Connunications update following Polls:

[Lightspeed]

SD
<<1) We need to define the equipment. What do we need to buy to start setting up our long range comms. I'm looking for a complete package and as cheap as possible. If possible with options on each component to provide a better service but with the downside of more cost.

2) What do we need to define as protocols for use. We can set up some protocols for testing and then for long term use.>>

Answering your points separately.



1) Started a thread to list and discuss NVIS capable equipment

It will cover:

1. Transmitter & Receiver or Transceivers that cover 80m and 40m bands, with minimum of say 2 watts power output and capable of CW transmission. Ideally transceivers should have VFO ( Variable Frequency oscillator) controll this will allow the unit to be tuned to find quiet frequencies. Tranceivers that are Crysal controlled are effectively fixed frequency, and so are much less flexible.

2. A device called an BALUN or and UNUN that will assist in making simple antennas usable

3. A device called an Antenna Tuning Unit ( ATU) which will assist in making transmission possible on antennas that are not perfectly resonant to the transmitted frequency

4. An SWR meter that will function on 80m and 40m to work in conjunction with items 2 &3 displaying the degree to which the antenna is matched to the transmitter.

5. Wire for antennas

6. Insulators for antennas

7. Paracord / nylon rope to rig antennas

8. Coaxial cable (this will be 50ohm cable for almost all modern transmitters)

9. Appropriate coaxial plugs to mach the transmitter, BALUN, ATU, SWR Meter. Most likely PL259 type.

10. Possibly ladder line feed wire: 300 Ohm or 450 Ohm this stuff is very low loss when used correctly, but considerably more visible than standard black coaxial cable.

11. Power supply cables and connectors

12. Power supplies and charging systems, most likely 12v

2.) Protocols.
First stage will be to get operating licenses, in so getting, basic operating protocols will be taught.

After this live trials can begin and secondary protocols can be developed to deal withthe real life issues encountered.

Basic protocols like choosing a frequency will only be possible once the participants confirm which quiet frequencies exist in their areas. All too often agreed frequences are clear in one place but have huge s9 interference in others. Pre SHTF we will have to deal with this. Post shtf it will prob be grid down so we can expect mush less noise to deal with.

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(9 July 2012, 13:10)Skean Dhude Wrote: OK. Remember that the project was about long distance comms. Before we ignore what we have done so far and go down into short range we will finsih off where we are.

I see a further two stages leading from this decision;

1) We need to define the equipment. What do we need to buy to start setting up our long range comms. I'm looking for a complete package and as cheap as possible. If possible with options on each component to provide a better service but with the downside of more cost.

2) What do we need to define as protocols for use. We can set up some protocols for testing and then for long term use.

Then we can move on to kit recommendations and protocols for short distance comms.

Let's complete the primary objective before we go off at a tangent.

SD

To anyone just starting to look at this thread, what SD has written kind of goes adgainstthe grain of controlling home turf first before venturing further afield

His thinking is in fact sound. There are so few declared radio systems among UK preppers taht in order to get any meaningful prepper radio comms in place, we need to chieve almost countrywide coverage.

Onne this is in place, and partly as a result of the discussions concerning implementation, it is hoped that the "buzz" will encourage more preppers to listen-in to the transmission trials as they progress and also to motivate more to set up their own stations, maybe using less complex shorter range systems such as CB and PMR etc.