[App_rpt-users] usbfobs

[Kevin Custer]

On 7/6/2016 4:03 PM, Steve Wright wrote:
> On 07/07/16 01:10, app_rpt-users-request at ohnosec.org wrote:
>> There are a lot of us out here that prefer to run hardened 
>> server-grade hardware at remote tower sites rather than Pi's or other 
>> small SBC's. --- Jeff 
>
> That's a generalisation - that the RPI3 are unreliable.  It'd be nice 
> to throw high-end hardware at everything, but if you had a very large 
> system to build - I don't think you would be doing that.  And we do 
> have a very large system to build...

Jeff, Scott and I are involved in a very large system called the WAN 
System - Google it.  We have spent thousands of dollars on equipment - a 
lot of it very high end for reliability.  Take the Dell servers for Node 
2135 and other major hubs for instance.  These were built prior to the 
Raspberry Pi 2 and 3.


>
> Lists aren't about one person building one machine, lists are about 
> system-builders assembling a nation - and that process being doable 
> with quality dividends, so it is easy for one person to announce costs 
> being minimal for one system, but if that single device were 
> implemented globally, that would be six or seven figures.  That'd be 
> nice for those who supplied that device, but I don't think they'll get 
> it.

Here's what you don't get.  This used to cost thousands of dollars per 
location, now it's hundreds.  I have several ACC controllers and link 
stacks now excess to my needs, so believe me, I know.

>
> I mean to say, app_rpt can, and should, be on every transmit and 
> receive interface on every mountaintop.  Be honest - conversion of all 
> systems is our goal, not because we might, but because of the immense 
> flexibility it would forward, without really any effort at all.  So 
> how to actually get that?  Using a $300 box for every TX and RX?  No, 
> it's not going to happen.  Using a <$100 box with four TX and four RX 
> interfaces?  Just maybe..

You are a cheap ham.  I've personally deployed dozens of $200 - 300 
computers and $75 radio adapters.  It's a hell of a lot cheaper than the 
alternatives, and what it used to cost.

I'm not a millionaire - not even close.  Building repeaters and 
maintaining them is a responsibility that costs money.  app_rpt has cut 
those costs drastically.  Get over spending money on deploying a system 
- it's not going to be cheap if you want reliability.  I speak from 
experience - this isn't just some wild guess.  Voting can be done in 
XIPAR (zipper) at greatly reduced costs over a few years ago.

Kevin Custer - W3KKC
INAD - WAN - LRS