[TenTec] OT so please contact offline

[rrbunn at cox.net]

While HF would provide the bandwidth and range.  I would suggest you use UHF 9.6KB packet like the Kenwood D700A.  APRS provides an Ad Hoc network that does automatic relay fo position and can be used to send weather data via packet as well.  See Bob Brunaga's website.  To enhance this you may want to put up a tower in the center of the area.  For Line of Sight 1 foot above average terrine is about a mile of range.  For 30 miles you could find a high point and put up a 40 foot push up mast, guy it down and use that as your collection point.

Rick Bunn
N4ASX
---- Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op at sbcglobal.net> wrote: 
> I'm looking for some comms advice and I know some of you have a fair 
> bit of experience in this area.
> 
> I'll be part of a meteorological field project next year (I'm a 
> research meteorologist, not a comms engineer). The project will study 
> severe weather and will occur within about a 50 x 50 mi area that 
> will be decided upon each operational day. Many observing sites will 
> be mobile and moving around within the box, but the box itself is 
> unlikely to move much once set. The issue is comms (mainly voice or 
> low-bandwidth data) between the control center and outlying field 
> personnel, and then between the various field locations: how can we 
> maintain reliable comms and do it cheaply?
> 
> I considered a NVIS system, but I suspect that lightning noise would 
> play havoc with that, even if we could obtain enough bandwidth for 
> NBFM. Even though we'll be in the southern plains, terrain may be an 
> issue in places like the Texas caprock. Outside of satellite comms or 
> some kind of balloon-borne repeater, I'm stumped. I'm open to enlightenment!
> 
> Kim Elmore, N5OP
> 
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