Diary #40
Net
Link and NovaRoam Test at Trout Lake
On
December 10th and 11th I flew/drove to Trout Lake Research Station
to accomplish two short tasks.
a.
Install and get working a Campbell Scientific NL100 Serial to
Ethernet and IP converter on their wireless link to the data logger
on Sparkling Lake.
b.
Run another test of the NovaRoam radios, as substitutes for the
Freewaves on the tower-antenna rig to do the head-to-head comparision
of the NovaRoam range with the Freewave Range in the same area.
Our previous test was found to be invalid since water had gotten
into the antenna cable and had attenuated radio performance.
New
Link to the World
The
Sparkling Lake Raft, with its Freewave connection to the Trout Lake
Center has been operating well through the winter. However, in order
for the staff at the Madison, Wisconsin Campus site to access its
data, Paul Hanson had to do a jury rig - linking an Internet capable
'PC Anywhere' piece of software to the PC208W Software in the NT
at Trout Lake. This permitted someone at Madison, (250 miles south
of Trout Lake) to 'run' the PC208 software 'on' the NT, remotely,
and capture the data from the Data Logger on Trout Lake through
the relayed Serial Radios.
This
is a non-secure, special solution. Not a general solution.
So I carried a $500 NL100 device from Campbell, which can take the
serial data in one port, and deliver it out the Ethernet port, using
IP addressing, and PC208W Version 3.2 software from anywhere. Thus
making it possible for anyone on the Internet with PC 208 software
to fetch the data over the Internet securely. But ALSO permits the
data to be delivered automatically to a Web site, so that ANYONE
who wants to see it, can, with just a browser and a URL, with much
greater security.
(This
is the solution we used in Alaska near Poker Flats, and that now,
the University of Alaska has duplicated the technique near Nome.
Below is the URL from which you can read all 7 Freewave/Data Loggers
in the two areas of Alaska.
http://www.uaf.edu/water/projects/cpcrw/metdata/cpcrwmetsitemap.htm
We
regard this as the ultimate model for general distribution of Data
Logger data from the field, wirelessly, to all researchers, educators,
or the public. 'Security' can be handled at the web site access
location, if needed.)
On
arrival at Trout Lake (one had to bring sleeping bag, of course,
being winter in the cabins) it only took a few hours for me to install
the NL100 at the same relay radio location that the relay radio
was when attached, serially, to the NT. Tim Meinke had downloaded
the required 'upgrade' from the PC208W to PC208W v3.2 software,
which adds the 'IP' module.
I
first installed it using my Laptop to insure all would work properly,
using an IP number, and an arbitrary (for security) Port Number,
from the Trout Lake IP set to install in the NL100. That worked
immediately. All that was then required was to duplicate the numbering
in the Trout Lake NT, then get a hub to get an extra Ethernet Port
in their computer room. The switchover went smoothly. Tim Kratz,
PI, Paul Hanson, from Madison, and Tim Meinke, watched the proceedings,
and took control of the equipment.
Tim
Kratz, PI, NL100, and Access Hub
I
have tested it periodically from Colorado after returning. Works
fine.
Real-time
data from Sparkling Lake Raft in Wisconsin via Internet to Colorado
Springs.
Retest
of NovaRoams On the 10th of December I, and two Research Technical
Assistants there to work four years on 'Biocomplexity' Projects
at Trout Lake, undertook a partial retest of the NovaRoam Radios.
I
disconnected the FreeWave Radio in the Garage that is connected
to the 120 foot tower at the center, on top of which is a 6db omni
902-928mhz antenna. I
attached one NovaRoam. Because the NovaRoams have no 'connected'
lights, I would have to use IP 'pings' to see if we had a connected,
and how robust it was. So I would have to sit in the car, use the
cigarette lighter through an Inverter for 110v of power to power
the radio, and use the battery powered laptop connected to the radio
via Ethernet. And then handhold both the 6db omni and 9db yagi to
see, at various locations, whether we had a link.
One of us drove the car, I operated the computer and tests, and
the third person, with a GPS, noted the exact test locations, and
the quality of signal I reported.
We
had one false start when the stiff cable bent, and we had to return
to repair it first.
So
we drove first to the edge of Sparkling Lake, where the radio link
worked fine, for both the omni and yagi antennas.
Then
we went to the 'Bog' location, where, once again we had a strong
signal.
Dave Hughes, PI and Michele Parara at the
Bog
Then
we drove to various positions east of Trout Lake on Road N, and
found that the connections were weaker, or non existant in comparison
with the FreeWaves.
We
were unable to get a connection at Crystal Lake, the same place
we could not with Freewaves. This conclusively proved that it would
be necessary to use a structure on Muskie Peak, with a radio relay,
to reach the easternmost lakes of the Trout Lake research area.
Michele
Parara plotted our 9 test locations on a map which is a little too
large to post here. Now. Later.
Results?
The
NovaRoam Radios are still not as good for forested areas as are
the FreeWaves.
