happy to see this. as a rf tech, lora was promising when i first ran into it cira 2014/15
Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
11–20 of 29 posts
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#12Mostly what we need is fewer restrictions on some better radio frequencies. Legalizing encrypted Ham radio would be a good start. If there was an ecosystem of infrastructure around those frequencies, we would have no problem whatsoever building robust mesh networks with higher bandwidth that could operate uninterrupted through crisis scenarios. As it is, we've been left with scraps; and this article describes an amaz…
It’s sad that the likelihood of legal encrypted Ham is decreasing. This would be such a fun and useful platform to start spinning up services on.
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#13Mostly what we need is fewer restrictions on some better radio frequencies. Legalizing encrypted Ham radio would be a good start. If there was an ecosystem of infrastructure around those frequencies, we would have no problem whatsoever building robust mesh networks with higher bandwidth that could operate uninterrupted through crisis scenarios. As it is, we've been left with scraps; and this article describes an amaz…
It’s sad that the likelihood of legal encrypted Ham is decreasing. This would be such a fun and useful platform to start spinning up services on.
We should build the services anyway.
We can design radios that use spread-spectrum / low-probability-of-intercept / below-the-noise-floor techniques that can make the services both harder to identify, and (more importantly) far, far less likely to interfere with anything else on the same frequencies, which is what the FCC actually cares about.
If this is useful, and if people actually want to use it, they will, and then the cat will be out of the bag and we can make a case for legalization.
It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. They're never going to give you permission for something theoretical. People have to be using it and not willing to give it up, like uber, and then they'll go "gee, I guess we need to figure out how to make this work."
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#14"LoRa+WiFi ClusterDuck Protocol by Project OWL for Disaster Relief" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22707267
> An opkg (for e.g. OpenWRT) with this mesh software would make it possible to use WiFi/LTE routers with a LoRa transmitter/receiver connected over e.g. USB or Mini-PCIe.
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#15So... what exactly is the crisis scenario this is modeled for?
I can't come up with a reasonable situation where mobile networks are completely f*cked, yet my smartphone is still running medium- to long-term. Maybe I'm not creative enough.
(The only thing that comes close is a large-scale power outage, but then after a day or two my smartphone battery is dead too. Also, the same measures to revive the smartphone [solar backup, generators, etc.] can also be used to revive the mobile network...)
[Add.: what definitely makes sense is a _dedicated_ LoRa-based emergency network, which uses dedicated user agents with low power draw and long-term batteries. Just ditch the smartphone?]
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#16Mostly what we need is fewer restrictions on some better radio frequencies. Legalizing encrypted Ham radio would be a good start. If there was an ecosystem of infrastructure around those frequencies, we would have no problem whatsoever building robust mesh networks with higher bandwidth that could operate uninterrupted through crisis scenarios. As it is, we've been left with scraps; and this article describes an amaz…
It’s sad that the likelihood of legal encrypted Ham is decreasing. This would be such a fun and useful platform to start spinning up services on.
I'd already be happy if the ISM bands were internationally harmonized, but as if that's ever going to happen...
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#17I don't understand what the contribution of this paper is. The most important thing, a scability test, is missing. You don't need 16 pages to describe a LoRa-based device-to-device messaging application.
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#18Sudomesh has been working on one of these devices, disaster radio: https://disaster.radio
I like the solar integration. My ideal product would be a programmable LoRa transceiver integrates into a waterproof battery bank with solar, gps and a small touch screen. Should be about the size of a large handheld which could mounted on a house, tree, mast or carry it in a pocket/bag. Apps could be, SOS messages, chat and weather information. If it’s extensible (e.g. something like an app store or package manager)…
Unfortunately, the Earl tablet never made it to market: https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2015/01/26/video-update-ab...
Earl specs: Waterproof; Solar charging; eInk; ANT+; NFC; VHF/UHF transceiver (GMRS, PMR446, UHFCB); GPS; Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Temperature, Barometer, Humidity; AM/FM/SW/LW/WB
LTE, LoRa, 5G, and Hostapd would be great
Being able to plug it into a powerbank and antennas for use as a fixed or portable e.g. BATMAN mesh relay would be great
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s sad that the likelihood of legal encrypted Ham is decreasing. This would be such a fun and useful platform to start spinning up services on.
I'd already be happy if the ISM bands were internationally harmonized, but as if that's ever going to happen...
Where I come from (.au) that’d mean somehow taking back the bottom half of the 915MHz band we sold off to the mobile phone network operators... Not happening any time soon... :sigh:
Re: Lora-based device-to-device smartphone communication for crisis scenarios [pdf]
#20Mostly what we need is fewer restrictions on some better radio frequencies. Legalizing encrypted Ham radio would be a good start. If there was an ecosystem of infrastructure around those frequencies, we would have no problem whatsoever building robust mesh networks with higher bandwidth that could operate uninterrupted through crisis scenarios. As it is, we've been left with scraps; and this article describes an amaz…
I used to think that allowing encrypted ham radio would be a good idea, but the more I think about it, it isn't. It's supposed to be a place for radio hobbyist experimentation. To permit encryption there would see it used for commercial applications pretending to be hobbyists, and other exploitation outside its purpose.
I feel that other solutions would be better, for example having bands for community mesh networking or similar that has different restrictions to the ISM bands. No idea really how the mechanics would work, but I feel that allowing encryption on ham bands would just see it abused to the detriment of its actual goal.