Portable Mesh Network Project
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@gjacobse said in Portable Mesh Network Project:
This is similar yet different to @thanksajdotcom thread Summer Camp Wireless Network. The scale is no where as large (one acre or less) and only temporary in need use.
Each year Ham Operators do what they are able to do for the community. At the end of June, they hold an event called Field Day, where they spend twenty-four hours making contacts for points. It's a fun way to practice for when there is a real emergency.
Side note: Saturday I listened to the Coast Guard net on 14.300 to a boat in possible distress as they had lost engine power on Lake Eriee.
As part of this contest, we log each contact in a program that helps keep track and filter for duplications. Our group operated in class 5-Alpha (5 radios, non-commercial power). Each station was paired with a computer for the logging, but no network was in place so post event, the logs were merged and filtered. This could be done 'real time' with a small network, and my goal for next year.
I'm looking at options for a small portable low power/cost network Access point / router. In the Google Map below, each Red Star is a operating station. Total over all distance (using Google) is about 450 feet.
However, in a real emergency event, we may have longer distances. So - I ask for ideas. As Ham Radio is 503c - A non Profit, it is most likely I will be footing the bill for this (it is my project after all). Cost is an issue, but reliability and the ability to withstand weather (rain, sleet, snow) is needed.
Let me think about that a bit, sounds interesting enough to contribute a bit (in case I have enough time)
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Cost is obviously your biggest issue here. What kind of budget are you working with for the project?
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@Jstear said in Portable Mesh Network Project:
Cost is obviously your biggest issue here. What kind of budget are you working with for the project?
How much can you donate to the project?
As little as possible and get away with meeting all the criteria... There is 'more' to this project, but the wireless is the main key point. But as with any project - you want good solid reliable hardware. And it has to be nearly idiot proof...
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One 'option' is to use OLD technology. But of course what happens when the unit fails? The old Linksys W54 series Routers and APs would work fine.
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@gjacobse said in Portable Mesh Network Project:
One 'option' is to use OLD technology. But of course what happens when the unit fails? The old Linksys W54 series Routers and APs would work fine.
Reversing that mentality, what happens if it doesn't fail. For all you know, it could last another 10 years. I say if you have the equipment, take a shot at it. You really have nothing to lose over what you have in place at this point.
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Open Mesh is probably the best choice here.
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One thing to also note - There is little likelihood of having access to the cloud. This needs to operate as an isolated network with the option that someone may have a hotspot or their phone to connect to,.. but likely not available. So the CloudTrax is 'limited use'
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So I'm 90% sure I've seen a Ubiquiti product for mesh networks, but I can't find it anywhere now.
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Found it
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This kind of scenario is a solid use case for the Ubiquiti UAP-LR models. The extended range on them will let them talk to each other easily while the devices near each one will get the rest.
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Just before my second son came along, I was playing with a ham project called HSMM-MESH. http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/. We got it working with some of the older Ubiquiti Bullet style devices and one WRT54g router that was the "main" (if you will) unit for Field Day back 2 years ago. Sadly I have not kept up on the project and sold all my gear as it was collecting dust so it may be a dead product now. There is a more updated fork called Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network that I have not followed but does use Ubiquiti gear. http://www.aredn.org/
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Proxim always made high quality, no Internet required mesh gear as well.
