Offgrid Communication for Dummies
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- In this video, I'll share with you my vision for simple offgrid comms. Warning: this vision is a bit "anti-ham". Stick around if you've been intimidated by digital data modes and want an easier way to be an effective communicator for grid down scenarios.
0:00 Introduction
2:03 Improving the Radio Experience
4:25 Making a Simple Radio Appliance
SUPPORT
www.buymeacoffee.com/thetechp...
RADIO GEAR
1. Panasonic CF-20 Toughbook - amzn.to/3U2Vpg8
2. Yaesu FT-818ND - amzn.to/3TyXTTG
3. DigiRig Mobile - amzn.to/3QkifOe
4. Digirig Mobile Cables - amzn.to/3zsNctw
5. Battery - amzn.to/3CqiO4Q
6. Solar panel - amzn.to/3US5A8i
7. Handled Radio - amzn.to/3yIpJTX
BACKCOUNTRY GEAR
1. Eberlestock FAC Track - amzn.to/3Cc2vcn
2. Garmin Instinct - amzn.to/3zbIkt4
3. USGI Poncho - amzn.to/3wdHU3A
4. Universal Water Fill Adapter - amzn.to/3V7zoNP
5. 3L Dry Bag - amzn.to/3XCilW3
6. Trekology Folding Table - amzn.to/3prWccZ
#thetechprepper #offgrid #hamradio #emcomm #emcommtools
The barrier to entry for the amateur radio community is one of the largest I've ever seen. Further, many in the community use this as a weapon or gate keeping method to those seeking to enter the community or to just skim the surface. I got my HAM license but taking the hobby further is literally a full time job. I applaud you for trying to encapsulate some of this information into a more "plug and play" method.
I'm with you. It's very intimidating to enter the hobby as an outsider. At least that was my personal experience. The digital side is fascinating, but requires a motivated individual that's technically inclined.
Nailed it. Each and every point. Make the really cool stuff easy and accessible for most folks, and get them hooked. From there, the ones that want to, can go on deep technical dives.
I have met those gatekeepers. I have had conversations with a couple. It's a good thing I just do my thing and try to find people that are willing to work with people and not against them. If you need help, there are many here that are willing to help, or point you in the right direction.
I basically have 3 elmers, 2 I met through the congregation my wife and I attend and one through amrron.
You arent wrong. And it's a shame there are so many egos that feel the need to act that way. I wish it weren't so. They are the reason their hobby has declined as much as it has. But we aren't all that way. In my experience the younger generation is doing good work making things approachable and interesting to newcomers. I applaud the efforts of The Tech Prepper and others. 73. AC6DT.
I understand the accusations of self appointed gatekeepers to the hobby, but there are plenty of good Elmers out there and most are accessible through a club structure.
Gatekeeping by licensing and examination should be appreciated as preserving the quality of communications and propelling the hobby forward technically. Consider how CB radio has devolved into a space that is not necessarily family friendly or beneficial to the community. There are a few clannish potty mouthed individuals in amateur radio mostly on 80m at night, but they are easily avoidable and they do run afoul of the FCC from time to time through monitoring and reporting of other amateur radio operators.
License examinations also ensure that amateur radio operators are not merely appliance operators, but they have some basic knowledge that can built upon through self education, mentoring, and experimentation leading to a reasonably competent Ecom communicator.
The problem with too many preppers is they buy the equipment, often without getting a license, and they never join a group that practices the hobby that is most often a local amateur radio club.
The failure to enjoy the practice of the hobby will lead to many preppers being unable to communicate in an Ecom or SHTF situation.
Most larger communities have multiple radio clubs that are loosely based upon contesting, dx, public service, and socializing around the hobby. That later tends to be a good example of a dying club that may still have amazing human assets as mentors.
Amateur radio had a lot of good steam pushing it when long distance telephone calls often cost as much as a cup of coffee or more per minute! Prior to the late 1970s it was common to have long distance charges between cities within the same county. Amatuers built repeater systems with tie-in or patching into the local phone system, much reminiscent to cellphone technology.
The componets to build ones own transmitters and receivers could be purchased locally and assembled by a person with modest soldering skills. Solid state electronics ended the simplicity and ease of "rolling your own" and the doing away with exorborant long distance charges with cellphone made the hobby less attractive to many.
