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Taking VHF Ham Radio From Local To Global
yipper writes: "For a couple of years now a small group of amateur radio enthusiasts have been putting together a system of linking local VHF repeaters using the internet. VHF communications are usually used for local ( 0 - 50 mile ) operations. This system described at www.irlp.net allows linking of one or more local systems together using linux, streaming voice software, fast internet connections, and a few custom parts." Ah, integration!
All you're doing is hanging a ham radio off an internet connection. Boring. Where's the art in that?
Doing it end-to-end via amateur radio would be art.
---Note: I'm not the original AC. I'm another AC.
This isn't innovation. This is the CB radio for the new millenium.
---The "other" AC.
I do accept your point but I don't think it applies to this. The reason I don't like it is because the internet is being used for linking rather than radio. I made this pretty clear. I've run nodes in the past to link tcpip and ax25 and even added an HF arm to the node at one point so don't think I'm not interested in trying new (at the time) things out myself. The problem is when you start using the internet for linking where will it end? It's so cheap, why bother experimenting with trying to link using radio with all those tiresome ariel installations! The stuff you mentioned about the moon bounce, what do I think of that? Terrific. Sounds interesting. Using packet via ISS, tell me more. Using ip links instead of radio, what do I think of that? Psychologically stifiling innovation. And one final note, I'm 23. 73
Well from the sounds of things, it sounds like you would like us all turn in our ham licenses as we are using the internet as a linking medium for the IRLP. Yes the internet is a commercal entity as are satelites, towers, antennas, radios, cables, as is most evething else that we touch or utilize. From your responce, I will say that the only real ham is the person that made all his radio from scratch, not from a kit either. He had to make their own antenna and ladder line. He had to get recycled electrons (just kidding). Either way he had to build a power supply or use a battery. Well I am sorry to inform you that the componets ( resistors, capacitors, tubes, transistors, coils, wire, solder, tools, and the test gear etc ) to build the ham station are commercial componnents. Todays ham ( 99.8 % ) just put everthing together with off the shelf modular componnents ie coax, radio, tunner, powersupply, batteries, watt meters, anttennas etc.. How many hams do you know that build their own rigs from scratch. We hams have used the tools, the components and the technology of the past to get us where we are at the pressent. With out computers we would not have Packet or APRS, not to mention a lot of other HF modes. Yes we could sit on our duffs and whatch the technology go by, it will be that much harder to catch up in the future. The IRLP has brought more interest into the ham community locally as young people (future ham seedlings )familular with computers ( digital), are widening their interests and horizons to include ham radio. You bet that there many hams out there that think this is not ham radio, they are the same ones that portray us as old wrinkled farts still locked on to the cw key just like the radio opperator on the Titanic (they went down with the ship). I have named my IRLP node after a dear old ham that passed away a few years back, he was what I call an international ham as he had HF and Vhf friends all over the world. Every time we demoed a new or updated form of communication, he was always the first one to try it. We as hams have to have the same approch if this hobbie is to continue let alone grow. Lastly stop and think about all the older hams that have moved into retirment homes,condos, and many new deed restricted homes that do not allow any outside antennas on oe near them. This is their last chance to keep in touch with their long distant hams without using a phone. With a hand held, they still have a window of opportunity to be active in the ham hobbie. I for one will not sit and think about the past, we are at the pressent and we are the Elmers of the future. Right on IRLP 122XXXXXX
The reason the cell industry won't ever care is because any retard can walk into a cell store, throw cash at a salesman, sign a contract, and waddle back out the door, happily annoying the hell out of the rest of the population.
Same retard walks in to take even the Tech no-code class, flunks eleven dozen times, and gives up because "da test wuz too harrd, U mus B a 31337 hAx0r to make dat grade..."
Soccer Mom and Average Moron are *not* going to go get a Ham license (my god, that takes effort!!! and intelligence!!!) when they could just enslave themselves to the cellular company and let the cell company network do all the work for them.
