There are probably more complete and better lists out there, but maybe I can list some off the top of my head.
- APRS digipeater/iGate
- Winlink gateway
- WSPR beacon
- JS8Call forwarder
- or is this just everyone running the program?
- CW Skimmer for Reverse Beacon Network
- VHF/UHF repeater
- and repeater network
- TARPN/AREDN/Broadband Hamnet node
- I list these together because it seems to depend on the year who is gaining and who is losing ground. Maybe we need to make them interoperable?
These are mainly hardware solutions to get signals and data farther, faster, and in and out of the Internet. Ideas on the software side might be:
- Standardized packet or digital queries to get information
- news
- weather (see Winlink)
- equipment setup help (???, although I’ve seen talk of Wikipedia access)
- disaster support (where to get food, water, shelter, etc. after a disaster in the area, although perhaps this fits broadcast best if local broadcast hasn’t been effected)
- APRS-style location information, without the overhead of APRS
- E.g., what if I could query a local computer using touch tones to get local information?
What are some other ways to contribute the “infrastructure” of ham radio, to help it remain resilient (and stay fun)?
#hamradio #amateurradio