[amsat-bb] Project for a Radio/Internet linked APRS node/network in Cuba, starting with a SAT-GATE...

[Pavel Milanes Costa]

Hi to all.

This is half OT, sorry for that.

As you may know Cuba has (now) a growing network infrastructure for the 
National Ham Radio Association with at least a node with ADSL in each 
province and a internet connected central link in Havana; I have managed 
to make strong links with the Senior System Administrator (I'm a 
sysadmin also) and we are willing to put more ham related services in 
the net mostly for local users that connect to it via dialup connections 
(almost 30% of the hams are registered) and why not for international users.

We tested and setup a DXcluster (Linked DXSpider node) that was a big 
success among our users.

We are now thinking on kind of internet connected APRS server that acts 
as a gate (kind of proxy) for the internal network and then a first node 
on my city (Camagüey, 500 Km east of Havana, FL11BJ) to test a on-air 
APRS and link it to the internal APRS server and I was thinking on 
setting a VHF packet on 145.825 Mhz as a bi-directional Sat-gate.

The main questions are this: (Any advice, critics, links, help is 
appreciated)

  * There are any real interest in a VHF APRS SAT GATE in my location
    (FL11BJ) ? or it will be more noise in the net...
  * Any lead in how to mount a internet only aprs server and how to link
    it to the global APRS internet network?
  * Any other suggestion on what network-ham-related project we can
    setup on the national network described on the first paragraph?
  * Any other list/reflector where this can be interesting... ?

The OS by choice will be Linux (Debian 9 or Ubuntu LTS), we plan to use 
direwolf as software modem on linux, we are seeking for a rbpi to test 
as we have no real hardware right now but a trusty Yaesu FTL-2011 VHF 
radio, we are on the plan stage and seeking for advice.

I'm all ears,

Pavel Milanes, CO7WT, 73