So I've had a long standing interest in microwave back haul systems and their applicability to amateur radio. We're talking since back in the days of packet radio before widespread internet availability killed it - I always thought the next step was a microwave backbone/backhaul system that localized packet systems would connect to to move traffic much further than could be easily done with relatively low speed packet radio running on 2m VHF.
In the past couple of years, the AREDN mesh system has made some interesting progress. I've configured a few nodes and played with it, but there's not enough connectivity in this area to really make it useful. Heavy vegetation and a lack or mountain top sites, mixed with not enough amateur radio density/interest somewhat preclude it taking off on the east coast as well as it has done out west. It also has a lot of overhead being a mesh type system. Most east cost applications are built on the selling point of it being an emergency comms secondary/fallback system, so some hospitals and municipalities have given implementation groups access to building rooftops, towers, etc. to get some minimally viable network up and running.
The equipment AREDN uses are microwave WIFI links that can carry signal up to about 40 miles to another link unit, as long as there is line of sight.
But you really don't need to run AREDN. With enough interest, and excluding the amateur radio aspects, if a bunch of regular joes that could see each other, a backbone radio linked system could be put up pretty easily. What it gets you is local connectivity to any servers running on it or linked to it (i.e. like my main source of local info - Maryland Shooters!!). Other services - VOIP, Cameras, etc also. So if the internet goes down, there is an alternative IP based comms system out there.
Its a hell of a lot of effort for something that is essentially useless until you need it, but would be basically impossible to setup when its too late.
Dumb idea? Total overkill? Maybe. Maybe just a chance to learn some good stuff, see if a group of people could get something running. There'd be a huge amount of stuff to figure out and also some risks (security, what people are using it for, etc.).
Anyway, just a thought I've had.
In the past couple of years, the AREDN mesh system has made some interesting progress. I've configured a few nodes and played with it, but there's not enough connectivity in this area to really make it useful. Heavy vegetation and a lack or mountain top sites, mixed with not enough amateur radio density/interest somewhat preclude it taking off on the east coast as well as it has done out west. It also has a lot of overhead being a mesh type system. Most east cost applications are built on the selling point of it being an emergency comms secondary/fallback system, so some hospitals and municipalities have given implementation groups access to building rooftops, towers, etc. to get some minimally viable network up and running.
The equipment AREDN uses are microwave WIFI links that can carry signal up to about 40 miles to another link unit, as long as there is line of sight.
But you really don't need to run AREDN. With enough interest, and excluding the amateur radio aspects, if a bunch of regular joes that could see each other, a backbone radio linked system could be put up pretty easily. What it gets you is local connectivity to any servers running on it or linked to it (i.e. like my main source of local info - Maryland Shooters!!). Other services - VOIP, Cameras, etc also. So if the internet goes down, there is an alternative IP based comms system out there.
Its a hell of a lot of effort for something that is essentially useless until you need it, but would be basically impossible to setup when its too late.
Dumb idea? Total overkill? Maybe. Maybe just a chance to learn some good stuff, see if a group of people could get something running. There'd be a huge amount of stuff to figure out and also some risks (security, what people are using it for, etc.).
Anyway, just a thought I've had.
