Secure digital communications for EmComm part 1

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Secure digital communications for EmComm(part 1)

• Brad Low-K5BDL
• Cherokee County ARC
• August 2, 2007

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Purpose of tonights presentation

• Provide a brief overview of systems we can use in
  the field
• Discuss a plan for next several months to
  describe each system in detail
• Chat with you about what we can do as an ARES team

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Why it is needed

• Consider a scenario that a disaster has occurred
  in our area and all e-mail and Internet
  communication has been affected
• Secure communications for EOCs containing patient
  data and other sensitive communications may be
  needed and we can provide this service

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What can we do?

• Todays technology allows us to quickly deploy
  into an affected area with our computers and
  radios and set up a communications link.
• The agency we serve and the traffic they need to
  move will dictate what mode(s) we will use to
  communicate

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Options

• Winlink 2000 packet e-mail system
• High Speed Multimedia (HSMM)
• Soundcard Packet (SV2AGW packet engine) and other
  soundcard modes (FAX, PSK, etc.)
• D-STAR

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Winlink 2000

• Winlink 2000 is a system (rather than a specific
  software program) that connects packet stations
  to the Internet. Think Echolink for digipeaters
  and packet stations. Can be accessed by the
  following ways
• TelPac (TELnet PACket bridge) VHF/UHF
• Paclink AGW with Paclink Post Office VHF/UHF
• Airmail (mainly for HF Pactor)
• More information at http//www.winlink.org

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HSMM

• For HSMM, you need only at least two computers to
  connect in ad hoc network mode. Once connected,
  you can use e-mail through your e-mail program
  (Outlook) or communicate via a client program
  such as Microsoft NetMeeting (digital data and
  VoIP).

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Soundcard Packet

• Employs SV2AGW Packet Engine
• Useful when TNC (such as a PK232) is not available

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Soundcard modes

• Relatively easy way to get on the air on short
  notice
• Software is free and widely available
• All digital modes can be run on HF and also
  VHF/UHF
• Drawback could be monitored by someone who has
  software and a scanner/shortwave radio. In other
  words, perhaps not very secure
• TWISTER (encoding)

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D-STAR

• Probably is the most costly option
• Operates in the 1.2 GHz band
• Simultaneous voice and data transfer

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• I invite all of you to consider taking part in
  experimenting with these modes and we can learn
  together how to effectively provide emergency
  communications to our served agencies in the area
• Starting next month discuss the various modes in
  detail (one mode per month)
• September 2007 Winlink 2000
• Information regarding digital projects can be
  found at http//k5bdl.com/digiprojects.html

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The K5BDL website is undergoing a major
facelift!                                  
Look for new changes and updates in the near
future
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Questions??