FW: PWC BBHN Update - July 2015 Edition

Sat Jul 11 07:01:22 CDT 2015

An update on BBHN use.

From: Clarence Meese [mailto:cmeese at comcast.net] 
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 2:08 AM
To: Alan McCormick, WA2GTT; Bill Fenn, N4TS; Bill South, N4SV; Bob Zaepfel,
K4HJF; Byron Dillon, AK4XR; Clarence Meese, K4CNM; David Morris, KK4ZUU;
Derek LaHousse, KV4SH; Dorian Smith, N4DWS; Dorothea Barr, KK4FMQ; Earl
Gillam, N4AAA; Ed Danis, KK4PHP; Eric Stoltz, KK4NXU; Erv Kuhnke, KC4BJE;
Gary Duff, N4GWD; George Lemaster, WB5OYP; Glenn Baumgartner, AK4QJ; James
McKinley, WD4OJY; Jay Aldridge, WB5OOD; Jay Hochstaine, K2YUB; John
Heartney, KG4NXT; John Held, KK4TCE; Karl Vesterling, N2VQM; Keith
Bennington, KM4AA; Ken Dahl, KM4ABL; Ken Jamrogowicz, KE2N; Larry Bates,
K0LB; Larry Reynolds, K4LMA; Larry Walker, K4LLQ; Mark Braunstein, WA4KFZ;
Mark Rinehart, KV4UC; Mary Moon, KK4GOW; Mike Kulak, KD2AMZ; Paul James,
N2PJ; Phil Simerly, KI4WGC; Richard Kroh, N4MZZ; Richard Shannon, KJ4ZIH;
Rob Williams, KJ4LWN; Scott Bogart, KK4SNO; Steve Moore, WB0AOD; Stu
Mitchell, W7IY; Stu Mitchell, WA0DYJ; Terry Erlacher, KC4DV; Terry McCarty,
WA5NTI; Thad DeHaven, KK4MMH; Thor Berglie, KK4UYT; Tim Rohr, KM4CCI; Tom
Dart, K4ULJ; Tony Panoochi, KK4UZB; Watts, Carl
Subject: PWC BBHN Update - July 2015 Edition

All --

First, a couple of updates / corrections to my 16 June e-mail:

1.  Ken's KE2N BBHN setup on Bull Run Mountain has a sector antenna, not a
dish; the SSID of the node is W4BRM.

2.  We did get streaming video across BBHN Linksys routers to the judges
stand at the 4th of July parade in Dale City; more about that below.

3.  Only thing  new with the high altitude balloon project are several
suggestions on how we should proceed WRT the airborne router.  I did
discover that some of my Linksys routers only require about 200ma.  And
Terry WA5NTI showed me the easy (and nondestructive) way to disassemble a
Linksys router.  This project will be discussed more in future updates.

Here's the report from Mark KV4UC from Woodbridge Wireless and their use of
BBHN during Field Day:

We did achieve a first for the club in implementing a practical operational
mesh network in the field. Although Terry WA5NTI and I were not able to
successfully attach to the local public cable internet access point, Stu
WA0DYJ came through for us by providing use of his coach access point.
Linking a wifi client and mesh gateway at his coach, we were able to deploy
mesh routers at the satellite (1 PC), digital (2 PCs), 20-40m SSB (2 PCs),
GOTA (1 PC), and 10-15-80m SSB (2 PCs) positions. The mesh self-configured
so that every node connected redundantly with at least two other nodes.
Terry WA5NTI installed a chat service in the GOTA node which gave us text
capability for short text messages between the eight connected PCs, if
desired. With a bit of soggy sneaker-net configuring, we were able to
collect and input the different PC mesh IP address information into N1MM+
and implement our first ever wirelessly connected network logging system.
Bob KV4MJ provided master station logging from his computer where we
centrally logged 1948 QSOs for SSB operations. Throughout the scoring
period, even with the intense rain, the mesh maintained reliable connection
service and Internet access for all connected PCs. Even though we weren't
able to get everything logged through the mesh due to time constraints for
configuration, we learned a lot which will let us develop a better plan for
next year. Thanks to everyone helping out to get our first mesh working in
the field (under less than optimal conditions) and our collective patience
working around each other to get everything configured. I mapped how the
mesh network interconnected in the attachment illustration (K4CNM note: see
PatchRoute.png, attached) for those that are interested.