The intelligent minority might use autopatch and these new linking technologies, but that will never be a threat to the cell/telecom industry bottom line. They won't ever care.
http://nwaprs.org/aprsinfo.htm
Uses ham radio in conjunction with the internet to provide global positioning and other info. One can't work without the other. Looks like it greatly expands the possibilities with ham radio to me.
Too tired to get into specifics so here's some quick links.
Is VoIP secure?
Measuring VoIP for Jitter and Loss
VoIP Invasion Are You Ready For It? (long!!!)
;\
As for thinking your gonna reach around the globe, sure you can in theory, provided all PBX's and routers are configured properly, there aren't any bottlenecks along the route, etc. Pretty hard thing to do for under 175 US dollars when Fortune 500's spend tens of thousands on PBX equipment and can't get it right
hellraiser¡
Well personally I don't like it. I'm a ham, not that i use it much any more. This in my mind is pointless experimentation. They could be linked by HF or sat links, that would be more in the mindset of a real radio ham. The same happens with packet radio, it's linked via the internet now and what's the point of that? You're just using phone lines and not using radio. The point of ham radio is to try and do new and interesting things on that medium, not make cell phones.
You'd probably be better off looking elsewhere besides the ham bands for this:
...phil
...phil
"For a list of the ways which technology has failed to improve our quality of life, press 3."
The international rules for ham radio require that the communication not be of a pecuniary nature. Personal conversation and technical conversation that hams would generally do is OK, but to do business you need to go to another means of communication. This is to protect ham radio from being overrun by the commercial interests and (long ago) to protect monopoly the phone company (or post office, depending on your country).
Most regulators are tending to remove ham radio regulations that protect phone companies now that there are fewer protected monopolies, a lot of this will hopefully go on at ITU 2003.
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
So a ham in Europe can use his/her handy talkie to talk to another ham in SanDiego CA - something tells me the Cellular/FCC isn't going to like this.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
Wonder if IBM is aware that it developed a new programming language called Linux?
I smell a copyright battle!
lol
"I build my canopy of steel.. it fulfills my sense of real.. a chrome protection" - Catherine Wheel
For those not familiar with amateur radio certification, "Extra Class" is the highest level you can attain under the current FCC certification system. However, of not, if you want to communicate in the VHF band then all you need is the lowest certification, also known as a "Technican Class" license. All that requires is one 35 question test about radio theory, FCC rules, and general practices.
Over the last few weeks, I've been compiling a list of links regarding operating Amateur Radio with Linux . There is a lot the little penguin can do over the radio waves including bouncing data off the space station and routing IP traffic through your local mountain top.
World Beach List, my latest project.
Those little handhelds might have better range than you give them credit for. It's just line of sight. A coworker of mine was very excited last week when he managed to pickup the International Space Station (ISS or Alpha) on his 2 meter handheld unit. This is a communication of over 200 miles, but you can see the thing going over. Granted, this isn't like the round the world bounces you can do with HF, but it's still pretty darn exciting.
The space station and data applications for amateur radio caused me to start putting together a web page on how to operate with Amateur Radio over Linux . There is a lot of software, hardware, and resources available out there. It's not hard to get a license to operate in the 2 meter bands these days, so it's something worth exploring.
World Beach List, my latest project.
Over the last few weeks I've been assembling a page of links converning working with amateur radio using Linux . I've managed to assemble a collection of links covering things such as:
This started after I read about how it is now possible to exchange data through and talk with astronauts on the International Space Station. I've started working on my own license which is really quite easy to attain. It's just one 35 question test which most people should be able to prepare for in under a month with just one or two books.
With luck, in a few months, I'll be ready to flood the airwaves with my own useless drivel. With a little more luck, I'll manage to get a postcard from space.
This project follows in the footsteps on a previous effort I took to compile a comprehensive list of links regarding Bluetooth on Linux Thanks to SlashDot, this page managed to stay in the top ten list of the Bluetooth Top Sites list for all of April.
