Remote Base

Remote Base:

What is the function?

What will it be used for?

How will it connect to other stations?

What is the function:

A Remote Base provides a method in which locations outside the normal range of a Base Station or Repeater can be accessed. Thus providing additional communications coverage area.

What will it be used for:

Provide additional communications coverage area; also can be used to augment communications resources in emergency situations and special events.

How will it connect to other stations:

Depending on the complexity of the Remote Base (and the amount of funds available) the ideal situation would be to have a combination of RF and Internet backhaul capabilities. If Internet access is available this would be the ideal method for connectivity. Once again if funds are available use of Satellite Internet services would provide some additional remote accessibility.

When using RF backhaul capabilities there are number of methods that can prove to be beneficial. When possible consider VHF Links and for full-duplex A VHF / UHF combination. We cannot forget about the flexibility of HSMM on 2.4, 3.3, 5.8 GHz and even 902 MHz has some promising potential.

Can HF be considered a viable extension of the Remote Base Link? Depends on the mission objective. Looking back to some of the applications in the past couple of years where HF Remote Base Links have been used as a method to receive emergency traffic from distant locations out of normal range of EOC there may be some practical usage for HF.

The way the Amateur Radio licensing is set up it is rather tough to test a station in a non-emergency setting. Especially for those holding a Technician Class license. There are some that have taken the test for the General and Extra class license and passed the test yet don’t have a clue about the technology that they were tested on. It appears that some don’t really care about the technology just the fact that they can now “talk voice on HF.” In some instances voice on HF will not be the best approach for getting the necessary information from those that have it to those that need it.

Okay back to the Remote Base chatter …

So what do we need to create a Remote Base?

What do we need to create a Remote Base:

Determine the type of terrain in which the Remote Base will operate;

is it urban, rural, forested, hilly, mountains, etc.

What resources are available;

• Internet; Dial-up, Broadband, HSMM, Satellite;
• RF Equipment – HF, VHF, UHF, Microwave;
• Power – Grid, Solar, Wind, Battery, Generator
• Antenna Structure – Building, Tower, Mast;

What is the distance that needs to be covered between the Remote Base and Base / Repeater Site:

Will the distance require additional enhancements via extenders, cross-band repeaters, etc:

Once the above information is available we can start working on creating the actual Remote Base

Forward-Thinking

Forward-Thinking Digital Imagining

1) HSMM capabilities at least in the 70cm band and even in 1.25m band.

2 ) Long range HSMM networks with data/video/voice capabilities. (With products like the Ubiquiti Networks Bullet [ubnt.com] should be able to get some decent range)

3) Low-cost Digital Interface that can plug into any radio with a data port (most new radios have a data port present, plus by regulation {at least for Part 90 equipment} they have to be able to handle at least 4k8 baud data – definitely not high speed, but it lets messaging take place).

4) Compact Rapid Deployment Links (RaDL) based on Asterisk that can be quickly delivered to any location thus providing phone and radio connectivity. ** Come up with a way to do it with the Gumstix Overo boards everything could fit in a radio. Add a Ethernet pigtail on the back of the radio one would have access to local SIP/IAX2 phone capabilities plus the radio could provide long-haul capabilities for at least one call to the outside world. Instant dispatch capabilities with the package too, along with intertie to other radio systems.**

The radio itself would work as a link/remote base anyone in the local network could connect through the LAN/wLAN to the RF side to transmit/receive via the radio itself. Plus they would still have local network capabilities. Since the original gumstix/Asterisk package was able to handle 10 to 15 calls, the new package should be able to increase that by at least to 15 to 20 calls.  Attach another wLAN to the RaDL would create another sub-network as well as capability for a second RF Gateway channel.

DARN is near

The Digital Analog Radio Network is near.

DARN defined as “to mend by weaving thread across a gap” that is what is being done. Those that want to see flexibility will go with the DARN approach, as a improvement while there will be others that find it to be just annoyance. DARN definitely fits the new Digital Analog Radio Networks.

Sometimes logic can indeed be simple (send in most potentially linkable exchange).

The Digital Analog Radio Network web site is located at http://darnsimple.net

Dual Repeater Package

Dual Repeater Package – The Maxon SM6000 Series have a built-in single channel repeater controller, here is a drawing that illustrates how two repeaters can be configured along with some of the options. (Click image to expand)

Dynamic Paths

Just like other living things there are good and bad times for dynamic paths that are taken.

One can opt to be static yet knowing dynamic paths will move you.

Be flexible with the methods that are used, yet maintain the basic standards that allow a incident operation to be conducted safely. Standards which remain static can be used as a basis for operation integrity and also represent a road map to a successful mission.

Standard Operation Procedures provide the static portion for operational planning yet they should also be dynamic so that when new methods are presented they can be placed into the Standard Operation Procedures as soon as possible.

Every situation, every incident is different, thus the need for being dynamic in operational style. At times incidents will take place that are not amongst the normal operational situations. This indeed is one of the times that we need to be dynamic in readiness and response.

Flexibility is a key ingredient to readiness and the “all hazard” approach to emergency response and planning.

As a organization which path are you opting for: static or dynamic flexibility?

Digital Frontiers

In the 1800s there was the frontier of West. Today we have digital frontiers to explore. The digital frontiers may not always be digital voice or data that appears within this new frontier.

Some may remember the days of 1200 baud packet that was quite popular in the 1990s. This technology is now present in APRS, with even a hint of low-speed data showing up within the VHF and UHF bands via D-STAR enabled radios as well as telemetry.

For those that have radios such as the Icom ID-1 it is possible to have 100kbps data from the Internet available in your vehicle. In order to do this a base station with a ID-1 or a D-STAR 1.2GHz data repeater is required.

Most of us have some form of a wireless network in our home or business that operates via the 802.11 standards. Did you know that this same equipment can be used in Amateur Radio with higher RF power and higher gain antennas? Within Amateur Radio this technology is known as High Speed Multi Media or HSMM. The primary bands for HSMM are 2400, 3300 and 5800 MHz. The 902 MHz band can also be used for high speed data. One of the key advantages to HSMM is in its nature of being able to take a “off-the-shelf” wireless network adapter and access point add a higher gain antenna to them, and for longer range RF amplifiers can be added under FCC Part 97 rules.

Imagine having access to high speed video, IP-phone and Data Connectivity in your vehicle,or during special events and emergency incidents being able to provide data, video and voice to the agencies served. As well as providing “last mile” coverage into a disaster area.

Did we mention telephone service? With the development of Internet telephone services as well as telephone servers such as Asterisk which provide flexible interoperability between PSTN, Internet Phone and Radio dial tone can be presented along with the last mile capabilities of High Speed Multi Media create a resource that can be highly beneficial to the community and the nation.

What is next in the Digital Frontiers? As it was in the 1800s with the migration West the same is occurring with the digital migration. With networks such as Asterisk the migration is made easier as analog and digital technology is made one. On the Internet you can find more information about Asterisk and HSMM at http://www.asteriskradio.net.