Siitech in need of "Coast Stations"

[DENelson83]

And no, you don't need an MMSI for this one. This is receive-only.

Why not connect to the Island Trunk and ask a radio ham on the Island if (s)he would like to help out?

[kylefossett]

just looked at the areas that they are looking for people to set up stations in and have come to a conclusion as to why there probably is not any stations in these areas, no highspeed internet service.

[Northern Exploration]

My suggestions for Siitech on the West Coast would be as follows. Amphitrite Lighthouse in Uclulet, Wickannish Intrepretive Centre in the Pacific Rim Park, McDiarmid's house near Wickannish Inn, and somewhere in Tofino proper like maybe the roof of the hospital. I don't think there is high speed in Bamfield to the south. And I also don't think there is high speed just north of Tofino.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

I stuck some info about where to get the required equipment in another thread.

Here's the link, reply 165.

[WettCoast]

kylefossett said:

just looked at the areas that they are looking for people to set up stations in and have come to a conclusion as to why there probably is not any stations in these areas, no highspeed internet service.

Urbanites living in the parts of BC in and around Georgia Strait are often surprised to hear that they have the Internet in remote places like Kelowna and Prince George; flabbergasted when they hear that they even have HS Internet. In Kitimat we have had HS for four or five years now.

Even places with a thousand people or less have HS Internet today. Examples: The skidegate - Queen Charlotte City area in QCI, the Lac La Hache area in the south Cariboo. In fact anyone living virtually anywhere can get HS today via www.xplornet.com/index.php if they are willing to pay for it.

I am virtually certain that HS exists in Port Hardy. I know HS has been available in Rupert for at least as long as here in Kitimat. I strongly suspect that they have HS in Bella Bella, and maybe also Hartley Bay. There are very likely people, businesses or organizations in these communities that would consider becoming a coast station.

As for me I would consider doing this myself, but I'm fairly sure I don't have a good 'line of site' out to Douglas Channel. There is a fair bit of commercial marine traffic in the Douglas Channel with a couple of hundred vessels annually calling at wharves operated by Alcan, Eurocan Pulp & Paper, and the Methanex Company. On the other hand there is virtually no passenger vessel traffic.

[kylefossett]

Highspeed internet only came to saltspring with in the last year. And even now it is not available in all areas of the island.

[DENelson83]

What about using AIS repeaters to get the signals from northern waters to sites where there is high-speed Internet service?

Or, just get Dennis Washington to get an AIS coast station setup on his property up on Stuart Island?

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

kylefossett said:

Highspeed internet only came to saltspring with in the last year. And even now it is not available in all areas of the island.

Land-line based HS internet hasn't reached Texada yet, but the option of high speed internet is there, though it does mean bouncing it off a satellite. My father loves his!

[DENelson83]

Another idea: How about finding some vessels at the north end of Vancouver Island with satellite high-speed Internet service and put AIS receivers on them? That would give siitech a few "ship stations."