[Linux-ham] Re: 802.11 equipment repurposing from Part 15 to Part 97

[Kevin Otte]

On Tue, Mar 08, 2005 at 02:29:43PM -0500, sjackson at radarfind.com wrote:
> 
> In general, just because radio "things" are lying around does not make them
> automatically useful.  (It pains the ham in me greatly to state that truth
> .. But, it's true.)

No, if it were automatically useful, then every ham would have one.  That's
where the innovation comes in.

> It would take a highly concerted effort to repurpose 802.11 devices, in
> number, density, and organization, so as to make a useful data network.  

You mean like http://www.arrl.org/hsmm/ ?

> In light of vastly superior voice/video/data technology such as the Icom
> D*Star system, repurposed Part 15 devices are, well, just that: like trying
> to convert a garage-door control to become a satellite station.  Same basic
> idea; same basic level of interest.

Icom's ID-1 "D-STAR" transciever: $1350
Max bandwidth: 128kbit

802.11b bridge: $100-150
Ethernet card: $20
Starting bandwidth: 1Mbit

And we still haven't even gotten into antennae, coax, etc. Now mind you,
D-STAR looks really kicka... err I mean really cool, but that price point
isn't going to fly past most ham's accounting departments.  Also, I'd like
to thing that the guts of an 802.11 receiver are a tad more complex than a
garage door opener, but what do I know?

-- 
Kevin Otte, N8VNR
nivex at nivex.net
http://www.nivex.net/

-=-

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." 
-- George Santayana

"It seems no one reads Santayana anymore."
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