However, the advent of direct digital sampling radios and the marrying of computers to modern radios has breathed new life into the hobby through digital communications and co-opting simple computers into to transmitters and receivers largely through plug and play components and software. Modes like FT8 originally designed for Earth-Moon-Earth communication have had new life breathed into them with modes like JS8 and JS8Call. Amateurs pioneered email via radio only when necessary via Winlink, a system so valuable that it has been adopted by the military.
I don't believe amateur radio is dying or is dead. It has morphed into a closet hobby facilitated by the Internet that has done away with one-on-one mentoring. There is no limit as to what can be learned from a glowing talking screen which is why there is more and more effort to commercialize and regulate the Internet.
However, in an Ecom or SHTF situation human assets are you most valuable assets. People with skills and real tangible resources overcome emergencies as communities. Too many preppers are not building local communities. Clubs provide a way to build communities and highlight the hobby to the local community in a positive light.
Find a radio club. Join a radio club. Learn. Enjoy the hobby. Expand the club to service the community.
Alienating? Nah, you do you. You went and standardized everything for your group and it works. Keep up the excellent work!
Good point! Honestly, keeping this type of narrow focus is only way to get this project done. It's hard enough finding time to keep the project alive while pumping out one video per week and keeping up with life. The UA-cam Overlords require one video per week before they banish you to obscurity.
This is an amazing project and so very needed (for such a time as this.) If there was a goal oriented “zero entry“ into digital comms for emergencies, it would also be easier to get friends to get to general. Let the community know how we can help!
Morning, Ben. You are very welcome. I agree. At the end this end of the day this is my goal for people that want to reliable comms without a ton of headache.
1. Get your Tech and General licenses.
2. Buy the supported hardware/radio.
3. Load EmComm Tools
4. Use the simple EmComm Tools field manual (to be written) to get on the air.
Thanks for the support!
Awesome, a simple way to get started, and then learn as much, or as little about the hidden workings as the user wants. You are my radio hero! I can't wait to see you succeed.
When I was in school, one of my professors used an anecdote about Henry Ford when he was asked about offering different paint colors of the Model T. Ford responded saying, they can have whatever color they want as long it's black.
Very interested to see what you develop here. Thanks for following your intuition and bringing this out regardless of established community expectations. Follow your gut - we need this.
This simple radio appliance concept sounds awesome... I can't wait for the emcomm tools to become available.
I'm glad you're going this route and greatly simplifying the path to preparedness. Then we can get past the complex matrix of tool selection and just get to training and operating.
Thanks, man. I am trying to build a tool that puts communication at the forefront. Spending a weekend or even weeks to configure everything is not in the cards.
I definitely support this approach. This is the first video of yours that I watched and I subscribed because I want to watch this develop more. Some in the amateur radio community may not like this, but everyone should see this as a win because it shows how versatile the amateur radio network can be. Great job!
Love what you're doing. Simple, cheap and reliable is the way to go.
Love this idea! Had my license for 10 years and I haven’t been this excited since I first started! I’m NOT techie - so teaching myself how to do digital - became daunting.
Looking forward to this! Great job!
I love this approach to ham radio, standardizing and simplifying things.
This seems like a very unique idea in ham radio. I'm excited to see where it goes (and getting my hands on it). Keep up the good work and sharing your videos.
Thanks, Sean. It's an ambitious goal, but it's finally coming together.
Just wanted to say that I'm a huge fan of your work and your content. As a non tech savvy person I am very excited to see someone developing turnkey solutions for such valuable comms methods that allow people like me who struggle heavily with computers and tech to communicate effectively when the need comes. Thanks again and keep up the good work!
Thanks. Like I mentioned, the only downside to turnkey is that this project can't be everything to everyone. In order for me to deliver this vision, I need focus. To have focus, I need to narrow my implementation to small set of known components. We'll see how this goes. At the moment, this direction is looking good.
This is long overdue and I’m excited to see it come to fruition! You have a great vision Gaston. All the best!
Thanks, but there's still a lot of work ahead before it's released. I'm focusing on the CAT control and chat messaging next. The Tactical Awareness Map is done for now.
