I'm just starting to learn what AREDN is *(1) and would like to know if/how it can be used to connect:
myself in a power wheelchair *(2) to;
a mobile robot *(3) intended to stay in front of me and relay communication with non licensed people,
my radio equipped vehicle *(4) which has an e ink display in the window to show the last known APRS ping of my wheelchair and robot, and emergency contact info,
myself in a power wheelchair *(2) to;
a mobile robot *(3) intended to stay in front of me and relay communication with non licensed people,
my radio equipped vehicle *(4) which has an e ink display in the window to show the last known APRS ping of my wheelchair and robot, and emergency contact info,
my home *(5) which currently has no ham radio. At home, I'd like the Starlink WiFi router to update software on all the other nodes in the driveway. Add in whatever AREDN requires. I have old OpenWRT travel and home routers on hand. I've heard that AREDN requires "managed" routers, but frankly I don't understand what managed means in this sense.
I like to go on adventures *(6) that test the capabilities of my chair, and the simple robots I build. Either of us can easily get stuck. It is debatable whether that is a real emergency, but If I cannot get us both back to the vehicle, or back home, it can become an emergency. The data I'd like to send is text/map location to display on the unattended vehicle e ink display,(10 miles) text to/from my wife's phone(nearest cell tower), location breadcrumbs to home computer(30 miles), real time 2 way audio/video plus telemetry and robot control signals (1km). If an accelerometer on the chair detects that it is on its side, I'd like a message automatically sent to all my nodes. I know this isn't the kind of thing normally thought of as Emergency Communications.
Thank you for AREDN. Looking forward to learning more.
73
KD0HBJ Dustin Maki (slomobile)
(1)Why didn't I research ARDEN first before asking questions?
Avoiding burnout of enthusiasm.
I have done extensive research into other ham topics prior to asking questions when attempting similar projects. In each prior case, the documentation I find is clearly directed toward a different purpose than my own. There are hints that I can exploit some feature to my ends, but never in enough detail to actually make use of it, and always with dire warnings that I could lose my license if I don't do it just right. Invariably, when I eventually must ask for help, the answer from well intentioned Elmers, "You are using it wrong. This is how you conduct an HF QSO..." Obviously the problem is that I don't actually need what I asked for, I am an idiot for not being satisfied with 100 year old technology + the latest(20 year old) added feature.
I have no desire to ever make an HF QSO. I became a ham to have the right to experiment with RF. To satisfy my own experimental personal projects. I thought that was a fundamental part of the ham experience. The primary disconnect seems to be that rules and amature radio groups(ARRL, repeater clubs) are focused on hams real time communicating to hams. I am interested in hams (myself really, but you can join too) talking to machines via RF to discover the world. Other licensed people are just one small part of that world. I seek to avoid the absolute requirement of the timely presence of another ham in order to complete my mission. In my case, EmComm means making contact with some thing, or some person, that can help. Not some ham. Whenever I have sought guidance in interpreting the rules for this use case, "You are using it wrong. This is how you conduct an HF QSO..."
That is so draining, to have spent months planning implementations, buying equipment, programming, beating out bugs, but to be stopped cold because I don't know the right people to ask my questions to.
Avoiding burnout of enthusiasm.
I have done extensive research into other ham topics prior to asking questions when attempting similar projects. In each prior case, the documentation I find is clearly directed toward a different purpose than my own. There are hints that I can exploit some feature to my ends, but never in enough detail to actually make use of it, and always with dire warnings that I could lose my license if I don't do it just right. Invariably, when I eventually must ask for help, the answer from well intentioned Elmers, "You are using it wrong. This is how you conduct an HF QSO..." Obviously the problem is that I don't actually need what I asked for, I am an idiot for not being satisfied with 100 year old technology + the latest(20 year old) added feature.
I have no desire to ever make an HF QSO. I became a ham to have the right to experiment with RF. To satisfy my own experimental personal projects. I thought that was a fundamental part of the ham experience. The primary disconnect seems to be that rules and amature radio groups(ARRL, repeater clubs) are focused on hams real time communicating to hams. I am interested in hams (myself really, but you can join too) talking to machines via RF to discover the world. Other licensed people are just one small part of that world. I seek to avoid the absolute requirement of the timely presence of another ham in order to complete my mission. In my case, EmComm means making contact with some thing, or some person, that can help. Not some ham. Whenever I have sought guidance in interpreting the rules for this use case, "You are using it wrong. This is how you conduct an HF QSO..."