World Beach List, my latest project.
This is similar to Superlink, but this relies on wired technology. It's cool for the coolness factor, but things like Superlink could become critical forms of semi-long-range communication when internet and telephone lines get destroyed in a major disaster, for example. Yes, there is HF as well, but these days VHF is probably a lot more common, and so quite important for emergency communications.
A little O/T, but are there any Irish HAM users reading this? I'm in Ireland for a while & currenly have the time & money to get into the hobby, something I've been meaning to do for ages, but can't find anything out about the license requirements...
Replies here or by mail, cheers
IRLP is simply a way for folks to communicate through the wonderful hobby of ham radio.
As the caretaker of the IRLP Network's Denver Reflector (basically a VoIP conference bridge used to link multiple sites together), I thought I'd throw some information out here about the hobby of ham radio in general and the IRLP network more specifically.
Ham radio has always been about using one's knowledge of radio theory, basic electronics, and the generous "donation" of certain frequency ranges to radio amateurs worldwide by the various coordination and governmental entities that hold jurisdiction over those "airwaves". New technologies come along constantly for folks who like to "tinker" with to communicate.
FACTS:
- Amateur radio operation requires (in the U.S.) a licence from the FCC, which is fairly easily gained these days with recent regulation changes (some say too easy) via a multiple-choice test on FCC and International regulations, basic radio theory, basic electronic theory, and basic operating practices. More information about becoming a ham radio operator can be found at the following URL's:
http://hamradio-online.com/starthere.html
http://www.arrl.org
- For years, ham operators have used "repeater" stations, located high above most metropolitan area for local communication via 2 meter (145 Mhz) FM signals. Other frequencies including 70cm (450 Mhz), and higher and even lower 6 meter (50 Mhz) FM repeater stations are available for use.
- IRLP mixes the use of Linux computers running Voice-over-IP software, some custom hardware, custom software written by the creator of IRLP, Dave Cameron [Callsign: VE7LTD] and physical or RF links to these repeaters to create a linked repeater system, similar to some quoted here that use RF (radio frequency) links. Control of the Linux system is done via DTMF tones, as is most control of features on local repeaters.
- Packet Loss: Many folks are claiming that "packet loss for Voice-over-IP is too high to make this usable"... hmm... that's funny. I seem to have just heard a number of stations calling others on the Reflector and having conversations just fine. What makes this work is that most PC VoIP users expect high audio quality. In fact, I just heard Dave talking from Vancouver, BC to a ham in Philadelphia via the Reflector.
- IRLP is using low-bitrate VoIP because the end points don't need supurb audio quality to communicate. Most nodes use an encoding method that requires 32KB/s of bandwidth, much lower than most broadband end-user solutions out there today. Some nodes with extremely limited bandwidth use an encoding method which only requires 8KB/s at the cost of audio quality.
-"Reflector" machines like the one I maintain need to be able to handle multiple VoIP streams outbound and a single VoIP stream inbound to maintain the "conference" of multiple IRLP nodes. My employer has graciously allowed for a set amount of bandwidth in our data centers for the IRLP project. (Similar to those companies who offer public open source mirror sites.)
- In response to the "I don't like this but I haven't had my radio on in years" folks... So what? Ham operators in the 1970's were put aback by the addition of repeaters to their local VHF and eventually UHF bands, and the response was similar. As one person said on the Reflector tonight, "Technology marches on!". Hams who used spark gap technology were probably put off by those "crazy guys" using AM to talk to each other years and years ago!
- Don't detract from others enjoyment of the hobby by bashing what they enjoy. Perhaps you like CW (morse code), Satellite, Moonbounce, HF Single-Sideband, UHF point-to-point, Amateur TV, SSTV, AMTOR, Radio Teletype, PACTOR, or Packet Radio over AX.25, or any of the other modes available. You don't see anyone involved in IRLP publicaly criticising the way you like to enjoy the hobby. (Well, a few folks here have an aversion to the Morse Code, and Bruce Perens has an excellent article about code and licensing up at http://technocrat.net/932183115/ )
Some observations about IRLP from my perspective, a long-time Linux user and Ham Operator...