Thank you, this intro was great. This is something I've been looking for for a while..
Love what you’re constructing here. I am in the need for the same set up.
I really love this concept.
I found your channel right after I received my tech license a year ago. Since then I been following along and buying everything you have since you already did the testing. Just got a 818 a month ago, currently building antennas… waiting in a bag and EmComm tools 😂. Thanks for keeping the channel going for us!
Keep up the good work. I know that the FT-818 is not a sexy radio, but I honestly believe that this rig has a proven track record of reliability over the last couple of decades. It's basically a Swiss Army Knife. Thanks for the ongoing support.
Fellow software dev and radio tech enthusiest here! I just discovered the channel but I love what your doing here, I cant wait to see more!
This is very cool - mad props to you man. I work in IT as well so seeing Linux being used here is super cool to me. As a guy in his early twenties that just got his tech license, the quality of documentation and support for stuff like this is surprisingly archaic and/or non-existent. Being buried in school and a full time job doesn’t allow me the luxury of spending hours on end trying to put together the puzzle that is digital modes. Will be following to see where you go with this. Cheers!
Thanks for the support. I've been a tech guy since the mid 90's and digital modes are unnecessary complex and are a black hole of time. This feels like the obvious engineering solution to the problem. Other than outside the US Military, I have no idea why something like this does not already exist for amateur radio. I feel your pain. I have a full time job, family and try to maintain fitness while doing all this on the inside. Personally, I wake up at 0330 every morning to do this, so I appreciate the support.
Love your philosophy and looking forward to learning from you as you continue down this path! Thank you!
You are so welcome! It's going to be a practical, yet fun ride.
Thank you so much for this video and working to simplify ham communication for the average prepper!
I’m loving this. I just got my general, my husband and I are avid backpackers with some mountains under our belts too. Preparedness lifestyle. You are the only UA-camr I have found who truly embodies these fundamentals. Thank you!
Congratulations on your General and cheers to another backpacker. This project is starting to gain momentum. It has started and stalled so many times due to other commitments, but I have a plan to finally finish it this year. Welcome to the channel.
Keep up the great work. What amazing idea. I so need this for me and my family and friends.
Hi from Chicago - I have a lot of respect for you and the direction you’re going. I think it’s what the ham community needs right now. In my 23 years as an operator I’ve probably spent most of my ham time figuring out configurations - the details of which are spread everywhere across the internet. A couple of thoughts: 1. I think when you have emcomm tools up and running you’re going to find a lot of hams who want to be in a community of Known Contacts as you demonstrate. Problem is, this doesn’t really happen at the ham club level anymore. There are some Elmer’s out there but it’s inevitable that it’s too hard to find that guy in your area who has your equipment and trying to do the exact same things with it. So building a community of like minded users may be important over time. 2. Don’t apologize or fret so much about causing “disruption” within the hobby. To use your own example of Steve Jobs, he certainly didn’t care about what people thought about his disruptions to the industry. You’re doing some great stuff and I think you’re starting to see there are (tens of) thousands of hams out there who will be along for the ride. So, kudos to you. And count me in as a beta tester!
Maybe a Facebook group for the tech Prepper followers or something like that
I think this is a great approach. The iPhone analogy is perfect. Well done, and I look forward to the next chapters of this story.
Glad you liked the analogy. It's funny, my wife who is a non-ham will be my first alpha tester. If she can operate under my callsign and make a contact then I have succeeded. I can't wait to share it with y'all.
You are most definitely heading in the right direction. I’ll be one of those following along. Well done. 👍🇺🇸
Glad you think so. Cheers.
DUDE , this is exactly what I have been looking for. IM SERIOUSLY SO EXCITED!!!! Please do not stop!!°°°
Keep your fingers crossed. I have no idea if this will work. Let's give it a whirl. Stay tuned.
Count me in, I’m looking forward to the new venture!
I live in the Cascades of Oregon prone to bad weather and wildfires . These scenarios are a matter of life and death without normal channels of communication. Thanks for posting this video ..
This seems like a great idea! Thank you for your efforts. I'm going to enjoy following along!
Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks for putting this together for the community.
