K5KTF

11/28/2014

Episode 018 - Jim Kinter - K5KTF

Is is possible for ham radio operators to have a broadband wireless network for the transmission of voice, video, and data as a backup, to the Internet and the commercial infrastructures, that we depend upon? Jim Kinter, K5KTF, thinks it is. Jim is the chief evangelist for the Broadband Hamnet group in Austin, Texas. Ham radio broadband mesh networks is the topic of conversation in Eric’s, 4Z1UG, QSO Today with Jim Kinter, K5KTF. Ham radio mesh networking began with the conversion of Linksys home routers, with special firmware, into a robust wideband data network to allow voice, video, and data between hams in the amateur bands. Join Eric and Jim in their QSO Today.

Listen to Podcast

First Licensed: 2008

First Rig: Yaesu FT208R HT and Yaesu FT101

Echolink Node: 839153 443.625 Mhz Repeater

Pete the Greek - is Pete Varounis, NL7XM, a amateur radio call sign historian. He uses his collection of call books to research call signs.

Hambuds - Jim's local radio club

Broadband Hamnet, HSMM Mesh - This should be your first stop if you have an interest in building a broadband ham radio mesh network in your community. This the website of the Austin, Tx group that his built a broadband mesh network between hams in the Austin area. This network can pass voice, video, and data between hams. The technology allows mobile operation of the broadband nodes as long as the mobile node is in range of other mesh nodes.

Mesh Network Equipment Vendor:

Note that the future firmware versions of the mesh software will not work in the Linksys routers. That should not stop you from trying it out at a very low cost.

HSMM-Mesh Presentations:
All three of these presentations give very good overviews of ham mesh networking.

2014 Hamcom Intro to BBHN Presentation by Kip Moravec AE5IB
2014 Hamcom presentation - Project Update Glenn Currie KD5MFW
2014 San Diego ARRL Convention Presentation by Andre Hansen, K6AH

The RSS Feed for all audio content from QSO today is available from here.

Please join our QSO Today community by pressing the button below. It is the best way to suggest guests and topics, and providing feedback to Eric, 4Z1UG.

Join our community

K5KTF Ham Radio Station

Austin, Texas HSMM Mesh Network

Linksys WRT054GL Router

16 Comments

dewaine link

12/1/2014 06:45:41 am

i would like to understand broadband mesh networking, could you help. i live in nova scotia canada. va1dwg

dewaine link

12/1/2014 02:28:12 pm

now i have learned something to day, now it makes me want to go farther. but what eats me up is getting a hold of what i need routes, with one antenna connection will it work for mesh node, some routers have two antenna connections. HELP. va1dwg. thanks for the podcast. great work keep it up please. i learn by doing and seeing and hands on. please continue to help me. there are great hams everywhere.

Eric 4Z1UG

12/1/2014 04:58:27 pm

Dewaine - look at the resources above under K5KTF. You will see links to presentations and the type of equipment you should use for these networks. Because this stuff is short range, you should build a group of hams close to you around the project to start out. This is a community activity by its very nature. Good Luck

Jim K5KTF link

12/3/2014 02:24:42 pm

With the new Ubiquity (UBNT) devices, some have 1 antenna port (bullet) while others have 2 (rocket). All depends on the specific site needs. If you want a connection from your house to a relay node, then a bullet with one antenna or Nanostation (built in antenna) will work. If you want to have a relay node atop a tall mountain or tower, you can install a Rocket with 2 dishes aimed apart, and it would do the job. Or a rocket with 2 90* sector antennas for 180* of coverage with some gain. In the reply below, Eric mentioned these are short range. Short is relative, because we have guys shooting links 10-20 miles, or more. All depends on line of sight and Fresnel zone clearance. Microwave propagation is just very different from the lower frequency bands. Took me a little while to get used to it myself, but its not difficult, just different. And there is LOTS of info on how microwaves work on the web. 73 KTF

dewaine gillie link

12/2/2014 10:32:41 am

i get clumies and push the wrong botton sometimes sorry for that please keep me in the loop

Douglas

12/1/2014 09:45:07 am

Great PODCAST!! I would like to see some block diagrams of setup scenarios. Especially the how BBHN is integrated with AX25 Packet/WL2K.

--73 de N1OBU

Eric 4Z1UG

12/1/2014 05:00:21 pm

Douglas - go to the link above to the Broadband Hamnet website. Jim has documented everything that they are doing in Austin. If you can't find it, send him a message. Good luck - I hope that a mesh network radio becomes part of your ham radio accessories.

Eric 4Z1UG

12/2/2014 03:48:19 pm

Douglas - the presentations in the show notes have some excellent power point slides. The BBHN website should be a careful read as it may have everything you are asking.

Dave

12/2/2014 12:24:11 am

Great podcast, but… I wish you would have let the guest finish some of his thoughts. It seemed like every time he got slightly technical you cut him off because “your HF operating listener base is computer illiterate?”

12/2/2014 08:46:48 am

That is what I thought.... glad it wasn't just me.

Eric 4Z1UG

12/2/2014 03:46:23 pm

MJ - Its not just you. As a host I have to at least at the beginning make sure that I don't lose the majority of the listeners by going to deep in the technology. See above, under Dave's comment. I am happy to make another podcast with a more technical focus. Where would you concentrate the conversation? What questions would you ask?

I appreciate your feedback given already and your suggestions for improvement. QSO Today and 4Z1UG are works in progress.

73, Eric 4Z1UG

Eric 4Z1UG

12/2/2014 03:41:53 pm

Good point Dave. I was afraid that even the majority of hams are not IP experts at the network level, at least for an introduction of on mesh networking. Your point is well taken. I would be happy to invite Jim back for a more technical conversation that I could make available to the QSO Today community as a bonus podcast. Would that interest you?

Jim K5KTF link

12/3/2014 02:11:48 pm

Its not all Eric's fault. I do get excited about the project that sometimes I get going off target or in deeper than we want, because I have been doing this since 2010, and I need to remember to slow up and wait for many to catch up. I have already agreed that whenever Eric wants a sequel, I will be glad to do a follow-on interview. If anyone has any questions or would like more info, I ask they read over the website (you can search the website by going to google and entering (without the double-quotes) "site:www.broadband-hamnet.org {search query}" and it will search ONLY our website for the search term(s) entered. (FYI, the "site:{URL}" trick works for searching on ANY website). If you cant find it on the site, then Id be glad to help via email (jim at k5ktf com). Happy Meshing! Jim K5KTF

Robert Avery

12/7/2014 08:05:12 pm

Great podcast! I have a non-ham interested in getting his license because of it, thanks!

I would love another interview, as well. Even if more technical. I'm no computer genius, but it's neat to listen to.

Thanks

73 - W7REA

Eric 4Z1UG

12/16/2014 05:30:58 am

I expect that Jim and I will do another podcast in the near future. For some reason mesh networking is coming up in all of my following episodes - often by my guests. So stay tuned.

Steve KC8SLY

7/9/2015 05:05:52 am

I just finished this episode today and was very impressed with the subject matter. I will echo the thoughts above that the conversation was "strained" at times and usually that's enough to make me stop a podcast and move on. I am VERY glad I did not. I would love to hear another podcast with Jim if it ever comes to be.

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K5KTF

Episode 018 - Jim Kinter - K5KTF

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