- Many Hams have never played with Linux. Dave does an excellent job of helping them install Linux, get his custom software installed, and help them get their audio and RF links working properly on the network -- all on volunteer time.
[He does require that the custom hardware board be purchased from him directly, but that was mostly due to quality control issues with some of the early attempts to "open source" the project.]
Anyone that can afford to operate a repeater can certainly afford to purchase a hardware board from Dave. Repeaters are not cheap to operate, and most are funded by ham radio clubs who's members expect that a new experimental system like IRLP behave properly and not cause problems for the repeater itself on the local bands. Dave has the network and the image of IRLP at heart when he switched to this requirement, and the amount of time he spends maintaining nodes, helping folks with technical issues, and in generally keeping a happy demeanor are well worth the small price paid for the hardware board and support.
[Of course, an IRLP node *could* be set up on a simplex frequency... and some are... but there are issues with local interference and other reasons NOT to do this in large metro areas -- it's better to simply have a local club who's members decide to use a repeater system to link into -- it becomes the local "IRLP Frequency" and folks know when they hear stations from far off saying hello -- it's probably coming through the Internet link. Here locally, a short tone is added to the end of transmissions by the node radio to indicate it's an IRLP call, etc.]
For those interested in mixing technologies like Linux, the Internet, and Radios, IRLP is a spark that has rekindled interest in their hobbies.
Helping out with the Reflector and with the Denver node has been some of the most fun I've had in years.
Public thanks to Dave for creating the network, and hope to hear YOU on the air via an IRLP node soon!
73 (Best Regards) from N0NTZ
Denver, Colorado
+++OK ATH
....attached to my computer, that transmits signals over the internet to a community in Zaire where there is a computer with a string similarly attached to another Tin can, where a child speaks into the can in a language that we cannot understand, marking the first trans-atlantic tin can transmission!
I fondly recall [CAUTION: FLASHBACK. CAMERA FOCUS MAY BECOME WAVY IN TRANSITION.] back in my days as WV2LCM, the illicit joy we found at patching calls that otherwise would have cost an insane amount of money or were simply impossible (for those of you not old enough to understand this reference, this was before the breakup of AT&T, when long-distance was a monopoly, and before the breakup of the Soviet Union, when direct-dial was not available). Reuniting George in Ireland with his daughter in New Haven, causing Dmitry in Kiev to be able to speak with his brother in New York for the first time in a decade, those were the joys of communication (as well as a well-deserved poke at Ma Bell, especially after she figured out that we were calling collect to payphones to flout her insane rates, but that's a different story). Rarely did anyone get caught or punished, because (this is one of those little-known facts) the guardians of ham radio communication, the FCC, are (or perhaps were) nearly all ham radio operators themselves.
It's no coincidence that ham radio operators are usually the first on-scene at the Emergency Services Centre during a disaster, and so I'm glad to see this frontier-pushing group (which, sadly, I have not been part of since my equipment was stolen) using the ultimate in global communications to further its cause :)
Zaphod B (CQ, CQ)
One-time WV2LCM on 2m
Zaphod B
Zaphod B
When duplication is outlawed, only outlaws will have
Oops! It's already happened.
It's pretty amazing what can be done with ham radios. Of course, there's audio transmission. But there's also image transmission, amateur television (slow scan television), packet radio (woo! 9600 baud!). And surely more.
While I'm not now a ham, I've recently become a little interested in becoming one. I even checked out what was available at my school's Science and Engineering Library. They had old issues of an amateur radio magazine back to around 1936. And this stuff was first being played with in the early 1900's. It's amazing to me, how, for all the technological advancements and the increase of the flow of information, we really haven't gone as far as one might expect in nearly 100 years. When I look at those magazines from the 40's, I'm thinking "wow, this looks really cool!" and here I am in 2001! over 60 years later!
