amateur radio mesh networks

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VA3CQA

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Im interested in building a simple and cheap mesh node for ARES exercises ...im thinking something for data exchange and IRC and a voip phone component. Im not very technical but im not useless, in your guys opinion is this too big of a project for a beginning ham?... oh ya im as cheap as it gets can i do this on a budget...i cant seem to find any mesh forums i hope this is the right place to ask
 

n9mxq

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I've got a stack of WRT54G Mesh nodes sitting on a shelf waiting to be used. They're cheap enough to find, and with an inexpensive parabolic, or beam they work really well.
 

VA3CQA

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Ive been reading on how nodes can be deployed in minutes using "drop boxes" and voila...high speed data exchange on portable dc power....fascinating and what a great resource for communtiy emergency planning...i love this ham stuff lol
 

Kc9fje

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I've been eyeballing the concept... I've got a couple of those routers in a junk box somewhere as well. I'm just curious if I have ANYONE in range of my QTH to even warrant setting it up.
 

VA3CQA

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Theres a google map on the broadband hamnet web page you can check...any clubs near you should know also i would think...i just bought a WRT54G version3 today...cant wait to get it flashed
 

Kf4mnc

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As others said, thanks for being this up. I am really interested in learning more about Mesh networks.
 

VA3CQA

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Ya i really think this is gonna be huge....for emcomm this is so versatile and cheap...for ares exercises here we use fldigi over simplex to simulate digital modes its nice and neat but a full out mesh network would trump that large...can even have stand alone nodes operating to bridge communication gaps without losing an operator to man it....fantastic stuff
 

n9mxq

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And each of those stand alones are self healing. IF they can see more than 1 node, they will route around a lost node.

I picked up another wrt54g this weekend. I'm up to 6 now.. hehe
 

VA3CQA

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Wow 6...whats your plan...1 station and 5 repeaters or your own pbx...what about a quadcopter with an IP camera feeding live overhead video coverage of a disaster zone....this technology is just too cool...question...on my wrt54g theres 4 ports....can i use them all once the unit is flashed?.... like a laptop with phone and lets say a camera and server on the same node?
 

VA3CQA

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Theres a tutorial out there to put a USB on a version 2 wrt54g...i wonder if i can do it on the version 3...what are you gonna do for an antenna Gene?... thats alot of nodes to link.
 

n9mxq

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One will end up on my tower in a sprinkler box with a yagi and gain omni. It will provide web access to the local mesh.

The others will be slated for drop and go, with gel cell batteries and an omni (maybe a yagi) for drop and fill spots.

We're playing with the idea of setting up a MESH for the Head of the Rock Regatta next year ( Head of the Rock Regatta ) to provide real time video and audio from the start line, to the finish line. It's going to be a challenge. 2.75 miles, with trees, and all the obstructions that go with a river in the middle of the city.

6 wont cut it. But another local op is going to play with a couple of the Ubiquity devices and mayhaps, we can stretch the network far enough.
 

n9mxq

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Wow 6...whats your plan...1 station and 5 repeaters or your own pbx...what about a quadcopter with an IP camera feeding live overhead video coverage of a disaster zone....this technology is just too cool...question...on my wrt54g theres 4 ports....can i use them all once the unit is flashed?.... like a laptop with phone and lets say a camera and server on the same node?

All that is possible.

The 4 ports can be used for devices local to the node. Computers, cameras, VOIP.. Take your pic.
 

VA3CQA

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That is too cool...please keep me updated im VERY interested...ive only got the one wrt54g now but i want some drop and go units also...im an operator at the red cross SET here on saturday...my particular assignment is at shelter1...i hope to see how a network would look like in theory then hopefully i can plan my needs a little better...plus im cheap so gotta give me time to aquire all my stuff
 

n9mxq

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Everything you need to know is on the Broadband Hamnet site listed earlier in the thread.

The guys there have been there, done that.
 

KZ9G

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The Ubiquiti equipment has really opened this up. The gear is in a totally different class and much more powerfull than the wrt gear. That being said I have about 6 or 7 of the wrt routers and they work well but the Ubiquiti ones blow the wrt's away.
 

VA3CQA

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Ive heard of the ubiquiti routers as being another choice but i didnt know they were preferred....damn i just bought a wrt54g lol....is there certain models of ubiquiti i should be looking for?
 

VA3CQA

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K i just ebayed and they are considerably more expensive...do you know why they blow them away....is it a question of power at the antenna?...im curious cause im going to talk to a guy here about mesh networks and i kinda wanna go in knowing what im sort of talking about....id hate to see him roll his eyes at my ignorance lol
 
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