Bill, Kirkland Emergency Communications Team took delivery of 10 ID-1s, a ID-RP2C Controller and a ID-R3 Data Module in 2010. The intent was to link our EOC-Radio Room with our 7 remotes sites and two portable units with a high speed data network. However we did not develop functional requirement specifications and we did not do any preliminary feasibility testing before equipment order was placed. I spent two years attempting to develop a working network. Below are some of my findings. 1. The radio to radio path has to be line of sight or via a good reliable reflector. The best tool that I found to determine if a viable path exists is Radio Mobile. I did a number of field tests, ID-1 to ID-1 and ID-1 to the K7LWH DD node on the Lincoln Tower in Belleview. In all tests where the terrain extended into the direct path a connection could not be established. Our only fixed location in Kirkland with K7LWH DD node is the city hall. We have only on fire station that could see the antenna on the City Hall. With the new construction I am not sure if it is currently a good path. 2. ID-1 to ID-1 DD mode is simplex. A 1MB image takes about 2.5 minutes to transfer. 3. I am not sure of what the through put would be for a DD Gateway (K7KFD) 2, 3 or 4 ID-1's were connected at the same time and passing files. 4. I was told by ICOM, a few years ago, that the ID-1s could not be meshed. If the firmware could be reprogrammed to be compatible with Broadband-Hamnet, many of us may be willing to take the ID-1 off the shelf and get them on the air. 5. There are groups that have established links using ID-1s back to back but I determined that our group did not have the human recourse to establish and maintain a reliable link in a disaster at this time. I for one would like to see an ID-1 networking "cookbook" if one is ever written. John Haze K7VE was a recourse the rest was through trial and error. I am willing to share my rough notes (they are rough) with anyone that may be interested. In the mean time I am looking to HamWAN and Broadband-Hamnet to handle high speed data transfer in Kirkland. Bob Morrisson KE7JL Kirkland Emergency Communications Team -----Original Message----- From: PSDR [mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org] On Behalf Of Bill Vodall Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 5:37 PM To: Puget Sound Data Ring Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] 44.x.x.x HamWAN network at Paine
So, you may wonder, why do I want to even screw around with the ID-1 radios in DD-mode? Because there are so few of them, and I have one on the air, and the SnoCo DEM has one on the air.
Another local EmComm group has 7 ID-1's that, AFAIK, aren't yet being used. Some of the folks there that I've talked to have mentioned propagation issues as the primary impediment. I bet they'd be very happy to have a cookbook process in place where they could get on and connect with a node like Paine Field or set up one of their own. 73 Bill, WA7NWP _______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org http://mail.hamwan.org/mailman/listinfo/psdr_hamwan.org