[HamGateNY] Welcome to HamGateNY

Mon Nov 30 12:51:39 EST 2020

Andrew,

                There may be a couple of options for you on VHF packet even with your challenging RF environment. You might be able to hear and/or connect to the Camelback PA site on 145.010. The node is just a single frequency non-backbone site but thinking about the way you describe your location you might have a path down the RT209 valley. There are a couple of sites in the Catskills that could offer some possibility of connection down your way. There is an APRS station Near Margaretville under the call of N2ZPY-1. They used that site for the Golden Packet event this year and had good success. You night get lucky and have a path to his site. If it does work we can develop that for regular connected packet easy enough. The second option is in Stamford on Mt. Utsayantha with an elevation of 3214 feet. You might be in a shadow to that site but give it a try on 145.770 under the call of N2PKB. That site is linked in to the network at this time with an easy option for one more backbone on 220 MHz to another good node site.

Thank You,

Brian Webster N2KGC

Cooperstown. NY

From: HamGateNY [mailto:hamgateny-bounces at n2nov.net] On Behalf Of Andrew J. McLeod, KB2AJM (ex. KD2PLE)
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2020 12:37 PM
To: HamGateNY - AMPRnet (44Net) Sysops in NY
Subject: Re: [HamGateNY] Welcome to HamGateNY

Hey Brian,

I have a (non-Ham) friend who grew up near Cooperstown (Fly Creek) whoae parents are still there and my wife went to SUNY Oneonta. So I used to spend quite a bit of time in that area, and I am approximately due South if you where I am now in Sullivan County (although it's a treacherous Catskill terrain in terms of connectivity.)

I agree 100% with regards to hybrid. I believe in redundancy and I think that's the entire concept here. And like you said, just getting people discussing it I think helps to reawaken things.

This isn't something for this exact moment, but I am going to through this out there just for future planning and reference. Where I live currently is difficult for RF both because of extreme terrain and because we rent a house on a small plot of land "in town." So I am extremely limited with regard to antenna space, and even though I have about 10 out there (no joke,) my HF capabilities are severely hampered due to the angle of my current inverted V's (almost an NVIS configuration, although I actually hit Nova Scotia easier tfor some reason than I do Orange County 59 miles away...)

We've been here about 7 years, but with that being said, due to landlord's plans and other factors, we are looking to move sometime within the next 4-12 months, and the goal (assuming my new job in Port Jervis remains stable) is to be literally minutes over the boarder into NEPA (Northeast PA.)

I don't know if that will mean a forced reallocation of my AMPRnet IPs to a PA block or if I'll be allowed to stick with my NY setup, but either way the goal is to find a property big enough that will permit not only my kids to thrive, but for me to have much better HF capabilities and if so, then *I* would happily be that NEPA link.

Nothing is definite (including the move being outside of NY State,) and I'm happy to try experimenting with RF links from my current location, but I wanted to throw that out there so that if my current location doesn't suffice, at least we know there is still a potential future capability in my case.

Anyone who would like to experiment with me on HF (I think VHF is out of the question,) I'd be happy to do so. I work evenings 1pm - 11pm, but I am home all day today, this coming weekend, and most mornings before 12 noon.

Email is fine (here or at my 'andrew at highland-it.com' email address) or my cell # is (201) 233-7007. We call screen unknown numbers, so if I'm not expecting your #, texting ahead of time is best, or just leave a v/m and I'll call you back.

Let me know and we can arrange a time to test/play...

Regards,

AJM, KB2AJM

P.S. is there anyone here using an ALE setup on HF? If so I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind... Thank you. -ajm

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On Nov 30, 2020, at 10:13 AM, Brian Webster <bwebster at stny.rr.com> wrote:

Hybrid networks are, will and should be part of our systems. Even though RF links can be much slower than the internet backbone, slow is better than no connectivity should various portions of the network have connectivity issues. Something as simple as a power outage for an extended periods of time at a gateway location can affect the users on that segment of a network in the state. Having the RF link to use will be a nice asset. Many of the packet node systems can make use of routing to make use of the best working path at any given time. 

Just getting us all talking about these things makes a huge difference. Just my few conversations with people in the regions we used to have working RF networks is starting to yield results. Enough results that we might have an RF network back up and running at least from Albany to the Buffalo region. From that core links up to Watertown and Northern NY and then the Southern Tier could  be next. The RF linking to the downstate and NY metro region will likely be easiest to accomplish with a link from PA to Northern NJ and that existing network for now. Once those are established additional routes over RF would be the next logical step to have some redundancy. 