We did not need to advertise any services for N1MM+ to work on the mesh. We
used the mesh routers in mesh (not NAT) configuration to DHCP mesh addresses
to the attached PCs and collected the individual bios names and mesh IP
addresses to manually input all of the individual names/IPs into N1MM+'s
network address configuration table in each N1MM logging PC and assigned one
N1MM logging PC as the master. Although N1MM will self discover other
stations on a 255.255.255.x subnet, it doesn't perform self discovery across
the 10.x.x.x mesh addresses the routers generate. Nonetheless, once the
addresses are input and all N1MM files updated, it works pretty well
directly addressing by mesh IP address.

Here is my report on streaming video over BBHN at the Dale City July 4th
parade:

I was able to get video from Greenwood Drive to the table behind the Judges
chairs in front of the COMCAST building.  Used a total of five routers.  But
since we had no extra help and I was stationed at Post 2 on Greenwood Drive
calling the last minute out of order parade units, there was no one to keep
an eye on the laptop.  So I really don't know if anyone ever saw the video
feed.  I did ask once to have it checked and the report was "Connecting..."
which is a sign of no connection.  But it does auto recover, so that might
have been a temporary thing - or not.

With the rain and no help (except for John KG4NXT during setup), I didn't
get everything working until about 15 minutes before the parade started.
And then had to quickly get to my parade route post.  After the parade Dale
Blvd became a totally grid-locked parking lot with masses of people walking
between the stopped cars.  So I was not able to get the last router
recovered and headed out of that mess until 1:30 PM.

Some lessons learned about setting a mesh network up at an event like this:

1.  We need help setting up, monitoring, and recovering.
2.  Everyone who owns a mesh router should consider deploying it.  That
means having a means to power it and get it up in the air so that it can
mesh.  As a minimum one needs a battery (recommend a 12aH one - enough run
time yet small enough to easily hand-carry to site), a power cord long
enough to get from the battery to the router, a 15-foot pole (or four 4-foot
poles) to get the router up above the crowd, a gallon ziplock-type freezer
bag (to hold the router and protect it from rain/snow/etc), and a supply of
duct tape.
3.  Have more than just a straight line arrangement of routers.  For this
parade, for example, we could put a router at each roadway sign along the
route between the camera(s) and the viewing laptop to get redundancy and
probably keep a 100-percent connection.
4.  Each person sets up and recovers his own router(s).
5.  One person stationed at the viewing laptop to bring in "customers" and
discuss potential uses for BBHN.
6.  Extra laptop(s) and ham(s) at the camera location(s) to make any
necessary adjustments.
7.  A separate communications channel for the mesh network folks.

Attached (4th.jpg) is a Google Earth view of the parade route between Post 2
and the judges stand.  The straight line distance between these two points
is approximately 2,000 feet.  Dale Blvd has several curves between these two
points and there are many trees in the median.  I did see video between the
two points right before I left the judges stand for my parade route post, so
I know we can do it.  Configuring routers for streaming video will be
discussed at the next BBHN workshop, see below.

Finally, I have scheduled two dates for future BBHN workshops:

1.  8 August at the Central Community Library Community Room (8601 Mathis
Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110-5270).

2.  29 August at the Bull Run Regional Library Community Room (8051 Ashton
Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109-2892).

More on these workshops later, but for now mark your calendars with both
dates from noon until 4 PM and start gathering up your equipment.  The main
emphasis will be applications / advertised services; however, anything goes
if there is interest (like the high altitude balloon project).  Whether or
not we use the second date depends on how the first date turns out.

73,

-- Clarence, K4CNM

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