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May 15, 2013

Two new repeaters on the system:
Node 2301 442.075+  186.2  W3GFD Youngsville, PA
Node 2302  147.015+ 186.2  W3GFD  Watson, PA

Warren County has a new ham radio club! Go to www.ahra.fm for more information.

===============  Emergency Communications ==============

WPA ARES Conference, JUNE 15 at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Engineering Building.

The Energizing Emergency Communications WPA ARES Conference Agenda and Registration form are now available on the www.wpaares.org website.  Feel free to invite your EMA Director, Served agency Liaison and others you feel would be interested.  It is important that we get a headcount as soon as possible so please emphasize the need for early registration.  Encourage folks to bring go-kits and especially specially equipped vehicles if possible. Information on overnight accommodation is being researched for those that may need it. 

It looks like a super emergency communications event!

73,

Larry AB3ER  ab3er@comcast.net

http://wpaares.org/downloads/2013_EMCOMM_AGENDA.pdf

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Repeater Builder ran an AllStar repeater in the Hamvention flea-market.  Check out the WAN Facebook page for pictures and other detail.
Kevin Custer - WJ8G




Jan. 2 , 2013

Just spinning the dail and wanted to say Happy New Year from W3WAN a.k.a KB3ORS as Mission Control for The Wide Area Network Repeater System...  note: Brian did not post this so it is only fair that it makes its way around the web or you can go to our Facebook page and make it go viral :-)
WAN-RS is now on  FaceBook


Or is this DJ Brian-B...



WAN-RS is now on  FaceBook



At the DQ, in Butler on Oct 21, just before the WPRC meeting, Bob James KB3USW donated a large number of Dell computers to WAN.  On behalf of everyone at The Wide Area Network Repeater System, thank you Sir. for your support of this system and its users.




The overview that follows explains an amateur radio linking system which has been deployed in the central region of Pennsylvania which has near seamless north-south coverage from the New York State line into northern Maryland and Washington, DC.  It is the intention of the development team that this link system remain fluid in its application; which can and will change in purpose, as the need arises.  The official name of the link system is "The Wide Area Network Repeater System" or WAN-RS.  In times of disaster, it will serve many purposes for agencies like FEMA, PEMA, ARES and RACES/ACS, but from a neutral standpoint.

The WAN-RS, ** W3WAN ** in its present state, includes several repeaters physically located in Warren, Jefferson, Bedford, Cambria, and Somerset Counties in Pennsylvania, and Washington DC.  These repeaters are linked (connected) together with a private wide area TCP/IP network connection (WAN) and Linux based repeater controllers which have the ability to allow multiple, simultaneous, high-quality duplex audio/telemetry connections.  While similar linking systems require use of the public Internet to provide the path between sites, our present sites utilize a Private WAN to make this connection.  This means if there is an Internet outage, the system will continue to operate over the private WAN; as it can exist without Internet bandwidth being supplied over it.  Of course, if a repeater outside our private network is connected over the Internet, and the Internet goes out, this repeater will still operate stand-alone, but will no longer be part of the system as a whole.  In other words, Internet connected repeaters will not totally fail, they will continue to operate - locally.

The new link system has, at the present time, private connectivity between the existing sites.  While many miles exist between physical tower locations, all connectivity is over private, locally owned and operated networks.  These networks are comprised of a mix of fiber optic and wireless topologies which are all either owned or operated under the direct control of the development team.  Some of these sites have or will have redundant LAN connectivity, as it is our intention to make the system as robust as possible.  It is not within the scope of this document to detail the connectivity between sites because of security and non disclosure agreement policies.  The system is, for the most part, privately held by members of the development team and organizations they work directly for.

The WAN repeater system uses a repeater controller which is based upon VoIP technologies that allow for very high quality audio throughput and reconfigurability on a near infinite scale.  It is loosely based on the Asterisk/app_rpt system utilized in the AllStar Link system and a few others, with some minor exceptions.  One exception is we have chosen to use a special distribution of the application written by a mutual friend, Steve Henke - W9SH.  This special distribution allows for greater flexibility and support.  It is the concern of the development team that this system not be dependent on the integrity on the public Internet; in which it has no direct control over.  AllStar linking between segments like ours is almost totally done over the public Internet, however, it can be configured so sites which can see one another over a private WAN can be connected without Internet bandwidth.  This means that systems that are connected in a private manner will not fail to be connected to one another, as long as the private WAN does not fail.  Our WAN-RS link system has been configured to allow direct connectivity fail-over in the event of a Internet outage.   This configuration allows our link system to be accessible anywhere in the world as long as the Internet is healthy, and will continue to operate locally and regionally if the public Internet should fail.

This amateur radio link system system is the result of work done mainly by M. Scott Zimmerman - N3XCC and David Hunter - N3YFO.  It was their vision to connect Cambria and Somerset Counties in Pennsylvania together with this technology.  They have hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars personally invested in this system.  The system has expanded into other Counties by cooperation of Jim Knox - N5NWC and myself, Kevin Custer - WJ8G.  Thomas Brew - K3WS has enabled the system to grow at an explosive rate with donations of computer equipment, technical knowledge, and enthusiasm.  Brian Burton - KB3ORS operates a dedicated a 2M machine in Sheffield PA and a part time 2M system in Kane PA - McKean County.  While the system already provides a nice coverage area, we are hopeful it will expand to enable the repeater coverage desired by the development team, and regular users of the system.

The Wan Repeater System, WAN-RS is now on  FaceBook <<< please visit the page and click like or become a fan.

WAN-RS Node 2135 Live Interactive Connections as seen at AllstarLink.org   CLICK HERE


Page Revised 5/20/2013 by K3WS