I mean, sure, I'm here using one of the most widespread information networks in the history of the world, but I would think that, after 100 years of worldwide communication, we might have improved upon the reliability of said communication. While the web is generally fairly reliable, I still think it's rather odd that we still experience outages.
Well, okay, I'll concede this: currently, we're working on digital communications, where as radio is analog. And analog IS a very reliable form of communication (thus, hams are used in times of disaster). I suppose, that after another 40 or 50 years, digital communications will have progressed to the point that they are just as reliable as analog is today.
[Contradict myself?! Never!!]
kickin' science like no one else can,
my dick is twice as long as my attention span.
Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."
I realize this is terribly offtopic. But anyway.
Are there packet-radio ISP's or something? Do you mean that I could potentially have a 10Mbps, wireless connection for free (minus licensing and hardware costs, of course)?
If not a 10Mbps connection, and, rather, something more like a 56k connection (or less), how much to those cost?
kickin' science like no one else can,
my dick is twice as long as my attention span.
Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."
It's actually quite neat. It isn't like what you think. It sounds no more and no less like your average neighborhood repeater system, except that instead of just hearing people from 10-30 miles around you, you're hearing those people PLUS people from Australia and Winnipeg and England and Denver and Hawaii...and you can talk to them all on your handheld.
I've GOT my Extra, and it's damned hard to hit Australia on HF...but I talked to very nice gentleman in Perth on UHF over one of these links, and it was new and exciting and a whole lot of fun. I made a new friend, and I didn't use the Internet *myself*, I used my plain ole ham radio. The repeater used the Internet...but what's the difference between using the Internet to link or a long-distance 220mhz link, or a microwave link? After all, the Internet is being beamed via microwaves or satellites too! What do you think the phone lines travel on, ley lines?
I know it's a good idea to integrate all these technologies, but sometimes it seems like people are connecting these things just for the sake of connecting them, not for any real greater purpose..
.. they'll be sending TCP via carrier pigeons next..
oh
The satellites/spacestation communications are great. Knowing you're working through that flashy light up in the night sky is a really cool experience.
Some people have a hard time getting through on those guys, though, and that's where this network really shines for DX communications:
1) It's not reliant on when the satellite is passing over your location.
2) It's not reliant on propagation like HF so often is.
One negative aspect I've been able to identify: It requires use of the public switched network. This is something that ham's traditionally have tried to avoid, as the amateur service is there to provide emergency communications when conventional means have failed. HOWEVER, I would argue that it's also important (from an emergency standpoint) to have as many operators trained in as many technologies as possible.
Lots of folks, when they get their Ham Radio license, end up purchasing a little handheld radio with not much range.
The IRLP allows a person, let's say in Florida, to chat with a guy, say, in Hawaii, both of them using a small, low power radio. This is a great way for new operators to experience the thrill of talking to someone really far away.
There aren't many "open" technologies out there right now that allow this freedom of communication. When was the last time you got to build a wireless VoIP network using components that weren't BlackBox, off the shelf offerings from vendors?
Ham radio truly is one of the last "open" fields of wireless exploration. Think of hams as the GNU-guys of the air waves!
You forget, I'm a /. geek like the rest of you... Calculus is easy to me. :-) It's just that finals are generally cumulative and difficult no matter how easy the material is throughout the semester. It's not the calculus that's difficult. It's the complexity of the problems that professors like to choose, providing several chances for tiny yet very significant mistakes, that makes calculus difficult. The math itself is very easy.
Integration is a very scary thing to those of us approaching finals this week, such as in calculus. AHHH!
Although it seems choppy on many people's computers, our local 440 repeater has been connected to the Colorado reflector for almost a week now and I've never experienced choppiness of any kind. Maybe that's just luck, but the conversations are as clear locally as they are from remote.
icqqm [ICQ:11952102]
How is it any more impressive than any other voice-over-IP telephone application?/i?
