Victoria to Port Angeles Wireless Link

http://www.dailywireless.org/images/up/portangeles.jpg

The [http://www.portangeles.org/ city of Port Angeles, Washington] is some 30 miles from Victoria British Columbia. This July 3rd, a "free" 802.11a link will be attempted between these two cities.

When: July 3rd 2004
Where: PortAngelesWashington and VictoriaBritishColumbia
Who: Pacific Northwest Wireless Volunteers and friends
Why: Establish a free 802.11a link from VictoriaBritishColumbia to PortAngelesWashington for fun.
http://www.dailywireless.org/images/up/portangelesmap.jpg http://www.dailywireless.org/images/up/linkmap.jpg

[http://trevormarshall.com/biquad.htm Trevor Marshall's biquad design], feeding a Primestar satellite dish has established [http://www.erlang-software.com/FreeNet/Rottnest has established a solid 30 mile capability] with 10-15 dB (SNR) link from Rottnest Island off the West Australian coast, to a number of APs on the escarpment east of Perth; a distance of 48 km (30 miles).

http://trevormarshall.com/bq-mount-thumb.jpg

http://trevormarshall.com/bq-front-thumb.jpg

http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/images/biquad_size.png

Technical Approaches

[http://www.trevormarshall.com/waveguides.htm Trevor Marshall], [http://www.e3.com.au/ Perth's Community LAN site, E-3], and [http://www.everettwireless.net/index.php Everett Wireless] have been building [http://members.iinet.net.au/~clark/FreeNet/Workshop.htm homebuilt waveguides].

Here's [http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=683 a +22 dB design] made from [http://www.everettwireless.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB_14&file=index&action=viewtopic&topic=14&forum=4&1 aluminum foil and styrofoam].

http://www.sdots.com/photos/waveguides.jpg

[http://www.overclockers.com.au/article.php?id=118207 Tests with Long-Distance Waveguides] look good but a PrimeStar dish is likely to provide more gain.

The 5.8 GHz Option

The 5 GHz band has about 8 dB more loss than 2.4 GHz at long range. With 6 db loss, range is halved. So 5.8GHz will need more than twice the gain.

[http://www.atheros.com/pt/index.html Atheros Xtended range chips] claims receive sensitivities up to -105dBm. That's more than 10-20 dB better than other 802.11 chips. [http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2005&mode=&order=0&thold=0 Atheros claims XR will triple the range] for their dual-band, AR 5004. [http://www.atheros.com/pt/AR5004XBulletin.htm The Atheros 5004x] brings "Xtended Range" to the 5.8 GHz band.

http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/5/0,3363,sz=1&i=54867,00.gif

[http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WGT624.php?view= Netgear's WGT624] uses Super G technology. http://www.netgear.com/images/products/large/wgt624.jpg D-Link's [http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=6 DI-624 Wireless Router], their [http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=241 DWL-G810 "G" bridge] and Netgear's [http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1913 WGT634U Wireless Media Router] use them. Right now they're "G" only. But a dual-band 802.11a/g wireless router that doubles as a bridge might provide increased range and sensitivity at 5 GHz.

http://img.cmpnet.com/eet/news/03/september/ATHEROS1287_PG_45.gif

[http://www.commsdesign.com/news/OEG20030915S0060 The AR5004X 802.11a/g chip set with XR], can reach distances of over 700 meters, but the XR technology is a two-way technique that must also be implemented in an access point.

You might feed a couple [http://www.proxim.com/products/bwa/multipoint/mp11/mp11a/ Proxim MP.11a] bridges ($600) into a [http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/amplifiers_5800.php 500mw, 5.8 GHz amp] ($675), with a [http://www.ydi.com/products/58ghz-fp28.php 28 dBi 5.8 GHz flat panel] ($535) on each side. [http://www.atheros.com/pt/AR5004XBulletin.htm [http://www.ydi.com/calculation/som.php YDI's Operating Margin Calculator] can help you estimate operating range.

[http://usa.asus.com/products/communication/wireless/wl-330/overview.hTm The tiny Asus Access Point] can also be used as a bridge. A long distance link might simply use a +23db, 5.8 GHz flat panel, with an Atheros Xtrended Range bridge plugged in. [http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1926 Could 100 mile WiFi Video] be possible?

