The key challenge facing Amateur/HAM radio is its reliance on the repeater network.

I would be interested in designing/programming a replacement under independent control. I am familiar with the concept of a repeater, but not the specifics of how the repeater network functions. As the power demands will be determined by the tramsceiver specs, and component selection, that leaves power system and the costs of a true off-grid stand-in unappraisable from my standpoint.

With the availability of streaming architectures, FPGAs, and RF mosfets, I see few reasons why it should be cost-prohibitive within the context of municipality, enthusiast, and charitable mission projects.

If the repeater network goes offline, then ham radio has its functional range radically reduced. Sure - some people can flip the bird to the FCC at that time and turn the power up on their amplifier, but there is considerable reliance on that repeater network.

Such a project could also be used to piggy-back other RF and microwave backup systems into them. Ideally a "place and forget" solution. As it would be expected to be a distributed construction process not for retail, prototype and pre-market technologies held by patent mills are fair game in my book.

>>2859260

Anon, my point is very simple.

Those repeaters are an essential part of ham radio being able to achieve the range it currently enjoys. These are operated by federal agencies and also reliant upon municipal power supplies.

In order to work around this, you must be able to provide a replacement for the function of these repeaters. This means you need more ham operators to allow for CB-like relay of messages, and/or stations equipped to perform the same function and scheduled to do so.

I could be quite wrong, but I expect creating a repeater is a little more involved than plugging an antenna into an unfiltered RF amplifier. At least, if you want a practical device.

It's been a minute since I was involved with radio, and my applications were well away from civilian applications. I am simply identifying a point of failure in the system and inquiring about a project that could run tangent to a few of my own at the moment.

The most pressing point of failure for the ham radio environment is the reliance on the federally maintained repeater system. I recommend and propose assessing the feasibility of independently constructed and authorized repeater systems for deployment in the event of power grid failure or government fuckery.

Granted, they could just JDAM or HARM any such repeaters, but at that point we are talking about open warfare and that is more where my specialty lay. Which is why I recommend a contingency exist to cover the failure of the repeater system.

A system which consists of numerous repeaters repeating a signal from another repeater. A network. Since many ham operators are speaking through at least one repeater when they talk to someone, it is advisable to consider the impact a federal decision would have on the network servicing these individuals.

The formation of the repeater network was heavily tied to the surveillance system that would become Echelon. In short - the reason the government set up the repeaters in the first place was part and parcel with the goal of ELINT. I do not disagree with the need for such monitoring for security purposes - but I would caution against viewing them as an altruistic public utility to be present and functional for our wellbeing when it runs against a state interest.