It's not "impressive" so much as just plain useful.
I appreciate the problem-solving nature of the ham hobby but in the end I want results. I want to talk to other hams easily, reliably, and inexpensively. I don't have the time, money or space for a HF rig -- but being able to reach distant repeaters with my HT, well, that's empowering me. It's cool, and it's useful, and I don't give a rat's ass if the data takes a trip over the Internet.
I seriously cannot believe the number of sour-pusses posting on this story! Instead of bitching about what someone else is doing, do something to help the hobby yourself, like recruiting a friend and getting him tested. Or if this technology isn't "impressive" enough, build something better already.
Actually HAMs already do fast-scan tv (evem FMTV) and 10Mbps communication check out your local microwave (10 GHz) group. You'll be amazed at what they do
if those aliens from Independence Day attack, we won't have to rely on old morse code!
The Blaster Master Fighting for Truth, Justice, and Evil Pie since 1979
The way to drive away new people is to sit around and say "Yeah, I heard the guys up the street are hacking on this 'new' thing, but it's not very novel or clever or useful to me and it's also not what we're Really About" in such a way as to imply "By the way, feel free to express any blue-sky ideas that you have, so that we can... help you, yes, that's it, for your own good." If this sort of thing went on regularly in open source project groups ... well, actually, my planet-sized ego could withstand it trivially, but the point is that not everyone has "What do you care what other people think" tattooed on their eyelids, and we would have this whole uncool DDT eggshells, squashed little downy fledgling geeks, thing going, and eventually a bunch of projects would dry up and blow away, resulting in poisoned streams downwind and the eventual demise of the ecosphere. Oh, the embarrassment!
"The Crystal Wind is the Storm, and the Storm is Data, and the Data is Life"
Ranks just above Extra class and requires network certification
73
de K1TUX
It didn't happen, the internet beat him to it. I made a number of discoveries along the way though.
I've seen two camps in Hams, -- Those who chat with someone about the weather, what gear they are using, and bits of small talk, and those who make specific contacts with a goal in mind (Worked all States, # of Countries contacted). The second group is usually very little concerned with communication except to pass pertinent details required for their goal.
I didn't really fit either profile. I wanted to chat with people in different places. The places I wanted to talk to were usually under a pile-up of people wanting to claim a "new country" or the like.
Local stuff hasn't been much better. Usually the old fogies chatting about the weather, computers, gear or whatever from their basements.
When the internet came along, my interest in Ham Radio almost disappeared. I could now communicate in a reliable manner with people in those places that I'd dreamed of contacting via Ham Radio. My parents got email, and all "need" for Ham radio disappeared.
It takes time and determination to get the licence. There are many interested, but few want to learn Morse code. I frankly think that morse code is being dragged along just to keep people off the airwaves. I'm not convinced that there is any practical use for it any more. With today's digital signal processing gear, binary signals can get through with better accuracy than morse.
Electronics as a field is going the way of the vacuum tube. How many places actually repair electronics these days? With SMDs and multi-layer boards, it is near impossible to repair at a component level. We have some co-op students working with us from an electronics program at the community college. Will they ever actually work on electronics? Not likely!
Ham radio earned its place with innovation. Hams have pioneered many communication methods, from trans-atlantic communication to sattelite communication. New technologies are making it almost impossible for a ham at home to actually build anything usefull or innovative. One originally had to build one's own equipment. In Canada, you must have the most advanced qualification before you can use home-built equipment! Commercial equipment is required, which doesn't take a lot of innovation!
I think Ham radio has passed its heyday. With the internet and the state of electronics, it has become a hobby of yesteryear. The average age of hams attests to that (Late '60s?)
I had my fun, I keep my licence, but I can't see myself getting back into it much since I can communicate so much more reliably via the internet.
Michael VE9MKS
------------------------------
Phone patches have been available for years for Hams to make a phone call from outside the local area, but within HT reach.
