Radio
📡 The Waco Packet & Mesh Society - Applied Comms Research Group
Resilient. Decentralized. Open Source.
We are not your grandpa's ham club. We are a group of builders, network engineers, and preparedness enthusiasts dedicated to designing, building, and operating advanced digital communication networks that work when everything else fails.
Our focus is on decentralized, peer-to-peer protocols running entirely on open-source hardware and software. We don't rely on the internet; we build the alternative.
💡 Our Mission: The Network of Last Resort
In an era of increasing infrastructure fragility, reliable communication is essential. Our mission is two-fold:
- Resilience: Provide a robust, self-healing data backbone for local emergency services and public communication during critical outages (power, internet, cellular failure).
- Innovation: Serve as a working laboratory for exploring and deploying next-generation, open-source digital radio modes and data routing techniques.
🛠️ The Technology: Protocols We Build On
We reject proprietary, closed-source solutions. Our infrastructure is built on transparent, auditable, and customizable open standards.
| Technology Focus | What It Is | Our Application |
|---|---|---|
| AREDN Mesh Networking | Modifying consumer Wi-Fi routers to create high-speed, self-configuring data networks on licensed Ham bands (2.4/5.8 GHz). | High-bandwidth data transfer, VoIP, mapping, and file sharing across our local operating area. |
| Reticulum | A novel, cryptography-based network stack that can route data securely over any medium (radio, LoRa, wire). | Secure, peer-to-peer messaging and application routing that is censorship-resistant and inherently encrypted. |
| Open-Source Packet & FLMSG | Utilizing the classic AX.25 protocol with modern open tools (like BPQ32 and the FL suite) for reliable data transfer. | Standardized, robust transmission of formal messages and data forms (e.g., ICS forms) over VHF/UHF radio links. |
🏗️ Current Focus: Building Our Foundation
Our initial projects are focused on rapidly deploying functional infrastructure:
- The Standardized Go-Kit: Designing and assembling a deployable, battery-powered Raspberry Pi/Radio platform for every member, running our core open-source software suite.
- Three-Node Mesh Backbone: Establishing the first three high-speed AREDN nodes to create a working local data network segment.
- The "Dark Net" Exercise: Conducting regular field tests where all communications must use the networks we build—simulating a total infrastructure collapse.
🤝 Join the Collective
Are you a licensed amateur radio operator, a programmer, a network administrator, or simply someone passionate about technical preparedness and open-source solutions? We need your skills.
We are currently seeking Founding Members to help establish the club's bylaws, file for our official FCC club callsign, and lead core infrastructure projects.
Requirements to Apply:
- A commitment to hands-on building and experimentation.
- A belief in the power of resilient, decentralized, and open-source communication.
- Willingness to dedicate a few hours a month to project work and deployment.
Next Step: Contact W5AWW at brady@ik.me to receive a copy of our full vision packet and schedule a short introductory meeting. Let's build something that truly matters.