Stephen Wilcox

I am US Licensed Radio Amateur who wants to connect with others to build out a digital network across America. #emergencyhamnet

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

EmergencyHam Network — Our working alpha basestation now connects MeshCore, Meshtastic and conventional SMS/RCS messaging, allowing users on different networks to exchange personal and group messages.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

@Meshtastic_USA
Working bridge details at website

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

From Idea to Reality: https://t.co/9AoO2QuuN1 Starts to Take Shape.
A bridge between SMS and a mesh radio network.
No big framework. No complex infrastructure. Just a way to take a text message from a phone, push it into a radio-based network, and return the reply.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

As the champion of the EHN, I was motivated by the gap between current telecommunications practices and where ham radio is today. I see parallels between using adjacent cells of a Cellular Network and using small low power systems by radio operators to form a digital network.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

The planned launch of LightCube, a CubeSat, will be the latest man-made object in the sky that will flash on command. The command will be a coded radio transmission sent from something as simple as your handheld operating in the licensed Ham bands.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

APRS could travel over this new digital network which has the potential to offer higher bandwidth and connectivity. Connection to the EHN would likely be through some form of IGate and supporting network so that local APRS data can be forwarded to other local clusters

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

DAPNET is a mature once popular Paging system that has evolved into a resilient network suitable for short messages. It would be an ideal candidate for the Emergency Ham Network which could offer redundancy in time of Emergency.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

63 years separate the first voice message from satellite to the world coverage of Internet from Starlink. Such technology is born from men like Elon Musk who believed in an idea and helped others follow. They did not accept the status quo; they disrupted the traditional wisdom.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

UHF commercial base stations supported by groups like AREDN provide point to point and multi-endpoint systems for as low as $100. Their firmware can be exchanged to make them compatible with our license. This is cost effective but exotic systems can still cost you $1000 or more.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

If radio packet networks use a mesh network, they can provide longer range and tolerance to interference. Not commonly used in Ham Radio, AREDN with the exception. Mesh systems have become popular for WIFi and IoT. This technology could migrate into future emergency ham networks.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

goTennaMESH offers a deployed network of mesh communities that would integrate into an Emergency Ham Network. Allowing the public to communicate between local networks. A win for the communities, the radio operators and a step closer to a national emergency community network.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

What problem are we trying to solve?

How to communicate to and from the general public in a severe emergency that has taken down the cell phone and internet.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

The New Packet Radio System (NPR) would allow a single master station connected to a high-speed backbone, to serve up to seven clients through TDMA and achieve data rates of 65Kb/s on 70cm, economically priced this might be the solution for local clusters to be interconnected.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

LoRa is a system finding some uses in Amateur Radio, but this is limited to operation over poor links and lower bandwidths. It does seem a good fit for point-to-point links on the 920MHz. band where its spread spectrum potential can be used.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

The 33cm band offers unspecified bandwidth for unspecified digital transmissions. These facts make it attractive for point-to-point communications requiring higher bandwidths.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

@travisgoodspeed Any work being done on this?

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

Despite the need for approval, the lower part of the 1.25M band could offer interesting possibilities for digital links particularly in urban areas as the frequency has good penetration and coverage although high gain antennas will be physically large.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

Consider joining us, help spread the word and if this project is achievable and what support there might be. Send details to other operators in your circle, like us on our social media channels and generally help get the word out. If you think we are mad/delusional, tell us why.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

How do I see the EHN developing?
It is not a club or my platform. It should not compete with existing groups or organizations. It needs to be open to all, provided they have its interests at heart. It's the establishment of the EHN and the necessary interfaces/peripherals.

[Stephen Wilcox @EmergencyHamNet]

I recognize change only occurs when different factors and circumstances align. Look at many successful achievements and you will find that society was ready, the technology was ready, and the opportunity was there but also some other disruptive event had prepared the way.