It's been a while since I have written a blog post and I had some free time so I thought I would make a quick post. I wanted to start by saying I have been making small improvements to my IGate (N0ALE-10). Recently I have set up a point to point WIFI mesh to help create a high bandwidth wireless connection downstairs to my rack mounted network switch. The old Netgear WIFI bridge was great and all but there was definitely room for improvement. With this swap out of gear happening I also decided to swap in some newer and more robust CAT 6 cables. The new WIFI mesh system has two ports on the receiver upstairs, one for 1 Gbps and the other for 2.5 Gbps. The IGate is plugged directly into the 1 Gbps port and I hooked up a 10 port Netgear switch that has 2 multi-gig ports available with support of up to 10 Gbps.
I plan on utilizing this switch for future networking projects. It also gives me a spot to hook in to gauge the performance of the mesh connection. The last improvement that I just added was a cooling fan to help move air around the modem and FT-2980R transceiver. This will help with keeping everything cooled and running efficiently when there is a lot of activity. The cooling fan mount is a prototype with room for improvements in future iterations. I am doing research to see if having improved airflow around the setup also improves packet handling performance.
In addition to improvements I have done with my IGate, I also wanted to discuss my experience with the APRSPH messaging system. Given I have direct access to network resources I can run my FT-5DR handheld on the lowest power and participate in the daily net. The net resets at 16:00Z (10:00 AM CST here in Minnesota) and all you have to do is message APRSPH with CQ Your message. What this does is logs you as a net participant and then you are able to see all messages sent to the group from other operators. This does reset every 24 hours automatically which is kind of nice. This way you don't need to manually disconnect yourself from the group. There are also other functions such as the LIST function which will list the callsigns of all the net participants and ?APRST which lists the path your packets take to the APRSPH group.
A complete guide can be found at http://www.aprsph.net. I happened to connect with an operator in Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal using this service and it was as easy as sending a message via APRS. In my mind this can give new operators (also operators without HF privileges) a direct entry into worldwide communications without the initial investment into HF radio gear. All you need is a phone or tablet running APRSdroid or an radio capable of reaching a Digipeater/IGate.
73
James
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