[TowerTalk] Equipment suggestions or donations

Thu Mar 26 22:31:47 PDT 2009

Thanks Joe!  Answers inline...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NE6V" <NE6V at roadrunner.com>
To: "Marlon K. Schafer" <ooe at odessaoffice.com>; "Towertalk" 
<towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 9:53 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Equipment suggestions or donations

> Hello Marlon,
>
>    In reading your very extensive and detailed submission, I end reading 
> it with more questions than answers. I would certainly like to assist you 
> in your quest but several answers  will be needed.
> What is a "hugesnet" ?

A satellite internet system That's been horribly miss-spelled 
(http://www2.hughesnet.com/?gclid=CLHD5KmowpkCFQ9JagodhFQ3vA).  I have the 
hardware but haven't bought an account yet.  My local Sat. installation 
company tells me that I have to become a Hughesnet certified installer 
before I can even beguin to aim the dish.  I know people must travel with 
sat. internet service so there has to be a mechanism to deal with this.  I 
just haven't figured it out yet.  I'm hoping to have some outside data 
before I call Hughes.

> Regarding the current "WiFi hot spot" what service do you use?

I provide the hotpsots.  I use wireless devices to extend the fiber optic 
data circuits that come to town to communites in parts of 5 counties.

> In reading your submission, I'm not sure if you are part of a Club, ARES 
> group or what exactly it is you are affiliated with.

I'm a private company owner that's interested in helping my community better 
deal with emergencies.  We already donate or deeply discount high speed 
internet services to towns, fire departments, police stations libraries etc. 
in the area.

I first got the idea of adding emergency communications hardware to a motor 
home when I watched a local HAM sit in the front seat of his pickup for 7 or 
8 hours straight while coordinating ambulances, helicopters etc. for a 100 
mile desert poker run and race that had some 2500 riders on one day and 
900ish racers the next.  I thought of how nice it would have been if he 
could have sat at a table to work, been able to heat up a cup of coffee, go 
to the bathroom etc.  The first thing I did to our motorhome when we got it 
this winter was install more batteries and run bigger wire to places that 
we'd want to put in various radio systems.  I've got the mast installed 
already, it'll telescope to nearly around 20' and can be left on or be 
removed by one person and stored underneath the coach.

Next I'll get a 12 or 14" by 3' or so electrical box built and mount that on 
top.  I'll have conduit run to it so we can add any antennas we want, 
install temp antennas or whatever else we need to do.  All the while keeping 
the motorhome useful for family vaccations etc.  All of that has been done 
and will continue to be done by me out of my own pocket.

>I assume you are associated with a group since, you mention using the 
>motorhome as a "mobile command post". May I ask for your callsign please?

I don't have one.  But that's OK, I don't need one.  I'll not USE this as a 
command post.  It's mine for my family to use.  However, when I can get the 
needed hardware installed it will be made available for the local emergency 
coordinators to use.  We're already working with the folks in charge of 
these things both at the HAM level and county government level.  They will 
be the ones to use this unit when they need it.  I'm just paying for it :-).

> Towards the bottom of your submission, you mention,training and services 
> and billing for usage. You should review Part 97 Rules and Regulations, as 
> there are VERY FEW situations which allow us to "charge money" for our 
> services.( then we become "Commercial Radio" as opposed to   "Amateur 
> Radio")

Right.  I'm aware of all of that.  You are thinking of the service though. 
I'm talking about the facility.  All I'm doing is making my family's motor 
home available to my local emergency services personel.  But making this 
vehicle a dual use rig it's much easier to pay for it.

> Finally, your last paragraph, is not logical, but you may want to consider 
> becoming a "MARS" operator.

I'm working with the MARS folks too.  We'll be able to use the internet 
access on the motorhome (if I'm in range of one of my systems or when the 
sat. account is set up) to do some of what they do now.  The area MARS 
system's internet access and phone runs on my internet services.

> Oh yes, wouldn't a dual bander be acceptable?

That's been brought up as a less invasive (remember this equipment will all 
be mounted in my family vaccation facility :-), less expensive and less 
power hungry than a two radio solution.  I'm not a HAM, I don't get involved 
in that type of work during emergencies or disasters.  *MY* thought is that 
it would be better to have two radios so that a single operator could talk 
to two others or that two operators could be seated at the table and work on 
two different problems at the same time.

I'm OK with the space and power issues but I'm certainly interested in any 
ideas you guys have on what the overall best solution would be.  We're still 
in the planning and basic foundational phase here.  This is a good time to 
change gears.  In a perfect world, what would you do?

Thanks!
marlon

>
> Thank You
> 73
> de
> NE6V~Joe
> ARRL Los Angeles Section Affiliated Club Coordinator
> Cong. District 29 ~LAA-SW Division~ ARRL
> ARRL Life Member
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Marlon K. Schafer" <ooe at odessaoffice.com>
> To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 8:20 AM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Equipment suggestions or donations
>
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> We bought a large motor home this winter with the idea of doing some 
>> travel
>> with the kids and to make it into a mobile command post.  I already have 
>> it
>> set up as a free wifi hot spot.  I currently feed it via my existing
>> wireless network and this part of the project is working great.
>>
>> I'd also like to pick up a hugesnet account that I can use in the motor 
>> home
>> or for other temp situations.  I have the hardware but haven't had much 
>> luck
>> in figuring out if they have an account that will let me set up and aim 
>> the
>> dish myself.  Clearly I can't just bring an installer on site everytime 
>> we
>> move.  There must be a way to make this work, any suggestions?
>>
>> I'm working with a couple of the counties in my area too.  I'll pick up a 
>> CB
>> radio and antenna to put in it.  Some of the local hams that do disaster
>> relief have offered to help install hardware and antennas etc.  I have an
>> equipment manufacturer that will donate the antennas.  We still need to 
>> find
>> a 2 meter and a 440 radio.  Ideally these will be able to act as 
>> repeaters
>> so that we can pull up on a hill overlooking an area that they can't get
>> into with their current radios and give them coverage.  As they don't own
>> this unit and it has to still be available for my family to use grant 
>> money
>> doesn't seem to be much of an option.  And as I'll be donating the usage 
>> of
>> this more so than not (donated for training exercises, hopefully I can 
>> bill
>> for it's time if there is a funded event) I'm unable to justify thousands 
>> of
>> dollars in equipment costs.  (I am still expanding my wireless network,
>> we'll be adding another 700 square miles to it today!)
>>
>> Does anyone know of any groups or agencies that would donate or deeply
>> discount a couple of radios?  Does anyone have gear that's not in use
>> anymore?
>>
>> Also, do you guys know of a VHF and/or UHF radio system that we could
>> install that would work with the existing emergency services agencies? 
>> They
>> can deal with any licensing issues, but I need a radio that can be
>> programmed to work with any freq. that they may be using at the time that
>> it's needed.  Might be fire, police etc.
>>
>> Any help, thoughts or ideas are welcome!
>>
>> thanks,
>> marlon
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
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> 