5 ms·

HamWAN: A modern, multi-megabit, IP-based, digital network for amateur radio use

98 points by wcfields 7y ago

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
zw123456 7y ago
Very cool I live in the Seattle area, looks like a fun thing to dink around with. The web site has some broken links however: Poynting 5.9 GHz 30 dBi grid or 2 ft solid dish antenna Mikrotik RouterBOARD Metal 5SHPn wifi radio do not work but over all really neat.
wmf 7y ago
Since the site isn't that clear, the protocol is narrow-channel 802.11n on the amateur 5.9 GHz band. I wonder if the net throughput or range are any better than using the unlicensed 5.8 GHz band.
- bkus 7y ago
  HamWAN founder here. The protocol is this: https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Nv2 https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Nv2 And the sectorized spectrum plan is this: http://hamwan.org/Standards/Radio%20Frequency%20Engineering/Spectrum%20Allocation.html http://hamwan.org/Standards/Radio%20Frequency%20Engineering/... When choosing a protocol for cheap long-range point-to-multipoint microwave, I wanted something that was TDMA'd and not CSMA'd like 802.11. That left me with WiMAX/airMAX/NV2 to choose from. WiMAX gear was overpriced, Ubiquiti's airMAX gear was very basic, and Mikrotik's NV2 was just right. Their $100 modems could run VRRP+OSPF+BGP+MPLS out of the box, offered more RF power than the competition, and could operate in the amateur part of the spectrum. HamWAN launched with 1.3W "Metal 5SHPn" modems on the air. The speed advantage we get from these choices is not blocking on carrier sense, avoiding hidden-node collisions/retransmits, and operating in clean (high SNR) spectrum that allows for higher order modulations.
  - drmpeg 7y ago
    I have a full duplex system that I've developed. Advantages are: 1) Easy to add power amplifiers and preamps. 2) Works on any ham band. Disadvantages: 1) Cost. Even the cheapest transmit capable SDR can't compete with consumer hardware. 2) Limited selection of bandwidths. 1.7, 5, 6, 7, and 8 MHz. http://www.w6rz.net/ofdm3.png http://www.w6rz.net/ofdm3.png
  - mike_d 7y ago
    How are you getting tower access for your relay sites? Is it donated by ham clubs?
  - bullen 7y ago
    What kind of range can one expect at what power usage? Are you looking at adding mesh so that uptime can be better?
  - CameronNemo 7y ago
    Do those microtik modems support rpki? That would be my biggest gripe. Nobody will want to peer without rpki in a few years.
anon9001 7y ago
Is it legal to use encryption over HAM in the US?
- swinglock 7y ago
  https://hamwan.org/Administrative/Internet%20and%20Part%2097.html https://hamwan.org/Administrative/Internet%20and%20Part%2097...

98 points by wcfields 7y ago

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Very cool I live in the Seattle area, looks like a fun thing to dink around with. The web site has some broken links however: Poynting 5.9 GHz 30 dBi grid or 2 ft solid dish antenna Mikrotik RouterBOARD Metal 5SHPn wifi radio do not work but over all really neat.

wmf 7y ago

Since the site isn't that clear, the protocol is narrow-channel 802.11n on the amateur 5.9 GHz band. I wonder if the net throughput or range are any better than using the unlicensed 5.8 GHz band.

bkus 7y ago
HamWAN founder here. The protocol is this: https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Nv2 https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Nv2 And the sectorized spectrum plan is this: http://hamwan.org/Standards/Radio%20Frequency%20Engineering/Spectrum%20Allocation.html http://hamwan.org/Standards/Radio%20Frequency%20Engineering/... When choosing a protocol for cheap long-range point-to-multipoint microwave, I wanted something that was TDMA'd and not CSMA'd like 802.11. That left me with WiMAX/airMAX/NV2 to choose from. WiMAX gear was overpriced, Ubiquiti's airMAX gear was very basic, and Mikrotik's NV2 was just right. Their $100 modems could run VRRP+OSPF+BGP+MPLS out of the box, offered more RF power than the competition, and could operate in the amateur part of the spectrum. HamWAN launched with 1.3W "Metal 5SHPn" modems on the air. The speed advantage we get from these choices is not blocking on carrier sense, avoiding hidden-node collisions/retransmits, and operating in clean (high SNR) spectrum that allows for higher order modulations.
- drmpeg 7y ago
  I have a full duplex system that I've developed. Advantages are: 1) Easy to add power amplifiers and preamps. 2) Works on any ham band. Disadvantages: 1) Cost. Even the cheapest transmit capable SDR can't compete with consumer hardware. 2) Limited selection of bandwidths. 1.7, 5, 6, 7, and 8 MHz. http://www.w6rz.net/ofdm3.png http://www.w6rz.net/ofdm3.png
- mike_d 7y ago
  How are you getting tower access for your relay sites? Is it donated by ham clubs?
- bullen 7y ago
  What kind of range can one expect at what power usage? Are you looking at adding mesh so that uptime can be better?
- CameronNemo 7y ago
  Do those microtik modems support rpki? That would be my biggest gripe. Nobody will want to peer without rpki in a few years.

anon9001 7y ago

Is it legal to use encryption over HAM in the US?

swinglock 7y ago
https://hamwan.org/Administrative/Internet%20and%20Part%2097.html https://hamwan.org/Administrative/Internet%20and%20Part%2097...