I think there is far less for the companies to lose now than there used to be. The incredible profit margins for monopolistic telephone companies are gone.
------------------------------
Yes, but not quite. It's hard to link more than a few nodes in a row before you start getting massive dropped packets.
-
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Bwah-hah-hee-ha! Mod the parent up, this is the funniest thing I've read this week. Yes, I too have often felt that Windows was not a stable or versatile enough language, and am glad that IBM created its own easy-to-program form of Unix and called it Linux.
ROFLSHISTC
-- We all have enough strength to endure the misfortunes of other people. La Rochefoucauld
Hold on, hold on. Swipe me, I've broken my pencil
http://fsfeurope.org/
Amateur Radio used to have something else out there before the 'Net came out: Packet Radio.
Hams with 2 meter VHF gear and PCs, using AMTOR, RTTY, and pacTOR to communicate thru Packetpeaters and did this quite well. It almost became national but save for the introduction of the 'net. Nowadays its for hobbyists that want to play with receiving satellite imagery, listening to the ISS, and communicating with other amateurs via OSCAR (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio). You have to remember that Hams preceded the 'net and all these prefab gadgets that we got today, most of them had to build the majority of their gear from scratch, or modify what they could get ahold of.
These are the TRUE pioneers of where we are at today with our phones and wireless commo.
Go read up on amateur radio at www.arrl.org and god willing, help you understand what these ppl went thru to make it all happen.
First rule of holes; When in one, stop digging.
Let's get this baby to carry TV signals. Oh wait, that would be in violation of the DMCA. Better not do that!.
Ewige Blumenkraft!
Ewige Blumenkraft!
Pointless experimentation? You admit it is an experiment. Voice-over-IP isn't something everyone uses often, and here is a non-profit low-cost effort to build a global network of linked repeaters using VoIP. Sounds interesting to me.
Yes using it isn't may not be exciting to use if you are using to using HF communications directly, but not everyone has HF privileges. It sounds quite interesting to build. It would be one of the easiest ways that an amateur with only VHF privileges can communicate world-wide, using a low-power handheld 2m or 70cm radio. Sounds like a neat experiment, and something that a new ham might find inspiring to work towards HF qualifications because of.
Using an Internet link does not always mean using a "phone line". If you checked out the site, you'd see part of their link in BC uses wireless ethernet. You could build a node that uses HF packet carring TCP/IP and VoIP. Nothing is to prevent that, and it would be compatible with other wired repeaters.
A lot of your message sounds like what was said about repeaters back in the 70s or any new digital mode from RTTY to PSK31, AMSAT, and likely about SSB[1] versus AM.
1. single sideband, suppressed carrier, uses less bandwidth than AM
I'm not bitching about it. I'm just confused by it. You talk about wanting "to talk to other hams easily, reliably, and inexpensively." I thought that the idea of ham radio was radio, not some using your VHF handheld like a cell phone patched into hard wires. Maybe you just like chatting with people and you use ham radio to do it. That's fine and there's nothing wrong with it. But this is like saying "My hobby is bicycling and I just fitted a motor to my bike to make it easier."
I can use my computer to talk to people all over the world (sometimes to their dismay) without a ham radio so it's not like this technology is giving me some tremendous ability that I now lack.
It doesn't have to be an overly high speed connection, I believe our connection at master node is via a wireless (900MHz) network card from the University of British Columbia Student Union building to to our club room, then another wireless connection from the club room to the top of the Gage residence tower.
Some nodes run off cable or ADSL connections, which are usually slower then a T1. We're not streaming cd quality mp3s here!
antarctican at antarcti dot ca
Yes, the IRLP has been a great project to watch grow over the years. I'm a member (and currently the outgoing president) of the amateur club which is the home of the IRLP and have had the privilage to watch Dave work long and hard over the past few years to grow the IRLP from a system of about 3 nodes to what it is today.