That is so draining, to have spent months planning implementations, buying equipment, programming, beating out bugs, but to be stopped cold because I don't know the right people to ask my questions to.
I have high hopes that AREDN can be part of my solution, but avoiding burnout is part of my current survival strategy. I'd like your help ruling AREDN in or out for my EmComm application, and directing my next steps forward. So please forgive me if I ask something that has an answer elsewhere. You may have guessed people skills are not among my strengths.
All equipment mentioned is on hand, but not necessarily installed. Mounting and battery management are challenging, but software/firmware is the critical missing piece.
(2)Permobil M3 corpus wheelchair equipped with HackRF One/Ham It Up SDR and linux terminal. Currently Pi 400, 64bit Raspberry Pi OS, and 7" Android tablet Project Tango Development Kit.
I usually have a cell phone or data only SIM card in the tablet, but am frequently out of coverage area. My wheelchair has Permobil Connect to locate it, but it has never been able to find a signal anywhere I have gone including my home.
(3)Mobile wheeled robot equipped with pair of FRS radios, IC T90A, Pi ZeroW or Jetson Nano, a rope, picnic basket, charging station, small selection of tools.
Robots are little more than RC hobby model cars with sensors, camera, mic, speaker, and telemetry link. Many future questions about how to use it with AREDN.
Either of us can easily get stuck. Trying to figure out how to deploy ground anchor from robot so I can pull myself out with rope. Let me know if you have ideas.
Robots are little more than RC hobby model cars with sensors, camera, mic, speaker, and telemetry link. Many future questions about how to use it with AREDN.
Either of us can easily get stuck. Trying to figure out how to deploy ground anchor from robot so I can pull myself out with rope. Let me know if you have ideas.
Also confused about how to apply FCC rules to this robot. Fits many different categories of operation. Model, Telemetry, remote station control, automatic control, FRS ham repeater. Am I allowed to talk to the FRS radios using my ham rig? If I remotely watch camera/mic feed, necessary to steer robot toward people, I may inadvertently broadcast commercial, copyright, or obscenity that happens to be playing in the robot's environment, but for practical reasons cannot terminate the communication. Does the minimal model ID requirement of a tag with contact info fulfil the ID requirement for the robot? Or does it need to ID on air? Am I allowed to control the robot and send its feeds (including non-licensed FRS) through a club repeater?
(4)Vehicle radio Yaesu FTM-100dr Computer in vehicle varies with state of experiments. None, Jetson Nano, Chromebook, or Pi ZeroW with https://www.adafruit.com/product/4143.
(5)Home Starlink internet, but no reliable phone coverage.
(6)Adventures include canoeing, nature trails, overnight camping, traversing the places in a city where sidewalks inexplicably end for a few blocks or a few feet. Mostly these are solo, but sometimes with wife and young child. One of the reasons for the robot car is to seek out alternative routes around blockages without draining chair batteries. I'd like to drop pins identifying blocked passages, log and publish the route around them so other chair users in the area can better plan their travels. In an emergency, ground truth about accessible routes could be important to someone.
RC cars are fast, most wheelchairs are 5mph, 6.5 max. Also, RC is fun for me and my child. At some point, it may make sense to expand this to a flying drone for aerial images/placing antennae/placing temporary repeaters, but that is not among current plans.
RC cars are fast, most wheelchairs are 5mph, 6.5 max. Also, RC is fun for me and my child. At some point, it may make sense to expand this to a flying drone for aerial images/placing antennae/placing temporary repeaters, but that is not among current plans.
Dustin,
I have a Quickie Q500M, similar to your chair. While I don't have anywhere near the ambitions you do, I do know a lot about AREDN. I recommend rather than trying to address all you questions, I'll first ask that you read our documentation, start to finish at https://arednmesh.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
Then you and I can connect 1:1 to begin to tackle your specific uses for the technology.
Andre, K6AH