Great example of what's possible with good planning.
See message below & attached presentation.
$$$ Georgia statewide network receives funding $$$
Posted by: "WB4QDX" wb4...@arrl.net jdavis6129
Date: Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:38 pm ((PDT))
An official announcement will be released in the next few days, but it can be
announced to the Amateur community that $165,000 in Federal funding has been
secured by Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to complete the statewide
Georgia D-STAR network. Equipment has already been ordered and is beginning to
arrive.
This is a project that began back in 2005 with a vision for Amateur Radio
emergency communications in Georgia. Georgia Public Broadcasting's former
Director of Engineering Mark Fehlig, WA6NGC, seized an opportunity to install
two Amateur Radio antennas on each of nine tall television towers that provide
statewide Public Television coverage as a part of the required conversion to
Digital Television. Fehlig designated Georgia ARES to control the use of these
facilities for emergency communications.
The next task was to determine what technology or mode would provide the best
use of these sites for emergency communications. After considering many modes
and technologies including linked FM repeaters and packet. About this time,
the D-STAR digital technology was emerging as a state of the art platofrm for
voice and data communications. D-STAR allows flexible linking of repeaters and
provides simultaneous voice and low speed data along with high speed data with
Internet connectivity on 1.2 GHz.
2 meter, 440 and 1.2 GHz voice and data repeaters will be installed on each of
the nine television towers of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB). These nine
towers are strategically located to provide near statewide Public Television
coverage. They will also provide similar Amateur Radio coverage from two
antennas located between 500 and 600 feet above ground and connected with 1
5/8" transmission lines. GPB will also provide indoor equipment space with
backup power at each site. Connectivity on GPB's robust DS-3 data network will
be provided with Internet access to allow flexible linking of repeaters using
the D-STAR technology. Two of the D-STAR repeaters are already in operation at
Pembroke, Georgia near Savannah and atop Stone Mountain serving the Atlanta
metro area.
The funding also provides 20 dual-band D-STAR radios for installation at EMA
offices around the state, a portable UHF D-STAR repeater for emergency
deployment, three 1.2 GHz D-STAR radios with laptops for sending data and
photos from field locations and a robust reflector to serve the Georgia network
during emergency conditions and available for general use during non-emergency
times. The complete Georgia D-STAR network should be in operation by early
2010.
The Georgia network will complement other D-STAR systems planned or in
operation in neighboring states of Alabama, Florida and South Carolina creating
regional capabilities in the Southeast. Weather systems approach Georgia either
as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from the West or tropical systems from
the Gulf or the Atlantic. Having flexible statewide communications will
provide new capabilities to support emergency communications.
John Davis WB4QDX
District Emergency Coordinator
Georgia ARES
