was less than inspiring. "Come by the IRC and ask for nearby peers" doesn't install much confidence that you're going to find anyone to connect to...
     

    Occam

    Not Even ONE Indictment
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 24, 2018
    20,239
    Montgomery County
    A current repeater list is useful to have on hand (i.e. "printed on paper.") The Mid-Atlantic Repeater Council is responsible for amateur-radio frequency coordination in the DC-metro area.

    Also consider the Repeater Book app. It will even work while you’ve lost the internet, because the underlying database is actually baked into the locally installed app. Changes to the database come as app updates once in a while. But even if the data gets a little stale, the well known repeaters won’t have changed much.
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    A current repeater list is useful to have on hand (i.e. "printed on paper.") The Mid-Atlantic Repeater Council is responsible for amateur-radio frequency coordination in the DC-metro area.

    Repeaters really do nothing for packet, aprs, sms over amateur frequencies, which is the crux of the discussion, how do you do SMS type communications without the internet.

    Oh, and you can forget about DMR, and any other networked repeater getting out to the network if the internet is down. They become simple repeaters at that point.
     

    jc1240

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 18, 2013
    14,793
    Westminster, MD
    If someone already posted this about GMRS, sorry for the dupe.

    While GMRS requires a license, only 1 person in the household needs to be the licensee. The other family members in the household are covered and use the licensee's call sign.

    There is no requirement to identify as anything other than the call sign, but I've heard many add something like "unit 1, unit 2," after the call sign.

    If used by groups other than a household family such as scouting and the operators are not related, living in the same home, then both would need their own license.
     

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