Thank you, 

Brian Webster N2KGC 

Cooperstown, NY 13326 

From: HamGateNY [mailto:hamgateny-bounces at n2nov.net] On Behalf Of Joe Cupano
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2020 11:51 AM
To: 44Net Sysops in NY State; Andrew J. McLeod, KB2AJM (ex. KD2PLE)
Subject: Re: [HamGateNY] Welcome to HamGateNY 

Well said, AJM

It was amazing how much infrastructure was unaffected in the rest of NYC.
I worked for a global financial that started hosting other financials on our IT infra
that were displaced by the events in a few days.

73,

- Joe, NE2Z

Andrew J. McLeod, KB2AJM (ex. KD2PLE): 

On Nov 16, 2020, at 10:53 AM, Christopher Piggott  <mailto:cpiggott at gmail.com> <cpiggott at gmail.com> wrote: 

Internet to help carry between those areas where a direct RF connection may not be possible  

I do understand that.  I'm just worried about the idea of being so dependent on public wired and wireless infrastructure.

I too worry about the dependency on public infrastructure. On the other hand, you do have to admit that: 

a) there is a lot more geography covered by it than by Hams nowadays, and 

b) in my mind (personal opinion from personal experience,) the lessons of 9/11 (when I was still living in northern NJ and was a Voice + IP tech/engineer in Manhattan at the time) demonstrated the self-healing and resilient capabilities of TCP/IP and packet networks, as was intended by the DARPA people who to my understanding invented it to (hopefully) maintain distributed command and control after a nuclear attack. When maximum destruction at ground zero took out not only Verizon Bldg. #7 but all the fiber, copper and AT&T switching equipment in the basement of tower (1 or 2) and - between cable cuts and power loss - the majority of the interconnects coming into the eastern seaboard, when analog switched phone, cellular, many of the local NYC broadcast TV and radio stations (antennas on the roof of the WTC) went out. But my Blackberry work pager worked, as did AOL and Yahoo instant messenger, and a lot of people communicated with their families that way that day... 

Although I do not have all the faith in the world that some have in our infrastructure (including FirstNet) nor do I live all the way in conspiracyland, I do believe that our dependence on the internet for all types of connectivity (even some of the ignorant hospitals I work for depend almost entirely on remote connectivity across large healthcare systems with distant data enters with almost no local infrastructure now,) has led to at least a somewhat stronger, more resilient network in that regard. 

And to that extent, for what we are doing, for small hops in between the regions that we simply do not have enough Hams to cover, I think we have no choice but for a hybrid system. After all, "44net" by definition is related to our IPv4 allocation. And so unlike some projects that are intended to be entirely wireless, I think hybrid is in our DNA so to speak... 

Barring solar flares and all out armageddon, I think we have no choice... 

That's just my opinion... 

73, 

AJM, KB2AJM 

On Nov 16, 2020, at 10:53 AM, Christopher Piggott <cpiggott at gmail.com> wrote: 

Internet to help carry between those areas where a direct RF connection may not be possible   

I do understand that.  I'm just worried about the idea of being so dependent on public wired and wireless infrastructure. 

On Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 9:18 PM Andrew J. McLeod, KB2AJM (ex. KD2PLE) < andrew at kb2ajm.us> wrote: 

Hello Mitch KE7WWT. 

Without drooling too much, I just wanted to say that your extremely ambitious project(s) mirror my own interests in being able to "INTER-network" and converge these vital (and fun) communications technologies - voice, data/packet/digi, VoIP, APRS, RF, terrestrial, etc. 

You guys up north may be some of the poorest counties in NYS, but down here in the rural Catskills we have some simar statistics too (just not ones to brag about.) I and a few dispersed others also have ambitious ideas that many surrounding us are either put off by or simply not interested in. And so while a few projects of communal interest are making some progress regionally (ex. Winlink, an ARES/RACES repeater, some APRS digipeaters and I-gates, etc.) others such as myself have been doing similar to you - trying to build it all ourselves out of shallow pockets and an even smaller lot of property. 

I find your portable C&C center very interesting, and similar to my (thus far more) meager and slightly larger 12U rolling 19" rack case I've built for ARES and personal use. The entire idea of being able to congregate info from a multitude of sources and potentially do so two-way over range without the requirement of failable infrastructure is exactly what interests me as well (too many years of IT and EMS, including working in NYC before, during and after 9/11.) 

So while - with the exception of my SignaLink USB on HF - my setup is (mostly) analog so far, my goal as time and finances allow is to expand this into the exact same voice/packet INTER-networked type of set-up you have in mind, both stationary/base as well as portable. 

