[App_rpt-users] Allstar RTCM (Radio Thin Client Module) isnowavailable

Thu Dec 22 09:10:21 UTC 2011

Hi Marshal,

We have been running two separate test projects with the module over the
last few weeks.  So far they seem very functional and cut down on node
management if your goal is "perma-link" nodes.

The first project is to take separate sites and merge them into one
frequency (and one big node).  At this point we have two of the eight
cut over and we have worked out the basic mechanics.  We use Micor
receivers and MSX100 transmitters (that may change).  The transmitters
are frequency locked using MSF5000 UHSO units with the reference source
being a GPS's 10Mhz output.  The UHSO creates 14.4Mhz that is fed into
the MCX units.  In our testing it became very clear that all of the
radios need to be identical.

The voting is very cool, you can watch as is switches between the
receive sites (very quickly, multiple times in a 1 second period) and
the toggling goes unnoticed  on the repeater's output.   

Our next phase is to create larger overlapping coverage area to see how
it sounds mixed by adding a third site in the middle of the current two.
At this point we don't have much simulcast data, the overlap area is
quite small.

The other project is an upgrade to my portable Beagleboard node that I
use traveling.  The old version was an Astro portable driven by a LOX
board.  The Beagle had a USB WiFi to a Verizon hot spot box.  The
upgrade swaps out the beagle for a RTCM and makes the connection from
the road automatic.  To create the internet for the module the old USB
wifi was switched out for a Ubiquiti PicoStation set up as a bridge.
When there is cell coverage it works and when there is no cell coverage
it's dead, simple, easy, no-dialing.  The first road test was today, all
went well other than some LTE Verizon problems.

Over all very cool stuff...

Pete WI6H...

From: app_rpt-users-bounces at ohnosec.org
[mailto:app_rpt-users-bounces at ohnosec.org] On Behalf Of Marshall Oldham
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 12:23 PM
To: 'Jim Duuuude'; 'app_rpt mailing list'
Subject: Re: [App_rpt-users] Allstar RTCM (Radio Thin Client Module)
isnowavailable

Jim, 

Okay so one server running Allstar node software at a central location
(like my house) can support a dozen RTCM's being used as "Generic"
conventional 

full duplex (repeaters) radio interfaces on far away hilltops even if I
do not want to use the RTCM GPS-Timing Multi receiver voting or
Simulcast Transmitter features?

As long as I have some sort of internet connection at the remote sites
back to my house?

If I understand this correctly this would mean that:

1) No cost of computer at the radio site.

2) No worry about the node computer locking up at the remote radio site
and having to reboot or reset it.

3) No cost other than the RTCM (Radio Thin Client Module) to setup an
Allstar node at the remote radio site. (no computer, no URI,  no Sound
FOB) 

4) If I use the RTCM (Radio Thin Client Module) I have the ability to
setup a normal Allstar node at the present time and then later if I want
to I can upgrade the hilltop 

for GPS-Timing Multi receiver voting and Simulcast Transmitter by simply
adding a GPS receiver at the site and reconfiguring the software.

If so, this seems like a pretty cool little piece of hardware! 

Marshall - ke6pcv    

________________________________

	From: Jim Duuuude [mailto:telesistant at hotmail.com] 
	Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 11:52 AM
	To: Marshall Oldham; app_rpt mailing list
	Subject: RE: [App_rpt-users] Allstar RTCM (Radio Thin Client
Module) is nowavailable

	Yeah, that's the general idea. The location of the Linux server
running app_rpt/Asterisk can be
	more or less anywhere within Internet connectivity of all of the
receiver and/or transmitter sites.
	Of course, "Internet" can mean either some sort of public
Internet connection, or a privately-provided
	Internet connection (low-cost microwave link(s), etc).

	The only limitation is that an RTCM/Voter module *must* be
located on the same LAN as the Linux
	server, to at least provide a GPS-based timing reference. A
system could be set up with a server
	located in some sort of datacenter "on the ground", and all the
radios could have an RTCM "on the
	hill" with them, and as long as there is Internet connectivity
of some sort between each of them
	and the server, the system will work nicely. That is providing
that there is an RTCM located at
	the server location also (whether or not that particular RTCM
has radio hardware connected to it
	or not).

	One minimal Linux server can easily support 1 or 2 dozen RTCM's
(on 1 or 2 allstar nodes),
	and a larger server could easily support MANY dozens of them on
dozens of allstar nodes.
	Of course, you REALLY dont want to put too many of them on a
single server, being a potential
	single point of failure. For pretty much any practical purpose,
the reasonable limitation is
	the point of failure/redundancy issue, not technical
limitations.

	I'm not sure if you were clear on this, so I thought I would
mention that the RTCM is not just
	usable as a GPS-timing-based Multi-Receiver Voting system and/or
a Simulcast Transmitter system.
	It can also be used as a "generic" radio interface for a
conventional (non-GPS-based) either simplex
	or full duplex (repeater) radio. The advantage of doing this
would be to not have the Linux
	host "on the hill" with the radio (as mentioned above). In
addition, the RTCM allows for 
	portable/mobile operation with a mobile/portable Internet
connection in both the GPS-based
	and non-GPS-based environments. 

	JIM WB6NIL

________________________________

	From: ke6pcv at cal-net.org
	To: app_rpt-users at ohnosec.org
	Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:54:18 -0800
	Subject: Re: [App_rpt-users] Allstar RTCM (Radio Thin Client
Module) is nowavailable

	I have been looking at the Allstar RTCM (Radio Thin Client
Module) and it really looks like a GREAT product and addition to the
already cool Allstar hardware. 

	Among all the other cool features of the RTCM (Radio Thin Client
Module) like Transmitter Simulcasting and Receiver Voting, if I
understand the documentation 

	correctly you can use this very small Radio Thin Client Module
at a remote radio site to set up an Allstar repeater node if the site
has internet connection without a COMPUTER at the site?

	Then you can point the node on the hilltop back to a server on
the ground somewhere that is easy to get too? 

	How many total sites can you use Radio Thin Client Modules on
and point back to a single server on the ground?  

	If this is the case, All I can say is WOW, how cool!

	73

	Marshall 

________________________________

		From: app_rpt-users-bounces at ohnosec.org
[mailto:app_rpt-users-bounces at ohnosec.org] On Behalf Of Mark Guibord
		Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2011 11:03 AM
		To: app_rpt-users at ohnosec.org
		Subject: [App_rpt-users] Allstar RTCM (Radio Thin Client
Module) is nowavailable

		Allstar RTCM Radio Thin-Client Module, an Open-Source
VOIP-Based Voting Multi-Receiver and Simulcast Transmit System is now
available for purchase. 

		For more information visit
http://micro-node.com/thin-m1.html 

		Regards,
		Mark Guibord
		Micro-Node International

	_______________________________________________ App_rpt-users
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