In article , Tom Horne wrote:

The idea would be to set up a few wifi capable links on
taller buildings that could be linked to some central high spot and from
there to the county's purpose built EOC.

Why not just run 802.11a/g/n links under part-15 rules, and stay out of
part 97 altogether? I can't see any advantages to doing this under part 97,
and several disadvantages.

Ubiquiti gear is inexpensive, and not at all difficult to deploy.


As for testing we could put LAN routers at one or more of the nodes to
allow appropriate local use of the WAN the links would provide which
would provide the kind of continuous use and testing that you are
talking about. We would have to have a way to shut down the LAN routers
when the links were needed for emergency management support.

Just put a webcam or two at each location, pointed at something interesting,
like a freeway interchange or other congestion point.



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On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:26:34 EST, (Bob
Vaughan) wrote:

Why not just run 802.11a/g/n links under part-15 rules, and stay out of
part 97 altogether? I can't see any advantages to doing this under part 97,
and several disadvantages.

Advantage = external antenna with higher power, or so I'm told.

Just put a webcam or two at each location, pointed at something interesting,
like a freeway interchange or other congestion point.

And a poster with the ham station callsign! G

My counterpart at one of our sister hospitals 100 miles away - who
does not take "no" for an answer - has been pushing MESH for our
hospital group. He is the EC for his county and has had some success
with it there. In spite of his "recommendation" I always have to
remind him that our group hospitals can barely work each other on
2-meters and at some of our locations more antennas and cables (and
radios in the packed consoles) cannot be added. I don't want to
confuse him with facts.