I would definitely be interested in chatting as to where you are and where you see your next steps to be going, and if I can offer any assistance from my background I would be happy to do so - AND THAT OFFER GOES TO ANYBODY ELSE WHERE. 

With regards to internet connectivity, TCP/IP, data and VoIP equipment, I have (home) business-grade internet with a 13 usable block of public IPs, as well as considerably more TCP/IP, VoIP and security equipment (Cisco, Ubiquiti, etc.) at the moment than I do Ham, so while I know TCP/IP is a heavy-overhead protocol, if any projects of interest have the need to (for example) convert an incoming RF analog voice or fax signal into TCP/IP to send out over the internet - or to use VoIP to link RFs at 2 locations over internet (sort of like EchoLink does,) those are some of the ideas I've been toying around with... 

Enough for now. Glad to make everybody's acquaintance, and TTYS. 

73 again, 

Andrew J. McLeod, KB2AJM 

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On Nov 11, 2020, at 6:52 AM, "Maurice A. Mitchell - KE7WWT" < maurice at maurice-mitchell.com> wrote: 

KE7WWT

Jefferson County NY (North of Syracuse) located just a stone's throw away from the fence at Fort Drum.  Retired Army - 26 years, 7 months, 5 days and 2 hours.

I run the WINLINK Packet system and serve on the both ARES and RACES.  I am a DHS SHARES operator with ALE/Voice and HF RMS WINLINK.  I am also a MARS operator. 

I start this project almost a year ago and thanks to changes dealing with COVID, I have ran out of time, but hope to have things change soon.  I wanted to use the 44Net as a way to combine, in one box or two (ammo cans) the ability to have a mobile/portable node that serves Broadband Hamnet, APRS I-GATE and digi, remote control of base station radios, DMR and maybe D-STAR hotspots, and of course the ability to link and interface Packet. 

Jefferson and its surrounding counties (Saint Lawrence and Lewis) are the three poorest counties in the State, and as such, there is very little activity that requires expenditure of money.  As such, I have taken the "build it and they will come" mentality. In the end, it does not work - This is baofeng country.  Not a lot of hams, and not a lot of invested in the art and science of communications.  That said, I still want a method that can tie me into various networks to not only pull information, but also to share information for the benefit of a larger group.  I want something that is not internet-dependent, but is internet-enabled.  

In the end. .  I need a lot of help.

Mitch

-----Original Message-----

From: HamGateNY <hamgateny-bounces at n2nov.net> On Behalf Of Charles J. Hargrove

Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2020 23:28

To: hamgateny at n2nov.net

Subject: Re: [HamGateNY] Welcome to HamGateNY

So far we have seen introductions from:

KA1NJL, K2JJT, WW2BSA, KB2AJM and AJ2A.

How about the rest of this 92 person group?

What is your set-up or what will it be?

What software, hardware, services, etc?

Let us all help each other to get things going.

On 11/5/2020 11:06 AM, Charles J. Hargrove wrote:

        Since the merger of the WNYPG mailing list into the HamGateNY list, we 

 now have 87 members (some who were on both lists).  This would be a 

 great opportunity to introduce yourselves.  Give us your callsign, 

 what area of NY State (or outside of it), what kind of packet system 

 you are running, etc.

 Let's use this list as a request-for-help and sharing of 

 knowledge/projects.

 I will start:

 - N2NOV

 - Staten Island, NYC

 - EmComm lead for ARES/RACES during 9/11, 2003 Blackout, etc

 - Founder/President of NYC-ARECS (

            http://www.nyc-arecs.org)

 - running JNOS system since 1998 starting on DOS and now Linux

 - NY State 44Net/

            AMPR.org coordinator

 - IT field since 1989 (databases, networking, help desk, web hosting)

 - ran for Congress as a write-in twice 

 (

            http://www.HargroveForCongress.us)

 - Secretary of the Staten Island Libertarian Party

--

Charles J. Hargrove - N2NOV

NYC-ARECS/RACES Citywide Radio Officer/Skywarn Coord.

NYC-ARECS/RACES Nets 147.360/107.2 PL

ARnewsline Broadcast Mon. @ 8:00PM

NYC-ARECS Weekly Net Mon. @ 8:30PM

http://www.nyc-arecs.org

NY-NBEMS Net Saturdays @ 10AM & USeast-NBEMS Net Wednesdays @ 7PM on 7.036 Mhz USB (alt 3.536)/1500 hz waterfall spot; MFSK-16 or 32

"Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders." - Ronald Reagan

"The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates." - Tacitus

"Molann an obair an fear" - Irish Saying (The work praises the man.)

"No matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take the place of volunteers." - Ronald Reagan

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