You're welcome. It still needs a lot of work. I'm still chipping away at the development as I have spare time.
this is exciting. Thank you for thinking to do this and putting in the effort. so many people, myself included want to learn all the ins and outs but we have so much else going on our lives so it's hard do devote the time and practice....families, full time jobs, etc. but we still want to be prudent and have the "emcomm" aspect of our lives take care of..
Awesome. This stuff is a huge sink of hole of time. I have also found that once you get things working, that the knowledge will quickly decay unless you keep at it. The digital mode scene is a nightmare. CHeers!
This is amazing! I will definitely support the project!
Awesome, thank you!
I think you are 100% on the right track!!!
Thanks for the confirmation. I think so, too. It will be an interesting journey to pull this off.
Can't wait!! Thanks for your efforts and dedication 🙂
My pleasure!
Appreciate what you have accomplished so far, and how far you've come in only a couple years. I also have a similar mindset with HAM... on focusing on real life capabilities off grid vs contesting. Keep up the great work! Thanks!
I appreciate that! The hobby is still new to me, but this direction looks very promising.
I want this! Such an awesome idea 🙌🏼
Dummy checking in. Thank you for this video!
I love it. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Thanks. Wait until you see the next update. There's a lot of working remaining, but it's finally taking shape.
@@TheTechPrepper How great would it be to display battery pack capacity on the webpage. I PM'd you the other day and will get back to you as requested. Looking forward to helping out. There are many mutual benefits between the project I am working on and what you are working on.
Great principles to make offgrid communications straightforward. Looking forward to it!
More to come!
Amen. I look forward with great enthusiasm to pulling your project from github.
Outstanding, count me in!
This is fantastic!
I’ve started to try getting into HAM radio a few times over the years for SHTF. I always get overwhelmed and end up distracted with full time job, family, etc and I end up just moving on.
I am 100% in support of this idea! Will be following, and happy to support.
It is overwhelming. Personally, I almost exited the hobby at the beginning. In fact, I was licensed in 2017 with the express goal of rounding my preps. I did not make my first contact until 2019 as I did not have time to deal with all the technical issues and ramp-up. Take care.
I'd say get a radio. Receive but do not transmit. You will learn a lot while listening and seriously, if SHTF who cares if you are licensed.
@@gpsmith5818Good point!
This is great! Thanks for narrowing it down for us!
It's my pleasure. There were a few more breakthroughs with the development since this video was published. I'll update you guys as soon as I can.
Terrific idea!!! I hope you bring it ti fruition. I'll be onboard.
Thanks for the support. There are occasional curve balls, but most have been solvable problems.
Great idea. Interested in learning more
Watched this for like the 9th time. LOVE it.
Super Intuitive & a Needed product in market.
Should prove to be a HOME RUN !!
As always, thanks for the support, Eric. The UA-cam algorithm and myself thank you.
Subscribed with notifications! This is the exact content I was looking for.… I just started my ham license training.
Welcome to the channel! Good luck with your journey.
I'm a ham of 10 or so years, and a lifelong tech enthusiast.
This is the right approach. Consider channel/frequencies accessible to tech class as well - the long-neglected group, but largest in ham radio.
Love it! This is what is needed. I know this has been your baby for awhile.
I am getting closer. The custom OS was the missing ingredient. I'll keep pushing as this project has evolved over that two years. I hope to have it out early next year. Cheers!
I can't wait for you to get this all setup. I'd buy it in a heartbeat
Thanks for the interest. More next year.
I’ve completed a similar project with my final off grid setup using Meshtastic, TBeam Lora device, CivTak & a Samsung S10 phone. It’s a solid setup now with Meshtastic 2.0 and above.
Count me 100% IN !!
As an Absolute “Newbie”, Your operating Style Is EXACTLY why I became interested in the radio world.
Btw… Love the way You keep your foot ON the throttle 24/7/365!
Literally JUST began looking into the toughbook’s last week.
Funny how things work sometimes.
Lastly, your EMCOMM software will make it SUPER EASY for the non licensed to use.
Incredibly in-tune with the main concern of the family ALPHA.
Thanks, Eric. Welcome to the hobby. This stuff can be intimidating, but don't get discouraged. Cheers, my friend.