Port Angeles

Possible Locations

[http://www.portangelesinn.com/ Port Angeles Inn]
- Latitude: 48.118518286954 (geocode estimate)
- Longitude -123.43420050028 (geocode estimate)
Salt Creek campground ( [http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapsurfer?infact=2&outfact=2&act=move&tlevel=-&tvar=-&tmeth=i&mlat=&mlon=&msym=bigdot&mlabel=&murl=&lat=48.1655769&lon=-123.7072144&wid=0.022&ht=0.009&conf=mapnew.con&map.x=275&map.y=157 Map] )
- Latitude: 48.1663284
- Longitude: -123.7041855
- coords are nad27, decimal.
- Plenty of camping, possible power (cant remember if there were RV hookups or not). LOS to vancouver island. Vehicle fee is ~$15. Camping available at edge of bluff.

Vancouver Island

The Victoria Telecommunity Network and the BC Wireless Project are working on this as a joint project. Many thanks to the VTN for their willingness to help us with this project.

Possible Locations

Gonzales Observatory;
- Latitude: 48.41317
- Longitude: -123.325
- Elevation: 65 meters above sea level.
- Managed by the Capital Regional District, also has some [http://www.bcwireless.net/tafl/callsign.php?callsign=xkk420&gettype=cached&cachedcopy=20040117140605 Weather monitoring systems used by UVIC]
Mount Tolmie
- Latitude: 48.45655
- Longitude: -123.3259
- Elevation: 112 meters
- Located in Saanich, also City property.
Dominion Observatory aka: The Center of the Universe
- Site A (Lower Scope)
  - Latitude: 48.52075
  - Longitude: -123.4193
  - Elevation: 183 meters
- Site B (Administrative offices)
  - Latitude: 48.5192
  - Longitude: -123.4166
  - Elevation: 193 meters
- Federal land, also a historic site.
Mount Douglas (approximated)
- Latitude: 48.49414
- Longitude: -123.3478
- Elevation: 208 meters
- Problems: Conservation society doesn't like antennas, lots of commercial antennas already up there.
Other site considerations: The West Coast Amateur Radio Association may have repeater sites we could hitch ROW off of.
Gear we have available:
- One WRAP based Atheros box.
- 2.4GHz antennae

Issues

Technical

Lets try to do 802.11b also, just in case the 802.11a stuff doesn't work out
- A should be doable, if we have some nice antennas, and possibly a social "debate" on whether to use closed-source software or not.
Power sources are questionable, need generators and UPS probably
Need tested, pre-configured software and hardware
- Configure routers with routes and IPs
- Configure radio cards with proper channel assignments
- Test end-to-end connectivity up close
Network diagrams
- Just some well documented diagrams so we know what the heck we're doing
Communication between the two sites
- amateur
  - Free
  - CaseyHalverson has a radio for the Washingtion side
    - MatthewAsham has a radio for the Victoria side.
- cellular
  - International calls need to be made, can be expensive
  - Need a list of phone numbers in case of lost radio contact

Gear

PersonalTelco is offering to sponsor wireless gear to maintain a permanent link. Home brew antennae.

Logistic

Unavailibility among SWN people during this holiday (maybe another weekend in July)
SWN and PTP people should plan to stay the night in this area
Food, water, shelter, activities, socials, schedules, equipment, etc. details

Wireless campout? Anyone want to look for a campsite?

References

[http://www.narx.net/~chrisk/WaFreeNet/GalaxyMod/ ChrisK's Galaxy Mod]
[http://www.leemingwireless.net/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1' Leeming Wireless Network - Dish Mod]
[http://www.mrx.com.au/wireless/ConfierModifications.htm Conifer 2.4GHz Antenna Modifications for Wireless LAN]
[http://www.ashtec.dyndns.org/ashtec/mods/index.html How to modify an Ex-Galaxy Antenna for Wireless Network]
[http://martybugs.net/wireless/conifertest.cgi Conifer Antenna Testing (part 1)]
[http://martybugs.net/wireless/conifertest2.cgi Conifer Antenna Testing (part 2)]