Progress Report #1
                                                 August 24, 1997
 
        The wirelessly linked History Center web site is now
(August, 1997) up and operating, linked by means of a 1Mbps Wi-Lan
Hopper Plus spread spectrum Part 15 radio to a multi-point master
radio on the premises of Old Colorado City Communications (which is
donating 2 years worth of IP connectivity worth $7,200 at 56kbps),
which in turn is linked to a Colorado Supernet POP in downtown
Colorado Springs via three BreezeCOM radios.

        This is a change from the original proposal which would have
involved two FreeWave 115Kbps radios. However an opportunity arose
to substitute a faster 1Mbps Wi-Lan radio, that could also networked
with two other Wi-Lans, one at the small Carnigie Branch Library
nearby, and permit Library patrons to acces the History Center even
when it was closed.

        If you have Netscape or Explorer, with at least 4.0 version
(free) of Real Audio you can listen to the original voices of
pioneers tell tales of Colorado City, the rip-roaring first capital
of Colorado Territory, circa 1859 gold rush. Video clips will follow
- made possible by the higher bandwidth afforded by digital
wireless, without corresponding telephone company dedicated data
line costs.

        It is planned to extend, by a PCMIA wireless LAN card going
to an Access Point near the NT 4.0 web server in the Computer Room
of the History Center, at 2.4Ghz so as to avoid the 915Mhz radio
band used by the Wi-Lan Hopper in the same room, into the Main
Display room on a movable laptop Win95 PC, with a small CAM to
permit you to view museum displays real-time.

        However, at the present time, the laptop is on a wired LAN
into the same room, permitting patrons, by mouse only, to access the
History Web Site, and other museum links.

        During the Founder's Day celebration (August 13th) in
Bancroft Park, across the street from the History Center, and in the
1859 log cabin, the Win95 Laptop was placed, linked by the TCP/IP
Win95 Network Protocol to the Internet via a second Wi-Lan 1Mbps
radio, permitting visitors to the Cabin to access the History Web
site and hear the Real Audio narrations coming from the NT server,
wirelessly. The antenna was a flat plate (perhaps 12 by 12 inches)
leaned against the radio, giving 6dB of gain, rather than the 2dB
gain rubber duck antennas, and not needing a yagi.

        Pretty High Tech Cabin!

        As of this report, the content is only beginning to be
filled up in the Web Site. But already it is obvious that the
bandwidth permitted by the wireless lets us use more graphical
materials.


Dave Hughes                                 LaDonna Gunn
Principal Investigator                      Research Assistant
NSF Local History by Wireless Project       history@oldcolo.com
http://history.oldcolo.com
dave@oldcolo.com