[Asterisk-Users] civil emergency comms: Asterisk + HAM

[Chris Travers]

Mark Phillips wrote:

> Hold on here folks,
>
> I'm guessing that the original poster of this thread isn't a member of 
> his local RAyNet team.
>
> Whilst I don't profess to be an expert at this I have been doing 
> emergency radio for quite some time and have seen service at the 
> Lockerbie bombing, Docklands bomb, Ground Zero (I'm sure I'm a 
> terrorist target y'know - they seem to follow me everywhere) and soon 
> I'll be in Louisiana.
>
> In all of these events the KISS principle must and does prevail. We 
> need a system that is a simple and energy efficient as possible.

>
> Building a network of * servers and Wi-Fi links is all very well but 
> how are you going to power them?

These are excellent points.  I have a few interesting suggestions 
here....  The first is that the only obstacle to any sort of 
longer-range point to point line is merely power.  This is true whether 
you are talking HAM or fiberoptics.  Note that if you have the power, it 
would take disruption of the physical line to disrupt a fiber line.  
Note that DirectNIC in New Orleans remained operational without *any* 
downtime or loss of connectivity with the rest of the world.

The suggestion that I have is for various areas to have dedicated civil 
emergency com units with strategic reserves of fuel (3-4 weeks worth), 
battery backups, etc.  These units would have links (fiber, microwave, 
and/or satellite, better to pick 2 of 3) to areas outside expected 
disaster zones.  Asterisk could then run across these links.  (Sattelite 
links would best be POTS-type).

The point is to a disaster-tolerant communications infrastructure which 
could then be used to to provide additional communications services to 
the relief workers.  With various point to point wireless capabilities, 
it might be possible to use them to provide cell service to relief 
workers etc through the installation of GSM microcells (which could be 
brought in after the fact).

See where I am going?

>
> Generators require fuel which is always in short supply and batteries 
> die out quickly. Adding Ham Radio to the picture doesn't really add 
> much when you are trying to do something like a * network. The radio 
> gear just isn't designed to integrate with the * server.
>
> Ham radio is being used down in the Katrina affected area with great 
> results for both emergency and heath/welfare related traffic. They are 
> using both "phone" (that's when one talks in to the radio) and data 
> modes and can be heard all over the 75 and 40 meter bands here in the US.
>
> Power for most of these stations comes from batteries they loot (with 
> Police approval) from abandoned cars or a combo of solar and 
> batteries. Many stations are only hear on the air after dark so that 
> they can put as much sunlight into their batteries as possible.
>
> Yes, electricity is available in some places either all day or across 
> the peak hours (allowing the workmen to restore power to other areas).
>
> Yes, there are radio to phone interconnects but these really are a 
> single phone to a single radio. Think of it as a cordless phone in 
> that the radio user can be anywhere within reach of the base station.
>
> Such technologies, whilst legal here in the US, may not be legal 
> elsewhere. When last at home (UK) I was not able to connect my radio 
> to the phone system by law (this may have changed recently - not been 
> home for 8 years). Many countries have such restrictions and as we saw 
> during the Tsunami, rules don't get relaxed just because there's a 
> panic on.
>
> Without question a phone system would be much better than a radio 
> station. As such I'll be taking a portable * server I've built, all 
> the IP hard phones I can find and 5 DirectTV style Internet systems.

How do IP hardphones work with satellite internet?  I always thought 
people had real trouble getting them to work at all.....

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers
Metatron Tecnology Consulting
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