[FADCA] Modifying Consumer Off the Shelf Wireless LAN devices for special...

[Royce, Philip]

Good afternoon,

  Sounds like we have got the ball rolling on what the objective was, so
if everyone is in agreement, I would like to suggest that we have every
month a project to work on, and then implement if possible.

  This month has started out looking for high speed RF hardware.  We all
agree that we need tower sites and hardware that are within reality of a
ham's budget.  If we could put in a list of what will work for a
complete package includes: Antennas, radio/dataradio, tnc, computer,
network, power requirements, software, protocols, costs, how to manual,
and requirements for site so that we could build off of this for new or
replacement in case of disaster of a site getting damaged.  This needs
to be for anyone to be able to install and maintain so we don't spread
ourselves thin.
Here is a sample form we could use:
http://www.qsl.net/ke4pwe/fadca/sample%20inventory.xls

  Something that was very interesting from last week's messages was the
start of last mile LAN connectivity via wireless devices instead of
radio/tnc combos.  This concept is already in place for a lot of mutual
aid mobile resources now (IE: MESH / ADHOC), so it should not be hard to
do the same to a closed LAN network.  We still need to use RF to go from
site to site but the local LAN could be worked via wireless.
 I am not the FPAC guru here, and we know who is so here is the
question, if you use a eth wireless connection, like the one device in
the last emails, at the FPAC switch and have a laptop with a wireless
card at a shelter or hospital using the existing mail programs that we
are using for both types of mail will it work properly??, and if it does
can we get a simple how-to paper on how to make this work for all of us
and people that will be coming into this project in the future(diagrams
too?).  Also include in the how-to the encryption means so that only the
laptops assigned will talk to that access point and nothing else. The
wireless cards will have to have outside antenna such as a cantenna or
be an outside device within 3miles of the site. (VISION)(Wireless device
on top of school building shelter with rj45 jack in office connected to
laptop talking to FPAC switch)

  If this sound likes something everyone would like to do every month, I
will continue with them.  My project this month for myself is working
with the areas of Florida that we don't have resources in, my first
meeting was last Thursday with Harris/ Ma/com which was positive, and
with Bradford Co EMCOMM volunteers. 

  Last thing, at larger hamfests years ago, we use to have a
presentation of packet radio, aprs, dx cluster and other digital modes
and that has gone away, so I'm bringing that back to see if we can spark
some interest in this side of the hobby.  I have reserved two tables and
a 52in LCD screen to demonstrate what digital does, this will be a view
of all modes, it will also have a couple of PSA's for the Gainesville
club that donated the tables, and the SO that donated the LCD screen.
If there is anything special that the group wants to have in the
PowerPoint slides please let me know, we will also show aprs.fi live
periodically. Email is: NFDN at COX.NET
For more info on the upcoming hamfest go to:
http://www.gars.net/hamfest/

73 & Thanks,

KE4PWE - ARRL NFTS, OES, LTM