Looking into networking some XBee Pro 900 Zigbee modules into a mesh network on 902-928 MHz.
Here's a new (potential) product that's similar to the 900 MHz application but on 430-440 so we should get a bit better range out of it. It has the potential of being both 9k6 standard and may mucho faster in the near future. Nice form factor too.
I hope to be using at least two of these for Mesh networking (as a NW-MESH extender) probably trying out Babble routing. The price is certainly right.
Bill
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From: Scott Miller scott@opentrac.org Reply-To: tracker2@yahoogroups.com To: TAPR APRS Mailing List aprssig@tapr.org, tracker2@yahoogroups.com, opentracker@yahoogroups.com Subject: [tracker2] T3-9670 1-watt 70cm 9600 baud data radio - $72 pre-order price
Hi all,
In recent years a ton of low-cost high-speed radio modules have hit the market, but until now there haven't been any that were compatible with existing amateur modulation standards. I recently got my hands on some new modules that I was able to get to work with standard 9600 baud G3RUH gear. It took a bit of hacking, but the trickery is handled by a modified Tracker3 processor that hides the details from the host and works as a standard USB KISS TNC.
Right now we're at the prototype stage and there's still tuning and polishing to be done, but everything's looking very good. My bench test unit is happily talking to a TH-D7A at 9600 baud and if parts arrive in time I'm hoping to fly a 9600 baud balloon payload by the end of the week.
It's a very small and simple device - just a USB connection, SMA jack for an antenna, and a DC jack for optional external power if you want to run it as a standalone digipeater. The prototype pictured looks a little rough because the end panels are 3D printed. The final product should have machined or stamped end panels.
I'm not sure how much interest there is in such a device, so I'm putting it out there as a pre-order item so we can gauge how many we need to produce in the first batch, whether it'll be worth stamping the parts, and so on. Final price is likely to be a bit higher than the pre-order price of $72. We should be shipping by the end of November, and maybe even a bit sooner than that.
I'm planning to make this the first in a series of products that I'm hoping will kick-start some higher speed, more advanced APRS networks.
You can place your pre-order here:
https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=171
And if anyone has any ham gear that does higher than 9600 baud that they'd like to lend me for compatibility testing, I'd be happy to try it out. The modules will do at least 128 kbps talking to each other in their native format, but G3RUH compatibility imposes some restrictions and I'm not sure yet exactly how fast I'll be able to crank them up and still stay compatible.
Thanks and 73,
Scott, N1VG Argent Data Systems