You cant shoot an 802.11 IP network any further than a few miles without large specially built antennas and violating FCC regulations on power usage. Even then you have to be line of sight to the other end.  Who wants to climb a 400 foot tower in the middle of disastor zone to get an 802.11 network operating over a few miles?

The effort would be better spent getting a VHF/UHF Winlink network operational in your area.

It's not full Internet connectivity with web browsing and the like but it was designed to pass email in the worst of conditions and it does that well.
 

My VX7R is used as a scanner in my car in directly the method you mention. Works like a charm. Make sure you get a better antenna than the rubberduck that comes with it.

contact a cement "lifting" company. They'll be in your phonebook. They normally do walkways, driveways, foundations, etc...but they would probably be able to put the base right.  Might be worth having one of them come out and give an estimate.

http://www.voltageconverters.com/faq.htm#15

Link to "how long can I run" tool

> Does anyone have a design for a charger that can
> maintain several 12volt battries? I would like one
> that could put out several amps, but that will not
> overcharge the batts. I would really like to build
> this myself, both because I am cheap, and because I
> like to build things.

Not built this myself but here's a link to get you started. It's a solar charger but it should give you an idea on how to do it.

http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#charger


> How do I prevent the charger from trying to provide
> too much current when the radios are transmitting.

Commercial chargers have a limit to the amount of current they will provide. Mine has a trickle, 5amp and 15amp setting.


> How do I figure out how long the batteries will
> last? I know that the only way to be sure is to
> disconnect the charger and try it, but I would like
> a rough estimate.

First you have to figure out your average drain. Check the Emergency Communication section for various estimates based on receive vs transmit ratio, or Im sure someone will post the math.

I have a link in my bookmarks at home (currently at work) to a website where you can type in your usage and battery backup size and it will tell you expected run time. I'll post it when I get home.

I have a really tall attic  8 foot is doable. Only probably with a tall attic is that it means I give up width which means I can't install the most basic of Yagis.

Sounds like the tree is a viable option.

Now I have to figure out how to attach a vertical antenna to a tree that's out of reach of pretty much anything but a bucket truck.  Any ideas?

I know I can probably 'sling shot' a line up to a high branch and then 'pull' the antenna up..but do people just leave the coax dangling? Doesn't seem right. But I dont see how I can attach the coax to the tree at 75' up

That and I have to figure out how to attach a loop to the top of the antenna to hang it.

Stupid CC&R's. Wasn't a ham when I bought this house.

ahh....good points.

more details:

The tree would probably add an extra 50-75 feet of cable. It's an old growth tree with probably a good 10 to 15 foot base (eg: would take two people to put their arms around it)

I forgot to actually check if an antenna of that dB gain would actually fit. You are correct The biggest one I can find that will fit the attic is 5 dB.

Given the new data what would you pick?

Which would you pick?

Put a commercial 2meter 7 or 8 dBd vertical antenna in your attic (stick built house with siding and normal shingle roof)

   or  

A home built 2m 5/8 Wave vertical ground plane antenna in a tree 20-30 feet higher than the attic

Thanks!

Use channel 6 on your wireless access points and your cordless phone problems will go away

Home built 5 element Yagi built from an FM antenna purchased at Radio Shack for $20

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/9907034.pdf

This was my first home built project and it worked perfect.

now dont take my word on it but I believe I read that if your sealed battery vents you just destroyed it.

Note: In a UPS there is no vent. (at least in mine)

I have a similar restriction but what I was thinking of doing was putting the wind measuring portion of my weather station at the top of a hollow plastic tube (PVC?) and slip the vertical antenna inside.  That way it looked like I had a weather station at the top. There's no rules about weather stations

However the wind direction portion of the station does have a tiny bit of metal in it and a wire that connects to a transmiter that would be mounted below the antenna. Im just afraid I'd fry something in the weather transmitter even if I placed the transmitter portion below the antenna. (this would be for 2meter)

thoughts?

Regarding Northern Kentucky..

actually I wasnt refering to the NKARC folks..I havnt been involved with them to have an opinion. Though I have heard some bad stories. I was talking about the Boone County emergency response folks. The group that actually gets a budget from my tax dollars and works for the county and are supposedly emergency response professionals. I see various antennas, a weather satellite receiver dish and a weather station on their building but I dont see a darn thing coming out of their office. No website, no public relations, no Amateur Radio checkins, nothing. I only ever see their little 4x4s running around town with new paint jobs sporting the "Im the emergency response guy" paint job.

And since we are on the topic of emergency response professionals...

another good story...

My wife is a registered nurse who works for a local private school (K-12grade). After 9/11 the school wanted to create an emergency response plan. As part of the plan they created an emergency response team....have any idea who wasnt on the team?  you got it. The only medically trained person on staff wasnt even consulted. The team involves the two principles, the facility manager, a teacher or two and some office staff. Im sure that response plan is going to work out reaaaaal well. Not!

Unless you are like me and live in a county where the EMA is run by a bunch of good ol boys who dont take volunteers. I didnt even specify what I wanted to do I just offered to volunteer wherever they needed. Got a "no thank you". Not even a "maybe later" or anything. A flat out "no".

ooh...you mean like this.

http://www.allisonhouse.com/ham/kit/