Any hams out there with a repeater and a high speed connection I suggest you investigate joining up. It's brought all kinds of life to our repeater.
antarctican at antarcti dot ca
This sounds like it could be used for what This Guy was looking for.
This is a refreshing piece of software. I would love to once again hear things coming from places that are not polluted by advertisers and special internet. I have noticed the amateur section in the Linux kernel for some time, and would love to be able to tune into a Linux powered broadcast.
I have had intentions of getting into HAM, but I can't due to the fact my antennas would not be appreciated in my apartment complex, but an Internetwork of VHF sites allowing the un fettered broadcasting of "revolutionary" material and un-edited news.
I think any public forum devoid of foul regulations and constraints imposed by mega corporations is a step in the right direction.
Now we have to keep our vile FCC from selling our amateur freedoms on the airwaves.
They will have you believe that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, but vigilance does not have the right to invade my privacy, this will be another method to leverage our last shreds of freedom.
Legalize the constitution. Think for yourself question authority.
Those HAM radios can reach further than 0-50 miles. One time I picked up a HAM radio operator in Florida from NC on a walke-talkie (heh.). At first she didn't beleive I was on a walkie-talkie and kept changing her frequency, then changing back. But she eventaully added me to her chart.
I sadly have not had the time to get my amateur ham radio operator's license. But, I will definitely tell you that it would be fun to listen to these guys. My uncle broadcasts every evening just his thoughts.
It's pretty incredible that they are able to use the Internet to rebroadcast around the world if you ask me.
What I definitely take away from all of this is that it is possible to have my own talk radio station, and it's coming soon!!!
I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.
The world has been "shrunk" by the Internet, amateur radio has also. As recently as 8 years ago people were drawn to and amazed by the hobby for it's ability to provide free communication to a world-community of dorks and nerds (kinda like Slashdot). Although I feel that amateur radio will never be what it used to be, I invite any form of innovation that comes it's way in hopes that it may revive some interest. -Rob (KB8MON)
ab5602
from http://www.irlp.net/03-background/body.html
"My first breakthrough was toreplace[SIC] the existing operating system, Windows, with a more stable and versatile language. I chose Linux, a IBM form of the operating system UNIX, because of its superior networking characteristics, its reliability, and its ease of programming."
I'm a new IRLP node op and I've got tons to learn but let me says this: 1) The future of radio as we know it WILL be software defined radio (SDR). IRLP is a starting point to that end... what is the difference if the data pipe is radio frequency (RF) or a global data network. They will/are become/ing combined/one. 2) I've been a ham over 30 years now and have seen many "advances" (that could be debated) in the hobby. IRLP is a good adjunct to radio but does not replace it.. IMHO it enhances it. 3) I live in the Metro NYC area, the cellular companies and other wireless carriers have made it nearly impossible fro hams to get tower space unless you have HUGE VERY DEEP pockets (we won't go there.. a huge topic by itself). That leaves hams with less than optimum sites for radio systems. I see IRLP as a potential method to "interconnect" our own "cellular" type system to increase portable HT coverage using a VOIP reflector and a bunch of repeaters. Much like what David has done but on a local scale. 4) What inspired me to get involved with IRLP (besides I like to tinker with this stuff) is that a friend also a ham travels about the country in his motorhome. We have been friends for many years and used to live within "radio-shot" of one another. That is no longer the case... if he knows my node ID and is within range of a IRLP node he can punch me up on my system whenever he wants. 5) Most people move around these days due to jobs and alike. With IRLP you can take your ham buddies with you no matter where you are in the world by setting up a link to each others systems on demand. This is WAY KEWL! 6) Lastly, I built up two systems one is dedicated to my repeater. The other will be for experimentation, linking to other systems and to provide emergency communications into and out of an effected area should the need arise. (Yes Hams do public service now and again) David VE3LTD has done some amazing work to bring this network together. He has truly done something to advance Amateur Radio as we know it. Keep up the great work David... keep pushing that envelope! My 2c! 73