Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club
The Club is small but quite an active group of licensed amateur radio operators. The Club meets twice a month, once for a business meeting and the second meeting is for technical discussion on a specific subject or simply a social chat. In addition there are two "on-air" meetings each month in which members and others call in on a net frequency in one or other of the amateur bands for chat. Why not visit their website...
New Partnership Forged
A new partnership has been forged between Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club (EARC) and Air-Stream Wireless Inc.
On Wednesday 17th January two Air-Stream committee members, Chris Cichon and Paul Ridley, attended an EARC technical meeting as their guest speakers.
The goal of the presentation was to introduce and launch the Air-Stream Network. Along with this launch Chris and Paul explained how the Air-Stream network and can be accessed by EARC members. They also challenged the EARC to think of creative ways their club could further use the Air-Stream network.
The presentation included:
- What is Air-Stream Wireless Inc
- An Overview of the EARC Access Point and where it fits into the Air-Stream Wireless network.
- Air-Stream provided services
- Future network expansion plans
- Questions
- Offical switch on of the EARC PC and network link
One EARC member asked how they may go about securely accessing their home network services from the EARC site. The solution given was to obtain an old PC at their home built containing FOSS to create a router and VPN server. The server would then be connected into their home network and then connected to an Air-Stream access point.
After the presentation everyone moved into the Radio Room next door where EARC was presented with
a computer for its members to explore the Air-Stream Network. This PC was donated by memebers of Air-Stream Wireless Inc and included a wireless access point, CD burner and 17" CRT monitor.
Only Milliwatts instead of Watts
Over the past year the Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club (EARC) call sign VK5LZ have been helping to expand community wireless networks for use by not-for-profit community groups, disability organisations, the open source community and local people on the licence free public park spectrum 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz.
Although the Amateur Radio Club is licensed to transmit at much higher power levels at these frequencies they have choosen to run low power 802.11a & b wireless LAN equipment, enabling the club to participate as an Access Point Node at their site on the Elizabeth Water Tower.
The aim of the community network is empower communities and help bridge the digital divide, by providing very low cost non-profit wireless networks where people can easily share IT resources and communicate.
The Water Tower AP at Elizabeth is back on the boil
The Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club (EARC) call sign VK5LZ has their main repeater and club located at a 45 metre high water tower in Elizabeth. Work is now back on the boil to install a BGP Router and 802.11b APs and also establish high speed 802.11a Backbones to Northfield, Uleybury and Para Hills.
For information about the project, connecting up or being involved contact our northern project team Chris Cichon or Ryan Roberts.
More information about: the Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club