[TriLUG] Raspberry PI network over ham radio

[Tadd Torborg via TriLUG]

About 5 years ago I spoke at TriLug about starting a hobby network of Raspberry PIs linked over ham radio in the Triangle area.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ea8SwhrhMU

We’re still at it.   We’re in 7 counties now and we’re still welcoming new participants.  We’re still using Raspberry PIs.  Our installer and software has gotten better, and easier.  Our build instructions more complete.  Because of the number of locations already networked, it is even easier to get a relatively low-stress radio link to new houses.  We’ve mastered more commercial surplus radios we can put into linking service for cheap.  We’ve created our own accessory smart-modem we call NinoTNC after its chief engineer.  TNC is what it is, Nino is who designed it.  NinoTNC can do 6 different bit-rates, depending on the capabilities of the radios. (150 to 9600 bits/second).  We sell the PCB and CPU for $11 on ETSY and the rest of the parts come from Mouser at about $30 + $11 in singles.  It’s a very nice solder kit.  See http://ninotnc.info <http://ninotnc.info/> 

This morning we had 37 people tied into our IRC-like chat system across the entire network with everybody connecting to their neighbors else using hobbyist controlled infrastructure.  No Internet involved. All but one station are located at individual residences.  The one is on the First Flight Venture Center office building where I have my office, as described in the Trilug video linked above.  

See http://ncpacket.net <http://ncpacket.net/>   for more maps and participant list.   
See http://tarpn.net <http://tarpn.net/>  for the recipe, shopping list, background info, many photos.  

We chat about our network on the NCPACKET network, but also on 

Discord  https://discord.gg/Xt96Mubs

Groups IO http://groups.io/g/ncpacket   and  http://groups.io/g/tarpn 

and have a presence on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ncpacket
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/tarpn


Tadd / KA2DEW   <http://qrz.com/db/ka2dew>http://qrz <http://qrz/>.com/db/ka2dew
tadd at mac.com
Raleigh NC  FM05pv

North Carolina ham-radio chatRoom Network: http://ncpacket.net/north_carolina_packet_radio_network.html
Packet networking over ham radio: http://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html
Local Raleigh ham radio info: http://torborg.com/a
Ham Shack Hotline # 11173