Count me in. I got my technician license back in August and spent 4 months trying to figure out how to use FT8 digital modes with my X6100 and studying for my general license. Count me in on this project when the time comes
definitely a really cool concept
Hi I like what you have done. I have been playing with radios and computer hardware for years with a massive dose of frustration. That journey has evolved to almost the same destination as you, ft817, digirig and linux mint with the spaghetti soup of apps (flrig pat etc etc). Your work will help a lot of folk who just want things to work out of the box.
I share your frustration. I did a series on why digital modes are so difficult earlier this year. Hang in there.
Does the memory stick have some kind of protection in case a system proof idiot like myself accidentally does something stupid?
Love this idea Gaston. I’m also in tech and I think you’re spot on. Looking forward to test EmmComm Tools.
Glad you like the approach. This tool offers a ton of capabilities for the Technician class operator. More on this topic in the coming months. 73's
This is an awesome project. If I had the time, I’d love to just dive into the minutiae of amateur radio. But I got into it primarily for practical application, and I unfortunately don’t have the time for much else. The problem is that virtually nothing in the hobby is plug and play, even at the most basic level. It’s real work that requires a significant investment in time and effort to be able to do almost anything of real practical use. Even with a PhD.
So I love that you’ve taken on this project. I’ll definitely be watching to see how it goes. Thanks!
Thanks for your video!!! This exactly fits what I’ve been looking for years . Im still new and ready to get into amateur radio for our family , and simplicity and standardized will really help to make the learning curve less difficult which we all need. Really looking forward ecomm tools to become available might sound childish but I’m excited!! We’re ready to get started. Really looking forward to seeing more content on this . If you did a 20 or 30 video I’d be glued to the screen! Maybe in the future a Q&A live chat on just the e-comm. Absolutely fantastic content keep up the good work!
Good luck getting into amateur radio. It's worth the pain of getting started.
You’re such a real one ☝️
I’m learning a lot from your Channel
striving to work at Maxar industries and this type of hardware and software for off grid/ offline communication definitely changes the game.🦅
Thank god someone wants to make ham radio easy! Just powering some base stations seem like a daunting (and expensive) task. I’m all for it. Learning for the technician license and want to get to general sooner rather than later. But the only reason I want those licenses is for this specific setup. You’re right on track.
Also, not just communicate, but listen…scanning, NOAA/GOES, ADS-B those things are important too.
As a prepper, this is wonderful news... I just purchased a G90...I so hope that radio is able to be used. Bravo to you for doing. This, it's exactly what we need
I love it when preppers pop in. Welcome. Enjoy that G90. I broke my own rule and added support for my new Xiegu X6100 yesterday, so there may be hope for the G90 at some point down the road. If it works with the DigiRig it might be possible, but things may not be as plug-and-play.
@@TheTechPrepper I think Yaesu and Ziegu use the same Digi-Rig with different cables. As far as hardware and software, that's for you Gaston. Again, I really interested in having it work with the 891.
@@johnkaelberer237 I was just looking at the Amazon link he listed in the description and the images show it hooked up to a G90. I also already own a G90 with its intentions for digital use so this is all very intriguing 🤔
You are definitely moving in the right direction! Keep up the good work! 🤙🏻
Glad to hear it. Will do.
Thank you for the information.
Great information! Very interesting. With the way the world is going, these tools may be needed sooner then we think.
This is outstanding and thank you! I am an Extra and have been very disillusioned with the Ham community over the years. There are no Elmers out there and only bitter "I took my test when it was on paper and had to make my own pencil to write down the answers. You will never be a real HAM!" I am an Auxcomm/Ares member but even frustrated with the leadership that will not even embrace digital. Thank you for all your efforts and glad I found this channel! 73 Nxxx
Its comments like these that keep me motivated to keeping going. Some mornings I wake to a decent backlog of angry emails that start with, "How dare you.! You are going to destroy this hobby..." Personally, I almost walked away from the hobby a few times as well as the UA-cam channel. As long as there's a group that sees value in what I am doing, I'll keep on pushing as long as I can. If you're interested, here's a private video I released on a new feature:
www.buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper/emcomm-tools-update-operator-mode
73's
We have comprehensive quarterly local/section exercises on VHF simplex, HF and digital modes. Multiple field teams, EOC’s and home stations. We even have a station at the local hospital. We are working on a portable Mesh network too for video comms in our shelters when they open during big NorEasters. We use 2m simplex now for the shelters. During our exercises, we use NBEMS and Winlink, P2P. Our DCM is a meteorologist and we have a team of about 20 ARES members. We are also very active with Skywarn for the NWS. And yes, most of them are old…but who cares! I’m learning a ton and they are nice and we work well as a team!
