[Cu-wireless] meeting today

[Ralph Johnson]

> make an appointment with a radio researcher at the university to
>  talk to us about radio propagation and antennas design
> 
> find a student in EE to whom our project appeals and who would
>  like to build antennas for a community network

It is fine with me if people want to do research in antennas.  However, our
demands are pretty modest.  I doubt if our problems are the sort that radio
researchers are interested in.  You might contact the EE department about a
senior project.  They have a class each semester in which seniors design
things.  Perhaps someone wants to design antennas.

Someone here mentioned an omnidirectional antenna that was built on
wave-guide principles.  I followed the URL
(http://www.trevormarshall.com/waveguides.htm), and it looked like a very
powerful design.  It included complete instructions.  I'm a bit of a klutz
when it comes to making things like that, but I have lots of friends who are
handy.  One works in a  machine shop and I figured they might be able to
build it.  So, I gave the instructions to him and asked if his boss would
give me a quote.  His boss said it had been quite a few years since he had
built a wave-guide, but he had done it 15 or so years ago at the university,
and that he often built microwave parts, so he was pretty sure how much it
would cost, which was about $35 in hundred quantity.  In my opinion, if that
design really works, and if this guy can really build them for us for $35 in
hundred quantity, our problem is solved,  It sounded like he was interested
in working with us on prototyping.  It would be nice to keep our costs
within the local economy.

> organize one or two highly-visible "802.11 field days," where we
>  set up ad hoc networks in and around Champaign-Urbana and run some
>  engaging application; for guaranteed exposure, at least one field
>  day should coincide with a local event such as the Sweetcorn Festival

I'm interested in this.  What sort of applications would be engaging for a
crowd like this?  We could hit Taste of Champaign in West-Side Park early in
the summer, and the Sweetcorn Festival late in the summer.

I sent paper mail to the 400 block, the 500 block, and the 600 block of East
Green Street in Champaign.  (I'm on the 700 block).  I told them I was
interested in community wireless systems and was looking for partners, or at
least people who would let me play with stuff on their porch.  So far I've
got three interested people on the 600 block.  I'll be gone next week, but
the week after that I'm going to want to start setting up equipment.  Maybe
we could plan a prototype field day and string a bunch of systems together.

-Ralph Johnson