The Technology

First there was the spark transmitter, hello CW!

Then came the vacuum tube. CW, AM, SSB.

Then came the transistor, welcome AM, FM, CW, SSB, mobile radios, portables.

Then came the integrated circuit, welcome microprocessors, digital applications, packet radio.

Then came wireless devices on a chip, which gave birth to new technologies such as 802.11, upon which the AREDN network was built, and then 802.15 and OFDM, which is the foundation of the IP400 network.

Imagine its 8:00 at night and suddenly all the lights went out. No internet, no IP phone, no cellphone and no e-mail. Pick up your Meshphone and call another amateur to find out what is going on, using your RF based network node with battery backup. Call anywhere in the Province, Country or world. Or, you could dial the local link and contact an amateur on the road through a connected repeater anywhere on the network.

The technology is based on high speed networking chip sets such as those used in commercial access points, repurposed with our own software that enables mesh networking. The hardware is inexpensive, and connecting to the network can be facilitated with an RF connection to the local hub, or through a VPN to another node on the network.

The Alberta Digital Radio Society is the driving force behind developing, deploying, operating and maintaining  digital networks on amateur frequencies. We manage the AREDN network in Alberta and Northern Montana, launched and are developing the IP400 network, and also maintain servers with a plethora of applications including weather alerting, digital linking and telemetry.

Our mission is to assist you to become connected, by providing pre-configured hardware to clubs or individuals with assistance in getting online. We also provide education on digital networking to bring the knowledge base into the 21st century.

To find out more, click the ‘join’ button above and fill in the form. Welcome to the new generation!