I like this approach, I'm studying for my license now, soon should be taking the test. Your Ecomms approach fits my plans well, looking forward to learning more about all this "new to me" endeavor. Thank you.
Welcome to the new hobby. It's a hobby of a thousand hobbies, but personally, I enjoy the practical aspects of communications for real-world scenarios whether it be public service, emcomm, or just a bit of fun in the backcountry. Good luck with your license!
I can name quite a few outstanding software projects that were torpedoed by user demands for their specific hardware compatibility. Eventually the demands drained the developer's "fuel tank," the developer walked away from the project, and we were left with ghost-ware (i.e. it's dead, it just doesn't know it yet). In light of this, your strategy seems sound, and I can't wait to see it released! All the best Gaston
Finally, someone who understands where I am coming from. Well said. Thank you. Here's a good example. I picked up a Xiegu X6100 last week for a different project that I plan to work on. I sat down to add support for just this one radio so that it would have the same turnkey, zero-configuration support as my FT-818ND and FT-857D. It took 8 hours. Cheers!
Looking forward to it!
Great approach, especially for the No Random Contacts idea. Simple, no laborious setup, and, for those who want to spend hours rtfm, they can do that if they like. Thanks.
This solution requires specific radios and reference hardware which puts off a lot of hams, but it is designed for easy of ease. Thanks for getting the vision.
That's a great idea. Your own Linux distro with everything setup for use at a high-level. Looking forward to seeing how it progresses.
That's the plan!
I am a fan of your channel. Really excited about the EmCom tool which you are working to make it simple an user-friendly in the digital space communication. Eagerly waiting for the progression in the next video
Wishing you loads of luck.
Cheers!
New Delhi
I think one of the great things about ham radio is how broad a "hobby" it is. If there are those who don't like your idea for radio, that's fine. For me, I think it's brilliant. I have the same goal in my use of amateur radio: to be able to communicate in an emergency. Sounds like you're well on your way to solving some of the very problems I've been thinking of, and I'd be delighted to use your system. Count me in.
Thanks for the video! Looking forward to Emcom Tools! I picked up one of those toughbooks from one of your other videos. Works perfect.
Not a bad unit considering they're from 2008. I need to find a new refurbished source Glad you like yours.
ATW! Great concept... looking forward to it.
Thanks. It was nice looking at this problem from the perspective of an outsider. I hope to make this easier for everyone. Cheers.
Sounds great.
Got the 817 and am planning on getting the tough book for emergency ops. Doing research on digital and found this. Perfect. As an old commo sgt ham is so much more than I have done or really want to. I just want good coms if things go sideways.
I should have clarified that the Toughbook is not a hard requirement. Any Intel-based computer that can run Ubuntu Linux 22.10 should work fine. The Toughbook is what I am calling my "reference hardware". It will have the best user experience as it will literally by plug and play if you connect it to a radio using the DigiRig Mobile.
Glad to see that you have an FT-817. It works perfectly. The DigiRig Mobile and the Yaesu 8xx cables work well with it.
Just found your channel. I've always wanted to get into amateur radio but it's so over my head that is hard to know where to start. With this approach, it'll be much easier to follow along, I think. Subbed too.
Bravo, just what we need, KISS principle, you are doing great work.
Thanks. KISS for the win!
I love the channel concept subscribed
Welcome to the channel! There's a huge backlog of videos. Enjoy.
This is an ingenious idea with a solid approach. During austere, non-permissive conditions no one will have time for troubleshooting and calling a help desk won't be an option.
Developing a reliable, no fail, intuitive system is exactly what the application needs.
I wouldn't worry too much about the "old guy" mentality of people not being able to use their pet systems.
