On 2011-05-02 18:55, Joseph Apuzzo wrote:
Wow great find! Uber-cool stuff.
But, microwave is Line-of-Site and don't think it can be deployed in an
emergency situation.
Thus I was thinking a lower frequency one that anyone can purchase ( as
in License and money ) and deploy with lower power need (thinking solar
etc ) thus GMRS radios at UHF 462.550MHz to 467.725MHz so with a
repeater can go up to around 20 miles.
Best would be 2 meters with repeaters (144.000 Mhz to 148.000 MHz) But
back down to 1200Bps or less.
With good repeater maybe 100 miles over flat land. Then down to super
slow SSB and AM with 27Mhz ( old CD radio ) but really long distances
and no longer line of site.
But then I'm thinking the info passed is "tweeat" like very short
messages like "120 casualties at location gps coordinates ..."
Not talking about downloading all 1.2 Teri-bites of star trek.
If understanding communications in disaster scenarios is what interests
you, look into the local ARES/RACES group(s), because that's what they
practice.
http://www.qsl.net/ocar/home.htm
Additionally, hams regularly practice emergency communications once a
year in a big event called "Amateur Radio Field Day" in which hams take
their radio gear into remote areas (such as campsites) and have a
friendly competition to see how many other stations also participating
in Field Day events they can contact. These pictures may give you some
idea of what the event is vaguely like in practice:
http://www.gunkswriter.com/h/omarc/
This year Field Day takes place on June 25 - 26, starting at 1800 UTC
Saturday June 25 and finishing 20:59 UTC on Sunday. Lots more
information about what Field Day is about here:
http://www.arrl.org/field-day
Now... having been involved in both Field Day events as well as
ARES/RACES, I've found that Voice communications plays a far bigger role
than Packet Radio does. Part of this is that people can talk a lot
faster than they can type, and part of it is that pressing a single
button and talking into a microphone is a lot easier than figuring out
all the equipment hookups to do packet radio is.
However, on the flip-side, packet radio guarantees that /if/ the message
is delivered, that it's delivered /correctly/ and will automatically
handle retransmission of garbled packets. Additionally, because there
are packet <-> internet links, packet allows for sending an email to
someone to notify someone's loved ones in a foreign country that they've
survived the local disaster. So regardless of the fact that it likely
wouldn't be the primary communication mode, I do see how it could be
very useful in disaster situations.
--
-- Chris
--
Chris Knadle
[email protected]
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