It's funny that you phrased things this way. The initial version of EmComm Tools ran on a Raspberry Pi computer and was designed just to help me "spot myself" (i.e. let people know that I was on certain frequency and specific summit) and sent text messages to my wife on various peaks in Arizona. There were a few times where the weather turned quickly and I only had minutes to get our a message. Under those scenarios, it was nice having simple, push-button approach.
Love this idea, new ish to the hobby and looking at gear to buy, definitely going to invest in the equipment that will work with this and make using it so much easier
Welcome to the hobby. Don't buy anything just yet. Other radios and laptops will work. I need to first prove that the concept will work with a small set of hardware and radios first. Take it easy.
This is what I have been looking for/ wanting! I know short wave is the solution; but, I have not been motivated to commit to another large learner curve project. I only want plug-n-play, short term learning projects at this point of my busy life.
Amateur radio has a huge learning curve, however, this should make the entry into the digital data modes easier. Using this software will still require a license as most of the features transmit on the amateur radio bands.
I really like the appliance idea and bundling the software and OS together to avoid config issues.
Thanks, It's the only way to achieve the project goal of K.I.S.S. Every new component adds development time and increases complexity. As it is, I have some serious man hours in getting just the radios that I have to be plug-in-play.
So just subscribed, ex Military here 20 yrs, Great Idea, KISS principle. look forward to more info
Welcome to the channel and thank you for serving our great country. It's been a work in progress. Every field testing is adding a ton of value and making this solution simpler. Stay tuned.
The algorithm did something good: I came across your channel! 😂 I don’t have time for Ham radio study, so for me this is great 👍 I’m a new subscriber now!
Welcome to the channel. The UA-cam Overlords got something right! Enjoy and good luck with your journey.
I glad you're doing this, it's needed. I have spent months trying to learn reliable emergency comms, for my wife and I, and it is more complicated than it should be. This last month working with APRS and the TinyTrak4 has been a battle. I'm learning, but after spenting hours and hours on the internet and watching UA-cam trying to find the information I need, I have gained little ground considering the time spent. I like learning and figuring things out, however time is precious, there are other things that need my time as well. I am very interested in the work you are doing.
Great video. I am definitely interested in Ecomm. I have 2 of the 3 now to get a tough book. Thank you for your perseverance and keep up the good work Tim
Thanks! Good luck. The CF-20 Toughbooks should run you about $500-$1000 depending on condition. I need to pickup a few more myself for development. If you can, find one with the integrated LTE/GPS module. It's not required, but it makes the system release nice for offgrid use when using the offline maps.
NAIL IT! You & every one else in your circle that develops this WILL be kazzillionaires!!!! I'm 58 yrs young, 6 months with my teck lic & getting totally discouraged by how much one MUST learn & spend $$$$$$. I'm not looking for a hobby, I'm looking for fast easy communication for emergencies when the grid goes down with free over the air communication. I wish I could join your mission! Best of luck!
Keep at it and don't get discouraged. This project came out of me being 100% frustrated. I have a software engineering and systems background and I have sunk entire weekends and sometimes weeks trying to get various digital modes working. Glad to hear you like the direction.
Sounds like a great idea!
The trick is finishing the execution on this whacky idea. Cheers!
Good stuff. I own several digital capable radios that I have only used the analog side.
Looking forward to this for sure. I run a Surface Pro for digital comms and would love something like this from a bootable thumb drive. Radio has evolved quite a bit over the years, this is a logical step, no matter who is "upset" with the method of operation. Back in the day it was all CW anyway, do not concern yourself with the establishment and Ranger on.
Thanks for the support. There seems to be a decent following of ham radio operators using the Surface Pro. Stay tuned for more.
This is a tool that would be a gateway for many 1st time users. And also a tool for many of us that do not have The time to delve into the many new ounces of the hobby before SHTF
This is all I want for Christmas
Hoho. Christmas 2024.
Around the year 2000 I worked as a motorbike courier in Australia. We each had a CB radio hooked up to a palm pilot and the jobs would get sent through the radio to the palm pilot. No phone or internet needed. It was easy to use without knowing how the back end of it worked. I can see some similarities between that system and the one you are talking about here.
Support you in this 🎉
22 year ham radio operator here and I like this idea. The fancy apps are useful because they have a ton of capability but there are times when KISS applies.
I'll definitely be following this and would like to see how well it works .